Decentralisation and Social Cohesion Program (PDCS) II
Burkina Faso is navigating a period of significant transition, marked by complex security, humanitarian, and socio-political challenges that have placed considerable strain on public institutions and communities alike. In this environment, local governance structures have been severely weakened: elected municipal councils have been dissolved and replaced by special delegations under Prefect-led authority. Women, children, and young people remain structurally marginalised from local decision-making, with deep-rooted gender inequalities further constraining civic participation. Population displacement and shifting governance arrangements have created new pressures on local democratic structures, while also opening space for reform, inclusion, and more resilient forms of local development.
The Decentralisation and Social Cohesion Programme (PDCS II): Strengthening Inclusive Local Democracy Mechanisms in Burkina Faso, financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented through GIZ, responds directly to these structural deficits. Dorsch Impact leads this assignment as sole implementing partner, responsible for the full delivery of the programme's service packages across approximately 20 partner municipalities in the South-West, Hauts-Bassins, and Cascades regions. Applying a gender-transformative approach, the programme works to create an enabling institutional environment for inclusive local governance – one in which women, children, and youth play a meaningful and recognised role.
Disciplines
- Governance, Peace and Social Cohesion
Client
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Duration
From 2026 to 2027
Location
Burkina Faso
Project Activities
Work Package 1 – Strengthening Women's Involvement in Local Governance
- Raising public awareness on the value of women's participation in local development through forum theatre, film screenings, debates, and media outreach
- Providing institutional support to local authorities to create more inclusive governance environments
- Delivering targeted capacity-building measures for women, including training, mentoring, and coaching
- Mobilising women's associations to develop and submit innovative micro-projects for GIZ co-financing
- Engaging male decision-makers as well as traditional and religious authorities to foster gender-transformative change
Work Package 2 – Strengthening Children's and Youth Participation in Local Development
- Conducting awareness-raising and capacity-building activities on children's rights and human rights, targeting municipal actors, deconcentrated services, and civil society organisations
- Organising bi-annual idea competitions to identify and select micro-projects led by children and young people, assessed by a multidisciplinary jury against objective criteria
- Supporting the implementation and monitoring of 20 micro-projects (10 per edition), ensuring genuine autonomy and leadership by young project initiators
- Advising on the integration of youth-led micro-projects into formal municipal development planning (PAI)
- Facilitating participatory events, including interactive radio broadcasts and forum theatre, across 36 partner municipalities to promote children's rights and the right to participation
- Ensuring the equal quantitative and qualitative participation of girls and young women throughout all activities
Impact
- 5,000+ people are targeted for sensitisation on inclusive local governance and the value of women's and youth participation in community development.
- 400 women are expected to benefit from structured capacity-building measures, with at least 70% demonstrating active participation in local decision-making processes upon completion.
- 20 youth-led micro-projects will be supported across two editions, fostering civic agency and ownership among children and young people in some of Burkina Faso's most affected regions.
- The programme directly contributes to national frameworks for decentralisation and social cohesion at a time of acute institutional fragility, helping to sustain local governance structures and community resilience in the face of ongoing crisis.
- Through its gender-transformative approach, PDCS II addresses structural inequalities at their root, building the long-term foundations for inclusive, transparent, and accountable local governance in Burkina Faso.
Contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
We are committed to making a positive impact and supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This project contributes to the following SDGs:
