Transparent Local Governance and Improved Service Delivery

The United States Agency for International Development in Honduras (USAID/Honduras), Office of Democracy and Governance (DG), requests the services of a contractor to undertake a new five year-program, the goal of which is to strengthen Honduran democracy in approximately thirty-five municipalities by increasing citizen satisfaction with and participation in creating a more transparent, accountable government. This will be achieved through supporting decentralized, democratic government-provided or -regulated services to improve service delivery; increase local government capacity to oversee decentralized services and respond to citizen feedback; provide mechanisms through which civil society can engage with local governments and service providers to express their concerns; and improve the capacity of the national government and institutions to implement laws and regulations to further enhance decentralization. The program will operate at the local level, thereby benefitting primarily rural poor populations, and increasing the participation of politically and/or economically excluded citizens in democratic processes to bring about a direct improvement in their lives. The contractor will design and implement a program that strengthens democracy in Honduras by increasing citizen satisfaction with and participation in decentralized, democratic government through improved service delivery in the health sector to gradually lead to improved priority services identified by the target communities. It is expected that these actions will result in more transparent, accountable government. To achieve these ends, the contractor will undertake activities in four core component areas: 1) Civil society advocacy for improved local services increased; 2) Local institutional capacity to deliver decentralized services strengthened 3)Structures and systems to implement reform strengthened; and 4) Small Grants mechanism to administer, fund, and evaluate activities with partner organizations.