Snippets extracted from Mupishi Jones manifesto —Kaoma Central Constituency
TOWN HALL MEETINGS
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STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT BY KAOMA TOWN COUNCIL MANAGEMENT
We will ensure that Kaoma Town Council Management carries out its mandate of engaging stakeholders on the implementation plans of the budgeted programs every quarter of the year.
Our conviction stems from the realisation that this is now a requirement for all councils to engage stakeholders on the operations of the council.
We will ensure that stakeholder engagement in Kaoma involves local communities, government agencies, traditional leadership, NGOs, and the private sector.
Our aim from the office of the National Assembly is to promote transparency, accountability, and community involvement in development planning and project implementation.
Here is our more detailed breakdown of the stakeholder engagement being proposed at Kaoma Town Council:
We have identified the following Key Stakeholders;
1).Local Communities:
These are residents of Kaoma that are directly affected by Kaoma Town Council’s decisions.( Complaints of fire certificate fees in the absence of fire engines can be aired and addressed in such meetings).
2).Government Agencies:
Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Ministry of Finance, and other relevant ministries operate an open door policy and through our National Assembly office we guarantee the community of Kaoma that feedback and clarifications will be smoothly flowing to them through these Town Hall meetings.
3).Traditional Leadership:
Chiefs and other traditional leaders who hold significant influence within our communities will be constantly engaged to either attend these Town Hall meetings or send their representatives.
4).Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs):
Organizations working on development projects or community issues will be equally attending these meetings.
6).Private Sector:
In our manifesto,we have talked about raising and sustaining a population of entrepreneurs in Kaoma and we believe they are key stakeholders to be attending these meetings including other businesses operating within Kaoma district.
7).Civil Society Organizations (CSOs):
Groups that advocate for the rights and interests of citizens will also be encouraged to be attending these meetings.
😎.Universities and colleges:
Institutions that may conduct research or provide expertise towards the challenges that will be identified from these stakeholder engagement meetings will be quite valuable participants.
9).Development Partners:
Organizations like DANIDA, OXFORD and GIZ that collaborate with Local Authorities on projects will always be invited to be attending.
10).Media:
News outlets especially our local media stations will be supported and incentives since these can play a vital role in informing the public and holding every stakeholder including Kaoma Town Council accountable.
What is our Purpose of promoting these Stakeholder Engagement?:
1). Promote Decentralization:
Our purpose is to empower local communities with information to participate in decision-making.
2).Ensure Transparency and Accountability:
We also aim to build trust and credibility with stakeholders.
3).Identify Developmental Projects:
We also aim to align local development plans with community felt- needs.
4).Mitigate Risks and Potential Impacts:
We believe in such foras,it is easier to Identify and address potential problems early on.
5).Facilitate Collaboration:
One of our roles as Member of Parliament is to promote cooperation between different stakeholders.
6).Improve Service Delivery:
To ensure that Kaoma Town Council, our council is responsive to the needs of its communities.
How do we propose Kaoma Town Council to Manage Stakeholder’s Expectations:
We expect Kaoma Town Council Management to;
a). be communicating effectively and managing expectations throughout these Town Hall meetings and on other project lifecycles.
b).Establish Grievance Mechanisms:
Kaoma Town Council will be engaged to be providing a way for stakeholders to raise concerns and seek resolution.
c).Ensure Vulnerable Groups Benefit:
We will take keen interest to document all the beneficiaries of government programs to ensure that not only a few privileged individuals close to us as Member of Parliament are benefiting.
We will also be constantly engaging with and protecting the interests of marginalized groups.
Here are some of the examples of Stakeholder Engagement Activities that we propose to come and implement:
1).Budget Consultative Meetings:
This is now mandatory for all the councils in Zambia to be allowing stakeholders to provide input on the local authority budget.
2).Stakeholder Engagement Meetings:
Kaoma Town Council Management will be holding meetings with various stakeholders in Kaoma district to discuss projects and other related issues.
3).Public Information Disclosure:
Besides websites,Facebook’s, WhatsApp groups,CDF Dashboards, Kaoma Town Council Management will also be making information about projects and other relevant decisions available to the public through their presentations during these Town Hall meetings.
4).Community Consultations:
We will be constantly carrying out dialogue with Kaoma Town Council Management to be engaging directly with communities to gather their views and concerns through foras such as this one.
5).Grievance Mechanisms:
Like already mentioned, but for emphasis purposes,we will be engaging Kaoma Town Council to establish processes for addressing complaints and concerns that will be identified through these meetings.
We are also mindful that conducting stakeholder engagement may have it’s own unique challenges.
Some of the challenges we have identified during our research as well as our proposed solutions are as follows;
1).Limited Resources:
Challenge:
Local authorities may lack the resources to effectively engage with stakeholders.
Proposed solutions
During Kaoma Town Council budgeting meetings with stakeholders,budget line for stakeholder meetings MUST be factored in the budget.This is an allowable and encouraged expense by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development
2).Lack of Capacity:
Challenge;
Kaoma Town Council Management may lack the capacity in a few Officers to manage stakeholder engagement effectively.
Proposed solution
Through our National Assembly office,we can facilitate to;
i) send relevant officers for capacity building to Local Government Training Institute in chalimbana.
ii). Outsource staff from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development headquarters who are readily available for such invitations.
iii).Power Imbalances:
Challenge;
Some stakeholders may have more influence than others, leading to unequal representation.
Proposed solution;
Everyone will be encouraged to speak in his own language.
iv).Lack of Trust:
Challenge;
Some communities may not trust Kaoma Town Council Management or the engagement process itself.
Proposed solution;
The office of the National Assembly will always have it’s presence during these stakeholder engagement meetings.We will always ensure that a slot during opening remarks is reserved for the office of the National Assembly just to address and reassure everyone that we’re all equal.
v).Information Gaps:
Challenge;
Stakeholders may not have access to the information they need to participate effectively.
Proposed solution;
Every stakeholder engagement meeting will be starting with reading of the previous meeting so that everyone is updated.
Secondly, information will be accessed through Facebook, established WhatsApp groups, dashboards.
vi).Vulnerable Groups
Challenge;
Exclusion
Certain groups, such as women, youth and persons with disabilities, may be excluded from consultations.
Proposed solution;
All recognised groups will be given special invitations in their capacities
For more detailed information, please get a copy of our manifesto.