Cities can play an important role in fostering equitable economic growth that benefits all citizens, including the poor and vulnerable. Their ability to do so, however, depends on access to public goods and services, which in turn requires increased investment. Public-private partnerships are an important way to secure investment and improve service provision within cities.
A new Cities Alliance grant to the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) aims to enable secondary cities to plan for and mobilise the investments they need to provide critical public services.
Titled “Municipal and Country Level Financial Modelling for Equitable Economic Growth in Cities in Ghana and Uganda,” the project will study and propose models for inclusive urban growth in two rapidly urbanising African countries, Ghana and Uganda. It also aims to promote a better understanding of the links between access to public services and economic growth in secondary cities.
“The research will study historical financial statements, analyse city revenues and cost projections, and develop forward looking strategies to foster equitable economic growth,” said David Jackson, Director of Local Development Finance for UNCDF.
Mr. Jackson added that the project has a strong knowledge element with benefits for the global development community. “The results will be shared through a global knowledge product that will be presented at Cities Alliance Annual Forum as well as other platforms,” he noted.
The project is part of the Cities Alliance Joint Work Programme (JWP) on Equitable Economic Growth Cities Campaign initiative, of which UNCDF is a member.
In addition to global knowledge, the project will also generate national high-level policy dialogues and local economic acceleration partnerships in the project cities.
The experiences will help JWP members improve their programmatic interventions to support inclusive and equitable economic growth.
A member of the JWP, UNCDF will implement the project over 24 months.
About UNCDF
UNCDF joined Cities Alliance and the Joint Work Programme in 2015. It is the UN’s capital investment agency for the 48 least developed countries in the world, offering finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development.
About the Joint Work Programme for Equitable Economic Growth in Cities
The Joint Work Programme for Equitable Economic Growth brings together members and partners to produce global knowledge, facilitate policy dialogues and support city-level diagnostics and policy recommendations. Recognising the needs and capacities of cities and local governments, it focuses specifically on supporting equitable access to public goods and services by all citizens and formal and informal businesses. The Joint Work Programme is chaired by the UK Department for international Development (DFID).
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