MDPESA Pilot Training Workshop on Participatory Budgeting in Africa: Kabwe, Zambia 25 - 27 June 2007

Aide Memoire and Program | List of Participants | Proceedings Report

The Participatory Budgeting pilot training program in Kabwe , Zambia was held from the 25 th to the 27 th of June 2007 . The workshop was facilitated by the Municipal Development Partnership for Eastern and Southern Africa together with Ms. Vivian Chikoti the Town Clerk of Kabwe Municipality and her team. This was the second time MDP-ESA was facilitating a workshop related to Participatory Governance in Kabwe municipality following the one implemented in November 2000 under the theme "Community Empowerment and Social Inclusion through Strengthening Civic participation in Municipal Governance

The Participatory Budgeting training program was attended by more than seventy (70) participants who included various councilors from Kabwe, council officials, Mr. Morris Mbolela, the Executive Secretary of the Local Government Association of Zambia (LGAZ), representatives of neighboring local authorities, representatives of civic organizations, and residents of Kabwe municipal council. The pilot training was officially opened by the provincial permanent secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Housing. His Worship Mr. Richard Yumbe officially closed the workshop.

Emerging Issues from the Pilot

Of all the pilots undertaken so far, Kabwe registered the highest number of attendance and the eagerness and enthusiasm to hear more about participatory budgeting was written all over the faces of the invited participants. This to a large extend immensely contributed to the highly successful exchange of ideas and sharing of experiences during all the three workshop days. Indications on the ground are that if well handled, participatory budgeting in Kabwe will scale to greater heights, particularly in terms of the expected positive impacts and outcomes. The issues that were raised during the workshop discussions were more or less similar to those that had already been raised in both Ruwa and Nansana, particularly with respect to the constraints and challenges for furthering participatory budgeting in Kabwe. Like in Ruwa, the participants in Kabwe resolved to come up with a council resolution to facilitate the participatory budgeting process in the town.

A group photo of the Kabwe Municipal Council pilot training workshop participants

Similar to what participants in Nansana did, an action plan was drawn out towards the end of the workshop to deal with some of the pertinent constraints and challenges that were perceived to be blocking the further enhancement of the participatory budgeting process in Kabwe. Also like in the other two pilot towns the contents of the training companion were well received. However two important concerns that will also go a long way in improving the training companion were raised. These are:

• The training companion was considered to be voluminous and also needs some further simplification for it to be easily understood by everybody; and
  
• It was felt that it is not clearly spelt out in the training companion who drives the participatory budgeting process and what sort of criteria should be used to select such people.