Supporting Priority Needs in Developing Local Government: Finance and Poverty Alleviation in East and Southern Africa

The Municipal Development Program and World Bank Institute offer a course on Intergovernmental Fiscal Reform that aims to improve local government finance and provision of services through education and comparative review, with particular focus on poverty alleviation. The Capstone team assessed the impact of this course on the participating countries’ local governments. The Capstone team conducted a survey of participants during the course and created country profiles of local government indicators. The Capstone team compiled case studies of local government finance practices and the provision of services in various countries for use in follow-up workshops that the Capstone team facilitated in Malawi and Rwanda. As a final task, the Capstone team aided in the creation of an action plan of next steps and tools needed to improve local government services in the context of poverty alleviation.