Mr Atiti, thanks for this topic. It has been here for sometime now, without any comment from any of us.
Governance and co-ordination is a also a crucial area we need to discuss. It is broad, so i think members can also come up and suggest which areas in governance need to be discussed. What problems do we have in any given field, and what do we need to do to improve this.
Do we discuss governments and states in governance and co-ordination, or we discuss governance and co-ordination in Regional Centers of Expertise?

I suggest we discuss governance in state and governments for that is where RCE s will have policy implementation good will, that will trickle down to RCE for implementation. Bad governance and co-ordination in state and government is bad governance in all RCEs. If there is lack of co-ordination in government because of bad governance, we shall not have projects implemented at RCE level, why? Most donor funds that go to RCE are channeled through governments, most statutory logistics are done by governments. bad governance in there will be an impediment to development that RCE s are trying to implement.

However there could be other areas i do not know, that other members may want to state here, and it is good to openly discuss them and we come up, with few to discuss at conference.

MR. Atiti
I strongly agree with Mr. Evans Kipng'eno. if impact of RCE is to be felt, good governance and coordination structures should be in place.am proposing a coordination structure at international, national, regional and RCE centre.it is also important the existing structure is audited.From the SWOT anaysis,suggestion and recommendation to enhance functioning of existing structure will be realised.I attended the last national RCE held in Nairobi. Sharing from the different RCEs was very enriching. The governance and coordination structure should consider a buttom up reporting of RCE activities i.e from RCE centes , regional, national then international.Each level should be well facilitated in terms of logistics, documentation and planning.

Mr Atiti, Mr Macharia and myself, on second thought, iam persuaded to believe that we may not have any mandate, to discuss governance and co-ordination in governments because it will be out of our scope to do so.

However, it may sound well, to discuss the same subject
on governance and co-ordination within RCEs and identify problems that derail RCE objectives within state governance and in so doing, will be within our mandate to bring up issues of governance, within governments that derail RCE objectives. I just thought we may not be in order to do so, let me hear from you if i am in order?

Thank you, Atiti, for initiating this forum. And thank you Evans, for your suggestion that we discuss the governance in the context of the regions RCEs are working in.

We at RCE Pune have been discussing participatory governance among our partners and feel the need to explore the theme in a number of ways.

The ability of people to participate in the life of their community and in decisions affecting their lives is recognized as an essential element of human development. This is needed not only for individuals to have satisfying and meaningful lives, but also because participatory governance (PG) may be a powerful to address the wicked problems of unsustainability.

Through this online forum it would be very helpful if we could gather initial ideas around the theme of 'ESD for Participatory Governance', leading upto the Global RCE Conference at Nairobi in November 2013.

How ESD can Enhance Participatory Governance, in the context of the work of RCEs? - Do post your thoughts!

Dear Mr Atiti, Macharia and Pune, for your comments.,Much obliged.

These are wonderful questions and insights. Given that RCE Greater Portland is just starting out, we are developing our RCE governance structure and working on a strategic plan. If you are interested in seeing our work, we have been documenting our progress on our website. http://www.pcc.edu/about/sustainability/regional-center-expertise/

Perhaps these Values statements from RCE Greater Portland would be helpful to our broader community (sorry that it loses formatting in these posts):

Sustainability: We embrace practices that support care for self, care for each other, and care for Earth. We commit to using a systems-based approach that honors interdependence, nurtures meaningful relationships and networks, and fosters synergies, allowing our communities, environment, and economies to thrive.

Inclusive participation: We commit to living our values by working together to ensure a resilient and thriving Greater Portland, both now and into the future. This involves respect for diversity of all ages and generations, nationalities, educational levels, and socioeconomic groups. We value and draw from the knowledge and wisdom of all participants, locally and globally, and recognize that expertise comes from lived experience. All voices must be involved, welcomed, and fully heard to create a community that is not only sustainable but also flourishing.

Equity and Environmental Justice: We promote equity and social and environmental justice, in order to help create healthy, vibrant, and thriving communities. Inequities must be honestly examined so that environmental, social, and economic benefits and burdens are shared in fair and equitable ways.

Transparency and Accountability: We commit to being open and honest in our governance and practices, providing access to our records, creating feedback loops for improvement, and modeling true learning as an organization, through our mistakes and successes.

Innovation: We value and invest in visionary processes, technologies, and solutions-based strategies that empower lifelong learners to critically examine the foundations of social issues and engage in their communities. Through innovation, dialogue, resource sharing, community-based research and transformative, lifelong learning, we will offer avenues to help develop local and global solutions.

Dear Colleagues, the concerns on here are really thought provoking. Can we also look at strategies for getting governments involved in RCE projects and activities? RCE Buea is working in a country with a highly centralised system of government whereby the nearest person to you keeps referring you to a further person until at the end of the day, it looks like it will take the signature of the president for a government institution to identify itself with the RCE. I will appreciate all advise from other RCE under similar conditions, Masango.

Dear All,
I uploaded a piece on networked governance for your perusal and as a prelude to my comments

Dear All,

Thanks for the value statements from Greater Portland and the networked governance document from Bukar. There are 2 separate discussions in this forum: 1. on governance within an RCE and 2. governance in the region the RCE operates in. Both are of great value in shaping our work. We in RCE Pune are organizing a workshop on Participatory Urban Governance next week. We would be happy to share the learning that emerges. Participatory Urban Governance is one of the themes RCE Pune is working on.

Pune has experimented with a form of Participatory Budgeting since 2006, when it was first introduced formally by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). Citizens’ organizations have played a critical role in initiating and shaping it.

An old article is available here http://desd.org/efc/Participatory%20Budgeting.htm

A recent review of PB in Pune reveals a few strengths as well as a number of weaknesses and opportunities. Some of the major achievements have been the simplicity of the process for citizens, that it has been take place regularly every year, a substantial quantum of funds has been allocated and there is some response to suggestions from the poor. Some of the major areas of improvement are in outreach, transparency of process, institutionalizing the processes in slum localities, institutionalizing the role of the corporator, enhanced practice and experimentation with public deliberation processes, and year-round engagement.

The study shows that there appears to be interest among both citizens groups and political parties to improve the PB process for varied reasons, and both would likely be important actors in the further evolution of PB in Pune.

It would be very helpful to understand if other RCEs are also involved in enhancing participatory governance in their regions.

~ Sanskriti Menon, RCE Pune