Introduction

Local Governance and Urban programming are major elements of UNICEF programming approaches contributing to the reduction of child poverty and the achievement of results for children across all sectors and goal areas

One of the main factors influencing programming choice is the level and form of decentralization in the country.  Even the most centrally organized countries apply some decentralization in the form of de-concentration or delegation. In most countries a combination of governance systems exists, whereby some services are provided by the central government, with certain degrees of delegation or de-concentration, whilst others are provided by sub-national (devolved) governments, be it federal governments or local governments. The division of service delivery responsibilities between the central government and the subnational governments varies from country to country.  

This e-learning course will help UNICEF staff and other partners to adequately make strategic decisions for their programming and develop adequate interventions at the subnational and local levels to bet meet their programming objectives.  The course will build on the training course  - Tutored e-Learning Course on “Enhancing the Effectiveness of Decentralisation and Local Governance Reforms” developed by DeLoG for an in-person training, and is adapted to UNICEF priorities using relevant resources and examples, cases, guidance and lessons learned from UNICEF country engagements as part of the e-learning material in order to adapt the content to UNICEF programming needs. 

Learning objectives

At the end of this course you will: 

      1. Describe key concepts such as decentralization reforms, decentralized local governance, and SDG localization, and explain how these concepts intersect with UNICEF's mandate, gender equality, and child rights.
      2. Explain the impact of decentralization on various aspects of governance, including sectoral performance, urban and rural settings, and fragile and humanitarian contexts, as well as its implications for SDG localization.
      3. Summarize the factors and elements that contribute to the success of decentralization reforms, including country context, institutional and fiscal arrangements, and the design and implementation process.
      4. Describe the importance of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) in decentralization and decentralized local governance, discussing the challenges and aspects that need to be analyzed and measured for effective M&E.
      5. Recognize the role of UNICEF in supporting decentralization reforms and the SDG localization process, with a focus on promoting child rights, gender equality, and addressing the needs of vulnerable populations.

Audience

      • UNICEF staff at HQ, regional and country level, particularly working on urban and local governance, local economic development, service delivery and accountability.
      • Staff from UN agencies and other development partner agencies – field-based or at HQ level working on decentralization and local governance, including sector specialists whose work has a connection to programming at the subnational and local levels.
      • Officials and practitioners from partner country governments, including regional and local governments and their associations and administrations dealing with decentralization and local governance reform as well as representatives from civil society organisations and academia involved in the domain of DLG.
      • Development practitioners working on local governance, local economic development, urban governance sustainable development and SDG localization. 

Length

It should take you about 16 hours to complete this self-paced course depending on previous knowledge and the depth in which participants decide to study the modules. This translates into approximately on two hours of study time per week.

Methodology

This distance learning programme can be taken anywhere anytime through computer and mobile devices. Learning resources include reading materials, videos, interactive activities, and many more.  At the end of each module, you will be asked to pass an assessment test and provide feedback. At the end of the course and 

Structure

The course will cover the following topics:

        1. Introduction to Decentralisation, Local Governance and Global Development Agendas;
        2. Modalities and Dimensions of Decentralisation;
        3. Sector Decentralisation and Functional Assignment;
        4. Measuring Performance and Promoting Accountability;
        5. Conceptualising and Implementing DLG Reforms;
        6. Urban programming
        7. Frontier Issues of DLG reforms – Localisation of the SDGs, State Fragility and COVID-19.

 Certificate

Participants will be awarded a course certificate upon successful completion of all 8 assessment tests and provision of both module and course feedback.   

Contact details

For questions related to the course material, please contact Diana Vakarelska (dvakarelska@unicef.org).