Lessons learned from past programs have been drawn on by DW in developing the current proposal to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The proposed program aims to achieve greater impacts and influence public policies and strategies on urban poverty alleviation. The program will promote participatory governance and create spaces of engagement between citizens and government. The approach of this program in service delivery has been based on empowering peri-urban poor communities to have access to and manage basic services and facilitating the demand for spaces of engagement and demand for accountability by citizens. Therefore, urban poverty networks, the CACS and the forums will be key for influencing municipal governance.
The “Voices of Citizens for Urban Change” Program will: a) promote community participation in monitoring urban poverty indicators related to the Millennium Development Goals so that evidence-based information can be used as inputs into municipal plans; b) build an urban poverty network that will advocate for equitable access to improved basic services, influence municipal planning and budgeting processes, and promote participatory governance; c) increase sustainable access to potable water by promoting community management models to ensure that consumer voices are heard; and d) refine models and approaches, and document lessons that will be transferable to other urban areas in the country.
Download the Narrative Proposal, dated April 2, 2010, which includes background on Angola’s Urban Context, Rationale of the Proposed Project, Project Objectives, Project Design & Implementation Plan and Organization Capacity & Management Plan.