Implementation Arrangements

Institutional Responsibilities

National Level.  The government responsibility for UCRIDP has passed from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN) to the Ministry of Local Administration, Information and Social Affairs (MINALOC). This means that the Secretary General of MINALOC has now assumed chairmanship of the Programme’s National Steering Committee and thus overall responsibility for the Programme. The other ministries involved in the implementation of UCRIDP are:  (i) Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Resources and Forestry, for these three sectors; (ii) Minis­try of Lands, Resettlement and Environment, for land tenure, land management and the environment; (iii) Ministry of Infrastructure for both water and roads programmes; (iv) the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, for rural enterprise development and marketing aspects; and (v) the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPRO), for gender and women’s empowerment. In addition, the Programme has been working with the National Commission for Unity and Reconciliation (NCUR).

Provincial Level.  The province – a deconcentrated arm of central government has the overriding authority for the project. Each of the deconcentrated arms of the central ministries (above) in the Province of Umutara are involved in project implementation and have a responsibility for providing technical backstopping for those activities that relate to their mandates. In the new decentralized structure, these provincial departments do not have direct responsibility for implementation – that is with the districts. But, working together with the PCU, they have an obligation to ensure that the Programme activities are consistent with national policies and legislation. The provincial agencies must also take the lead in coordinating regional initiatives. Furthermore, they have a responsibility for ongoing evaluation of the performance and effectiveness of Programme activities that fall within their sectors.

District Level.  In the new implementation framework, the districts assume the prime responsibility for implementation of Programme components and activities. As such, and in partnership with district communities (user groups, cells, sectors), they are responsible for:   (i) planning programme activities; (ii) determining with the PCU the allocation of programme funds to the different activities; (iii) tendering, evaluating and selecting service providers that will undertake programme contracts; (iv) operating and maintaining infrastructure; and (v) generally managing and monitoring the programme operations in the district. However, the full assumption of these responsibilities will only take place progressively as the districts build up capacity. Every year, an assessment of district capacity and performance will determine which responsibilities each district is able to assume on its own, and which responsibilities will still be exerted with the PCU and/or the province. This will require considerable backstopping from the PCU (and the provincial officials), especially in the first couple of years when the districts are building up their skills and capacity to handle all these aspects.

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