Study tour impacts on local governance
In 2004, after 32 years of being centrally governed, legislation was passed in Sierra Leone to revive local councils and devolved management of utilities and public services to locally elected representatives. However, the revival of devolved powers came with new challenges. These included:
setting up a system of local taxes to pay for services
resolving disputes with traditional chiefs over areas of governance
finding ways for newly elected councillors to work with the officers of the old central government structure.
In October 2006, VSO invited 11 local councillors and council coaches from Sierra Leone to participate in a LINKS study tour to South Africa. The aim of the tour was to show how another post-civil war country had developed a successful system of local governance and devolved councils.
Good practice in South Africa
The participants attended a series of workshops and visited a number of South African council offices and organisations. The purpose was to understand more about how South Africa develops and manages its local council structures, maintains good relations with local chiefs and tackles the issue of youth unemployment. They were able to see good practice in operation and seek advice and guidance from their peers in South Africa.
Mohamed Sesay, local council coach for Sierra Leone’s Tonkolili District Council, which has over 300,000 citizens in its jurisdiction, said:
“We learnt so many things on the study tour including how South Africa successfully educated people about paying taxes and resolved conflict with traditional leaders. Important things were learnt and those of us who attended the tour were able to replicate some of the good practice in some of our respective councils.”
Raising public awareness
Back in Sierra Leone, the participants, with funding from a VSO small grant, met and hosted a workshop to share their knowledge with colleagues. They were able to stories and ideas and build public awareness of the role of councils and their own responsibilities as citizens or village leaders.
The success of the tour also fed into national politics. The government of Sierra Leone hopes to establish a Youth Commission to ensure that all levels of the government consider the needs of young people (currently over half of Sierra Leone’s population). The study tour participants are expected to be included as keys sources of expertise once the Commission is established. The tour is set to influence development in Sierra Leone for a long time to come.
Tour impact
Study tour participants raised public awareness of the role of councils and their responsibilities as citizens or village leaders.
Local councils developed new tax policies and processes, which in one case resulted in a 400 per cent increase in revenue from business tax alone in 2008.
