One of the largest barriers to service provision to backyard residents living on private land is the long-held belief that the Municipal Financial Management Act (MFMA) renders it is illegal to spend public money on private properties. To test this belief, Isandla Institute commissioned a legal opinion from a Senior Counsel on the power, authority, and obligations of local governments to provide services to backyard residents living on private land. The opinion compellingly argues that local governments do indeed have the power, authority, and obligation to provide these services. While complex questions remain about how these services will be rolled out and who they will target, the opinion shifts the conversation and opens space for new approaches.

This is the seventh brief in a series of learning briefs produced by Isandla Institute under the Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) Project. The Learning Brief is produced from the discussions at the fourth Learning Network session, hosted by Isandla Institute on 20 May 2021, focusing on ‘Partnerships in ABVPIs’.

The brief emphasises the importance of partnerships during the COVID-19 pandemic and reflects on lessons learnt by Learning Network participants about success factors and challenges in effective partnerships. The brief highlights the legislative mandate for government to work in partnerships with CSOs and communities in all elements of an intervention, including inception, planning, implementation and monitoring & evaluation. A key message of the brief is that partnerships can take different forms and be adapted according to need.

This is the sixth in a series of Learning Briefs produced by Isandla Institute under the Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) Project. The Learning Briefs is produced from the discussions at the fourth Learning Network session, hosted by Isandla Institute on 22 April 2021, focusing on ‘ABVPI in municipal planning’.

The brief emphasises the urgent need for area-based violence prevention interventions (ABVPIs) in an increasingly difficult environment. Key to the implementation of ABVPIs is the role of local government in planning and coordinating ABVPIs and aligning complementary initiatives and budgets.
The brief argues that a multi-stakeholder approach is vital to address the complex factors that contribute to violence and crime, and that local government is well-placed to enable joint and active participation from a wide range of stakeholders, including different parts of government, communities and CSOs.

This is the fifth in a series of Learning Briefs produced by Isandla Institute under the Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) Project. The `Learning Brief is produced from the discussions at the fourth Learning Network session, hosted by Isandla Institute on 18 March 2021, focusing on ‘Understanding Power’.

The brief unpacks the benefits of using power analysis in area-based violence prevention interventions (ABVPIs) and introduces various power analysis tools such as the power cube and power mapping. One of the key messages of the brief is that there is a lack of understanding of power and the relevance of power in all aspects of work, relationships, interpersonal interactions and so forth. It goes on to argue that CSOs can play a key role in capacity building and understanding power by expanding existing stakeholder mapping and analysis to include power analysis.

This is the fourth Learning Brief in a series of Learning Briefs produced by Isandla Institute under the Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) Project. The Learning Brief is produced from the discussions at the fourth Learning Network session, hosted by Isandla Institute on 18 February 2021, and the focus of this brief is Gender, safety and VPIs. The brief introduces a definition of gender that is broad and inclusive. Defining gender-based violence (GBV), and identifying the various types of GBV enables a greater understanding of how GBV manifests. The brief also draws on the reflections of participating CSOs to examine responses to GBV. This includes utilising the socio-ecological model as a key tool to better understand the factors that contribute to GBV allows for more targeted violence prevention interventions (VPIs) that respond to these. One of the key messages of the brief is Placing gender at the centre of VPIs should be prioritised, particularly in light of the significant impact of COVID-19.

This is the third Learning Brief in a series of Learning Briefs produced by Isandla Institute under the Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) Project. The Learning Brief is produced from the discussions at the third Learning Network session, hosted on 21 January 2021, focusing on Working with communities.
This brief highlights the significant role played by CSOs in society, including playing various roles of ‘watchdog’, advocate, facilitator, as well as directly implementing interventions in working with communities. These roles have had to adapt under the new and increased pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic with CSOs playing a critical part in the response to the pandemic. One of the key messages of the brief is that community led processes are the key to sustainable development and that fostering positive, mutually beneficial relationships with communities that are built on trust should be a priority of the work, as this sets the foundation for the journey together. Another key message is the pivotal role that government, especially local government, can play in creating change when working with communities.

This is the third Learning Brief in a series of Learning Briefs produced by Isandla Institute under the Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) Project. The Learning Brief is produced from the discussions at the third Learning Network session, hosted on 21 January 2021, focusing on ‘Working with communities’.
This brief highlights the significant role played by CSOs in society, including playing various roles of ‘watchdog’, advocate, facilitator, as well as directly implementing interventions in working with communities. These roles have had to adapt under the new and increased pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic with CSOs playing a critical part in the response to the pandemic. One of the key messages of the brief is that community led processes are the key to sustainable development and that fostering positive, mutually beneficial relationships with communities that are built on trust should be a priority of the work, as this sets the foundation for the journey together. Another key message is the pivotal role that government, especially local government, can play in creating change when working with communities.