Decentralization is a powerful lever for development when conducted with method and ambition. ICE-FRANCE is involved in political, administrative, and fiscal decentralization processes, from the design of legal frameworks to the operational support of local authorities. Our teams understand the complex dynamics of local governance in Africa: relationships between the central state and local authorities, diversity of legal statuses of municipalities and regions, issues of local project management and constraints of local finances. We put this expertise at the service of more autonomous, capable, and accountable authorities towards their citizens.
Our approach
Support for Institutional and Legal Reform
We assist states in the design and revision of legal frameworks governing decentralization: codes of local authorities, laws on local finances, texts for the transfer of skills and resources. Our approach is always comparative and draws on successful experiences in the sub-region.
Strengthening the Capacities of Local Authorities
Local elected officials and authorities' agents are often insufficiently trained to perform the skills transferred to them. We design tailor-made training programs covering: local planning and development of local development plans (PDC), budget and accounting management, procurement, project management, and institutional communication.
Local Taxation and Resource Mobilization
Decentralization without own resources is an empty shell. We support authorities in improving local tax collection, setting up financial information systems, negotiating state transfers, and accessing innovative funding (municipal loans, local public-private partnerships).
Participatory Planning and Land Use
We facilitate participatory local planning processes (communal development plans, land use schemes) that involve communities, civil society organizations, and the local private sector in defining the territory's development priorities.
Frequently asked questions
How do you ensure coherence between national reforms and support for local authorities?▼
Alignment between the national level and the local level is at the heart of our approach. We work in parallel with the ministries in charge of decentralization (for legal frameworks and transfers) and with local authorities (for the operationalization of transferred competencies). Whenever possible, we integrate state-local authority dialogue mechanisms into the governance of our projects.
Do you operate in both urban and rural municipalities?▼
Yes, and we believe that both contexts present specific challenges that require differentiated approaches. Rural municipalities face extremely limited human and financial resources, high service access costs, and a strong dependency on state transfers. Urban municipalities face rapid population growth, complex land issues, and pressures on urban services. Our teams are experienced in both contexts.