Would your authority benefit from the opportunity to share international expertise on a challenge that you are facing? Could your council offer technical skills and knowledge that could benefit other councils?

The Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) is excited to announce that funding has been received from the Department for International Development to enable the 3rd phase of the Good Practice Scheme (GPS)to be launched. Applications for this third phase are now open.

The Scheme is managed by CLGF and seeks to match UK councils with an overseas partner from one of our participating countries. CLGF will then support both parties through identifying a project of mutual benefit and developing a project plan, and can provide up to £40,000 to support selected activities.

Phase 3 of the Good Practice Scheme will continue to operate in four countries from Phase 2 - South Africa, India, Ghana and Jamaica, and will also be adding programmes in Sierra Leone and Pakistan on a pilot basis. Overall there will be up to 34 active individual partnership projects designed to promote good practice policy and practical projects to reduce poverty in the following areas:

Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals is the overarching goal to which the Scheme aims to contribute. The main thrust of the Scheme is to "Improve the delivery of local authority services essential to the achievement of the MDGs...through the spread of good practice". With projects designed to contribute to "improving capability - effectiveness, responsiveness, and accountability, in sustainable forms - of participating local authorities in target countries to serve their citizens."

The Good Practice Scheme aims not only to develop the capacity of local authorities within the target Commonwealth countries, but also aims to provide a learning tool for the local authorities that partner with them. UK local authorities are increasingly encouraged to work in partnership with the community thay serve using different methods of participation and the sharing of good practice in order to develop their own performance management profile. This scheme will enhance their learning centred on accountability, resource management, communication, monitoring and evaluation, adaptability and transparency - all tools which are required within their day to day working environment.

Take a look at case studies of experiences of previous participants. For further information on how to get involved, please contact Hannah Cook ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or visit the CLGF website.