Good Urban Governance

Project completed

Jointly funded by BMZ and SDC and implemented by GIZ, the Urban Governance project will support municipalities in SDC’s main geographic region of intervention. Participating municipalities will benefit from capacity building and targeted urban infrastructure based on citizens’ needs and cooperate in country-wide experience sharing platforms. This mutually beneficial cooperation will allow SDC to participate in GIZ’s broad experience in the field of urban development and validate its expertise in local governance processes in rural Bangladesh.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Bangladesh
Governance
Other

Decentralisation
Sector not specified
01.11.2012 - 31.12.2015
CHF 3'050'000
Background

Bangladesh’s currently relatively low level of urbanization will dramatically increase in the next years. This poses a huge challenge from the perspective of bringing public services “to peoples’ doorsteps”, as the national government has promised to do. GIZ has been engaged in urban local governance processes for many years and represents an ideal partner for SDC in its aim to extend local governance expertise from rural to urban settings.

Objectives

To contribute to a more transparent decision-making mechanism at the municipal level in order to ensure that urban disadvantaged populations have access to inclusive and efficient public services based on their demands.

Target groups

  • Direct: 250’000 poor citizens (21% of the urban population) in the selected municipalities.
  • Indirect: Approximately 1.1 million citizens now resident in the targeted municipalities and city corporation
  • Medium-term outcomes

  • Citizens in at least 45 selected Municipalities benefit from having easy access to a more effective public service which is based on their needs and demands.
  • The capacity of at least 7 municipalities in the Northern and Eastern Bangladesh is increased to respond to the demands of services of the urban citizens, including poor and poorest women and men; whereas the ability of the national government to review, adapt and adopt a relevant framework for municipal development is strengthened
  • Municipalities in and outside the selected intervention area learn and replicate the best practices of their peers, and can access better quality capacity development offers.
  • Results

    Results from previous phases:  

  • Two-fold increase of tax collection after the introduction of an IT-based tax collection tool in 35 municipalities
  • Increase of satisfaction with municipal services in urban poor communities
  • Increased allocations for specific pro-poor initiatives in municipal general budget
  • Inclusive development planning, citizen awareness and participatory decision-making.

  • Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
    Credit area Development cooperation
    Project partners Contract partner
    Other International Organization
    Foreign state institution
    • National State Institute North
    • Other OI
    • GIZ


    Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF   3'050'000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF   3'032'595
    Project phases

    Phase 1 01.11.2012 - 31.12.2015   (Completed)