The leadership programme is composed by a series of six workshops, delivered over a period of one year.
It aims at strengthening leadership capacities of a selected group of 20 mayors so as to improve local political governance in their communities and ultimately in the country, and to nurture confidence and trust in local authorities.
Through a peer-to-peer approach involving members of the Congress and mayors from Europe, Armenian local elected representatives share best practice and increase their knowledge of standards of local self-governance.

The structure of the programme path is as follows:

Armenian Mayors and Congress members discuss how shared values can shape communities

The group of Armenian mayors participating in the leadership programme of the Congress met on 21 and 22 January in Yerevan to discuss how the values shared by a community can influence the behaviours of its members, and how these values can be equally instrumental for the development of the community. They learned how the community leader can use his/her influence and leadership to shape these values and promote positive and socially productive behaviours. The leadership programme for Armenian mayors and the "Citizen Participation initiatives" are implemented by the Congress in the framework of the project "Support to consolidating local democracy in Armenia", financed by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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Two leadership workshops for mayors and municipal councillors in Yerevan (Armenia).

The Congress organised a series of events in Yerevan in the framework of the project ''Support to the consolidation of local democracy in Armenia'' from 8 to 10 July 2014. On 8 and 9 July, the workshop of the leadership programme for mayors focused on "Effective communication". Through practical exercises and peer reviews, participants were made aware of the messages they send to citizens not only through their words, but also through their behaviour and decisions. On 10 July, the seminar "Councillors: everyday actors for democracy" brought together around 30 municipal councillors to discuss the functions of the key municipal institutions and structures, their duties and powers, social responsibility and accountability, code of conduct, as well as the principles of constructive opposition and how to effectively communicate with citizens and other stakeholders. Congress members Barbara Toce (Italy, SOC), Matej Gomboši (Slovenia, EPP/CCE) and Artan Shkembi (Albania, SOC) participated in these events.

Armenian mayors share their practical experience about citizen participation

« Citizen participation is one of the pillars of local democracy and a key element for developing effective local governance ». This is the main message of the « Effective citizen participation » workshop organised by the Congress in Aghveran, Armenia, for a selected group of Armenian mayors. After the ratification of the Additional Protocol to the European Charter of Local Self Government in May 2013, the Armenian Government introduced a new legislation making it mandatory for local authorities to inform, consult and actively engage with their citizens. During the workshop, which took place on 29 and 30 October 2014, mayors exchanged views about how to concretely implement these obligations and on different participation methodologies. Congress Members Alina Harutyunyan (Armenia, EPP/CCE) and Lusine Avetyan (Armenia, EPP/CCE) presented examples of best practices in citizen involvement in their communities. This was the fourth workshop of the leadership programme organised by the Congress in the framework of the project « Support for the consolidation of local democracy in Armenia », financed by the Government of Denmark. Two more workshops will be organised in 2015.

Exchange of good practices to improve local governance in Armenia

The workshop “Governing by leadership”, held on 8 and 9 April in Dilijan, Tavush region of Armenia, was attended by Armenian mayors who participated in the leadership programme organised by the Congress in the framework of the project “Support to consolidating local democracy in Armenia”. The participating mayors identified what is needed to deliver effective projects according to leadership and good governance principles. Congress members Matej Gomboši, (Slovenia,EPP/CCE) and Barbara Toce, (Italy, SOC) took part in the workshop to share their experience and to participate in peer-review of individual community projects presented by the Armenian mayors. Participants proposed that the series of upcoming regional seminars, which will be held in the framework of the project will focus on the Recommendation 351(2014) on the state of local democracy in Armenia, adopted by the Congress on 26 March 2014.

Promising Start of Leadership Programme for Mayors

The first of a series of workshops organized by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe as part of the programme Strengthening local elected representatives' leadership was conducted on 5-6 February in Yerevan. The workshop was attended by 18 Mayors, women and men, representing eight regions of Armenia, from both urban and rural areas. Through a peer-to-peer approach involving members of the Congress and international experts, Armenian Mayors got familiar with the mission and role of the Congress, they analysed their role and statutory responsibilities and assessed skills and competencies needed to implement their role effectively and efficiently. The informal environment allowed the Mayors not only to know each other better, but also to contribute productively to group-work on field projects. The programme is being implemented by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in the framework of the Council of Europe project Support to consolidating local democracy in Armenia, funded by the Government of Denmark and part in the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia. Apart from Leadership programme, regional thematic seminars and citizen fora will provide a learning platform for local groups, mayors and councilors to enhance the dialogue and nurture constructive discussions.