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COUNTRY SPECIFIC
PROGRAMMES FOR CAPACITY
BUILDING
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ARMENIA |
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Activities in 2011
1st series of field visits in 5 pilots municipalities (Areni, Parakhar,
Vanadzor, Dilijan and Goris, 27-29 April)
organised to
revise existing strategic municipal plans and make them more
comprehensive, project oriented and locally owned
Elected representatives and officials of the 5 pilots municipalities
introduced to the Council of Europe municipal planning methodology and
trained on planning techniques aimed at defining vision, goals,
objectives, programmes and projects
Bilateral meetings and a Joint Evaluation Workshop (Yerevan, 21 and 22
November respectively) organised with
officials of the 5 pilot municipalities resulting in identification of
key objectives, programmes and projects for the period 2012/2017 in each
of the municipalities’ strategic plans
Key outcomes in 2011
Municipalities introduced to the SMP methodology and trained on planning
techniques aimed at defining precise goals and objectives
Strong sense of local ownership of the planning process promoted
Discussion and SWOT analysis of draft community profiles and draft
municipal vision and projects proposals for each of the 5 pilot
municipalities
Key objectives, programmes and projects were identified and clearly
stated for the period 2012/2017 in each of the pilot municipalities”
strategic municipal plans.
Activities in 2010
New Programme on Strategic Municipal
Planning launched in June 2010
Activity description
The programme builds on the Communities’ Association of Armenia’s
request and the success of previous Leadership and Strategic Municipal
Planning Programmes implemented by the Council of Europe in Albania and
Georgia.
Activity Aims
Develop the municipal planning capacities of Armenian local
municipalities
Help them to improve their standards by providing them with the
opportunity to take responsibility for their own improvement, and
Assist them in identifying clear visions, goals, objectives,
programmes and projects to carry out and meet citizens’ needs.
Participants
Communities Association of Armenia
Armenian Ministry of Territorial Administration, in 10 pilot
municipalities: Yerevan, Goris, Vanadzor, Dilijan, Gyumri, Akhuryan,
Meghrashen, Aragats, Mkhchyan and Areni.
Ministry of Territorial Administration
Elected representatives, officials and experts from pilot local
authorities involved in the Albanian and Georgian Leadership/Strategic
Municipal Planning Programmes. These will be invited from time to time
to participate in some of the programme’s activities to favour exchange
of know-how and experience with their Armenian counterparts. Such
cooperation falls, in particular, within the framework of the agreement
that the Communities’ Association of Armenia and the National
Association of Local Authorities of Georgia (NALAG) signed in 2009.
Armenian Ministry for Territorial Planning is also following the
Programme implementation closely with the view probably to draft
specific legislation and/or amend the current Organic Law on Local
Self-Government in order to introduce items concerning the approach to
strategic municipal planning to be used in all Armenian local
authorities, and make the proposed Council of Europe’s methodology
compulsory. The drafting of four-year municipal plans is already an
obligation under Armenian Law but no specific approach is recommended.
Programme finish date: 2012
Activites
- Launch workshop
Date: 26 June 2010
Participants: elected representatives of the 10 pilots.
- Two training sessions with pilot officials
Dates: 24 and 25 November 2010
Participants: pilots officials responsible for planning/municipal
planners
One training specifically on City of Yerevan– special attention to
this city on account of its size and socio-economic importance but also
because, as opposed to most other pilot municipalities, it has some
extensive planning experience.
Two workshops
Theme: Key elements of effective democratic leadership and strategic
municipal planning at local level,
Material Examples from existing practices in UK, Albania and Georgia
Discussions: current needs, priorities and challenges of the Armenian
municipalities and more especially of the pilot municipalities, as well
as their current approach/experience of municipal planning were examined.
draft action plan of the Armenia strategic municipal planning programme
was discussed and agreed upon.
Publicity: An information leaflet about the programme was then
produced and disseminated to all 10 pilot local authorities with the
support of the Communities Association of Armenia.
Link to information on actvities from
2004 - 2008
Previous
activities
Revision of the National Training Strategy
Activity description
Revision of the 2004 National Training Strategy (NTS), as requested by
the Association of Communities, by a qualitative research carried out in
2008 and a survey in 2009.
Action carried out
Survey conducted on a representative, country-wide sample of 341
municipalities, out of which 291 village communities and 50 town
communities, January to September 2009,
CoE expert assisted the Armenian Association in analysing the results of
the survey.
Training activities have since been carried out within that framework by
the Communities Association of Armenia and the Armenian Ministry of
Territorial Administration but without direct Council of Europe
involvement.
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