Center For Democracy and Governance

Local Government Strengthening

"Strengthening the capacity of local government to deliver, effectively"

Emerging democracies face major difficulties meeting public expectations, and as nations decentralize, citizens increasingly look to local governments for solutions. Yet at the local level, the democratic process and its ability to meet constituent demands are often only beginning to emerge. To address these challenges, CDG will help the local government by strengthening their capacity to articulate citizen input into local decision-making processes, enable local officials to manage scarce resources effectively, and create an environment in which local government can
build public confidence in democracy.

To enhance the ability of local elected representatives to effectively manage new responsibilities, CDG mandate in Somalia is designed in a way of providing trainings and comparative models on the role of local elected officials how they can manage difficult decisions and understand the content of national decentralization legislation, and approaches for handling public needs. In Hargeisa, CDG has assisted local councils to assess local development needs, produce district development plans, and present the plans to higher-level government officials. In districts and villages, the plans were widely publicized and adopted directly by the government’s centrally appointed mayors and ministry of interior officials.

What We Do

  • Civil Society
  • Delivering on Democracy
  • Livelihood and Protection
  • Community Police Dialogues
  • Legislative Strengthening
  • Enhancing Citizen Participation
  • Local Government Strengthening
  • Human Rights