About COMPACT

PARI, the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and Integrity Action (IA) are jointly implementing a project titled ‘Supporting Public Participation and Planning in Local Government: Towards Local Government Service Delivery and Accountability’. The project is known as COMPACT – where Com refers to the community and Pact to all the stakeholders involved with public participation. COMPACT is co-funded by the European Union (EU) for its duration, from February 2022 to January 2026. The project is implemented in 12 South African partner municipalities, in 6 provinces:

The COMPACT programme is designed to achieve a more responsive and accountable local government in South Africa by deepening democracy, enhancing the participation of local communities in the integrated development planning (IDP) processes (with particular emphasis on water and sanitation) and improving planning and oversight of service delivery in municipalities through enhanced community participation.

Action research

The COMPACT programme is underpinned by action research. COMPACT believes that the key stakeholders in municipalities are best placed to articulate the challenges and opportunities with respect to public participation. Between 2022 and 2024 action research was undertaken to surface these insights and ideas from political office-bearers, councillors, municipal officials, ward committee members, civil society organisations (CSOs) and community members themselves.

In 2022 and 2023, Phase 1 of the action research was undertaken with the 12 partner municipalities. Individual interviews and focus groups were held with over 300 people, including mayors, speakers, municipal managers, senior managers, officials, ward councillors and ward committee members. A stakeholder engagement was held in September 2023 where the findings and recommendations of Phase 1 of the action research were presented to key stakeholders, including partner municipalities, national departments, research institutions and CSOs.

Phase 2 of the action research took place between October 2023 and March 2024 and comprised citizen engagement workshops held with community leaders, community members, ward committee members and representatives of CSOs/CBOs in each of the 12 municipalities. Over 200 people participated in the workshops. The purpose was to gain insight from citizens into what is happening in the municipalities in terms of planning and participation, to feed into reports and to contribute to the development of the COMPACT Toolbox.

The findings and recommendations from both phases of the action research were written up into 12 individual municipal reports, with findings presented to and discussed with key stakeholders in each of the 12 partner municipalities. A COMPACT Consolidated Technical Findings Report, which synthesises the findings and recommendations across the 12 partner municipalities, was published in November 2024. The report covers the following themes: IDP public participation process; ward committees; communication; operational planning; performance management; and the political-administrative interface. The extent to which citizens and communities are participating in these processes varies widely in practice in comparison to the relevant legislation, policy and guidelines.

The findings across the two phases emphasise the need for municipalities to prioritise communication and feedback mechanisms with communities, conduct civic education and awareness-raising, increase youth involvement in the IDP process, support and strengthen ward committees, engage civil society and other stakeholders more proactively, take performance management seriously, and involve communities in the monitoring of performance. The citizen engagement workshops underscored the persistent issue of unequal service delivery and resource allocation between wards in municipalities. This emphasises the importance of targeted efforts to rectify these imbalances and to promote equitable development throughout municipalities. The findings suggest that while there are significant challenges to promoting greater public participation and accountability, there are also numerous opportunities to enhance citizen engagement and improve the quality of decision making.

COMPACT Toolbox

COMPACT is using the findings and recommendations of the action research to co-produce a COMPACT Toolbox with partner municipalities. The toolbox consists of tools and resources to improve participation, planning and oversight. Different tools are currently being developed and piloted in different municipalities. The finalised tools will be available for wider dissemination and use by other municipalities and civil society in 2026.

One of the tools currently being piloted in Kouga Local Municipality and Oudtshoorn Local Municipality is the citizen-based monitoring of water and sanitation infrastructure projects. Citizen monitors in municipalities are trained to monitor projects and work with engineers, contractors and municipal officials. Monitors handbooks are available in English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa.

COMPACT has also developed a Local Government Collaboration Model, which is a practical, catalytic tool that brings together political, administrative, and community stakeholders to address a real challenge faced by a municipality. The tool is being piloted in Newcastle Local Municipality and Blue Crane Route Local Municipality. A COMPACT Community Participation Index has been developed and is currently being piloted in Witzenberg Local Municipality and Sol Plaatje Local Municipality. The index is a developmental, capacity-building tool to help municipalities, ward committees, CSOs/CBOs and communities better measure and monitor community participation in planning in municipalities.

In 2025, COMPACT published a Municipal Performance Management Technical Digest, which is a response to the recommendation that performance management, at all levels of the accountability value chain, be taken seriously in municipalities through the provision of sufficient information and support to councillors and municipal employees. The technical digest also promotes community and ward committee monitoring of performance in municipalities.

COMPACT is also developing civic education materials for communities, including a local government guide and a pamphlet series. Resources for strengthening ward committees, enhancing youth participation, and improving the IDP participation process are also being developed.