Key Achievements

LUPP has achieved real impact both in terms of policy influencing at a strategic level as well as making a difference at a practical level in the lives of poor women, children and men.  LUPP has a proven track record of making a difference to more accountable local governance in a very difficult environment.  LUPP has become a ground-breaking example of policy influencing in an extremely difficult environment in a fragile state. LUPP has brought together methodologies and approaches in micro finance, water and sanitation, business development services, participatory urban governance and early childhood development that have become models for the Government of Angola, non government and private sector actors and are being replicated in Luanda and beyond.

• LUPP has gained the credibility of government partners through its continued and long-term engagement and its ability to demonstrate pro-poor and inclusive approaches.

• LUPP has played a role in putting urban poverty high on the public policy agenda.  As a result of LUPP advocacy and proactive engagement, the Government of Angola have established a National Urban Forum. 

• Government partners at all levels are now raising urban poverty in open forums.  It was agreed that even ‘lip service’ is a credible first step in the Angolan context which has had limited exposure to best practice development and poverty reduction over the last 30 plus years.  With LUPP’s constant and proactive engagement, awareness and depth of understanding is increasing.  It takes time.  Engagement requires credibility and trust, which the LUPP partners have now gained.

• Policy makers and practitioners are listening.  LUPP is seen to have expertise to share with legitimacy demonstrated from working in the peri-urban areas/musseques with poor women, children and men.

• Doors of government are opening at various levels for information, demonstration and lesson learning from the LUPP models and approaches – for policy debate, development of legal frameworks, supporting state citizen dialogue, and for service provision.  There is growing demand for best practice principles and operational guidelines to support quality replication and scaling up both by government and other donors including selecting LUPP's Municipal Development Forum as a pilot for decentralisation.

• LUPP has opened spaces for state citizen engagement and has provided exposure at different levels to participatory approaches to development. This is providing an environment for debate and collaboration and is laying the foundations for accountability mechanisms to emerge. At the same time it is creating opportunities to change existing power relations and the formal and informal rules of the game. In some cases local government is listening and taking action based on concerns raised.

• LUPP’s development of best practice, community-managed approaches to basic service provision and livelihood support is providing practical solutions for poverty reduction and is having a real impact at the household and community level.

• LUPP is empowering ordinary people. It has been successful in building up alliances and networks from the various community based organisations. These are leading to increased participation and giving voice to poor people so that they can start to claim their rights. These is evidence of increased confidence, rights awareness and information sharing and working to find solutions independently from LUPP.