Final performance evaluation of the limiye ak oganizasyon pou kolektivite yo ale lwen (LOKAL+) activity

This evaluation assessed the project’s: 1) relevance to Government of Haiti concerns and needs; 2) effectiveness in improving three domains: accountability, transparency (see Annex I for definitions), and service delivery; and 3) sustainability of improving governance in target communes. Methods included a document review, 29 key and group informant interviews (involving 50 officials), 35 focus group discussions (involving 162 female and 168 male citizens), and 12 direct observation site visits in target communes. Almost all stakeholders stated that LOKAL+ was very effective in improving accountability, transparency, and service delivery, especially for tax collection and sanitation. However, except for a sizeable minority in St. Marc, Carrefour, and Cap Haitian, respondents felt that communes have no capacity to independently continue improved governance in these three domains. Nonetheless, given Haiti’s historically highly centralized and opaque local governance, it is important to note three fundamentally important changes brought about by the project: 1) LOKAL+ has demonstrated that it is possible for communes to be financially sound and administratively autonomous; 2) it has introduced the notion of transparency to municipal citizens; and 3) it has successfully improved critical administrative systems such as tax collection administration, housing census, and database management.