The institutional context
Decentralization and local government
In January 2001, the GoR introduced a far-reaching
administrative reform which started the decentralization process.
An official document of the Ministry of Local Administration and
Social Affairs, issued in May 2000, outlines the main features of
the decentralization policy. The document spells out the services
and functions of the central administration that will be executed
by de-concentrated units under the direct supervision
of the central Ministries, and those that will be delegated
to decentralized administrative agencies with full responsibility
for execution. It also spells out the power, authority, functions
and responsibilities devolved from the central
Government to the decentralized administrative agencies, which will
be given legal status with power to call and be called into courts
of justice, so that they will formally become local government agencies.
The paper also indicates the functions and responsibilities that
must be retained at the center, namely, the formulation of national
policies, the national security, foreign affairs, international
trade, national financial and monetary policy, the formulation of
national programmes in the field of education, culture and health,
and the setting of national standards. All other functions would
be entrusted to de-concentrated units of the central ministries,
or devolved to local government administrations.
District, Sectors, and Cells.
The system that was put in place by the administrative reform of
2000 divides the country into Provinces (Intara), corresponding
to the old Prefectures, Districts (Uturere), corresponding to the
old Communes, Sectors (Imirenge) and Cells (Utugari). The central
government appoints the Prefects (Umuyobozi) who are responsible
for the Provinces.
The Cell is the grass-root local
government organization. Cells are administered by an Executive
Committee elected by all adult residents in the Cell territory (between
200 and 400 HHs). Each Cell elects a Cell Development Committee
(CDC) responsible for planning social and economic development activities
in the Cell territory. The Sector is the next level
of the democratic local government. Its territory includes several
Cells. Cells development plans are coordinated by the Sector Development
Committees, elected by the members of the Development Committees
of the Cells of the territory of each Sector. Members of the Sector
DCs elect their representative in the District CDC (CDDC).
The District structure includes
the District Council, which elaborates the district policy, approves
the district budget, mobilizes the population for development, and
controls the activities of the Executive Committee of the District.
The Executive Committee is the operational authority at District
level. It nominates the District Community Development Committee,
which is responsible for the formulation of economic and social
development plans. Ex officio members of the CDC are: the Major
(President), the District Secretaries responsible for financial
and economic development, for gender affairs, for youth affairs,
and the Secretaries responsible for development of each sector of
the District. Members of Sector Development Committees are also
members of the District CDC. The District Executive Committee recruits
the District Secretary, who is a technical officer responsible for
coordinating all the technical and administrative units of the central
and local administration that operate at district level. He/she
will ensure that the units effectively implement the directives
of the Executive Committee, as approved by the District Council,
in full respect of the country laws and in compliance with the general
policies of the central Government.
The domain of the District is geographically defined
by its administrative boundaries and includes a wide range of responsibilities:
agriculture (including livestock veterinary services, forestry,
and related extension function); land allocation; local commerce;
primary, secondary, technical and commercial education (including
teacher training); health services; water supply; tourism and environment
protection; land tenure (including the cadastrial service); cooperatives
and associations; local roads; gender and youth affairs; support
to vulnerable HHs; culture and sports; protection of minors; and
care of cemeteries and of the sites of genocide.
The Province. The document of
the Ministry of Local Government defines the Province as a de-concentrated
unit of the territorial administration of the central government,
established with a view to improve the efficiency in planning and
provision of government services. The Province coordinates, monitors
and evaluates the planning and implementation of District activities
and the provision of services by the deconcentrated units of the
Line Ministries posted at Provincial level. The Organigramme of
the Province includes a Coordination Committee, The Prefect, the
Executive Secretary, and four Departments (Legal Affairs, Economic
and Technical Affairs, Social and Cultural Affairs, General Services).
Members of the Coordination Committee are the Prefect (Chairman),
the Executive Secretary, the Presidents of all the District Councils,
the Heads of the four Departments, and the Chiefs of the de-concentrated
units of the Central Ministries posted in the Province. An important
function of the Executive Secretary is the supervision and evaluation
of the performance of the central government agencies operating
at provincial level, with a view to ensuring the best possible provision
of services by the de-concentrated units
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