This partnership bolstered public administration and management capacity at UZ and in the KwaZulu-Natal province to make local governments more effective, efficient, and responsive to the needs of the citizens.  Among their primary achievements, the partners conducted two workshops attended by over 200 participants from local government, tribal leaders, NGO managers, faculty, and students to candidly discuss the role of traditional leaders and elected/appointed local government officials in local development. 

The partnership enhanced the research capacity of UZ’s students and faculty by conducting research-focused workshops, established a Ph.D. program in Administration within UZ’s Department of Political Science and Public Administration, and developed and implemented new undergraduate courses -- Statistics for Public Administrators, Scope and Methods of Political Science and Public Administration, and Research Seminar.

It also required 2-month internships for students in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration.  By the end of 2006, all four master’s students and three of the six UZ doctoral students graduated. The partners also established the Institute of Local Government and Traditional Leadership at UZ, which conducts policy analysis and research, disseminates information on local government issues, provides technical assistance and consultancy services for local governments, especially in KwaZulu Natal, and offers short-term training courses for local government managers, counselors, and traditional leaders.