Network for Gender Equality – info in Spanish
Folleto en español sobre la red de igualdad de género de ICLD
Publication Type
Other ICLD publications
Sustainable Development Goals
5 - Gender equality
Topic
Gender Equality
Empowering Local Voices: The Role of Participatory Research in SDG Voluntary Local Reviews
This report analyses the use of community-based, participatory methods in producing Voluntary Local Reviews. Since 2022, the Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy has supported municipalities with policy integration of the Sustainable Development Goals. Research teams together with three of these municipalities (Bijeljina in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Emboreet and Kibaha in Tanzania) applied community-based participatory research (CBPR) to collect data, information, and collective experience from the communities within the towns. The outcome VLRs work as a laboratory for an alternative kind of review on SDG implementation, with a focus on stories, perception, and co-ownership rather than on data, measurements, and indicators. This report explores the process that led to the VLRs, the contents of the reviews, and the lessons that can be learned for other local governments to adopt and contribute to a more inclusive and participative approach from the bottom up. It showed that more participation increases the community’s perception of their ownership of decision-making, and that bottom-up VLRs can constitute a mechanism for citizens to affect, change and improve the policymaking process.
Publication Type
Research Reports
Project Area
Inclusive leadership and governanceLocal economic development, innovation and livelihoods
Sustainable Development Goals
17 - Partnerships for the goals
Topic
Participatory democracy, citizen dialogues and budgeting
About ICLD
Info folder about the Swedish International Centre for Democracy, ICLD
About ICLDPublication Type
Other ICLD publications
Peer learning in partnerships – toolbox
The objective of peer-learning in ICLD networks (including team visits) and partnerships is the transfer of knowledge, skills and experience from one local government to another, and vice versa, mainly through international visits. These visits are at the heart of your partnership, and network, and should be well planned and contain elements that encourage peer learning, friendly benchmarking to inspire change, or other forms of peer support such as mentoring, site/study visits, peer visits, peer assessments and work shadowing.
Publication Type
Toolbox
Project Area
Inclusive leadership and governance
Mobilising Assets to Improve Participatory Planning in Local Governance in South Africa
This learning case aims to guide the reader to:
- Reflect on the rights, responsibilities, and relationships of local communities (citizens) and municipalities in a context governed by strong policies for public participation yet ineffective practices to engage communities in planning and service delivery;
- Identify gaps and potential solutions to improve the quality of participation in public planning through the Integrated Development Planning process;
- Consider the value of asset-based and community-driven development (ABCD) from the perspective of local governance and public participation; and,
- Propose avenues for strengthening mutual accountability (and the social contract) between local municipalities and communities through the ABCD-informed Community Scorecard (CSC).
Publication Type
Learning Cases
Topic
Participatory democracy, citizen dialogues and budgeting
Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR)
This toolbox outlines three methods for co-creating solutions for climate action and sustainable development: photovoice, community asset mapping and participatory video. It is especially relevant to bridge the gap between policy, academia and communities.
This toolbox was developed in connection with the Autumn School in CBPR, organized for researchers and local government officials from Tanzania, Kenya and Sweden in Dar es Salaam in 2022, by the authors of this toolbox.
Publication Type
Toolbox
Project Area
Culture, leisure, sport and/or tourism
Sustainable Development Goals
17 - Partnerships for the goals
Citizen Report Cards (CRC) on Local Democracy
This toolbox provides essential guidance for supervisors of data collection teams who collaborate with the ICLD to conduct a Citizen Report Card (CRC)-survey for ICLD-projects. The instructions will help you to self-sufficiently prepare for and conduct the survey, please read the toolbox carefully and contact ICLD with any further questions.
Publication Type
Toolbox
Topic
Participatory democracy, citizen dialogues and budgeting
Let’s get together and make change: Towards a Child-Focused Cities Analytical Framework
Children live in cities and local communities, implying that they have proximity to the local government rather than the national government. The interaction of children with their governments happens at the local level. And, children experience the realisation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the local sphere of government. Yet, children are relegated to the margins of local governance and implementation of SDGs and are not given the space and voice to shape how their cities should be or look like. In this project, we investigated through literature review and case studies in ICLD partnering municipalities (Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and Livingstone, Zambia) to gain critical insights and a context-based understanding to local governments to enhance informed and child-focused decision-making around local governance and SDGs implementation.
Note: This publication is the result of a Local Democracy Lab and the Local Democracy Academy, both held in 2022. The study was conducted with an Impact research grant: small-scale, action-oriented projects conducted in close collaboration with local governments.
Publication Type
Working Papers
Project Area
Culture, leisure, sport and/or tourismEducationUrban planning
Sustainable Development Goals
17 - Partnerships for the goals
Topic
Child rights and youth participation
Voluntary Local Review – Kibaha Town Council, Tanzania
This Voluntary Local Review (VLR) aims at understanding how well the SDGs have been localized and implemented in Kibaha Town Council (KTC), Tanzania. The process employed Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) to represent local voices in a participatory and inclusive manner. The results show that localization of SDGs has helped the government and citizens to foster their cooperation in solving challenges encountered during implementation of SDGs. Citizens of KTC help the council in implementing SDGs through mobilizing local resources, capacity building; local monitoring, and participating in grassroots initiatives on SDG-related activities. Localization of SDGs was constrained by challenges such as financial limitation and lack of meaningful participation from key stakeholders. The review concludes by emphasizing the importance local monitoring of SDGs in promoting the co-production of knowledge through citizen’s participation in decision-making.
Publication Type
Working Papers
Project Area
Inclusive leadership and governance
Sustainable Development Goals
10 - Reduced inequalities11 - Sustainable cities and communities16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions17 - Partnerships for the goals5 - Gender equality
Topic
Participatory democracy, citizen dialogues and budgeting
International partner
Kibaha Town Council
Voluntary Local Review – Emboreet village, Manyara, Tanzania
The United Nations Agenda 2030 contains 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with 169 targets to address global social, environmental, and economic challenges by 2030, of which many must be implemented at the local level. Voluntary Local Reviews (VLR) have gained prominence as a means for local and regional governments to assess SDG progress and remaining challenges. Citizen and community engagement in SDG implementation have been recognized as instrumental in achieving the goals and targets. This report presents the findings of a Voluntary Local Review conducted in Emboreet village, Tanzania. The objective was to assess the localization of Agenda 2030, explore the involvement of citizens and other social actors in SDG implementation, and understand their perceptions of the efforts made in achieving the SDGs. The research employed a Community Participatory Action Research methodology to ensure active community participation and collaboration. It reviews thirteen SDGs as a combination of those adapted by the Emboreet village from the Tanzania Vision 2025 and priorities of community stakeholders.
Publication Type
Working Papers
Project Area
Inclusive leadership and governance
Sustainable Development Goals
1 - No poverty10 - Reduced inequalities11 - Sustainable cities and communities13 - Climate action16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions17 - Partnerships for the goals2 - Zero hunger3 - Good health and well-being4 - Quality education5 - Gender equality6 - Clean water and sanitation7 - Affordable and clean energy9 - Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Topic
Participatory democracy, citizen dialogues and budgeting
International partner
Emboreet, Simanjiro
