Consultant - Development of a Local Governance and Accountability Programme Framework for ActionAid Nigeria at ActionAid Nigeria

Contract: Short term

Context

• ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) in its current strategy[1] as one of its objectives has pledged to enhance peoples’ power in democratic and inclusive governance. This mandate if it must achieve is hinged on democratic structures and governance institutions working for the people. If it is argued that local government is the closest tier of government to the people, then it provides a context within which to build people’s power.
• Over the years, Nigerians have engaged the non-functioning of local government from a realization that it presents the best route to authentic democracy and governance at the service of the people. Since the return to democracy in 1999, one of the key highlights of citizen’s engagement of the constitution reform process through the various legislative assemblies has been the agenda for local government autonomy. However, the underlying factors of politics and the place of local government finances in the financial equation of state executives have served to bring this to nil.
• Recently the National financial Intelligence Unit gave directives that local government funds should be paid directly into local government accounts and used solely for the purposes of local government expenditure. While governors were up in arms on the legality of the directive, the NFIU based its justification on the provisions of Section 7 of the Constitution of the FRN, 1999 (as amended) and in the National Financial Intelligence Agency Act, which is a law made by the National Assembly, giving the agency powers to make regulations regarding the utilization of revenues from the Consolidated Revenue Account of the Federal Government to local government councils. While this is a welcome development, there are concerns that state executive could use other means such as control of LGs through appointed administrators and chairmen to circumvent the use of such monies through phony means such as counterpart funding mechanism for projects to undermine the utilization of such resources for other purposes.
• On the other hand, there are concerns about the capacity of local governments to effectively put such resources to accountable transparent and people driven use as the decades of its pariah status has lefts its institutions and processes bereft of the needed structure to manage such funds.
• Non-state actors including ActionAid have tried through an approach of strengthening local government institutions and processes such as planning, and budgeting attempted to create the necessary conditions for the proper functioning of local governments. Examples of attempts at strengthening structures for delivery of services such as Education and Health care through structures such as SUBEB and PHCB have seen significant progress. However, this have not gained significant mileage in strengthening LG structures as the primary arm of government with the primary responsibility to deliver such neither does it engender people’s power as determinants of such services. On the other hand, attempts to build a conscious citizenry at that level that hold duty bearers accountable have failed to build the needed democratic structure desired for local governance in the country. A LG with power to determine its direction just doesn’t exist.
• ActionAid’s work through its Local Rights Programme is one of such examples; the governance component of this intervention has focused on building an accountability relationship between the people and local actors through tools such as the community development charter and accountability mechanism such as the School Based Management Systems (SBMCs).  In addition, we have carried out management of PHC through the Ward Development Committee as done by the Global Fund, SNR and ENR projects etc.
• The success of these initiatives provides an insight into what is possible where local governance works for the people. There are hordes of development actors with interventions such as these but one thing that has become very clear is that a local government that works is one where the processes for determining leadership is through an electoral politics that guarantees participation and the will of the people at that level, a local government administration that guarantees service delivery, transparency in the conduct of local governance and the actions of LG authorities that depends largely on their own financial autonomy all woven together by a constitution and legal frameworks that guarantees and enables local government independence
• The above scenario provides the bases for which ActionAid is developing a holistic local governance and accountability programme as part of its contribution towards local governments that work for the people
• The key motivation for ActionAid in developing a holistic local governance and accountability programme focused on making LGs work is that such a programme provides a framework within which to achieve the key objectives of its current strategy around making local governance work for the people.
• AAN’s demography represents a significant coverage to build local governance models that can become a reference point for local government administration reforms soon. It places ActionAid at a vintage point in driving the agenda for local government reforms in the country.
• Beside the geographical coverage, the thematic issues the organisation works on provides leeway into influencing key policy processes and outcomes covering a wide range of developmental issues including public finance and taxation, agriculture, education, health, social investments, humanitarian and resilience, elections, anti-corruption, women’s rights among others. Its experience using participatory approaches and tools can become a veritable tool for engendering participatory governance at the local government level
• The potential for building people’s power is enormous in a local government system that works. Smaller units of decision making provide spaces for citizens input and influence. Where local governments are conceptualized as self-government of local communities for the local communities, then the possibilities for the participation of marginalized groups including women and girls, young people and PWDs can be guaranteed. ActionAid is unapologetic about its efforts at expanding the space for participation of women in decision making processes and it intends to achieve this through the instrumentality of local governance

Objective of the Consultancy
The key objectives of the consultancy will be to:

• Undertake a comprehensive contextual analysis of local government in Nigeria accompanied with relevant data and statistics
• Map out relevant actors in the key thematic areas of ActionAid work at the local government levels, including existing institutions of governance, existing policies & processes and relevant government interventions & initiatives for local governments
• Map out appropriate strategy and tactics for engagement of the actors and stakeholders at the Local Government level
• Map out Non-State Actors working on local government reforms and administration in Nigeria
• Map out possible funding opportunities for local governance engagement

Deliverables:

• A detailed programme framework that captures a contextual analysis of local governance in Nigeria, its institutions, processes, actors and overview of local government reforms in line with ActionAid’s areas of work
• An engagement framework with a theory of change covering the AAN’s Governance, Local Rights Programme, Public Finance for Agriculture, Women’s Right programmes etc and key result areas for consideration
• An overview of Non-State Actors engagement with local government reforms in Nigeria

The deliverables should be submitted in hard and a soft copy on an external storage medium.  This should also contain relevant documentation and any other material produced/documented during the assignment

Methodology:

• Facilitate a workshop to harvest detailed information from ActionAid’s various programmes (Governance, Local Rights Programme, Food and Agriculture and Women’s Rights) towards building an engagement pathway in line with its local governance and accountability intervention objectives
• The consultant will work independently to obtain the necessary material/resource for the task
• Present the draft framework in a validation workshop to be organized by AAN’s team at a desired location in Nigeria.

Timeline:

• The framework is expected to be undertaken within a period of Twelve (12) days. For detail, a 2 Day workshop will be organized by AAN to enable the consultant harvest relevant information/Data, while 5 Days is earmarked for possible researches and the development of the framework by the consultant.
• Thereafter, AAN will conduct a Day validation workshop to enable the consultant to present a draft framework and take inputs from the AAN’s team. To conclude, the consultant will have additional 4 Days to integrate inputs and make the final submission.

Research Implementation:

• Data gathering
• Analysis
• Workshop
• Report Writing
• Validation

Scope and Location:

• The task is expected to be undertaken from the lens of ActionAid’s areas of work and focus on local government.

Reporting Lines:

• The consultancy shall be managed by the Governance Manager, while the final report is to be submitted to the Director of Programmes, who shall approve same.

Profile of Researcher

• Minimum of Master’s degree in Law, Development Studies, Political Science, Political Economy, Economics, Public Administration or any of the social sciences.
• At least 10 years progressive experience working in the areas of public finance analysis, public sector reform and excellent knowledge of decentralization and local governance issues
• Proven experience in leading design of development interventions at sub-national levels
• Excellent communication and report writing skills
• Good interpersonal relation skill

Payment

• The Researcher shall be paid a daily consultancy fee commensurate with the level of experience and ActionAid rates for the number of days. Fifty percent of the total sum shall be paid in advance at the beginning of the consultancy period. The balance of 50% will be paid when the final reports have been submitted and approved by AAN’s management.