UrbaPEJ-Dalifort Project

Background Information

Locally, UrbaPEJ-Dalifort contributes to the successful implementation of the 2012-2017 Priority Action Plans of the Municipal Investment Plan of Dalifort as part of solutions to the problems of the living environment, youth, security and unemployment.

Nationally, this initiative is part of the Plan Senegal Emergent which is the reference framework for all economic and social policies of Senegal by 2035. It is also part of national policies (on decentralization, habitat, environment and employment), for promoting improvement in conditions of living, fight against social inequalities and slums, and strengthening security, citizen participation, and youth employment.

Internationally, this initiative is consistent with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) (such us the Goal 11: To ensure that cities and human settlements are open to all, safe, resilient and sustainable), and also the Habitat III Goals for housing and sustainable urban development, the fight against poverty and inequality with a new urban agenda.

Goals of the Initiative

The outcomes of the project by May 2017:

Through its public- community approach, the project contributes to the development of a more democratic governance, more effective and more accountable sanitation services and basic security in the town.

With access to basic services and employment for the population, the project improves living conditions of young people and neighborhoods and fosters expression of true active urban citizenship, and releases their wealth production capacities.

The project strengthens solidarity and interaction between the various stakeholders of the town, with greater involvement of vulnerable groups (municipal authorities, youths, disabled persons, women, and disadvantaged neighborhoods) in the planning and management of urban development.

Parties and Partners to the Initiative

The innovation involves a public-community partnership.

The project consists of the delegation to communities (10 youth neighborhood organizations), of a municipal power in the provision of basic services (sanitation, urban security), allowing the creation of jobs (for young people), and implemented in coordination with the beneficiaries (represented by frameworks established) involved in the conception and evaluation of services.

•Leading partners

The Municipal Council: voting on the annual budget of the municipality, and authorizing the mobilization and use of resources for the project by the municipality.

The Municipal Bureau: chaired by the mayor. The mayor signs covenants/agreements that bind the municipality. He chairs the Project Steering Committee.

Youth neighborhood associations: providing the proposed services; monitoring of activities.

The population of the municipality (communities, women and key opinion leaders, including neighborhood delegates, religious/traditional chief): beneficiaries of services provided under the project and pay for them participating in the entire project process.

•Partners involved: Cities Alliance (funding) UN HABITAT and the World BANK (sponsoring).

Resources Used for Implementation

The funding profile is as follows: Dalifort Municipality and partners (20 percent), and Cities Alliance Grant (80 percent). The Municipality includes its contribution to the project in its annual budget. The local workforce (young people) is used for certain project activities. The municipality provides halls for meetings scheduled under the project.

Innovation for the Initiative

The relationship between young people and the municipality of Dalifort has always been complicated with a lot of mistrust and distrust between them. Therefore the youth’s capacity of building the initiative and the collaboration between young people and the municipality to the satisfaction of the needs of the people, is in itself revolutionary.

The revolution consists of the delegation to youth communities of a municipal power in the provision of basic services, allowing the creation of youth jobs, and implemented in coordination with the beneficiaries involved in the conception and evaluation of services.

Innovation has been applied in

The project's originality lies mainly in: the exercise, by Dalifort Municipality, of local urban management skills combining the fight against poverty with the promotion of local employment for young people, concrete actions for improving the urban living environment, and capacity building for community stakeholders for sustainable development of neighborhoods, that is coordinated, participatory and responsive to the priority needs of population.

The participatory collective and concerted approach adopted in the project strength participation and partnership of urban stakeholders (community stakeholders, vulnerable groups, municipal and government institutions), The various project deliverables come from this inclusive approach of dynamic, democratic, transparent and efficient co-building process by all these actors that form the Urban Collective.

Obstacles and Solutions for Innovation

The various past local initiatives have not always fostered real horizontal interactions. The sectorial approach (based on neighborhoods or groups) has often been criticized. While community involvement, which is still low, is fairly perceptible at neighborhood level, community solidarity and dynamics are not really effective at urban level. The implementation of this project, which is innovative in this regard, promotes their effective manifestation.

In the past, young people have never truly been empowered in the management of local development. Some local committees of representatives’ adult population had therefore expressed reservations about the capacity of the youth to assume their responsibilities in this project. These reserves could change thanks to the commitment of young people in all project activities, building their technical and institutional capacity. The municipality also provides effective supervision of the implementation of the protocol signed with youth.

Outcomes and Assessments

The changes aimed in the project by May, 2017:

•the management of municipality will be more open, democratic, effective and accountable

Young people living conditions improved at the end of the project through youth jobs created;

Urban solidarity are reinforced throughout the town Dalifort enabling individuals and disadvantaged neighborhoods to participate in community development and to enjoy better living conditions.

•The environment of deprived areas has been improved and become healthier at the end of the project.

Today, Urba PEJ Dalifort catalyzed dynamic multi-institutional and popular partnerships centered on community initiatives that integrate perfectly the social demand of the city. That is carried by different categories of stakeholders.

In its economic dimension, the project began to integrate young people into the local economy by the fight against urban unemployment that is a major challenge for governments in all African or world cities.

In its social dimension, local governance is improved by the transfer of powers of the municipal institution to the people organized through community management frameworks.

Collective self-evaluation meetings are organized in the neighborhoods and municipality

In addition, satisfaction surveys are conducted in households to assess their satisfaction related to waste collection, removal of fecal sludge and security in the town. Surveys are also carried out with young people to assess the impact of the project in the development of their capabilities and living conditions.

Methods Applied

Various tools have been put to use:

•participatory planning, consultation frameworks, collective and public evaluation of activities in the neighborhoods, knowledge sharing, management and delivery of community services delegated by the city, community mobilization and social communication, neighborhood councils, agreements and the like;

•The implementation of all populations representation frameworks (neighborhood councils).