The overall objective of the Project is to improve the quality of local democracy in Armenia and enhance citizens’ confidence and trust in local authorities through greater voice, accountability, effectiveness and inclusiveness of the local self-government bodies.

The project is implemented by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities as part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2019-2022, and in line with the principles enshrined in the European Charter of Local Self-Government (ETS No. 122) and its Additional Protocol on the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority (CETS No. 207).

The Communities Association of Armenia (CAA) has already benefited from Congress co-operation activities in enhancing the professionalism of its staff and becoming more responsible in addressing the requests from all member communities. Throughout the new project, the CAA will continue its development to enhance its role of a unified voice of all communities of Armenia, and local communities will be capacitated to foster citizen participation in local decision making and implement accountability instruments and European standards of local democracy, transparency, open government, political integrity and ethics through their policies and practices.

The Project will build upon a two-fold strategy: 

• at national level, the Project aims at further empowering the Community Association of Armenia in the execution of its mandate of catalysing and voicing the unified position of local authorities, as well as representing the interests of its members towards the Government of Armenia, 
• at local level, the Project will support LSGs to increase their transparency and accountability and to enable the local authorities to apply citizen participation mechanisms.

• Local authorities in Armenia are empowered in LSG-related matters, and are duly consulted through their national associations on matters concerning them directly.
• Local authorities in Armenia foster citizen participation in local decision making and implement accountability instruments and European standards of local democracy, transparency, open government, political integrity and ethics through their policies and practices. 

The Congress implements this Project through three complementary types of expertise:

• academic: through the members of its Group of Independent Experts on the ECLSG, and other international and national experts providing support in the review of the existing legal framework, development of recommendations, policies and practices; organising workshops and working directly with interested local authorities; 
• technical: through a sound knowledge of know-how and practices across Europe, with the support of national association of local authorities;
• peer-to-peer approach: through direct exchanges of experiences between local elected representatives and Congress members.

• The national association of local authorities (CAA) is strengthened to perform as a formal, credible and sustainable body, providing quality legal and financial advisory services to its members.
• An effective consultation mechanism between the national authorities, local authorities, and CAA is established.
• Congress recommendations on combating corruption at local level are integrated into local legal frameworks.
• Awareness is raised and skills of local elected representatives are improved on political integrity, ethics, transparency, open government and participatory decision making.
• Citizens are enabled to participate in the democratic decision-making processes at local level.
• Local Codes of Conduct for political integrity are developed and adopted by local authorities.

• Local authorities, mayors and councillors
• National association of local authorities (CAA)
• Civil society organisations and media
• Representatives of the Government and the Parliament of Armenia