A Time for Reflection and Dialogue for a Territorial Approach Design for the People of the Sahel
Sahelian communities are on the front line every day in tackling the challenges facing the region, and are mobilising their own resources to provide essential support to the local population. They should receive support and be encouraged in their determination to maintain access to basic services. To further support local efforts, the Sahel Alliance organised a seminar on 6 & 7 November 2024 in Dakar on capitalising on the Integrated Territorial Approach (ITA) in the context of local development. This event was organised in partnership with Sahelian partners, and with the support of Germany (BMZ) and the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.
Background: Why Organise an ITA Workshop?
At the first General Assembly of the Sahel Alliance in February 2020 in Nouakchott, the members of the Sahel Alliance recognised the need to strengthen their operational coordination on the ground in order to improve the effectiveness and impact of their support for populations. In particular, promoting a differentiated approach to vulnerable areas based on an integrated territorial approach was recommended.
The Integrated Territorial Approach (ITA) was created to develop a coordinated response from stakeholders, led by local Sahelian authorities and consistent with the needs of the population and local, regional and/or national strategies. Its aim is to create the conditions for a lasting end to the crisis in the Sahel, and to build on local development plans.
Despite significant progress, the operationalisation of the ATI represents a major challenge. Some successes were reported, in particular in Mauritania and Chad. But changes in the security situation and local dynamics in several countries led to a number of difficulties.
Two Days of Reflection to Improve Practices
Given this context, the members of the Sahel Alliance wanted to take some time to reflect with local Sahelian actors. The workshop brought together nearly 50 participants from Sahel Alliance member institutions, local authorities and national associations of local governments in the Sahel, local authority financing institutions, civil society organisations, NGOs and think tanks.
In his introduction, Abdoulaye Maiga, President of the Association of Malian Regions and President of Mopti Regional Council, welcomed the gathering:
After several years of ITA implementation, we need to pause for a moment to analyse achievements, shortfalls and the impact of unexpected events, such as the effects of climate change and insecurity. At the end of this workshop, we expect clear and precise guidelines for each country to allow people to catch their breath in an extremely complicated context. »
In his opening speech, Domenico Papisca, Sahel Director at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI), recalled that the aim of the ITA was to produce tangible results in a complex context.
The ITA is a tool to support local and regional authorities in their response to the growing aspirations of young people, the basic service needs of populations and the increasingly visible impacts of climate change. »
He also emphasised that :
The ITA provides a framework for strengthened collaboration between the international community and local authorities to achieve this objective. By putting people at the centre of development, it is clear that the most sustainable solutions are those built together with local actors. »
On the first day, participants examined the achievements and results of the ITA. In particular, the work revealed a number of useful lessons for the future implementation of the ITA. Two key success factors were highlighted: institutional stability and political ownership of the ITA at several levels.
With this in mind, the actors involved must be clearly informed and made aware of the foundations of the ITA and its relevance to local development dynamics. In addition, regular consultation frameworks was mentioned as enabling better coordination between states and partners. Participants also addressed the vital question of short and medium-term financing mechanisms.
The Unavoidable Question of Funding
Building on this assessment, the participants then looked at the priorities for improving the initiatives and their funding to meet the needs of each country.
One session was devoted to the financing of local development and the presentation of existing mechanisms. Several representatives of local authority financing institutions (IFCL – institutions de financement des collectivités locales) in the Sahel presented the work of their organisations. These presentations fuelled discussions on the shape and modalities of a joint ITA funding initiative to meet the specific needs of each country in terms of local planning and the provision of basic services.
At the end of the workshop, recommendations and guidelines were formulated. These recommendations and guidelines will be followed up by a dedicated working group.
The recommendations include, but are not limited to:
- The need to work towards a better understanding of territories by collecting harmonised data and taking account of unforeseen events, such as climatic disasters.
- The strengthening of dialogue with local partners, in particular through a political consultation framework. Local Authorities Organisations play a key role here.
- The use of positive experience of the ITA in Mauritania as good practice to operationalise the approach in other countries in the region.
- The importance of showcasing tangible achievements in order to ease acceptance and ownership of the ITA.
During the workshop’s conclusions, Blandine Cupidon, responsible for coordinating the members of the Sahel Alliance, emphasised the participants’ collective desire to strengthen their commitment to the ITA with national and local authorities and civil society:
The ITA is not a concept set in stone, but rather a dynamic framework with variable geometry. The ITA should be co-constructed and implemented in collaboration with the local authorities and civil society in each area, taking into account its specific characteristics, vulnerabilities and changes. This seminar is not a final answer, but a starting point for a dialogue that must continue at the ground level. »
As a reminder, here are a few ATI fundamentals
The ITA is multi-sectoral and promotes local and decentralised development, based on shared analyses and flexible, tailored funding and implementation procedures.
In collaboration with local, regional and national authorities, 10 priority intervention areas were identified. Sahel Alliance members are concentrating their efforts in this area.
The Integrated Territorial Approach is structured around 5 main objectives:
- Define priority areas for action in collaboration with the authorities in each country;
- Carry out a joint analysis of priority areas;
- Engage in close dialogue with national and local authorities;
- Define an operational strategy tailored to each region;
- Promote the coordination of local, regional, national, military, security, humanitarian and development actors and the coherence of their actions.
In addition, the members of the Sahel Alliance are in favour of co-financing or joint instruments, such as the creation of the Sahel Facility in 2021.
