Progressio has been leading the way on practical international development issues for more than forty years. Whether through placing development workers overseas, or in our policy and advocacy achievements, Progressio has a track record of making a difference. We work with people of all faiths and none.
Organisational Development and Communication Adviser
Mata Dalan Institute
Based in Dili, Timor-Leste[1]
Two-year placement, with possibility to extend for another year
This placement offers an exciting opportunity to participate in addressing citizen participation issues in a post-conflict country, which is currently undergoing a decentralisation process.The Organisational Development and Communication Adviser will work alongside the Mata Dalan Institute (MDI), developing and supporting the staff to contribute effectively to address citizen participation in local and national decision-making processes in Timor-Leste. With MDI, the focus of the work will be on organisational capacity building, in order to provide a solid foundation for the further development of budget monitoring and social auditing (transparency and accountability in governance) programmes in Timor-Leste at national and local levels. S/he will also assist MDI in building its external communication strategies and practices, in relation to research, analysis and in monitoring findings, as well as increased stakeholder coordination.
BACKGROUND - TIMOR-LESTE
After four centuries of Portuguese colonial rule, Timor-Leste was illegally occupied by the Indonesian army between 1975 and 1999. In 1999, the people of Timor-Leste, voted overwhelmingly for independence during a United Nations (UN) supervised consultation but paid a dear price when militia went on a rampage, forcibly displacing 250,000 people and killing over a thousand people. Moreover, the country’s infrastructure was almost totally destroyed. An international military intervention was necessary to stop the violence and the country was under UN administration until 2002.
In 2006, violence flared up and resulted in the attempted assassination of the President and Prime Minister in early 2008, leading to a renewal of a significant UN presence, which forced better coordinated stabilisation of the country. Since mid 2008, the security situation in Timor-Leste has gradually improved but root causes of instability – widespread poverty and unemployment as well as a traumatic past – continue to have an impact. Timor-Leste is at a critical moment in its development as a new nation. The country still needs to build sustainable structures of governance. A real transfer of knowledge and skills is the most critical factor in this painstaking and lengthy process. The transfer of knowledge is essential to achieve substantial participation of the local population in the process of nation building. Foreign assistance is temporary, therefore there is a need to ensure that Timor-Leste becomes a self-confident and autonomous nation.
PROGRESSIO
Progressio is a UK-based charity working internationally to enable people in developing countries to challenge and change the situations that keep them poor. We currently work in 11 countries and have a long history of working in fragile, post-conflict and authoritarian states.
We develop long-term partnerships with local organisations and community groups in the global South, providing practical support through skilled development workers, mostly from the global South, who share skills, know-how and training.
Because poverty is about unequal power relations and a lack of human rights, we work with a wide range of people who are poor and marginalised to change the structures that keep them in poverty. We support them in their calls for policy change. With our supporters, we stand alongside them in demanding that decision-makers around the world sit up and listen to them.
Inspired by our Catholic roots, we believe that experiencing ‘life in all its fullness’ includes freedom and control over one’s life and future. It means challenging inequalities and power imbalances. We see every person as sacred, having inherent dignity, so we stand in solidarity with poor people in achieving their rights.
In Timor-Leste, Progressio currently has six thematic projects:
§ Institutional Capacity Building: dedicated organisational development support to selected partners.
§ Raising Women’s Voices: protecting and promoting women’s rights and gender equality.
§ Supporting Inclusive Local Governance: enhancing citizens’ involvement in local decision-making processes.
§ Pathways to Justice: better understanding of legislation and judicial processes, and better access to formal justice.
§ HAFORMA: promotion of sustainable farming and climate change adaptation.
§ Strengthening HIV prevention and support: supporting a People Living with HIV-led prevention and support mechanism.
THE CONTEXT
With independence in 2002, Timor-Leste inherited governance practices inappropriate for a newly independent democratic nation. Historically, participation in local decision-making was absent from civic life with accountability focused inward and upward toward the political leadership, not towards the public. Portuguese ‘indirect rule’ laid the foundation for the current district/sub-district structure and left village-level governance in the hands of traditional authority, while Indonesian ‘direct-rule’ increased governing authority to a highly centralised political system.[2]
Timor-Leste currently presents an excellent environment to strengthen local governance. There is political will, and although the local governance tradition is weak, there is an opportunity to begin devolving responsibilities to local governance institutions. As early as March 2004, the government of Timor-Leste developed a decentralisation policy that gained national as well as international support. Resources poured into pilot efforts through a Local Development Programme (LDP) as state agencies started the process of decentralisation.
To date, significant efforts have been made to support the formal structures in the decentralisation process, particularly at the Municipal level, with the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) directly supporting the Ministry of State Administration and Territorial Management (MSATM) and National Directorate for Local Development and Territorial Ordinance (DNDLOT) in planning and implementing the process. UNCDF has also produced civic education materials on decentralisation and the Municipalities, but has no mechanism to implement them.
In February 2009, the Council of Ministers approved a body of laws related to establishing Municipalities, consisting of the Law on Administrative and Territorial Division, the Local Government Law and the Municipal Election Law. In May 2009, the Parliament of Timor-Leste conducted a series of public consultations on these laws. While the people generally expressed support for them, they were critical of many provisions in the drafts, particularly those on representation, the role of ‘sucos’[3], relations with the state agencies, the budget and the unclear functions of municipalities.
The Timor-Leste NGO Forum (FONGTIL), together with its member-NGOs and network-members (like the Women’s Network) and relevant government agencies, organised a series of public consultations, with particular focus on women’s role in the decentralisation process. From this series of consultations, FONGTIL presented a submission to the national parliament in October 2009, intended to contribute and improve the substance of these different local government laws.
It was expected that in 2010, Timor-Leste will see a further increase of the government’s decentralisation activities: although it has now become clear that Parliament is not yet ready to discuss the Municipal Election Law, which allows transition of Districts into Municipalities with decentralised budgets, decision-making, and oversight functions. In the meantime the LDP will be expanded to include all 13 districts, a “Referendum Package” of state-supported but locally-decided small to medium construction projects is currently being implemented, and more functions and responsibilities are being put on the shoulders of district-based civil servants. However, among the lessons learned from the pilot phase of the LDP was that local citizens did not actively engage their elected local government officials. Nor did elected local councils solicit enough input from their constituents. As a result, local officials were not sufficiently aware of issues relevant to their constituents. They also remained unaccountable for decisions they made on behalf of their communities as there was little to no citizen demand for downward accountability. Women were also under-represented in assembly meetings.[4] MSATM has identified key areas that will need support from civil society, such as participatory budgeting, social accountability and access to information.
However, as the civil society sector in Timor-Leste is still very young, it will need substantial capacity strengthening support to work in partnership with the local government, while functioning as representative organisations of the poor and marginalised. Likewise, to date, little effort has been made, either from government or from local NGOs, to prepare citizens for the transition from District to Municipalities, or to strengthen the demand side of local governance.
Acknowledging this fact, FONGTIL made decentralisation a priority result area in its new Three-Year Programme strategy (2010-2012) with particular focus on monitoring the implementation of the laws on decentralisation. The aim is to influence its contents, and in strengthening the capacity of member NGOs at the district level to engage the government in the process of decentralisation.
As a young country, Timor-Leste’s systems and structures of local governance remain underdeveloped in many areas including budget monitoring and transparency and accountability in governance, at both national and local levels. At this juncture, budget monitoring and implementation of social audits can be critical tools in influencing the development of policies on public spending and budgeting that are responsive to the needs of citizens, and focused on poverty reduction. In light of this, local organisations such as the Mata Dalan Institute aim to promote accountable public service budgeting, and improved public service delivery in Timor-Leste, through processes of budget research and analysis, empowerment and public awareness-raising.
THE PROJECT
Progressio has started implementing a three-year project called Supporting Inclusive Local Governance. The main purpose of the project is to enhance governance transparency and accountability through more effective civic participation. The project works through strengthening the capacity of key local organisations such as Mata Dalan Institute and FONGTIL, as well as through technical assistance to members of open networks such as District Development Networks (DDNs) and the Core Group on Transparency (CGT). This is principally accomplished through on-the-job coaching, mentoring, support and advice, as well as specific training workshops. The specific focus of the project is to bring lessons learnt from the first four new municipalities to all other districts, preparing citizens for more effective engagement with local development processes. We aim to place at least five development workers in different functions with these organisations and networks.
The duration of the ‘Supporting Inclusive Local Governance Project’ is 36 months, and it is expected to achieve the following results:
§ Result 1: More active and effective public participation in local and national government decision-making, especially in greater accountability and transparency in budget formulation and service delivery.
§ Result 2: Increased commitment, in policy and practice and by all stakeholders, to development processes that include the poor and marginalised.
§ Result 3: Sustained ability of civil society organisations (CSOs) to develop and implement programmes and activities that advocate for state local and national development programmes, which protect and advance the interests of the poor and marginalised.
§ Result 4: Increased transparency, accountability and responsiveness of the authorities in relation to their basic service provision roles.
THE PARTNERS - MATA DALAN INSTITUTE (MDI)
The Mata Dalan Institute (MDI) was established in 2005 with the objective of enhancing transparency and accountability around district implementation of government programmes. Its main activities include the monitoring of public funds, and subsequent delivery of services, and citizens’ empowerment. Initially MDI focused on monitoring of development projects in the health sector in three districts (Liquiça, Aileu and Manatuto). Over time MDI’s monitoring work expanded to include other areas directly influencing communities in these districts, such as subsidies for the elderly and people with disabilities, and school feeding programmes. MDI is also monitoring the LDP, a pilot decentralisation programme, implemented in two of their districts by the Government, with assistance from UNCDF. MDI has established a sustainable voluntary monitoring network to assist them to accomplish these tasks.
The MDI team has three main divisions:
§ The Public Service Division focuses on the Government’s Siska Programme (Mobile Clinics, School Feeding Programme, and Subsidy Fund for the Elderly and people with disabilities).
§ The Empowerment Division builds the capacity of the district-based networks in monitoring and auditing public budgeting processes, and is also responsible for information dissemination activities such as radio programmes involving local authorities and local leaders.
§ The Public Fund Division’s focus is on monitoring the government’s Local Development Fund, and also infrastructure such as roads, schools, and clinics, implemented by various ministries.
MDI has developed good working relationships with the local and national offices of the Ministry of Social Solidarity, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Works and the State Secretariat for Natural Resources.
THE PLACEMENT
The Organisational Development and Communication Adviser will work alongside the Mata Dalan Institute (MDI) developing and supporting its staff to contribute effectively in addressing citizen participation in local and national decision-making processes in Timor-Leste. With MDI the focus of the work will be on organisational capacity building, in order to provide a solid foundation for the further development of budget monitoring and social auditing (transparency and accountability in governance) programmes in Timor-Leste at a national and local levels. S/he will also assist MDI in building its outward communication strategies and practices, both around research, analysis and in monitoring findings, as well as around increased stakeholder coordination.
- Objectives of the placement
The overall aim of the placement is to strengthen organisational and programmatic processes within MDI, so as to increase the effectiveness and impact of its work at grassroots level.
The objectives of the placement include:
1. To strengthen MDI internal systems
2. To strengthen MDI organisational resilience and sustainability
3. To strengthen MDI’s capacity in conducting and communicating research related to its core activities
4. To strengthen ownership and involvement in development processes at grassroots level.
- Responsibilities of the DW
- Capacity Building and Mentoring
§ Build the capacity of the organisation in further developing its organisational structure and governance.
§ Build the capacity of the organisation to develop regular monitoring and evaluation systems and integrate/mainstream these into its programming.
§ Build the capacity of the organisation in developing their citizens’ empowerment strategy and incorporating this into effective programmes.
§ Build the capacity of the organisation in establishing financial and organisational sustainability.
§ Build the capacity of the organisation in establishing and maintaining strong ties with national and international organisations and institutions in Timor Leste and the region.
§ Build the capacity of the organisation to develop and maintain organisational knowledge and systems.
§ Strengthen the basic research and documentation skills of staff of the organisation.
§ Strengthen the capacity to understand the value of, and target the outcomes of, data collection, research and analysis for effective external communications (for the government, local communities, other local actors, etc) and advocacy.