On Friday, September 15th, 2023, the LPSA Advisory Board invited all LPSA Advisory Board members, LPSA Working Group Co-Chairs and members, as well as all interested policy practitioners, government officials, researchers and scholars, civil society stakeholders and other members of the global community of practice on decentralization and localization to an Open Community Meeting for their inputs into the activities and work program of the Alliance for the ongoing period 2023-2024.
Jamie Boex, LPSA’s Executive Director, kicked off the meeting by welcoming participants and new participants introduced themselves. Jamie Boex presented the agenda, which included discussions on the annual work plan (see below), working group updates, and the LoGICA Framework’s application in local governance institutions. Among the key updates shared by Boex was the ongoing process of interviewing candidates for the Advisory Board Chair.
Participants, representing diverse organizations, shared their expertise and ongoing projects related to local governance and sustainability, highlighting collaboration opportunities. The meeting facilitated vital announcements about upcoming events and activities in these fields, emphasizing the collaborative spirit of the LPSA network. The meeting also addressed the progress of regional and thematic working groups, discussing the potential establishment of new groups and volunteer co-chair roles. Zoe Pelter from UNDP expressed interest in co-chairing the Conflict and Fragility Working Group, emphasizing its importance in addressing global challenges.
In summary, the meeting showcased the Alliance’s commitment to promoting decentralization discussions within diverse global communities. Participants were encouraged to stay engaged through the LPSA calendar to foster ongoing collaboration and progress in these critical areas.
The Advisory Board meeting gave the community an opportunity to provide their feedback on LPSA’s draft Annual Work Plan for 2023/2024, which is now available for review and comment. The meeting agenda is noted below.
| Agenda |
|---|
| 1. Welcome and review of agenda |
| 2. Brief announcements: Upcoming / ongoing activities (meeting participants) |
| 3. Establishment and Functioning of LPSA Working Groups • Priorities for additional working groups? • Volunteers for co-chairs? • Coordination between regional and thematic WGs? • How can LPSA extract lessons from the working groups? |
| 4. Update on the State of Local Governance Institutions, 2023/24 |
| 5. Any other business |
