Evaluation of the Local Governance and Infrastructure (LGI) Program in West Bank and Gaza
USAID/West Bank and Gaza (WBG) Local Governance and Infrastructure (LGI) program was a four-year, 104 million dollar program that was in effect between 2012 and 2016. The program worked in a total of 28 municipalities across 11 governorates of WBG for both its governance and infrastructure components of the program. This evaluation, done through collaboration between USAID/WBG and AidData, assesses the impact of the three categories of governance activities that were implemented, namely institutional development, community planning, and participatory governance. It tests the underlying theory of change that LGI will lead to increased citizen perception of the quality of governance, greater citizen satisfaction with municipal services, good governance practices among officials and administrators, improved community planning, and more citizen participation in government.
The evaluation relies on two methods. First, given that the 28 targeted localities for the governance component of the program were not chosen at random , we employ a statistical method of matching to find suitable “control” units with which we can compare the programmed municipalities. We measure impact via endline surveys of service users and municipal administrators in the West Bank. Second, we draw on household and administrator surveys collected from the universe of municipalities for the forthcoming Local Government Performance Assessment (LGPA) program.
Results
Key Findings
- LGI has important, positive effects on the capacity of municipal governments, particularly as it bears on digitized procurement, internal auditing, staff training, e-municipality, and public disclosure.
- LGI is associated with better access to services, more reliable services, higher quality services, and a greater belief that services have improved in recent years.
- At the same time, citizens in LGI municipalities believe that access to services is unfair, requires side payments and is subject to personal and party favoritism.
- There is evidence of increasing political awareness and critical ability, with potential implications for democratic accountability.
- LGI has a positive effect on the extent of physical and strategic planning.
- LGI has limited impact on participatory governance.
Policy Recommendations
- Continue and, if possible, increase efforts to further advance the institutional enhancement of municipalities across the West Bank.
- Introduce incentives for local politicians to exercise their increased capacity in a more transparent way. Possible steps in this direction could include simplifying protocols for citizens to provide input, further expand training of municipal employees in good governance practices, efforts to socialize (through schools) future citizens into the habit of voicing feedback, and/or conditioning fiscal decisions by the central government on transparency and citizen satisfaction indicators.
- Increase engagement and participation by younger members of the community. Possible strategies towards this end could include sustained diffusion campaigns through schools, introduction of small incentives to make use of the newly created common spaces, or provision of transportation to and from the more remote areas within the municipality.
