COMPACT Toolbox FAQs

The COMPACT Toolbox is a set of practical, accessible and actionable tools and resources that municipal stakeholders, civil society and communities can use to improve planning, participation and oversight in local government. The COMPACT Toolbox exists within an ecosystem of local government tools, resources and materials that have been developed over the years. The Toolbox is an online repository consisting of tools developed by the COMPACT programme as well as external resources developed by government departments, civil society organisations and research institutions.

For example, the COMPACT Toolbox includes a tool to facilitate effective collaboration between officials, councillors and communities; resources to undertake efficient planning and support informed decision-making that reflects the needs of communities; templates to promote good practice around ward committees; and information about municipal performance management. Other resources range from a local government pamphlet series for communities and residents, to e-participation digital platforms for municipal data analysis.

Local governance is complex, and municipal stakeholders and civil society have expressed the need for more simplified, user-friendly and practical tools and resources to assist in ensuring municipalities reach their developmental potential. The “how” of developmental local government is where experimentation and innovation are required. The COMPACT Toolbox was developed as part of the COMPACT programme, which is a partnership between the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) , the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and Integrity Action (IA) , together with 12 South African partner municipalities across 6 provinces.

The COMPACT programme aims to achieve a more responsive and accountable local government in South Africa by deepening democracy, enhancing the participation of local communities in integrated development planning (IDP), and improving planning and oversight of service delivery in municipalities through enhanced community participation. The tools developed in-house by COMPACT, as well as external tools developed by other partners which are included in the Toolbox, are intended to achieve the goal of participatory and developmental local government.

The COMPACT Toolbox is meant for a range of different stakeholders at the local level:

• Political office-bearers
• Ward councillors
• Senior managers
• Municipal officials
• Ward committee members
• Community groups and civil society organisations (CSOs)
• Community members and residents

The tools emphasise the importance of inclusivity and participation from all stakeholders involved in local government. For example, the audience for the local government guide and pamphlet series is the public and communities, but these materials may also be useful for municipal practitioners. There are resources specifically tailored to ward committee members and ward councillors, as well as those providing support to ward committees in the Office of the Speaker. The IDP participation resources have been developed in response to requests from IDP Units and IDP Managers for more information about the IDP process to be available to municipal stakeholders and communities. There are also resources tailored specifically to young people, including a pamphlet on youth participation in local government.

The COMPACT Toolbox has been co-created with municipalities to be flexible and adaptable to different municipal contexts. COMPACT understands that a ‘one size fit all’ approach to implementing tools and processes in municipalities is not suitable given the variation and categorisation of municipalities according to population, capacity, budget, etc. While there are many similarities across municipalities, there are also important differences which need to be addressed in the institutionalisation of any tools or processes. The expectation is not for municipalities to necessarily implement all the tools in their entirety, but to use and adapt the tools that will assist in making community participation and accountability more meaningful. There are many ways the COMPACT Toolbox can be operationalised in a municipality, depending on the local context.