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Millennium Development Goals Challenge Pilot Program
Read our press release
Summary
The Sister Cities International/World Bank Institute (WBI) Millennium Development Goals City-to-City Challenge Pilot Program was designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of international municipal cooperation in addressing the Millennium Development Goals. In this pilot, three pairs of communities agreed to further the principles of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as adopted at the United Nations Millennium Summit in September 2000. The three pairs of communities were Louisville, Kentucky and Tamale Ghana; Chicago, Illinois and Casablanca, Morocco; and Boulder, Colorado and Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
The main aims of this pilot were:
- To raise awareness about the Millennium Development Goals in pilot cities
- To raise awareness about specific roles local governments and citizen groups can play in reaching MDG targets they have identified as priority:
- In Tamale, raise awareness about sanitation and related health issues
- In Casablanca, raise awareness about the literacy rate of 15-24 year olds
- In Dushanbe, raise awareness about the role of ICT and global partnerships.
- To build the capacity of local governments and sister city organizations
- To support the poverty reduction strategy of national and local governments
- To scale up the program throughout the Sister Cities International Network for Sustainable Development.
The pilot required the sister city partnerships to address the MDGs through a creative and innovative community-based process. Each of the selected partnerships jointly:
- Partook in WBI learning activities about MDGs
- Selected a MGD, specific target and indicator(s) on which they wish to work
- Prepared a diagnostic assessment of present conditions
- Created an action plan to improve conditions
- Launched implementation of the action plan
- Monitored progress and compared with initial conditions
Project participants and their activities
For a complete description of all pilot activities, download the final report of the Millennium Development Goals City-to-City Pilot Program as a .PDF file.
Tamale, Ghana and Louisville, Kentucky
Casablanca, Morocco and Chicago, Illinois
Dushanbe, Tajikistan and Boulder, Colorado
Tamale, Ghana and Louisville, Kentucky
Tamale and Louisville selected MDG 7 - Ensure Environmental Sustainability, Target 10: To halve, by 2015 the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation, and Indicator 31 - Proportion of urban and rural population with access to improved sanitation.
Activities
The Sister Cities team, in collaboration with public health providers and representatives from women's groups, hired a local consultant to assess sanitation and health conditions. The consultant conducted a household survey in three neighborhoods in Tamale, ranging from urban to rural. Based on the outcome of the diagnostic, Louisville and Tamale created an action plan focused on education about the MDGs in general, and goal seven in particular. A major educational campaign was launched in Louisville and replicated in Tamale. Louisville and Tamale also directed capacity building workshops for technical staff.
Outcomes
The Tamale Metropolitan Government allocated more funds for sanitation in the three highlighted neighborhoods as a direct result of the pilot activities. The Ministry of Local Governments co-sponsored a conference in Tamale to disseminate the results of the pilot and sister cities.
Future Plans
Future plans include training of trainers to teach strategies and techniques to improve conditions in the selected MDG areas; capacity strengthening; and other needs. Early evaluation results for the project show the strengthening of an established sister city relationship, community mobilization and cooperation, and capacity building of local sister city programs. As a result of the pilot, Louisville and Tamale are committed to addressing other MDGs in addition to MDG 7. They also plan on assisting neighboring communities develop sister city relationships using their successful model.
Casablanca, Morocco and Chicago, Illinois
Casablanca and Chicago selected MDG 2 - Achieve Universal Primary Education, Target 3: Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling, and Indicator 8: Literacy rate of 15-24 year olds.
Activities
The Chicago-Casablanca team developed and conducted a diagnostic assessment of literacy and general education levels among 322 residents in two neighborhoods in Casablanca. Results prompted Chicago and Casablanca to develop new and existing literacy programs in Casablanca, using Chicago's programs as guides. A Monitoring and Evaluation consultant is in place to capture all phases of the pilot. Chicago and Casablanca assembled teams of literacy experts to work with their sister city groups for this project. Both communities are taking advantage of opportunities to teach the public about the MDGs, the pilot, and sister cities in general.
Outcomes
Casablanca and Chicago have used the results of the pilot project and diagnostic to create and sustain literacy programs in Casablanca.
Future Plans
They will conduct training of trainers and capacity building of sister city programs in support of agreed upon literacy initiatives.
Dushanbe, Tajikistan and Boulder, Colorado
The sister cities selected MDG 8 - Develop a Global Partnership for Development, as a natural sequel to their ongoing project, the construction and outfitting of a cyber café in Dushanbe. The building is planned to be a showcase of "green" architecture, with solar heat and natural light, low-water-use toilets, and other innovations. The pilot helped Boulder and Dushanbe focus on sustainable uses for the cyber café.
After careful review, it was decided that Boulder-Dushanbe Sister Cities's (BDSC) further participation in the pilot program was no longer in the best interest of both BDSC and Sister Cities International. The counterproposal clearly outlined the goals BDSC sought to achieve in relation to the MDGs and their desire to have the cyber café become an engine for development rather than an expensive video game parlor. This experience provided valuable lessons about project initiation and management, which will be useful in the larger MDG Challenge Program.
Global Distance Learning Network (GDLN) Video Conference
A Global Distance Learning Network Videoconference was held on April 6, 2004, and connected Chicago, Casablanca, Louisville, Tamale, and Washington, DC. The videoconference highlighted the four communities participating in the Sister Cities International/World Bank Institute Millennium Development Goals City-to-City Challenge Pilot Program. The videoconference is now posted online in B-SPAN format at www.reducingpoverty.org.
Best Practices and Lessons Learned
The pilot demonstrated that citizens, working in cooperation with their local governments, are a creative and innovative force in finding ways to address the MDGs at the sub-national level by "thinking globally" and "acting locally." Working within their own cities and towns, they reinforced the goals of good governance, sustainable development, social development, and environmental stewardship. They proved that they can advance the knowledge and practice of the MDGs through long-term partnerships with their sister cities around the world. Although it is nearly impossible to move indicators in such a short time period, the pilot has allowed the communities to identify specific problems and plan ways to address them. Louisville-Tamale, Chicago-Casablanca, and Boulder-Dushanbe are looking forward to continue their work and appreciate the pilot's ability to initiate a new thinking process about how communities can work together.
For more information, contact info@sister-cities.org.
"Promoting local action for global issues"