REPUBLIC OF RWANDA

MINISTRY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

P.O. BOX 3445 KIGALI Website: www.minaloc.gov.rw

COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT POLICY

Revised version, April 2008

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS.............................................................................. ii

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................ 3
1 Justification for a Revised Community Development Policy..................................... 4
1.1 Introduction......................................................................................................... 4
1.2 Progress............................................................................................................... 5
1.3 Challenges........................................................................................................... 5
1.4 Opportunities....................................................................................................... 6
1.5 Recent government initiatives............................................................................. 7
2 Vision, Mission, Scope and Objectives of the Community Development Policy ...... 9
2.1 Vision and Mission ............................................................................................. 9
2.2 Scope and objectives........................................................................................... 9
3 Implementation Framework for the Community Development Policy .................... 11
3.1 Principles guiding the implementation of Community Development .............. 11
3.2 Community Development Processes ................................................................ 14
3.3.1 Key International and National Programmes............................................ 14
3.3.2 Contributions to Community Development Objectives............................ 15
3.4 Legal and Institutional framework.................................................................... 16
3.4.1 Legal framework ....................................................................................... 16
3.4.2 Institutional framework............................................................................. 17
4 Monitoring and Evaluation ....................................................................................... 23
4.1 Monitoring and Evaluation Framework............................................................ 23
4.2 Community Development Policy M&E system ............................................... 23

Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………. 26

i
ABREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

AIDS Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome

CBO Community Based Organization
CBGs Community Based Groups
CDC Community Development Committee
CDF Common Development Fund
CEPEX Central Public Investment and External Finance Bureau
CG Central Government
CRC Citizen Report Cards
CSC Community Score Cards
CSO Civil Society Organization
DIP Decentralisation Implementation Programme
DDP District Development Plan
DP Development Partner
EDPRS Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy
EICV Enquête Intégrale des Conditions de Vie des Ménages
GoR Government of Rwanda
HIMO Haute Intensité de Main-d’œuvre (Labour Intensive Public Works)
HR Human Resource
ICT Information and Communication Technology
JADF Joint Action Development Forum
LG Local Government
M&E Monitoring and Evaluation
MDGs Millennium Development Goals
MIFOTRA Ministry of Public Service and Labour
MIGEPROF Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion
MIJESPOC Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sports
MINAGRI Ministry of Agriculture
MINALOC Ministry of Local Government
MINECOFIN Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning
MINEDUC Ministry of Education
MINICOM Ministry of Commerce and , Industry
MINIJUST Ministry of Justice
MININFRA Ministry of Infrastructure
MINISANTE Ministry of Health
MINITERE Ministry of Lands, Forestry, Environment, Water and Mines
MIS Management Information System
NEPAD New Partnership for Africa’s Development
NDIS National Decentralization Implementation Secretariat
NDP National Decentralization Policy
NEC National Electoral Commission
NGO Non Governmental Organization
NIS National Institute of Statistics
NTB National Tender Board
PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper
RALGA Rwandese Association of Local Government Authorities
RDSF Rwanda Decentralization Strategic Framework
SME/SMI Small and Medium Enterprises / Industries
VAT Value Added Tax
VUP Vision 2020-Umurenge Program

ii
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This revised Community Development Policy aims to mobilise and empower the Rwandan
community to exercise its powers in decision making in order to promote its development,
commensurate with the progress of decentralization. The policy is formulated in response to the
challenges the community still confronts: extreme poverty, illiteracy, a culture of deference to
authority and the widespread use of traditional farming methods which constrain significant
sustainable development.

In this policy, the GoR envisages a community that is organised, self motivated, hardworking,
forward-looking, and has the ability to exploit local potential with innovations geared
towards sustainable development. The GoR identifies the Umudugudu as the core formal
community and focus of the policy.

The mission of the Community Development Policy is to “ensure effective and sustainable
participation of the community in its own development, in order to achieve poverty reduction
and self-reliance based on the sustainable exploitation of available resources”.

The objectives of community development are multi-dimensional, embracing the three main spheres
of development: political/administrative, economic and social.

The main guiding principles for policy implementation are: grassroots community participation,
exploitation of local potential, promotion of commerce, continuous improvement, enhancing a
culture of transparency and accountability and common benefit.

The policy implementation framework is anchored on the ubudehe process and relies on cooperation
and harmonization between formal and informal communities, the private sector, the civil society,
international and national organizations, and central and decentralised government institutions.
Cooperation will be further enhanced through the Joint Action Development Forum (JADF) which
was approved by the cabinet on 11th April 2007, the sector joint action forum and the Itorero
Development Advisory Committees to be instituted at the cell level. These forums will harmonise
the working relations amongst the development actors in both Districts and Sectors.

The policy is, by nature, an instrument of the National Decentralization policy, the 7-year National
Political Programme (2003-2010), EDPRS (2008-2012), MDGs, Vision 2020 and NEPAD. Through
mobilisation and sensitisation of the community, the policy will also reinforce and integrate the
policies of key line Ministries especially (MINAGRI, MINITERE, MININFRA, MINISANTE,
MINICOM, MIFOTRA, MINEDUC, MIJESPOC and MIGEPROFE) to implement their sector
programmes in a co-ordinated manner to meet the needs of the community. It will reinforce the
implementation of a range of ongoing policies and programmes to be managed and monitored
primarily at sub- district levels (e.g. Umuganda, Cooperatives, Microfinance and HIMO).

Finally, the policy clarifies the legal and institutional framework of community development and the
performance framework for continuous monitoring and evaluation of community development
indicators.

3
1 Justification for a Revised Community Development
Policy

1.1 Introduction

The Community Development Policy was adopted by the Cabinet of the Government of Rwanda
(GoR) in March 2001 with the overarching goal of “ensuring effective and sustainable
participation of the community in its own development, in order to achieve poverty reduction
and self-reliance based on the sustainable exploitation of available resources”.

Together with the Fiscal Decentralization Policy, also adopted in March 2001, the Policy aims to
reinforce the implementation of the national policy of decentralization, which was adopted in May
2000 and revised in 2005. The principal objective of the Community Development Policy is to foster the
public participation in policy and decision making processes in a bid to turn around the centralistic
development approach that had previously characterised the country.

The Community Development Policy promotes the engagement of the Rwandan community in
actions to:
• Analyze their environment;
• Define their individual and collective needs and problems;
• Define their individual and collective potentials;
• Design individual and collective plans to meet their needs and solve their problems in a
prioritised manner;
• Implement those plans by drawing from the resources of the community;
• Add to those resources if necessary, with support services and resources from government or
private organs or any other stakeholders outside the community;
• Monitor and evaluate the implementation of the plans;
• Sustain the activities and make them productive.

The Ministry of Local Government (MINALOC) is responsible for the design and effective
implementation of the policy and the explicit link to the decentralisation policies which inform it.1

With the first phase of the decentralization process coming to an end and with the adoption of new
government policies , it is necessary to revise the Community Development Policy to ensure
harmony with current initiatives. The rest of this chapter outlines the progress, challenges and
opportunities for community development and outlines recent policy developments which provide
the new context for the revised community development policy. Chapter 2 provides the vision,

1
MINALOC was created in February 1999 as the Ministry of Local Government and Social Affairs and
renamed in 2003 and in 2008.

4
mission and objectives of the revised Policy. Chapter 3 sets out the implementation framework and
Chapter 4 outlines the strategy for monitoring and evaluation.

1.2 Progress

An assessment of progress in implementing the Community Development Policy in the first phase of
decentralization shows significant achievements. Community development administrative structures
were established from the Cell up to the District level2.

The policy contributed to the establishment of Community Development Committees (CDCs)

through democratic elections and the development of District Development Plans (DDPs) that
reflect the prioritised needs of the population. The DDPs provide a sound framework for resource
mobilisation from government and development partners and mesh with the core national
development strategies – Vision 2020 and EDPRS..

The Common Development Fund (CDF) was created to fund local government development
initiatives. In order to stimulate the utilisation of local resources to develop public assets, a vast
programme of Labour Intensive Public Works (LIPW/HIMO) was adopted and attached to the
CDF. The Ubudehe approach the counterpart strategy to mobilise the population to alleviate their
own poverty. Ubudehe is active the cell level and will continue to be implemented at the Umudugudu
level.

1.3 Challenges

High population density, combined with Rwanda’s steep terrain and a lack of intensive farming
practices, have all served to create immense pressure on the country’s land and natural resources.
Inadequate food is a particular problem with the majority of poor Rwandans living in rural areas.
Poverty still prevails, although at a decreasing rate, and Rwanda remains one of Africa’s poorest
countries. Per capita income was estimated at $US 281 in 2006 and 56.9% of the Rwandan
population are still poor, while 36.9% survive in conditions of extreme poverty.3 Multiple factors
contribute to this situation, including low agricultural productivity, leading to poor yields for major
crops, population pressure on arable land, poor agricultural marketing in rural areas, rural
unemployment and underemployment, lack of savings and investment in rural households and weak
environmental conservation practices.

Rwanda still faces enormous challenges stemming from its turbulent history and the 1994 genocide.
The genocide swelled the ranks of vulnerable groups such as widows or women whose husbands are
in prison; recently freed prisoners; unskilled and unemployed youth and people with disabilities; and
created new ones, such as households headed by children; landless farmers; elderly people taking care
of their surviving relatives who are minors. The four decades leading up to the genocide saw much of

2
The hierarchy of local government in Rwanda is organised from the Village (Umudugudu) level, through
Cell (Akagari), Sector (Umurenge) and up to the District level.
3
Government of Rwanda (2007) Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy.

5
Rwanda’s socio-cultural capital destroyed. A culture of deference to authority was fostered, mistrust
between communities took hold and individual or collective entrepreneurship had very limited space
in which to express itself.

These are all areas where the Community Development Policy can make a real difference.

The Rwandan decentralization process is still in its infancy and evolving amidst other important GoR
reforms. Given these circumstances, a number of implementation challenges have been encountered:

• The rapidly changing environment has contributed to an imbalance between stakeholders’

expectations created by decentralization policies and real capacities at the local level to deliver.
Human resources at local government level, although academically qualified, require
management tools, such as procedural manuals, and the requisite experience to handle the
increasing demands from various stakeholders and communities.
• Transfers from Central Government can be unpredictable: There is a need for greater
predictability of financial flows to local governments. The current fluctuations in financial flows
make it difficult for local governments to execute their planned programmes efficiently. There
also needs to be greater clarity on the formulae for the allocation of sectoral transfers and a more
predictable schedule of transfers against DDP budgets and accounts.
• Poor transparency and accountability of funds utilised at local government levels: The
increasing volume of funding to local governments calls for a corresponding reinforcement of
the financial management system in order to promote transparency and accountability to the
public.
• Weak coordination and harmonization of interventions remains a challenge at all levels of
Government. It is therefore important to reinforce and streamline the legal, policy and planning
frameworks for the purpose of improving cross-sector coordination and implementation. Efforts
are currently being made in this regard through the Vision 2020-Umurenge and the Integrated
Development Programmes – which are frameworks for integrated multi-sectoral inventions.
• Weak monitoring and evaluation system: Data collection and information management at
both central and local levels needs to be improved to enable evidence-based decision making and
continuous performance improvement.

1.4 Opportunities

Despite these challenges, the community development policy builds on the following specific
opportunities:

• Political will and strong support by stakeholders: The second phase of decentralization
policy implementation has been strongly supported at the political level, as well as by
communities and other stakeholders including development partners. The GoR has steadily
shown strong commitment to the implementation of the decentralization policy by reinforcing
people’s participation and involvement in decision-making processes and development
interventions

6
• Increasing capacity at the grass-roots level: Local government’s (LG’s) role in sectoral policy
formulation has been strengthened and delivery of services reinforced through LG capacity
development programs, increased intergovernmental fiscal transfers and enhanced support from
the Common Development Fund (CDF).
• Improved Coordination Mechanisms: GoR has developed and reinforced mechanisms for
coordination and harmonization of interventions in decentralization implementation. They
include the cluster mechanism at central level and the Joint Action Development Forum (JADF)
at local level. The relationship between JADF and the Community Development Committees
(CDCs) also reinforces LG capacities to assess, plan, implement, monitor, evaluate and
harmonise development vision and plans.
• Emerging community-based development initiatives: Mechanisms for complementary
support to development initiatives are increasingly being introduced. The Vision 2020-Umurenge
program as well as other pilot initiatives relating to Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are
reinforcing integrated local development efforts toward country-wide attainment of MDGs and
the Vision 2020 targets. The Vision 2020-Umurenge program provides a significant opportunity
to link decentralization with social protection programs and effective poverty reduction.
Successful implementation of decentralization has benefited from integration of Rwandan
cultural values, which linked decentralization with home-grown initiatives such as Umuganda
(community works), Gacaca (community courts), Ubudehe (community assistance) and Abunzi
(community mediation), This has greatly enhanced ownership and the active participation of the
communities.
• Establishing community at Umudugudu level: The shifting of a structure from cell level to
Umudugudu level poses yet another strong opportunity for community mobilization and
empowerment. Moreover, programmes such as Ubudehe and Umuganda are not only poverty
reduction strategies but also tools for community mobilisation, empowerment and confidence-
building.

1.5 Recent government initiatives

With the significant achievements registered in the first phase of decentralization, the Government of
Rwanda recognises decentralization as a dynamic process and is keen to up-date its policies in the
context of a rapidly changing environment. Since the implementation of the Community
Development Policy, the Government has undertaken several reforms aimed at satisfying the various
needs of its people and empowering them to take charge of their livelihoods. In this regard, it is
imperative to update the Policy to respond to the reforms, evolutions and development initiatives in
place. These include:

• Administrative Reform: The administrative reform of 2005 established Umudugudu as the

basic administrative level to enhance community mobilisation and data collection, while some of
the services formerly delivered at District level were decentralised to the Sector (Umurenge)
level.

7
• Evolution of the Ubudehe process: Community Development is anchored on the Ubudehe
process (this is further explained in section 2). During the first phase of decentralization, the
Ubudehe process operated at Cell level. It has now moved to the Umudugudu level.
• Vision 2020-Umurenge: In March 2007 the Vision 2020-Umurenge initiative was launched by
His Excellency the President of the Republic of Rwanda in order to enhance the attainment of
the Vision 2020 objectives. Thirty Sectors (one per District) characterised by extreme poverty
have been identified for piloting the strategy. To reinforce the Vision 2020-Umurenge initiative,
an integrated development program has also been established to implement the VUP while at the
same time promoting specialised production in all Districts based on their comparative
advantage.
• New sectoral policies: The Community Development Policy must be aligned with the new
sectoral policies such as on Employment, Microfinance, Education (including vocational
training), Health and Water.
• Other development initiatives: The Rwanda Decentralisation Strategic Framework (RDSF),
Mutuelle de Santé scheme, Parent-Teachers’ Associations (PTAs), Water Committees, Health
posts at Umurenge level and Joint Action Development Forum are important development
initiatives at local level which need to be integrated into the Community Development Policy.

The revised Community Development Policy integrates these new developments as well as reinforces
and streamlines the legal and institutional framework for the purpose of improving cross-sector
coordination and implementation of community development initiatives. The policy also aims to
institutionalise a better process of monitoring and evaluation to ensure better evidence-based policy-
making.

8
2 Vision, Mission, Scope and Objectives of the
Community Development Policy
The revised Community Development Policy aims to mobilise and empower the Rwandan
community to exercise its powers in decision making in order to promote its development,
commensurate with the progress of decentralization. The policy, among other things, takes into
account the challenges the community is still confronted with extreme poverty, illiteracy,
environmental degradation, widespread use of traditional farming methods, a culture of deference to
authority and weak collaboration which all constrain development.

2.1 Vision and Mission

In this policy, the GoR envisages a community that is organised, self motivated, hardworking,
forward-looking, and has the ability to exploit local potential with innovations geared toward
sustainable development.

The mission of Community Development Policy remains to “ensure effective and sustainable
participation of the community in its own development, in order to achieve poverty reduction
and self-reliance based on the sustainable exploitation of available resources”.

2.2 Scope and objectives

Community Development is essentially about building the capacity of the community to solve its
own problems.

Community operates at different levels, both formal and informal. The core formal community
addressed in this Community Development Policy is the “Umudugudu”. Imidugudu are aggregated
to form the cell (Akagari) community, then the sector (Umurenge) community, district (Akarere)
community and ultimately the Nation of Rwanda community. But the Policy also recognises that
there are other more informal communities within these jurisdictions beginning with the family and
broadening to include youth, women, kin, religions, civil society and private sector, all of which
contribute to and form of the larger community.

A given community consolidates efforts under the prevailing socio-economic conditions to better its
standard of living, through increased economic output, improved public services and enhanced
security, participation and voice.

The objectives of community development are thus defined multi-dimensionally, embracing the three
inter-linked spheres of development: economic, social and governance as outlined in the table below.

9
Key Community Examples of activities and outputs
Development objectives
Economic Development Individual and community promotion of commerce and income
generation
Building community/shared productive assets; manpower, natural
resources, infrastructure
Co-operative income generation – agriculture and off-farm activity
plus access and accountability of finance
Community engagement in ecosystem rehabilitation and conservation
Social Development Community access, maintenance and monitoring of health and
education services
Community access and participation in sports
Community access and participation in cultural events
Community access and participation in spiritual development
Community access and participation in social welfare assistance /
responsibility (in kind or cash) for vulnerable citizens
Good Governance Community leadership and engagement in leadership development
Community participation in local and national elections
Community participation in local and national planning and budgeting
Community participation in monitoring and evaluation of service
delivery, utilisation of public resources and service delivery innovation
Community participation in assuring internal security
Community participation in accountability and justice systems

The policy provides a framework that is relevant and adaptable for both rural and urban
communities.

10
3 Implementation Framework for the Community
Development Policy
This chapter is divided into two sections. The first outlines some guiding principles for Community
Development and demonstrates how different processes and programmes contribute to achieving
the economic and social objectives of the policy. The second articulates the organizational and legal
framework for implementation of the policy and contributing programmes.

3.1 Principles guiding the implementation of Community Development

The guiding principles for the Community Development Policy include:

• Community participation: Local communities hold the key to sustainable development. They
have the capacity to take charge of their own development and hence their effective participation
is indispensable. Participation should be mobilised and concentrated at the lowest operational–
Umudugudu level.
• Common benefit: Communities should invest in projects which are productive and beneficial to
a large proportion of the public employment and contribute to the improvement of the lives of
the most deprived.
• Exploitation of local potential: Communities should first deploy locally available socio-
economic and cultural resources, including mobilization of capital and savings to solve their
problems, and seek external resources to build on these and fill the gaps where necessary.
• Enhancing a culture of transparency and accountability: The community development
policy promotes horizontal and vertical accountability between state and citizens and active
oversight of all development programmes by communities at various levels.
• Autonomous management at local government level: Local governments need to be given
the space they need to manage their own community development programmes within the
national frameworks. Further fiscal decentralization, including enhancing local tax collection will
facilitate this process. The role of partners should be complementary and aimed at
empowerment, guidance, follow up and harmonisation of procedures.
• Promotion of Commerce: Income poverty afflicts much of Rwandan society. Therefore
promoting a culture of commerce and encouraging commercial activity individually or
collectively at the community level is a core principal of the community development policy.
• Collaboration between sectors and partners: This will promote efficient integrated
community development and co-ordinated monitoring of activities and outcomes at
Umudugudu, Cell and Sector levels.

11
3.2 Community Development Processes

Community development draws on the traditions, norms and rules that underpin how people relate
with one other. In Rwanda this social capital has been harnessed and developed into the “Ubudehe”
(local collective action) process which now operates at the Umudugudu level. The diagram below
shows how various community level processes, anchored on the ubudehe principles, work together
to enhance the three core dimensions of community development in collaboration with local
government authorities. These are further explained in the paragraphs below.

community
policing

Good
umudugudu Governance abunzi
meetings leadership, planning,
financing, M&E,
justice, security

Economic UBUDEHE Social

Development Development
Infrastruc., agriculture
(2 imidugudu) health, education,
off-farm,environmnt., « Self managing water, social
finance collective action » protection, water

extension umuganda education

services fund

micro- Cooperatives water Mutuelle &

finance & HIMO committee counsellors

12
3.2.1 The Ubudehe process involves Government ensuring that every umudugudu has access to
some funds to engage in collective action to solve one local problem of their choosing. The process
creates opportunities for people at the umudugudu level to interact with one another, share views
and create institutions of their own which assign duties, benefits, responsibility and authority. The
role of Government in the process is as an enabler (not as a patron), providing an environment for
the socio-cultural rights and obligations of citizens towards one another to be reinforced. The
process puts into operation the principles of citizens’ participation through local collective action and
seeks to strengthen democratic processes and governance starting from the people’s aspirations,
abilities and traditions.

3.2.2 The process involves trained facilitators assisting the community to do the following:

• Determine household poverty profile as they themselves perceive it;

• Examine / determine the causes of poverty and its consequences;
• Draw up the social map – i.e. names of the heads of households, their social categories,
the development infrastructure, materials of each house etc;
• Identify and analyze the problems facing the community and determine priority
problems to be addressed first;
• Plan the activities and resources required to address the prioritised problems;
• Put in place a system to manage the identified collective action(s);
• Submit action plans to evaluate whether the retained strategies are the best to solve
identified problems;
• Elect the management committee which will approve the execution of projects
earmarked for collective action;

3.2.3 Data on the all the problems identified and prioritised, solutions proposed and outcomes are
aggregated at cell, sector and district level and used to inform wider Government interventions for
community development and for lesson learning .

3.2.4 Other formalised community processes use the ubudehe principles to address community
needs. Umuganda for example is another core process of collective community action. The
umudugudu is mobilised once a month (currently the last Saturday of every month at national level
and every week at local level) to clean and maintain community infrastructure and the environment.
Subsequently the umudugudu assembles for a general meeting to discuss national and local issues (for
social and economic development).

3.2.5 The Ubudehe process facilitates a range of other community processes and services at the
umudugudu level. These include:

• Abunzi - or mediators – who voluntarily work to improve community self governance

by resolving disputes and conflicts.
• Community policing – involving collaboration between residents and police to prevent,
monitor and report crime.

13
 • Health counsellors – two in each umudugudu (man and woman) to enhance health care
awareness and provision of primary healthcare services.
• Water committees – to oversee provision of sufficient clean drinking water for every
household.
• Education fund – community contribution to education for destitute children.
• Mutuelle de santé – community contributions to health insurance scheme.
• Extension services – community support for good farming practices – agriculture and
livestock development.
• Co-operatives – joint capital for commercial activity.
• Micro-finance – individual or joint access and accountability for credit.
• HIMO – government sponsored labour-intensive public works to develop community
infrastructure through monetisation of rural areas.

3.3 Programmes Contributing to Community Development

The Umudugudu level community processes outlined above reinforce broad-based Government
programmes articulated at the national level. The paragraphs below provide a summary of the key
national programmes that contribute to community development and highlight the sectoral policies
and programmes that currently contribute to each of the three community development objectives.

3.3.1 Key International and National Programmes

• Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): There are eight MDGs, adopted by the United
Nations General Assembly in 2000, which are as follows: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger;
achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality and empower women; reduce child
mortality; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases; ensure
environmental sustainability; develop a global partnership for development. Each goal has a set
of targets and indicators.
• New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). The NEPAD agreement was adopted
in July 2001 by African Heads of State and Government to develop values and monitor their
implementation within the framework of the African Union. NEPAD’s four primary objectives
are to eradicate poverty, promote sustainable growth and development, integrate Africa in the
world economy, and accelerate the empowerment of women. It is based on underlying principles
of a commitment to good governance, democracy, human rights and conflict resolution; and the
recognition that maintenance of these standards is fundamental to the creation of an
environment conducive to investment and long-term economic growth. NEPAD seeks to attract
increased investment, capital flows and funding, providing an African-owned framework for
development as the foundation for partnership at regional and international levels. The
community development policy complies with NEPAD framework and serves as a tool to
enhance the attainment of NEPAD objectives.
• Vision 2020: The Pillars of Vision 2020 are: i) the reconstruction of the nation and its social
capital; ii) the development of a credible and efficient state governed by the rule of law; iii)

14
 human resource development in line with our objective of turning Rwanda into a prosperous
knowledge-based economy; iv) development of basic infrastructure, including urban planning; v)
development of entrepreneurship and the private sector; and vi) development of agriculture and
animal husbandry. A set of targets and indicators correspond to these pillars.
• The 7-Year National Political Programme (2003-2010): This has its origins in the society
project which the President of the Republic proposed to the Rwandan people during his electoral
campaigns of 2003. The programme is geared towards improving the welfare of the population
through community mobilization, strengthening of governance, improved justice and economic
development. These objectives can only be attained with a framework of guidelines for engaging
community members in the development process.
• Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS): EDPRS, which was
launched in 2007, provides a comprehensive analysis of the causes of poverty and focuses on
three flagship programmes for cross-sectoral coordination: i) Growth for Jobs and Exports; ii)
Vision 2020-Umurenge; and iii) Governance. The Community Development Policy offers a
framework for how the development goals of the EDPRS can be attained with community as the
major stakeholder.
• Integrated Development Programme (IDP): The IDP is implementation frameworks for
significant components of the EDPRS which will be implemented almost exclusively at the local
community levels and engage a wide range of stakeholders. It draws together the Vision 2020
Umurenge programme, elements of the programme on Growth for Jobs and Exports – to fast-
track growth from high potential areas – and part of the Governance programme on leadership
development.
• The Rwanda Decentralization Strategic Framework (RDSF). RDSF is the overall
framework of reference for current and future interventions in Rwanda. It is an important
vehicle for collaboration with Government and its national and international partners. It
underpins Vision 2020, the MDGs and EDPRS by reinforcing the link between good
governance and attainment of broad reaching development objectives.
• National Decentralization Policy: GoR adopted the national decentralization policy in May
2000 to achieve three main goals: good governance, pro-poor service delivery and sustainable
socio-economic development. Bad governance, extreme poverty and exclusive political processes
were identified as some of the main underlying causes of the genocide. In this context,
decentralisation is taken as an instrument for people’s political empowerment, reconciliation,
social integration and well being. It is intended to give the power to the people and enable them
execute their development.

3.3.2 Contributions to Community Development Objectives

The following table outlines sectoral policies and programmes contributing most directly to each of
the three broad community development objectives at the core community – Umudugudu – level.

Policy / Programme Economic Social Good

Development Development Governance
Decentralisation Policies and Programmes X

15
Public Sector Policies and Programmes X
Financial Management Policies and Programmes X
Justice Policies and Programmes X X
Security Policies and Programmes X X
Unity and Reconciliation Programmes X X
Education Policies and Programmes – including X
vocational training and skills development
Health Policies and Programmes X
Land Policies and Programmes X
Agriculture Policies and Programmes X
Infrastructure Policies and Programmes X
Environmental Policies and Programmes X
Private Sector Policies and Programmes – including the X
banking/finance sector, SMEs and co-operatives
Employment Policies and Programmes X
Culture and Sports Policies and Programmes X
Social Protection Policies and Programmes X
Gender and Youth Policies and Programmes
Civil Society Policy and Programmes X X X

In general, sustainable community development will require that all programmes and interventions
implemented at any community level address the following key questions:

• Does the intervention address an expressed and prioritised need within the Rwandan
community? How has this been verified? (e.g. which community members / structures were
engaged in its design)
• Does the intervention include opportunities for community representation and participation?
Have these been fully included in the design and implementation framework?
• Does the intervention foster and harness the community development objectives aimed for in
Rwanda as articulated in this policy?
• Does the intervention provide opportunity to reinforce other community development
initiatives? Have these been exploited fully to assure effective and sustainable outcomes?
• How will the impact on community development be measured?

3.4 Legal and Institutional framework

3.4.1 Legal framework

The Community Development Policy is based on constitutional principles where the citizen has an
obligation to use his labour to contribute to the prosperity of the country (Article 47 of the revised
constitution of Republic of Rwanda of 4th June 2003). This policy also originates from laws and
structures established by Rwanda Government:

16
• The law No 8/2006 of 24 February 2006 concerning the organization of the District also
establishes structures with important roles in development of the country by the population, a
technical organ established to advise the political structures in the domain of development. In
that organ there are decentralised entities which include District, Sector, Cell and Umudugudu.
• The law No 10/2006 of March 2006 concerning the organization and functioning of Kigali City is
specific to this technical structure of the articles 189, 190 and 191 in the subsections concerning
the organization and functioning of the organization of the Districts of Kigali City.
• The Ministerial order No 007/07.01 of 18 September 2006, establishes organization and
functioning of Community Development Committee (CDC) and also implementation of the
principles mentioned in the above laws.
These laws provide the framework for the different formal institutions participating in community
development and the mandate for their various roles and responsibilities.

3.4.2 Institutional framework

The actors which form the key institutions for Community Development include the various levels
of GoR administration and its coordination bodies, and the development partners, including civil
society organizations (CSOs), donors and the private sector. Their roles and responsibilities vis-à-vis
community development are set out below.

3.4.2.1 Government of Rwanda institutions

The hierarchy of key GoR institutions and their linkages with communities is illustrated in the
diagram below.

17
 CENTRAL
GOVERNMENT

Joint Action District Community

Development Council Development
Forum Committee

Sector Joint Sector Community

Action Forum Council Development
Committee

Development Community
Cell
Advisory Development
Council
Committee Committee

Umudugudu
Committee

Civil Society / Private Sector Faith Based Women, Youth &

CBOs Organisations Elders

HOUSEHOLD
FAMILY

The main community development responsibilities of key Government organs are outlined in the
following paragraphs.
The Umudugudu Committee: The Umudugudu committee is the lowest level oversight and decision
making body. It mobilises, sensitises and supports the population to collectively define and resolve
their economic and social problems. It oversees the collection of basic data and information from the
community and its transmission to higher administrative levels for further analysis and utilization to
inform policy and administrative decisions. It also promotes ICT and ensures security of persons and
their property, and measures to ensure public and individual hygiene.
The Cell (Akagari) Council: The Cell Council coordinates all activities of Imidugudu constituting the
Cell and links them to the Sector (Umurenge). The Cell assists the Imidugudu in realizing their
community development objectives. It links the Umudugudu level of administration with that of the
Sector, collects and harmonises basic statistics from Imidugudu for transmission to the Sector. It
analyses population problems, coordinates their aspirations, prioritises them and transmits issues the
Sector which are beyond the means of the Cell. The Cell also resolves conflict and fights injustice in
order to promote peace and security, and promotes education and social behaviour.

18
The Development Advisory Committee: The Development Advisory Committee is a new entity which will
be established at the cell level and comprise individuals who have gone through the Itorero process.
The committee will advise the Akagari council. It will promote economic development and social
cohesion and champion the mindset change required to underpin these developments.
The Sector (Umurenge) Council: The Sector council coordinates all activities of its Cells, harmonises the
data collected from the Cells for onward submission to the District. It oversees the provision of basic
community services and is in the frontline for participatory problem solving and analysis . It
sensitises the population to implement Government programmes and to be patriotic. It ensures
proper management of public resources, coordinates specific Government Programmes and
promotes ICT.
The District council: The District ensures urban, economic and demographic development, builds the
capacity of Sectors to provide better services to the population as articulated in the District
Development Plans. The District council makes decisions on the implementation of the Action Plan
prepared by the District Executive Committee. It advises the Executive Committee on matters
pertaining to community development. It controls the budget of the District and advises the
executive committee on financial and activity execution. The District also coordinates and analyses
vital statistics of socio-economic development of the population, emphasises transparent
management of public resources, mobilises funds to invest in the District, and puts emphasis on
scientific research in the District’s development. Finally, it promotes ICT and social welfare of the
population, and mobilises other resources that promote development.
The Provincial Administration: Coordinates District Development Plans and ensures the availability of
necessary resources for implementation; ensures that the governance mechanisms are promoting a
culture of peace, transparency and participation at District level and that governance practices in
Districts are in harmony with the national policies, laws and regulations; promotes development
oriented research .
The Central Government: While MINALOC is the central overseer of the policy implementation, other
technical Ministries have key roles to play especially MINAGRI, MININFRA, MINITERE,
MINEDUC, MINISANTE, MINICOM and MIFOTRA. Under the coordination of MINALOC
and MINECOFIN, they:
• Develop policies, programs and strategies at national level;
• Mobilise required resources for the implementation of the programs;
• Build capacity of the administrative organs charged with the implementation of national
programs;
• Evaluate and monitor implementation of these policies and programs.
• Harmonise the community-based initiatives with the sectoral strategies, norms and standards.

3.4.2.2 Development partners

Development partners comprise civil society organisations, the private sector and official
development partners (donors). Their roles in community development are set out below.

19
The Civil Society Organizations (CSOs): The role of the CSOs in community development is to:

• Organise with administrative authorities at central and local level, consultative forums and
thematic groups to debate on issues pertaining to local development;
• Get involved in all phases of development programmes, from the conception to the evaluation
phase;
• Act as a catalyst of development initiatives and propose appropriate actions to the Government;
• Contribute to the construction and promotion of positive values (solidarity, unity, truth etc);
• Consult the population in order to represent and protect its interests;
• Provide feedback to the population on commitments made, on policies and lessons learnt.

The Private Sector: The Private sector (including consultancy firms, SME/SMI, construction
companies, economic interest groups) is involved in community development mainly through
implementation of public infrastructure programs (rural and urban roads, urban sewerage), whether
initiated by Central government Ministries or by LGs. In so doing, they contribute to community
development, which promotes transparency and enhances the Public - Private Partnership. The role
of Private Sector is to:
• Produces goods and services necessary for the implementation of programs, projects and
community actions;
• Develop a local infrastructure through public works private investment;
• Act as a catalyst in the promotion of rural economy and of local investments;
• Provide financial support, to community initiatives through the system of micro-finance and
build viable microfinance institutions;
• Create local employment for people not employed in the public sector;
• Increase mutual accountability in implementation of public works by instituting checks and
balances ;
• Contribute to the broadening of the knowledge base by investing their profits into research and
development, innovations and skills development.;

The development partners (donors): The role of the donors is to:

• Provide financial (through budget support) and technical support to targeted interventions in the
Districts;
• Contribute to the financing of programmes, projects or any other community development
activities;
• Support and advise the government on improving coordination including the harmonisation of
interventions;
• Organise and participate in consultative meetings with all stakeholders through clusters or joint
action development fora;
• Assist local organs each in its domain of expertise, in the conception, development,
implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects;

20
• Build capacity of local institutions and communities and provide financial support in form of
grants or credits;
• Assist technically in utilisation of proven new technologies.

3.4.2.3 Coordination bodies

Bodies exist to coordinate actions at the different levels of community, including the Joint Action
Development Forum, RALGA and the Community Development Committees.

The Joint Action Development Forum (JADF): The JADF is a coordination forum of representatives from
projects units, donors, religious organizations, private sector, civil society, District CDCs, and all
other development partners intervening in a Province or in Kigali City. The JADF is active at District
and Sector levels. The JADF coordination mechanism focuses on the following aspects:
• Participates in the community based planning process;
• Coordinates the District action plans and determines implementation strategies;
• Monitors the implementation of the Poverty Reduction Programmes;
• Resolves conflicts which might arise between projects operating in a Province or in Kigali City;
• Facilitates the exchange of opinions on development questions concerning the Provinces and
the City of Kigali, as well as Districts and Sectors;
• Promotes transparency and accountability;
• Discusses basic actions and priorities in the promotion of poverty eradication programmes;
• Harmonises community development interventions; and,
• Promotes the culture of participation.

Rwanda Association of Local Government Authorities (RALGA): RALGA promotes development and
good governance of Districts and towns including Kigali City. The association promotes
transparency, accountability and democracy which are all central sustainable development.
Community development policy will therefore reinforce RALGA to easily implement its programmes
through mobilization and sensitization of the community in development activities and good
governance.

The Community Development Committees (CDCs): The (CDCs) ensure the technical coordination of
community development from grassroots to District level. CDCs do not replace the technical staff
and other actors in development (for example non-governmental organizations, community-based
organizations, and the private sector), specialised in various domains but rather serves to harmonise
development interventions. The role of the CDC at Akagari, Umurenge and District levels is
provided below.

21
At Cell (Akagari) level, the CDC:
• Assists the population to identify, through participatory approaches, their priority needs and
appropriate solutions using first locally available resources supplemented by additional resource
mobilisation;
• Prioritises problems and solutions taking into account the most pressing needs to be included in
the development plan;
• Sensitises the population to participate in all development activities;
• Initiates and coordinates the implementation of development projects;
• Informs households of available opportunities that are viable, profitable and marketable;
• Supervises the utilization of the Cell development budget which integrates community funds
loaned to the cell and monitors the contributions of different partners to the development of the
cell;
• Serves as guarantee for funds loaned to the community;
• Prepares and submits reports to the Executive Committee which itself is answerable to the Cell
Council;
• Sensitises the population and ensures the security of property ;
• Ensures the principles of environment protection are respected in all projects implemented in
the cell.

At Sector (Umurenge) level, the CDC:

• Designs development plans based on the needs identified from the Cells. Such plans shall be
utilised in developing the District Development Plans;
• Initiates and coordinates the implementation of development projects;
• Assists the population in identification of solutions to development problems using local
resources;
• Monitors the implementation of the projects by the community including CBGs, individuals etc.
• Ensures the monitoring and evaluation of the utilization of development funds at the sector
level;
• Prepares and submits reports to the Executive Secretariat of the District and to the Sector
Council;
• Ensures that the principles of environmental protection are respected and fully considering the
projects implemented in the sector;
• Ensures that there is equity in the development process of the cells;
• Coordinates and promotes overall economic activities in the sector.

At District ( Akarere) level, the CDC:

• Designs the District Development Plans;
• Controls and supervises development activities and projects in the District;
• Supervises the administration and management of development funds in the District;
• Develops and prepares a District development budget;

22
• Organises training sessions for the population in development activities in conformity with the
spirit of Article 90 of Law n°08/2006 of 24/02/2006 relating to the Organization and
Functioning of Districts.

4 Monitoring and Evaluation

4.1 Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework

M&E of the Community Development Policy will align with the calendar and mechanisms put in
place for specific programmes at the community level and community level contributions to district
and national level when carrying out M&E for DDPs and the EDPRS.

The objectives of the M&E framework for the Community Development Policy are to:

• Direct focus towards the grassroots by collecting data at the umudugudu level and aggregating it
upwards;
• Engage the communities in monitoring and evaluating their own development;
• Enhance community results-based management;
• Ensure all the dimensions of community development are being addressed;
• Share lessons learned with key community development and decentralization stakeholders;
• Progressively monitor sustainability of achieved outputs; and,
• Coordinate with the DDP and EDPRS monitoring and evaluation system of the GoR;

Executive Secretaries in every district will play a key role in monitoring implementation of the
Community Development Policy. They will collect data from each umudugudu within their
jurisdiction and aggregate at cell, sector and district level. They will analyse the data on a regular basis,
annually and with the participation of community members and structures and the District Council.
The analysis will be central to formulate measures to remedy any areas falling short of delivering on
the policy objectives.

Centrally the M&E framework will be managed by the Community Development Unit within
MINALOC in close collaboration with the decentralization Focal Points at ministry and provincial
levels and the Executive Secretary of each District. Annual progress reports on decentralisation will
include data on the key indicators of community development.

Various stakeholders engaged at the community level will be required to support the collection and
analysis of data from their own programmes and interventions. The SJAF and JADF will be useful
platforms to collate and verify M&E data, analysis and the resulting forward plans.

All data relevant for M&E of EDPRS implementation will be transmitted by MINALOC to the
National Institute of Statistics (NIS). Similarly data collected by the NIS through, for example
household surveys, will be shared with the MINALOC and district and community authorities.

4.2 Community Development Policy M&E system

23
The following table outlines the key high level outcome indicators for the community development
policy would be monitored at the umudugudu level and aggregated at the district level. Specific input
and output indicators would be monitored within the framework of each contributing programme
and in the assessment of performance of the roles and responsibilities assigned to the entities as
described in section 3.3.2.
High Level Outcome Indicators

Objective Key Indicators Means of Verification

Average income per household / per capita EICV survey
% of households with adequate income to meet their EICV survey
basic needs – food, water, shelter, basic education &
Economic health care
Development % of people below the income poverty line EICV survey
% of people engaged in income-generating activities Annual labour survey
Unemployment rate Annual labour survey
% of arable land under cultivation Agricultural survey
Proportion of agro-commerce against subsistence Agricultural survey
(crop - tonnes pa)
Population growth (including migration) rate Demographic
monitoring report
Number of productive co-operatives LG reports
MINICOM reports
Number of active credit facilities / schemes LG reports
MINECOFIN/BNR
reports
Level of community satisfaction with the economic Citizen Report Cards
enabling environment Community Score
Cards
% of vulnerable people receiving adequate social LG reports
assistance – basic nutrition, shelter, basic education and
any required medication
Social % of school age children who are enrolled in primary LG reports
Development education – disaggregated by gender Education sector
reports
% of primary school children who complete primary LG reports
education – disaggregated by gender Education sector
reports
% of children completing secondary education LG reports
Education sector
reports
% of youth completing tertiary education including LG reports
vocational training Education/MIFOTRA
reports

24
 % of community population with access to primary LG reports
health care within 5 kms Health sector reports
Number of maternal mortality cases per annum LG reports
Health sector reports
Number of child mortality cases per annum LG reports
Health sector reports
HIV prevalence rate CNLS reports
Health sector reports
% of HIV patients on anti-retroviral treatment CNLS reports
Health sector reports

% of population with access to treated mosquito nets Health sector reports

LG reports
Number and types of reported crimes Police reports
Level of community satisfaction with the social services Citizens Report Cards
Community Score Card
Voter turnout at community development committee NEC and LG reports
and district council elections
Good Effective community participation in ubudehe, LG reports
Governance umuganda, itorero and other development programmes Reports of SJAF
including DDP formulation
Community participation in monitoring service delivery EDPRS M&E
and overseeing accountability and transparency Citizen report cards
especially in financial management and procurement LG and MINECOFIN
financial management
reports
Auditor General report
Level of community satisfaction with their leadership Citizen Report Cards
Community Score Card
LG reports

25
Bibliography

1. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT POLICY DOCUMENT SECOND EDITION, NOVEMBER 2001-

PP11-42
2. COOPERATIVES POLICY – http://www.gov.rw
3. EDPRS DOCUMENT -2007
4. EICV2 BY NIS-2006
5. FISCAL AND FINANCIAL DECENTRALIZATION POLICY REVISED 2006-
PP 9-17
6. JADF MINISTERIAL INSTRUCTIONS APPROVED BY CABINET 11TH APRIL 2007 /SIGNED
ON 15/07/2007
7. INVESTMENT POLICY REVIEW OF RWANDA -MAY 2007- http://www.minicom.gov.rw
8. MAKING DECENTRALISED SERVICE DELIVERY WORK IN RWANDA , OCTOBER 2006-PP1-
7 AND PP39-44
9. MDGs OF 21ST CENTURY DOCUMENT OF 2000 P1
10. MICROFINANCE POLICY, SEPTEMBER 2006 PP5-18
11. MINISTERIAL ORDER No004/07.01 of 18/06/2006
12. MINISTERIAL ORDER No007/07.01 of 18/06/2006
13. NATIONAL DECENTRALISATION POLICY , MAY 2000-PP3-10
14 NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT POLICY OF NOVEMBER 2005 PP12-13
15. NATIONAL SOCIAL PROTECTION POLICY, NOVEMBER 2005-PP2-3 AND PP11-19
16. PRSP DOCUMENTS OF 2002
17. RWANDA DECENTRALISED GOOD GOVERNANCE REFORM POLICY, AUGUST 2005 -PP5-
10
18. RWANDA DECENTRALISATION STRATEGIC FRAME WORK PP 3-4
19. RWANDA NEPAD MAGAZINE ISSUE OF JANUARY 2007-PP3-15
20. RWANDA VISION 2020 DOCUMENT , JULY 2000
21. STRATEGY FOR DEVELOPING CAPACITY FOR EFFECTIVE DECENTRALISED
GOVERNANCE AND LOCAL LEVEL SERVICE DELIVERY IN RWANDA, MAY 2006-PP3-21
22. THE 7-YEAR NATIONAL POLITICAL PROGRAM (2003-2010)-P11, PP15-22, PP30-40, PP48-49
23. TERRITORIAL REFORM: ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS, ROLE ALLOCATION AND HUMAN
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT DURING THE REFORM PERIOD , DECEMBER 2005 –PP5-7
24. UBUDEHE PROGRAM , JANUARY 2003-PP6-15
25. UMUGANDA POLICY, JUNE 2005-PP 6-16

26