L.Victoria Rept - UN-Habitat

Phase 3: Action Plan: This stage involves detailed action planning for the identified issues andareas of implementation including timeframes, resources and lead actors for the implementation.Phase 4: Implementation: The final stage of the participatory CDS involves the actualimplementation of the action plans which are drawn up through broad based consultation andconsensus building.DESIGNING THE CDSThe exact design of the CDS process should be adjusted to complement the institutions andplanning practices of each country, as well as the size and complexity of the different municipalauthorities. The Urban Management Programme (UMP) has adopted a general framework forthe implementation of CDS (see Figure 1). Although the same CDS Principles are applicable inboth large cities and small urban areas, the procedures used in implementation may differsubstantially and different interpretations may therefore be used. For example, in developingstrategies for capital investment in large cities, it is acceptable to break down the capital budgetinto component segments for individual analysis. In smaller towns, it is more viable to look at theentire capital budget at once, but the kind of information that is used to support priority settinghas to be much less elaborate. 5The Lake Victoria CDS aims to address and effect improvements in these key issues: Participation,Partnership, Local Economic Development, Poverty Reduction, and Environmental Improvement.Participation:Wide stakeholder participation is of critical importance in the CDS approach. Additionally, aCDS “torch bearer”, such as a civic leader or mayor, is vital to ensure that the enthusiasm andeffectiveness of the stakeholder participation process is not dissipated. The Lake Victoria CDSattempted to include many diverse groups and to maintain interest through regularcommunication, consultations and formation of working groups and committees that were trulyrepresentative of the diverse group of stakeholders. In addition, at the local levels key publicpersonalities – City Mayors and businessmen – were the torchbearers for the project.Partnerships:Partnerships were part and parcel of the Lake Victoria CDS initiative. Partnerships were formedat the regional as well as local levels to ensure project success and sustainability. At the regionallevel partnerships were formed with agencies and professional institutions to ensure continuedresource flow and technical back up. Local partnerships between the public, private business,and popular sectors helped to sustain the process through continued participation in the project.The partnerships also enhanced opportunities for capacity building among the different sectorsinvolved. This ensures the institutionalization of participatory methodologies of the CDS approachat the local level.Local Economic Development:As a part of the CDS exercise, a local economic development strategy is developed in each city.The CDS process brings together a diverse group of stakeholders – the local government, theprivate sector, and the poor – to define priority areas and develop action plans that focus on improvingthe city’s overall economic performance and efficiency, and promoting employment generationboth in the formal and informal sectors. The CDS exercise, for example, saw the formation of microenterprises and small saving schemes that would foster the development of local economies.5See also: From Master Planning to City Development Strategies: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities for Africa;Cecilia Kinuthia-Njenga: A Paper presented at Planning Africa Conference, South Africa, September, 2002.12Cities Development Strategies for Improved Urban Environment and Poverty Reduction in the Lake Victoria Region