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The implementation of the Capacity Development Program for Municipal Councillors continues today and tomorrow in Strumica and Veles. The trainings that will be conducted by a team of experts, will help the councillors from the municipalities of Valandovo and Strumica to improve their skills in managing the obligations, procurements and revenues in the local self-government, while the councillors from the municipalities of Veles and Sveti Nikole will have the opportunity to deepen their knowledge on the budgeting process in the local self-government units.

In addition to this, the program also includes trainings on other topics in public financial management, spatial and urban planning, as well as topics related to inter-municipal cooperation and gender equality at the local level.

The goal of the program is to strengthen the role of municipal councillors in local democracy through trainings on a total of 11 topics arising from their legal competencies.

The trainings are part of the “Empowering  Municipal Councils” Project of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation with a total value of CHF 3.4 million implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in cooperation with national and local partners.

In the next two years, this project will include additional 18 municipalities that will be selected through public calls.

In addition to the training for counsellors, a total of CHF 1.2 million is reserved for small grants intended for the realization of priority initiatives in all 24 municipalities that will participate in the project.

The implementation of the Capacity Development Program continues today and tomorrow in Strumica with the municipal councillors of Valandovo and Strumica. The training that will be conducted for the councillors from these municipalities will fokus on “The budgeting process in the local self-government units”, and in the coming weeks it will be implemented for the councillors from the municipalities of Sveti Nikole, Veles, Cair and Ohrid.

In addition to this, the program also includes trainings on other topics in public financial management, spatial and urban planning, as well as topics related to inter-municipal cooperation and gender equality at the local level.

The goal of the program is to strengthen the role of municipal councillors in local democracy through trainings on a total of 11 topics arising from their legal competencies.

The trainings are part of the “Empowering  Municipal Councils” Project of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation with a total value of CHF 3.4 million implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in cooperation with national and local partners.

In the next two years, this project will include additional 18 municipalities that will be selected through public calls.

In addition to the training for counsellors, a total of CHF 1.2 million is reserved for small grants intended for the realization of priority initiatives in all 24 municipalities that will participate in the project.

Today starts the implementation of the Capacity Development Program for the municipal councillors of Valandovo, Veles, Ohrid, Sveti Nikole, Strumica and Cair.

Through trainings on a total of 11 topics arising from their legal competences, the program’s goal is to strengthen the role of municipal councillors in local democracy.

In addition to today’s introductory training, the program includes training on topics of public financial management, spatial and urban planning, as well as topics related to inter-municipal cooperation and gender equality at local level.

The trainings are part of the “Empowering  Municipal Councils” Project of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation with a total value of CHF 3.4 million implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in cooperation with national and local partners.

In the next two years, this project will include additional 18 municipalities that will be selected through public calls.

In addition to the training for counsellors, a total of CHF 1.2 million is reserved for small grants intended for the realization of priority initiatives in all 24 municipalities that will participate in the project.

As part of an ongoing program to strengthen the role of municipal councils in the country’s local self-government system, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) on 9 February 2018 signed cooperation agreements with six municipalities: Chair, Ohrid, Strumica, Sveti Nikole, Valandovo and Veles.  Municipal councilors from the six selected municipalities will received targeted training and support to help ensure that municipal budgets are planned and spent in line with citizen expectations, and the municipalities will also receive grants of CHF 50,000 each to address priority community concerns.

The signing ceremony was attended by Swiss Ambassador Sybille Suter Tejada, Minister of Local Self-Government Suhejl Fazliu, Minister of Finance Dragan Tevdovski and UNDP Resident Representative Louisa Vinton.

“This project is important because for the first time we put the focus on municipal councils – bodies that have an exceptional role as a control mechanism for the work of mayors, but also for the development of democracy through representation of citizens’ interests”, said Suhejl Fazliu, Minister of Local Self-Government. “Local democracy is essential to building a democratic society.”

The project is funded with a total of CHF 3.4 million from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and is implemented by UNDP in partnership with the Ministries of Local Self-Government and Finance, the Association of Local Self-Government Units (ZELS), the Association of Finance Officers (AFO) and sister agency UN Women.

“The Mayor is traditionally the face of local democracy in this country”, said UNDP Resident Representative, Louisa Vinton. “Our aim is help the municipal council become a stronger partner, to ensure that every denar of local funding is spent to meet citizen needs. This idea is at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals, which commit us to building effective, accountable institutions at all levels.”

“Switzerland is very happy to have partnered with UNDP to help bolster the role of the municipal councils and provide council members with appropriate training, opportunities for networking and professional exchange both nationally and internationally,” said Swiss Ambassador Sybille Suter Tejada.

The first six municipalities were selected in the preparatory phases of the project in 2016 and 2017 to represent a cross-section of different municipal typologies: urban and rural; large and small; and financially healthy and in financial difficulty (with negative audit reports or frozen bank accounts). Another 18 municipalities will be selected to join the program through a series of competitive calls that will be issued in the course of 2019 and 2020. Of the total budget for the project, CHF 1.2 million will be reserved for small grants to be awarded to the 24 participating municipalities for priority community initiatives.

“This project will contribute to change the way the municipalities operate”, said Minister of Finance, Dragan Tevdovski. “By strengthening the communication between the members of the municipality councils and the citizens, the needs and problems in the municipality will be addressed in a clearer and more visible manner. This will significantly contribute to improve their work and the timely and appropriate resolution of problems.”

The newly elected presidents of 70 of the country’s 81 municipal councils took part in “Empowering Municipal Councils: A Fresh Start for Local Democracy,” a forum aimed at improving local governance that was held in Struga on 12-13 December 2017. The event, organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), was designed to provide a forum for the new council presidents to discuss priorities and needs with their peers at the beginning of their new mandates, while also receiving support as they undertake new functions.

The local elections in October 2017 have resulted in sweeping changes at the municipal level. In most municipalities, new Mayors have taken office alongside municipal councils where almost all members are serving for the first time. These shifts present both challenges and opportunities at the local level.

Newly elected council members need to understand their responsibilities to their constituencies and often need to develop new skills to fulfill their new roles, particular in terms of translating citizen priorities into budgets. But, coming in fresh, they also have a chance to breathe new life into the municipal councils and help ensure that they become more effective in representing their constituents and providing oversight.

“This project comes at the right time,” said Minister of Local Self-Government Suhejl Fazliu. “The members of the councils have the biggest responsibility towards the citizens because they are the ones who vote for the budget and the spending of public funds, the urban plans, the prices of services, the functioning of the public enterprises, the kindergartens and the schools.”

The forum is a kick-off activity for “Empowering Municipal Councils,” a UNDP project to be implemented over four years with USD 3.36 million in SDC funding. It is the first project in the country to focus specifically on municipal councils as cornerstones of democracy at the local level.

“The face of local democracy in this country is traditionally that of the Mayor, while the municipal councils have taken a more passive, backseat role,” said UNDP Resident Representative Louisa Vinton. “Our aim is to provide council members with the advice, tools and training they need to become stronger partners, particularly in translating citizen priorities into the specifics of municipal budgets and in monitoring municipal spending to ensure that every single denar is spent wisely, efficiently and transparently.”

“This project is of great importance for both Switzerland as the donor and UNDP as the implementer of the project,” said Swiss Ambassador Sybille Suter Tejada. “We will work towards municipal councils increasing their effectiveness and autonomy by assuming their oversight, representation and legislative role effectively, at all stages of the budget cycle.”

As incentives for participation in project activities and to foster “learning by doing,” the project will provide grants for community projects worth USD 50,000 each to 24 municipalities over the coming four years.

The Struga forum was also attended by representatives of the Ministry of Local Self-Government, the Ministry of Finance, mayors, the Association of Local Self-Government Units (ZELS) and the Association of Finance Officers of Local Governments and Public Enterprises (AFO).

Sorry, this entry is only available in Macedonian and Albanian.

Within the framework of the “Empowering Municipal Councils” Project a workshop was held at Arka Hotel in Skopje on 14 June (Wednesday) at which the draft version of the Comparative Review of the Role of Municipal Councils prepared by the international expert Ms Antonella Valmorbida was presented.

The Workshop was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Local Self-Government, Association of the Units of Local Self-Government of the Republic of Macedonia – ZELS, Association of Finance Officers of the Local Governments and Public Enterprises –SFR, municipal councils and municipal administration, NGOs and academia.

In a prolific discussion, the presented draft study provided the participants with an opportunity to express their opinions and views in regard to its content, to exchange opinions about the main challenges as well as to share their views on how to improve the role and the competences of municipal councils. They will all be used in the preparation of the final draft of the Comparative Review of the Role of Municipal Councils.

In addition the participants had an opportunity to get familiar with the experiences from other countries – EU members, countries from the broader region of Southeast Europe as well as neighbouring countries in regard to their institutional frameworks and practices linked to the role and the competences of municipal councils.

The study is the first comprehensive analysis of the role of municipal councils in our country aimed at improving the efficiency of municipal councils when exercising their competences related to public finance management and strengthening their role in applying the principle of good governance at a local level.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Macedonian and Albanian.

A new project of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation “Empowering Municipal Councils” was launched in Mavrovo today in the presence of over 70 representatives of national and local institutions.

Over the next four years, this project worth 3,4 million Swiss Francs, will be implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in cooperation with the Ministry of Local Self-Government and the Association of Local Self-Government Units (ZELS).

In her opening address, Minister of Local Self-Government Shiret Elezi said that empowered municipal councils will help improve the process of transparent and inclusive decision making.

“The work of the councils is a mirror of the success of the process of decentralization and of the democratic capacity to find solutions for the citizens’ most pressing problems”, said Elezi.

Ambassador Sibil Suter Tejada underlined that this project is a continuation of the active Swiss support to the process of decentralization.

“With this project we intend to support the municipal councils all over the country to become better at fulfilling their role of oversight, legislation and representation. In return, transparency and accountability will improve business conditions and help ensure a sustainable future for the citizens” – said Tejada.

UNDP Resident Representative Louisa Vinton pointed out that this project draws inspiration from the fundamentally democratic notion that the state and its institutions must be accountable to the citizens, and not the other way around.

“The idea is at the heart of Goal #16 of the Sustainable Development Goals, which is dedicated to building effective, accountable institutions at all levels”, said Vinton.

The President of the Committee of Councils, Trajce Donev, underlined that this project will help empower councilors at local level by “encouraging peer-to-peer support and the sharing of experience, with the help of traditional and innovative methodologies”.

It is expected that this project will help municipal councils to take the lead in engaging citizens more directly in setting municipal priorities, ensuring these priorities are translated into the specifics of municipal budgets and in monitoring municipal spending to ensure that every single denar is spent wisely, efficiently and transparently

All 24 municipalities that will be part of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation project will be covered by the three capacity building components.
This component’s objective is to improve transparency and accountability of all municipal bodies and the citizen participation in setting priorities of local budgetary bodies.
Grants will be used to encourage municipalities to improve in a measurable way the relations of the councils with the citizens and the municipal executive bodies.
To receive these grants, all municipal bodies will be required to work in creating conditions for effective participation of citizens in municipal programs and budget preparation.
The empowering councillors component will be founded on the Swiss Development Cooperation and Development “Community Forums” program that was introduced as a mechanism to ensure the citizens participation in the decision making process in more than 2/3 of Macedonian’s municipalities. According to existing structures and methodology developed by SDC, grants will be distributed for projects defined as priority by both councillors and citizens.
The Financial support program will provide funds to selected municipalities up to 50,000 Swiss francs, for a maximum of three projects in each municipality. A total of 1 million two hundred thousand Swiss francs will be distributed to 24 municipalities throughout the duration of the project.
Although specific projects to be funded will be determined upon consultations among councillors, local administration and citizens of municipalities, they will need to address the priorities of the citizens as well as cross-cutting issues of gender equality, good governance, social inclusion and interethnic cooperation.
To ensure proper allocation of funds several control mechanisms will be applied such as the transfer of funds based on progress, unannounced checks will be carried out and a detailed and precise monitoring of the whole process.
Each approved project will have to meet several criteria, such as: establishing partnership between organizations and citizens; achieving tangible, practical and measurable results; be sustainable and continue to function once the project has ended; to exercise significant wider social impact on issues important for disadvantaged groups; to address equally the needs of men, women, different ethnic groups and to support their participation in the project implementation.
Examples of such projects are: care centres for the homeless; improvements to school infrastructure adapted to children with physical disabilities; inclusive youth centres and multi-cultural activities for young people; shelters and care centres for victims of gender-based and domestic violence; social protection programs for children and young people abusing drugs; social housing for orphans; people with disabilities, Roma and others; kindergartens and preschool children, especially in rural areas.