Strengthening local decision-makers in South-East Europe

 

Project description

Title: Strengthening local decision-makers in South-East Europe – Local Leaders in South-East Europe
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia (FYR), Serbia
Lead executing agency: Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)
Overall term: 2013 to 2015

Context

The countries of South-East Europe are undergoing a reform process with the objective of aligning themselves with the European Union and its standards. This presents the region's muncipalities with major challenges. In order to meet the EU's high standards and guarantee the high quality of muncipal services, it will be necessary to modernise the local infrastructure. However, the muncipalities and muncipal enterprises lack the resources and instruments needed for the detailed planning and successful implementation of investment projects to improve muncipal infrastructure.

Objective

A regional approach is in place for building the management and leadership capacity of local decision-makers. A relevant training package has been prepared and is being marketed. The training offered enables those responsible for planning and developing muncipal infrastructure to plan and implement investment projects to improve the infrastructure in the field of water and wastewater management.

Approach

The project's partners are the Network of Associations of Local Authorities of South-East Europe (NALAS), national associations of local authorities, muncipal water suppliers and wastewater management enterprises and – at local level – individual muncipalities. The project firstly aims to promote joint regional dialogue to build the management and leadership capacity of local leaders. To this end, a cross-border dialogue platform is to be set up, involving the major stakeholders in the fields of water and wastewater management.

Secondly, a joint model to develop and market training products for local decision-makers will be prepared with the countries taking part. In cooperation with NALAS and the local authority associations, the project will draw up a joint model for capacity building. A relevant training package to build the management and leadership capacity of local decision-makers will be developed. In parallel, trainers will receive training to implement the courses.

NALAS and the participating local authority associations will thus have a training product that strengthens the management and leadership skills of local decision-makers, thereby helping to improve the implementation of investment projects.