The African Capacity Building Foundation has improved the effectiveness of local governance in Africa through its support to governance network International Centre for Training of Local Authorities (Centre International pour la Formation des Autorités Locales -CIFAL) .
CIFAL, an initiative aimed at improving the effectiveness of local governance in African countries, has been instrumental in promoting knowledge sharing and skills development among local government officials in African Cities. African CIFAL centres - (CIFAL- Ouagadougou and CIFAL-Durban) were established in 2003 as part of a world network of training centres for local leaders and managers to improve decentralized and local governance.
To date, several CIFAL centres have been established around the world to encourage city-to-city cooperation. They have contributed to increase citizen’s knowledge in promoting and raising awareness on issues such as improved living environments, better municipal governance, gender equality, innovative practices in water and sanitation management and occupational safety amongst other.
Through CIFAL- Ouagadougou, ACBF strengthens the capacity of local actors in Francophone African countries to efficiently manage public service delivery and in Anglophone countries through CIFAL Durban. The Centres offer a series of regional, national and international training events on sustainable solutions to the challenges faced by local authorities.
For instance, with support from ACBF, CIFAL-Durban has successfully promoted knowledge-sharing and skills development among 432 local government officials from 234 Councils in 17 countries.
