UCLG Position Paper v_2 (eng)
22/12/09
18:13
Página 43
A Compilation of Case Studies
is directly related to the principles of mutual accountability and managing for results. Hence, amongst the steps taken so far, the following points are worth mentioning: •
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Debate and coordination in the donor country. Various meetings have been held in order to compile experiences and to define common priorities between local authorities and the central government regarding international cooperation. Diagnostic work and field planning with local partners. Regional and/or national meetings have taken place, with the participation of stakeholders, local partners and the Spanish cooperation agency, about the working method. These meetings try to bring about a fluid dialogue between the Spanish public administrations and the local ones in order to appropriately focus the aid destined to local government capacity building. The criteria of alignment and ownership articulate this diagnostic work and planning. Development of projects within a joint action strategy. Once the action strategy of projects is defined and agreed upon by the local partners, the latter are the ones who take the lead in the implementation of the funded interventions.
definition of strategies in favour of complementarities of the interventions. Action coordination, as a working method to foster efficient field collaboration between development cooperation stakeholders and mutual reinforcement of their specific roles.
Conclusion Coordination can be understood as a complex process that makes progress towards harmonization in terms of the design of programmes, and therefore towards aid effectiveness, possible. The Municipia programme demonstrates the possibility of better policy coordination of the Spanish cooperation initiatives destined to the local governance sector. Among the lessons learnt as a result of the data collection tools and the programme, the following can be underlined: •
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Coordination processes, when aiming at achieving practical and comparable results, are complex and require the forecast of adequate resources. Respecting the singularity of each and every one of the stakeholders and of the specific role they may develop is a key factor for coordination processes to favour the enrichment of the collective action. In no case should harmonization of interventions lead to a homogenization of methods nor to a uniformity of contents. It is necessary to safeguard the plurality of stakeholders. It is essential to provide stakeholders with useful tools that give proof of the benefits of working jointly.
The programme focuses specifically on the local sphere, but offers a double level of extensive reach (which can be extrapolated): i) it favours the development of a joint strategy of Spanish public administrations active in this field; ii) it sets out a policy exchange with partner countries which should channel the aid destined to local governance.
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Levels of coordination and harmonization
It is still premature to evaluate the results of the Municipia programme in the field, but a notable improvement can be found in the communication and dialogue channels of the various actors.
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The data collection and the programme Municipia show that coordinating information is crucial for building broader coordination. This is why it is necessary to distinguish the distinct stages of coordination: •
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For more information, please contact FEMP internacional@femp.es
Information coordination, as a basic tool to define the orientation of aid, avoiding repetitions and adopting potential agreements of common action. Coordination of tools through harmonization of criteria, as a mechanism to optimize procedures of concession and management of aid as well as of follow-up of projects and actions. Policy coordination, as a space for debate and 43