Training Opportunities for Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs)

NDC TRAINING || Final Quarter (2022)

The Ministry of Local Government & Regional Development today hosted a capacity-building session for Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre.

This exercise is part of the final quarter training and wraps up the Ministry’s training calendar for 2022. Similar sessions of this nature were held earlier on in the year for NDCs in Regions 1, 2, 9, and 10. The participants present were the Overseers (and Assistant Overseers where needed) from NDCs in regions 3, 4, 5, and 6. Quite a few of the participants were newly appointed Overseers who were benefiting from this training for the first time.

The activity which started off on a light note was specifically aimed at training Overseers to NDCs on the basic needs and functions of the councils through which they operate. The topic covered was –  Social Development Committee.

The Social Development Committee is a body that deals with complaints, welfare matters, sanitary issues, etc.

It is noteworthy that most NDCs focus on the Finance & Works Committees. Though not activated for most NDCs, the law (The Municipal and District Councils Act – 1969, part II) gives equal footing to the work of the Social Development Committee as the Works or Finance Committees – because the citizens’ welfare/issues are just as important to the financial and developmental health of the NDC.

Following the training, the NDCs will be correcting a wrong when they reconvene with their new councils for the first time after Local Government elections by appointing the three (Social Development, Finance, and Works) committees required by law, instead of two.

During the training, several case studies were examined and solutions were provided. This activity acted as a base to understand what the participants knew along with how they processed the information given.

After training, participants are now expected to go back to their regions to use the tools with which they are now equipped to better handle any issues that may arrive in their respective NDCs.

Municipalities will be included in next year’s line-up for capacity-building workshops/training sessions.

The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development is committed to the capacity building of all Local Organs.