Background

The Mashariki Innovations in Local Governance Awards Programme (MILGAP) is a biennial national and sub-regional awards programme to recognize, support and encourage innovative practices in local governance in East Africa. MILGAP aims to contribute to the alleviation of poverty in the sub-region by rewarding innovative practices aimed at enhancing local democracy and decentralization. Thus significant projects that tackle poverty in the three East African countries in creative and effective ways are highlighted and identified. In so doing, it is hoped that achievers will receive the recognition they deserve, and that innovative ideas will reach a wider audience. In the process, UN-HABITAT seeks to inform its global partners through its Global Campaign on Urban Governance of the valuable work being done at the local level to improve the living conditions of low-income groups.
Working with national and sub-regional steering committees, the main activities of the MILGAP are:

• Identifying and documenting innovations in local governance and decentralization in the sub-region;
• National and sub-regional awards ceremony to recognize, support and encourage innovation in local governance in the sub-region;
• Capacity-building activities of local institutions to support and encourage good urban governance and decentralization efforts in their countries;
• Networking workshops for exchange of ideas on local governance and decentralization in the sub-region.
  

• An "Innovations in Local Governance Awards Programme" at the national and sub-region level.
• A database on "innovative practices in local governance" in the sub-region.
• Capacity-building for national institutions.
• Tools and guidelines for local authorities and civil society organizations that are aimed at improving local governance and accelerating decentralization.
• A network of stakeholders on improved governance in region.
• A forum for exchange of good governance experiences in region.
• Institutionalization of principles of good governance in key national institutions.

The participating projects have gained capacity in documenting and presenting case studies on local governance and poverty eradication. The project has generated a database of best practices accessible globally.