Subnational Democratic Development Program (SNDD)

Project completed

Cambodia has developed a 10-year Sub-national Democratic Development (SNDD) reform program. SDC supports the National Committee for Democratic Development (NCDD) in the implementation of SNDD reform program, in particular, strengthening commune and district level functionality. This will be key for ensuring sustainable poverty reduction, promoting access to better quality services as well as to ensuring social harmony and stability in the post violent conflict country. SDC joins Sida and EU in a basket fund.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Cambodia
Governance
nothemedefined
Decentralisation
Democratic participation and civil society
Public sector policy
01.08.2013 - 30.04.2015
CHF  3’200’000
Background

Support to democracy, local governance and citizens’ participation as a key contribution to poverty reduction and stability in Cambodia must be understood in the context of decades of civil war and genocide: Cambodia only started rebuilding its governing structures in 2000. Democratically elected communal councils were introduced with the first local elections in 2002. Building upon the first decade of decentralization, the Sub-national Democratic Development Program (SNDD) 2010 – 2019 defines the district and municipality as the layers between commune and provincial level government. The implementation of the govern-ment’s 10 -year reform agenda is sequenced along three phases. The first phase of SNDD aims at setting up new sub-national administration struc-tures through developing policies, defining sub-national functions and responsibilities and building the capacities needed for implementation.

Objectives

Sub-national administrations (SNA) promote the welfare (voice, rights, livelihoods and services) of local citizens, improve equality between citizens and communities (including women & women’s groups) and ensure fairness in access to services.

Target groups

The target beneficiaries of the program are

  • Local citizens (in particular women, children, youth and disadvantaged groups),
  • Sub-national government (particularly commune/sangkat and district/ municipality administrations)
  • Line ministries and institutions mandated for implementing the sub-components of the national reform program (the NCDD Secretariat, M. Interior, State Secretariat of Civil Service, M. Economy and Finance, M. Planning, and National League of Commune and Sangkat).

Medium-term outcomes

Sub-national democratic development and, in particular, the capacity of Districts and Municipalities to represent the views of local citizens and to respond to their demands, within an established legal framework, is established and functioning.SDC specific objectives are:

  • Ownership and capacity development at sub-national level enhanced;
  • Mainstreaming of gender equality and gender budgeting are strengthened;
  • Extension of the current phase of SNDD Implementation Plan and elaboration of second SNDD implementation plan supported;
  • Peer learning across LOGIN and DLGN networks organized;
  • Donor coordination and alignment enhanced.

Results

Results from previous phases:  

The first decade of decentralization 2000 – 2010 shows a promising shift towards building up trust between local authorities and citizens and in opening of democratic space at local level, hence re-building state-citizen connectivity after decades of violent conflicts. The 2012 mid-term review of the first phase of SNDD implementation period (2011 –2014) confirms that the SNDD reform is moving in the right direction. Major achievements include (a) staffing of newly established district/municipality administrative structures; (b) adoption of the law and sub-decree on district/municipality financing; (c) establishment of a district/municipality fund; and (d) initial functional re-assignment in five ministries. Constraints identified include the need for: (a) more coherent capacity development; (b) enhanced ownership and greater attention to citizen participation, transparency and accountability; c) enhanced donor harmonization; d) speeding up functional re-assignments; and e) and cohesive donor funding to IP3 basked fund.


Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Credit area Development cooperation
Project partners Contract partner
Foreign state institution
  • Central State of South East
  • Royal Government of Cambodia: The National Committee for Democratic Development (NCDD) – the Inter-Ministerial Committee chaired by the Ministry of Interior


Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    3’200’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    2’523’934
Project phases Phase 3 01.06.2019 - 30.06.2025   (Current phase) Phase 2 01.05.2015 - 31.12.2018   (Completed)

Phase 1 01.08.2013 - 30.04.2015   (Completed)