Project profile — Haiti Earthquake - Haiti-Canada Municipal Cooperation Program - Phase 1

The main objective of the project is to rebuild the basic institutional and administrative capacities of the city of Port-au-Prince and the municipalities of Gressier, Léogâne, Petit-Goâve, and Grand-Goâve, following the earthquake of January 12, 2010. The project aims to help these municipalities to better plan and coordinate reconstruction activities and to provide services to residents. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the City of Montreal and the Union of Quebec Municipalities provide technical assistance to the Ministry of the Interior and Territorial Communities and to the national associations of Haitian communities. The project activities include: support to the municipalities to assess damages caused by the earthquake and to elaborate reconstruction plans; rehabilitate public spaces and public equipment; establishing and equipping municipal reconstruction offices; hiring and training municipal personnel; providing advice from Canadian municipal specialists in management, administration, land-use planning and development.

The expected intermediate outcomes for this project include: (1) the City of Port-au-Prince as well as the municipalities of Gressier, Leogane, Grand Goave and Petit Goave and their inter-communal structure are stronger and more accountable, are making progress toward sustainable self-financing, and are providing more services that meet the strategic needs and interests of women and men as well as supporting local development; (2) three national federations of elected local officials are stronger and more accountable, are making progress toward diversifying their revenues, are streamlining the use of their resources, and are providing useful services to their members; and (3) the Ministry of the Interior and Local Authorities is better able to harmonize the activities of local governance stakeholders and to communicate and disseminate information on local governance.

Results achieved as of March 2013 include: the project supported the 5 municipalities to evaluate the damage caused by the earthquake and to elaborate their municipal development plans. The city of Port-au-Prince and the four municipalities re-established their basic administrative installations; they increased their ability to plan and manage territories and they developed and managed reconstruction and rehabilitation of municipal structures. Changes were made in the dealings between elected officials and municipal employees to improve the effectiveness of municipal administration. For example, roles and responsabilities were separated, and respective jurisdictions were recognized, helping to make municipal administration better functionning. About a dozen community infrastructure initiatives were carried out. The project created data bases to identify the status of payments of property taxes and other revenue sources, in order to eventually increase and diversify incomes of the city of Port-au-Prince and the four municipalities. Gender equality knowledge was improved as a result of five training sessions for staff of municipal partners (about 75 people). A hiring strategy that prevents gender discrimination was defined and implemented. Gender-specific data was gathered and is being used to prepare local urban plans. Two federations of municipal elected officials have relocated, equipped their offices, and staffed with key personnel. They have a work plan designed to support municipalities more effectively. They cooperate on common issues and have initiated lobbying of national authorities on key issues. Those results have contributed to strengthening the capacity of five municipal administrations and and to improve the delivery of some services to their residents.