Drawing from experiences in Uganda, George Kasumba reflects on the sustainability of joint action initiatives and asks how a culture of cooperation can be realised which encourages different actors to value one another and to seek to work together. In this respect, putting the mechanisms in place is not considered enough, there needs to be willingness and commitment on all sides. In a similar light, Fred Lerise shows how the Local Government Reform Programme of Tanzania has created space for civil society to take a more active role in local development planning. He also indicates how difficult it can be to get elected councillors to accept such a new approach. The case study from Nakuru, Kenya, provides insights on how joint action has been used within the framework of Local Agenda 21 to promote wider stakeholder participation in addressing environmental concerns.
All cases show that the question of accountability needs further attention.
This fact is highlighted by Gunther Hilliges and Jan Rademaker, who look at the issue of financial accountability and performance monitoring from a local partnership perspective. We have also included two interviews. The second with Guido Ast from GTZ, highlights his agency's experiences and point of view on local joint action in Kenya. A book drawing lessons of experience from the workshop will be published shortly. It also serves as the background document to the on-line discussion.