Contribution to the Open Regional Fund for Modernisation of Municipal Services (ORF MMS) of the GiZ
Regional cooperation is an important element in achieving approximation between Western Balkan (WB) countries. The GiZ Open Regional Fund for Modernisation of Municipal Services (ORF MMS) is one of the few regional instruments that provides technical advice and financial funds to projects, that are jointly launched by regional service providers. The aim is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of municipal services through skills development, promotion of good practices and common tools.
| RegionCountry | Topic | Period | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Western Balkans |
Governance Rule of Law - Democracy - Human rights
Decentralisation
|
01.02.2013
- 30.09.2016 |
CHF 4'800'000
|
- National State Institute North
-
DAC Sector GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY
Sub-Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation Decentralisation and support to subnational government (incl. accountability)
Policy Marker The project takes account of gender equality as a cross-cutting theme.
The project takes account of democratisation, good governance and human rights as cross-cutting themes.
Flow Official development assistance (ODA)
Collaboration Bilateral cooperation
Finance Type Aid grant
Aid Type Project and programme contribution
Tied/untied aid Untied aid
Project Number 7F08485
| Background |
Decentralisation of resources and responsibilities to local actors involved in the provision of municipal services is a major transition challenge in South East Europe (SEE). Decentralised competences at the level of Local Governments (LGs) do often not match with their financial means; consequently, service pro-viders and utility managements are not able to per-form as required, due to lacking technical capacities. The result is an ineffective provision of low quality ser-vices. Several municipalities in Western Balkans countries have generated transferrable validated ex-periences and practices on up-dated efficient ways in quality service delivery which respond to respective need of the citizens. But the large potential for mutual learning and exchange is still to be further enhanced; networking across countries and inter-ethnic bound-aries is often limited or hindered, due to a weak cul-ture of cooperation and a conflict-ridden past. Since 2007, ORF MMS is supporting to establish regional and national networks for up-scaling validated munici-pal service practices. |
| Target |
The provision of quality municipal services, compliant with EU standards, leads to an increase in socio-eco-nomic development and to improved living conditions in municipalities of the South Eastern Europe region. In this line, regional cooperation is used by providers of municipal services in SEE countries as a tool to modernise their system of delivery – technical im-provements and more efficient management schemes – in accordance with EU standards (Project objective).
|
| Target group |
Primary target groups are key actors in municipal service delivery systems of 6 main partner countries in the Western Balkans (Albania, BiH, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia) with a population of about 19 million citizens. Regional and national associations for the development of MMS measures (among them the Network of Associations of Local Authorities / NALAS, as well as the Western Balkans Partnership of Water Associations / W2AP. Relevant ministries and governmental agencies, more than 860 local governments with their municipal utility units (including their associative structures), civil society organisations, regional development agencies, relevant academic and private institutions. Indirect beneficiaries are citizens of the municipalities (close to 1.5 million people, estimated based on previous experiences) involved in the implementation of partial measures for MMS, with a particular focus on most needed populations in middle-sized and small (rural) municipalities.
|
| Outcomes |
1. Improved cooperation between national and regional networks of municipal service providers increases the relevance of their offer to the citizens. 2. Municipalities as well as providers of municipal services have improved their technical and managerial capacities; they offer more efficient and effective municipal services to an increased number of population. 3. A common understanding of goals, strategies, concepts, roles and practices in the field of municipal services among decision makers and relevant civil society organisations at all levels of governance in SEE leads to new regional cooperation initiatives. 4. Users (consumers) of municipal services are empowered and participate in regional cooperation processes in order to promote their rights on coverage and quality of the service provision.
|
| Results |
Expected Results: 1. Cooperation structures for participating regional and national MMS networks are established. 2. Relevant capacities of participating MMS networks for regional cooperation and up-scaling of validated practices are developed. 3. Tools and validated practices for MMS are made available to service providers; the respective knowledge management system has been established. 4. The policy dialogue for the improvement of MMS favourable framework conditions is established at regional levels; it is connected to corresponding processes in the Western Balkans countries. 5. A regional network for users (consumers) of municipal services is established; corresponding national initiatives in the Western Balkans countries are enhanced in order to increase the awareness and the information of the consumers about their rights and responsibilities in the development of MMS.
Results from previous phase: SDC will contribute to the ongoing ORF MMS phase. Since 2007, the programme implemented 14 sub-projects called Partial Measures (PMs) with a EUR 7 million funding provided by the German Bundes-ministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusamenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ). Over 1 million citizens of 25 municipalities in SEE countries benefited from improved municipal services. 3 new regional networks for up-scaling relevant validated practices have been established. They already achieved pro-mising reactions by several SEE governments in creating favourable framework conditions for a more effective provision of municipal services. Municipal actors, mainly through their associations, have developed instruments, methods, recommendations and comparative analyses regarding the most pertinent measures to be taken for an effective and efficient service delivery to the citizens. Recommendations for the modernisation of municipal services were made available to LGs and managements of public utilities. |
| Agency |
SDC |
| Credit |
Swiss cooperation with Eastern Europe |
| Project Partners |
Contract Partner Foreign state institution Other Partners ORF MMS cooperates closely with the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC). |
| Projects Coordination |
ORF MMS will bank on relevant achievements of other Swiss and German supported projects in the domain of municipal service delivery and local governance. Synergies will be established with the ongoing Danube Water Programme funded by the World Bank. |
| Budget | Current Phase Swiss Budget CHF 4'800'000 Swiss Disbursement Till Know CHF 4'865'010 |
| Project Phases |
Phase 1 01.02.2013 - 30.09.2016 (Completed) |