World Urban Forum, Nanjing, China; November 2008 1 Towards Inclusive Cities: Urbis - An Urban Capacity Laboratory World Urban Forum, November 2008 Nanjing,

World Urban Forum, Nanjing, China; November 2008World Urban Forum, Nanjing, China; November 2008

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Towards Inclusive Cities:Towards Inclusive Cities:Urbis -Urbis -

An Urban Capacity LaboratoryAn Urban Capacity Laboratory

World Urban Forum, November 2008World Urban Forum, November 2008

Nanjing, ChinaNanjing, China


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DIG OverviewDIG Overview


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Private, international firm committed to Private, international firm committed to fostering innovative solutions in the fostering innovative solutions in the fields of development finance, urban and fields of development finance, urban and community services and fund community services and fund management.management.

Areas of Expertise:Areas of Expertise: Development finance and financial services for the poorDevelopment finance and financial services for the poor Urban and community servicesUrban and community services Fund managementFund management

DIG OverviewDIG Overview


Gates Foundation – Gates Foundation – Urbis ProgramUrbis Program

$8 million, three-year learning initiative $8 million, three-year learning initiative (Sept 2007-2010) (Sept 2007-2010)

Main goals:Main goals: To contribute to the foundation’s strategy to support To contribute to the foundation’s strategy to support

capacity and growth of urban pro-poor organizations; to capacity and growth of urban pro-poor organizations; to increase the influence of the poor over decision-making and increase the influence of the poor over decision-making and planning processes that affect their daily lives.planning processes that affect their daily lives.

To develop best practices in pro-poor To develop best practices in pro-poor urbanurban innovators, and innovators, and to understand how to scale up and replicate effective to understand how to scale up and replicate effective initiatives.initiatives.


Approach:Approach: Urbis functions as a “testing laboratory” on urban poverty, Urbis functions as a “testing laboratory” on urban poverty,

to learn what it takes to bring the poor to the decision-to learn what it takes to bring the poor to the decision-making table. making table.

Capacity building activities in 7 cities where there is Capacity building activities in 7 cities where there is opportunityopportunity, not just need: Casablanca, Morocco; Phnom , not just need: Casablanca, Morocco; Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Mombasa, Kenya; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Penh, Cambodia; Mombasa, Kenya; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire; Dhaka, Bangladesh; and Luanda, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire; Dhaka, Bangladesh; and Luanda, Angola.Angola.


The Focus of our Capacity Building Includes:The Focus of our Capacity Building Includes: AdvocacyAdvocacy Slum improvementSlum improvement Better provision of services (water, sanitation)Better provision of services (water, sanitation) Land tenure regularizationLand tenure regularization Financing for the urban poorFinancing for the urban poor Economic growthEconomic growth Others (health, education, food security)Others (health, education, food security)

Projet “Urbis”Projet “Urbis”


Urbis Intervention

Organizations build their capacity to help the poor

Organizations help poor influence policy that affect them

Poor influence policy making decision that affect them

Policies and practice benefit the poor

Urban poverty is reduced

How capacity building of pro-How capacity building of pro-poor organizations translates poor organizations translates

into action for the poorinto action for the poor


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Urbis ProgramUrbis Program

Some types of capacity building include:Some types of capacity building include:

Training and workshops (group, classroom Training and workshops (group, classroom setting)setting)

Technical assistance (individualized output Technical assistance (individualized output based)based)

Sustained on-site technical assistanceSustained on-site technical assistance Study toursStudy tours Community of Practice, capacity-building Community of Practice, capacity-building

toolkits, learning reports, three books and toolkits, learning reports, three books and several publicationsseveral publications


Types of pro-poor organizations that can be agents of change:

Community based organizations Micro, small, and medium enterprises Non governmental organizations (NGO) Microfinance Institutions Networks NGO Schools

Towards Inclusive Cities – Pro-poor Towards Inclusive Cities – Pro-poor Organizations as Agents of ChangeOrganizations as Agents of Change


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Urbis city selection criteria:Urbis city selection criteria: Appropriate blend of needs and opportunities Appropriate blend of needs and opportunities

for Urbis implementation and learningfor Urbis implementation and learning Capacity building as “fertilizer” to unlock a Capacity building as “fertilizer” to unlock a

subsidy or existing mechanismsubsidy or existing mechanism


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Casablanca: Improve community participation in the government's

slum eradication (Cities without Slums) program, working with a network of 60 organizations.

Build capacity of the network to translate needs of community into actions that reduce poverty in the context of Cities without Slums.

Abidjan: Work with national NGO and various CBOs to help

slum dwellers organize to connect to government water infrastructure.

Provide capacity building to a federation of informal waste pre-collectors to formalize and professionalize services, and consequently obtain direct contracts with the Abidjan city government.



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Phnom Penh: Work with two national NGOs to strengthen urban

poor community-based savings groups, help them prepare community upgrading plans, and advocate for land tenure and slum upgrading.

Sao Paulo: Work with municipal government’s NGO school to

develop urban curriculum in partnership with NGOs, implement classes and determine course success.



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Mombasa: Strengthen the capacity of NGOs and CBOs to

empower communities to participate fully in the dispersion of devolved funds so that they meet community priorities.

Luanda: Work with three NGO networks to effectively lobby

the government on the allocation of newly available administrative and infrastructure funds.

Dhaka: Build capacity of slum dwellers to address land

tenure issues. Help improve community members’ access to

employment and entrepreneurial opportunities in urban economy via pro-poor CBOs.



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Accomplishments: Creation of a city diagnostic tool Design of toolkit to develop a capacity building plan Diagnostics of the urban poor and pro-poor

organizations in 12 cities Publication of Urbis diagnostic book (downloadable

for free at www.urbisnetwork.com) Development of capacity building plans for 7 cities Programs launched in 7 cities (Casablanca, Luanda

Mombasa, Abidjan, Phnom Penh, Dhaka and Sao Paulo)

Creation and launch of Urbis Community of Practice website (www.urbisnetwork.com)

Urbis Program Urbis Program


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Question and AnswerQuestion and AnswerSessionSession


Types of pro-poor organizations that can be an agent of change as part of Urbis strategy:

CBOs: Local PCAs MSMEs: Abidjan water intermediaries; NGOs: CREPA, CDLG, Ujama, UPDF, MFIs: DW, Kuyasa, CapStone Network: RASS, FEPSU-CI; SDI, ACHR NGO Schools: ESPASO

Pro-poor organizationsPro-poor organizations

Documents

World Urban Forum, Nanjing, China; November 2008 1 Towards Inclusive Cities: Urbis - An Urban Capacity Laboratory World Urban Forum, November 2008 Nanjing,