Bachelor of Arts in Local Government Administration

In line with the University of Zambia’s vision is to be a beacon of excellence in teaching, research, community service and innovation, the Bachelor of Arts in Local Government is designed to train professionals who will meet the human capital needs of the local government sector in Zambia. Since independence, the country has aspired to have a fully decentralised system of governance within a unitary state that can foster citizen participation, improved service delivery and enhance development. The need for more professionals in the sphere of local government is underpinned by the prominent role government has placed on the sector to spearhead national development. This is espoused in the 2023 Revised National Decentralisation Policy and the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP) 2022-2026 among other which tout local government and decentralisation as key to actualising development. Further, the expanded Constituency Development Fund (CDF) has increased the scale of work local authorities are supposed to perform. This calls for enhanced knowledge and skills if local authorities are to effectively perform their mandate.

a) Human resource gap

There is a dearth of people with specialised training in this field. The Decentralisation Implementation Plan (2022 -2026) has also identified human resource development as one of its pillars thereby underscoring the significance enhance skills development in this area. Graduates of Local Government have an opportunity to contribute to the efficiency and effectiveness of local authorities around the country which would lead to improved service delivery. This programme will therefore help produce the needed human resource to manage the local government sector.

b) Relevance

This programme is also important for democratisation and good governance. This is because building the technical capacity of local government practitioner will lead to strengthening of local authorities as institutions of local governance. Being closer to the communities, local authorities can amplify citizens’ voices in decision making as well as enhance transparency and accountability. Therefore, students will be exposed to a learning process which will enable them build cognitive and practical skills which they can use as local government practitioners for the administrative purpose of providing services and involve citizens in determining specific local public needs and how these needs can be met.

c) Acceptability

A stakeholder engagement workshop was held on 10th July, 2024 at which various stakeholders underscored the need for a degree programme in local government administration as a critical step to fostering effective performance of local authorities which would improve service delivery and contribute to national development

D2.3 Aims of the Programme

The major aims of programme are:

1. To acquaint students with theory and practice of Local Government Administration
2. To provide students with an understanding of how national development can be actualized through local government.
3. To equip students with skills on how to make to make local government responsive to societal needs.
4. To evaluate new developments in the field of Local Government Administration and how they can be adopted to enhance local government administration in Zambia.

Upon completion, a student is expected to:

1. Analyse the distinctiveness of local government as part of the public sector in development and service delivery.
2. Explain the distinctiveness of local government as part of the public sector in development and service delivery.
3. Assess the distinctiveness of local government as part of the public sector in development and service delivery.
4. Analyse the concept of governance within a prescribed statutory and legal framework.
5. Evaluate the influence of the environment on local government and differentiate between the influences of the various role players in this regard.
6. Apply ethical practices in management and decision making in local government.
7. Explain of the external environment and its impact on local government.
8. Explain the process of managing finances and budgets in local governments.
9. Apply managerial skills in managing a local government workforce optimally.