During the preparatory phase of the “Empowering Municipal Councils” project, a comprehensive capacity development program was created aimed at addressing identified deficiencies.
Above all, it is a program that will focus on improving their knowledge regarding municipal budgeting and financial management.
To address this issue in an appropriate manner, the UNDP project team developed a capacity building program with 11 training modules:
М1: The role of Municipal Councils in good governance
М2: Budget adoption
М3: Management of liabilities (and incurring debt), procurement and revenues
М4: Financial reports of the local self-government units and their analysis
М5: Financial control and audit
М6: Human resource management in the units of local self-government
М7: Application of innovative approaches to municipal council operation
М8: Gender equality issues
М9: Inter-ethnic relations
М10: Inter-municipal cooperation
M11: Spatial and urban planning
Summaries and manuals for the M1-M7 modules were created during the preparatory phase of the project and they are an integral part of the capacity building program, while guidelines and manuals for M8-M11 modules will be prepared during the first 6 months of the implementation phase.
The calendar of trainings provides three and a half months of “classroom” training (from May to mid-July and September) and a two-month phase of “learning by doing” under the mentorship of educators, during October and November. This will allow for the public consultation period on priorities to coincide with the period of preparation and adoption of municipal budgets. This will provide an opportunity to the councillors to practically demonstrate their knowledge and skills.
