What happen to the Manchester development plan?

Jevon Minto, Guest Columnist

What in the world happened to the Manchester Local Sustainable Parish Development Plan (LSPD) of 2008? The plan, articulated in a 595-page document, was developed in 2006 and completed in 2008 through funding provided by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Canadian Urban Institute (CUI), and the National Housing Trust (NHT).

Manchester was the first to design a comprehensive development plan titled 'Manchester Parish Development plan: 2030 & Beyond'. After the plan was completed in January 2008 and approved in April that year, the central government hailed and affirmed it, but the question remains, why is it that the Canadian government could be so proactive, but the local and central governments, cannot move together to carry out this plan?

In commenting on Jamaica's national physical plan of 1978-1998, the LSDP document calls it unfortunate that "the will and mechanisms for the implementation [of the National Plan of 1978-1998] have failed to match the quality of the vision expressed in the plan".

Depending on Canada

Fast-forwarding to a few years later, one would have thought that the overseeing bodies that are charged with the mandate to execute the LSPD of the parish would have been working indefatigably to actualise development for the parish. But no, they are waiting on Canada to do their work for them.

Are we serious about local government?

If one thing is clear, it is that local government is one of our failing institutions. Who is serious about local government? Quick check, when was the last time you heard anything from Minister Noel Arscott? Now that you have done that check, let me furnish you with some context.

The Manchester parish development plan came about as a result of Ministry Papers 09/93 and 07/03. These papers saw a need to give to civil society mechanisms to deepen the democratisation process through the formulation of parish development committees and their sub-structures. Each parish has/is supposed to have a parish development committee that is operational and functional.

Parish development committees are umbrella structures mandated with bringing together the network of organisations, interest groups and agencies that exist and interact within a local jurisdiction to determine the scope, character and direction of social, economic, cultural and political life within that jurisdiction, as well as its prospects for sustainable local development.

Kudos to the Manchester parish development committee that led in articulating a cool, green vision for the parish. Today, after the completion of the LSPD, there is no administrative funding for the committee. Was it not for CIDA, I doubt the parish of Manchester would have a LSPD today. Let me ask a question, when will work begin on the LSPD? When the Canadian government pumps fund through Caribbean Local Economic Development (CARILED) programme?

Parish development committees should be empowered to carry out the mandate of developing the various parishes. They are a perfect fit, not only because they are umbrella structures but also because they aren't tied up in political games as much as the councils are.

Political game

"Both the People's National Party and Jamaica Labour Party have treated local government as a political game. Neither party wants to surrender the political might of the 'strongmen', members of parliament. They want to maintain iron-clad central control despite the inefficacies. They want to dictate from Kingston so as to marginalise the local political representatives and, ultimately, disempower the people at the local level," a letter to the editor stated a few years ago.

"It is time now that local government overcome the historical legacy of an acquired status of an inconsequential actor in local relations and especially in efforts geared towards development. Local government needs people who are serious about policy and administrative leadership. Local government requires people who will identify new incentive structures that link leadership performance to local economic development." An assertion I fully endorsed and lifted from the website of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, which they made regarding the CARILED programme.

Jevon Minto is a final-year journalism student at Northern Caribbean University. Email feedback to jminto10@stu.ncu.edu.jm and columns@gleanerjm.com.