Strengthening local government in Timor-Leste

Eight local government officers from Timor-Leste are currently visiting Victoria as part of a program to build the capacity of their country’s public service.

It may be a little larger than his rural village in the Oecussi district of Timor-Leste, but Graciano Fuca is still quite taken with Melbourne. “It is beautiful here,” said Graciano. “The population is very diverse, but the weather is wetter than in Oecussi.”

Graciano is one of eight East Timorese local government officers visiting the city as part of a Victorian Government program implemented by the Department of Planning and Community Development.

The program aims to build the capacity of the Timor-Leste public service by developing the skills of staff within the country’s district and sub-district administrations responsible for the provision of key services.

Graciano and his fellow participants are currently completing tailored training, covering areas such as leadership, project management and governance, along with English lessons.

The group will later embark on work placements with four regional Victorian shires: Wodonga City Council, Wangaratta Rural City Council, Indigo Shire Council and Macedon Ranges Shire Council.

While based in regional Victoria, each officer will be assigned a specially trained mentor from their host council, who they will live and work with. The focus during this stage of the program will be on local government administration, community participation, consultation and development.

“I want to compare local government in Victoria and in Timor-Leste. I believe we can make changes and bring improvements to our communities in Timor-Leste,” said Graciano.

Although the daily training sessions are intensive, the group has managed to see some sights as well, including the Queen Victoria Market and the Melbourne Zoo.

On Thursday 3 November 2011, the officers also visited Parliament House, where they were welcomed by the Minister for Local Government, Jeanette Powell. Minister Powell was presented with a traditional East Timorese scarf.

The training program is one of a number of Victorian Government programs aimed at reducing poverty in Timor-Leste, and enabling communities to generate their own long-term sustainable economic development.

These include the development of a sewerage master plan for the capital, Dili; the establishment of a Chamber of Commerce; and a VET scholarship program from Victoria University.

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