Strengthening Institutional Frameworks for Local Governance Programme

Programme news

Back Reporting Local Finance Benchmarking Workshop (IIIPhase) and LFD&I Database, Armenia

The Centre of Expertise for Local Government Reform within Good Governance Division, DG-II launched Local Finance Benchmarking started LFB activity in Armenia in 2015. As a result the Council of Europe toolkit has been adjusted to local needs in 2016 and three phases of piloting followed in 2016-2017 per request of the National authorities.

Thus, reporting/closing LFB worshop held on 22 November 2017 in Yerevan summed up the piloting of the LFB in 20 municipalities, including amalgamated ones, during of 2016-2017. Local experts and representatives of 8 pilot municipalities (III phase) provided their feed-back and elaborated on the prospects. The adjusted and translated into Armenian LFB web-application was presented by the Council of Europe experts. The web-application and database were highly appreciated and welcomed by participants, whereas some shortcomings have also been mentioned. Representatives of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development and the Finance Community Officers Association (CFOA) asked the Council of Europe to find possibilities to accomplish it from technical point of view by the end of the current year.

Mr Terteryan, First Deputy Minister of Local Teritorial Administration and Development of Armenia expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the Council of Europe for its permanent assistance and guidance in implementation of this new financial instrument that interlaces harmonically with the ong-going territorial reform in Armenia. Also he called on local authorities and the CFOA to spread the implementation of the LFB at the local level. There will be a number of meetings between the MTAD, local authorities and the CFOA to settle issue how it would be hosted by the Mininstry.

The event was organized as a part of the programme "Strengthening Institutional Frameworks for Local Governance in the Eastern Partnership countries" under the Partnership for Good Governance (former PCF) for 2015-2017 funded by the European Union and co-funded by the Council of Europe.

Workshop materials:

Community financial management assessment 1- ARM

Community financial management assessment 1- ENG

Community financial management assessment 2- ARM

Community financial management assessment 2- ENG

Local finances comparative analysis program ARM

Local finances comparative analysis program ENG

Local finances comparative assessment and web-tool for indicators ENG

Local finances comparative assessment and web-tool for indicators ARM

Yerevan, Armenia 22 November 2017

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Publications

Territorial Amalgamation Toolkit

Inter-Municipal CooperationToolkit in Ukraine

Local Finance Benchmarking Toolkit: piloting and lessons learned. Geogia. Phase I

Local Finance Benchmarking Toolkit: piloting and lessons learned. Republic of Moldova

Local Finance Benchmarking Toolkit: piloting and lessons learned. Armenia

Mapping obstacles to Inter-Municipal Cooperation in Eastern Partnership counties

Local finance benchmarking: a shared tool for improved financial management

Study on roles and responsibilities of mayors and local councillors in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus

Mayors and local councillors play a vital leadership role in promoting the principles of local democracy in their communities. The study takes an integral look at the execution of roles and functions of local elected representatives, the division and scope of their responsibilities, the situation of local finances and the quality of local democracy. It is developed with the aim to strengthen the local leaders in order for them to further contribute to the development of local democratic governance.

Download the study : English - Russian

Handbooks on Transparency and Citizen participation

Reducing corruption risks, promoting citizen participation, and developing effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels are key components of just and inclusive societies. These country-specific handbooks provide practical guidance on transparency policies and citizen participation mechanisms, and identify the most prevalent corruption risks. They identify the relevant international standards and national legislation and provide case-law examples and best practices which local and regional authorities are recommended to promote and apply.

ARMENIA: English - Armenian
GEORGIA: English - Georgian
REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA: English – Romanian
UKRAINE: English - Ukrainian

Study on institutionalised citizen participation: assessment of existing mechanisms in Georgia

Through an approach involving in-depth interviews and desk surveys, with the support of local authorities and civil society organisations, this comprehensive overview sets out the main directions for improvement of citizen participation in Georgia. It is comprised of three parts: evaluation of the existing legal bases, description of the challenges and successes in practice, with regard to the implementation of existing mechanisms in practice, and recommendations to improve the current situation.

Download the study : English - Georgian

Management of change: a tool guide for local and regional authorities

This tool provides step-by-step guidance for local authorities towards the successful assessment of local policies’ efficiency and effective management of change. It aims to support local public administrations in leading in a more informed manner, addressing the needs of their communities, and developing demand-driven and responsive policies.

Download the tool guide : English - Armenian - Georgian - Romanian - Ukrainian

About the Programme

Programme summary

The programme is being implemented by Council of Europe

The programme “Strengthening institutional frameworks for local governance” is being implemented by the Council of Europe Centre of Expertise for Local Government Reform, Directorate General of Democracy and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.

Funding

This programme is funded by the European Union and co-funded by the Council of Europe

This programme is funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe through the Programmatic Co-operation Framework (PCF) for 2015-2017 for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus. The total budget of the programme is € 2,570,000.

Expected results

streamlining new by-laws in at least three beneficiary countries and to develop targeted recommendations;
foster a more efficient, transparent and ethical governance at the local level in at least three beneficiary countries;
develop and adapt the European standard local finance benchmarking tool to the specific countries so as to improve legislation and local regulations.

Objectives

To strengthen institutional frameworks for local governance in the Eastern Partnership countries

support the on-going process of reform of local government in participating countries

promote ethical behaviour by locally elected representatives of the region

support the improvement of financial and human resources management of local administrations based on European standards and benchmarking processes.

Main activities

Comparative studies on the role and responsibilities of mayors and councillors

Comparative studies on the role and responsibilities of mayors and councillors, on inter-municipal cooperation and local finance benchmarking, conferences, workshops, bilateral round tables, training sessions, legal expertise, development of recommendations for reform, peer-to-peer exchanges, study visits for beneficiaries from participating countries, awareness raising and visibility actions, country-specific studies and publications, etc.