Kigali, 12 July 2022- The Advancing Citizen Engagement (ACE) Project Steering Committee meeting took place today at Ubumwe Grande Hotel in Kigali. The meeting was co-chaired by the Director-General of Local Administrative Entities Development Agency (LODA) and the Director General for Local Government Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation in the Ministry of Local Government (MINALOC), and involved high-level representatives from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN), MINALOC, Spark Microgrants and beneficiary District officials from Gakenke, Burera, Gicumbi, and Huye.  

The meeting aimed at discussing the current progress of the ACE Project, lessons learned, challenges, and mitigation plans. Participants provided strategic oversight and guidance to ensure the smooth implementation of the project. Participants discussed aspects of the project at policy and strategic levels, including training of different actors, the distribution of microgrants, the procurement process, and specific changes brought by the project to social cohesion, gender promotion, and environmental protection.

The project is implemented by Spark Microgrants in collaboration with the help of the World Bank, Comic Relief, and the Governments of Rwanda and Japan. Participants to the meeting praised how the project supports small businesses to improve the lives of around 76,000 people - half of whom are women- in 249 rural poor villages through small grants. They also expressed their satisfaction with how the Facilitated Collective Action Process (FCAP) meetings are increasing citizen engagement and social cohesion, as well as the support of local leaders throughout the implementation. 

Through the $6 million projects, government officials at the national and local levels are being trained on how to engage citizens in local development planning. This will help ensure that local residents have a voice in decisions that affect their community and help them be more engaged in the participatory village planning process. 

The steering committee meets periodically to make decisions about the project's direction and management.