Economic and fiscal development - At the service of governance

For the SDC, local economic development is not just an economic matter but a cooperative approach which provides an excellent tool for bringing together different interest groups to agree on local cooperation that can help create jobs and income, in addition to improving governance.

SDC focus

Moreover, local economic development can also strengthen governance at national level. In countries like Kosovo or Burkina Faso, the SDC conducts local economic development activities which have been implemented simultaneously in several towns. This has enabled municipalities (or rather territories, because each town has close links with its peri-urban and rural hinterland) to exchange information and experience that are specific to them. This has led to better cooperation among local authorities and thus added weight to the local dimension in dialogue with central government.

Background

Local economic development brings together various stakeholders from civil society, as well as the public and private sectors. Its goal is to promote cooperation so as to develop a given area. Cooperation is a key factor in governance. Local economic development (LED) triggers a political process in which the protagonists have to negotiate the priorities bearing in mind the limited human and financial resources at their disposal.

Forces that drive the economy

Economic considerations drive the private sector. Cooperation on creating public goods, such as improved framework conditions for investment, calls for a private-public collaboration that is built into concrete projects ("We'll build the road, and you'll build the factory. You tell us what's not right about the investment climate, and we'll put it right."). In this way, combined LED efforts create new business prospects. The public sector needs the private sector for local economic development.

In virtually every country, it is the private sector that creates most jobs and generates income, and jobs and income are a priority for the public sector's customers and voters. Poverty reduction and – perhaps more important for a civil servant – re-election of the mayor and his staff depend on the generation of income.

Governance as a process

Civil society, like local associations, should also be part of planning and implementing development projects in which the economic dimension is obviously not the only issue at stake. The State and local government do not cover all the ground. So the three stakeholder groups – the public and private sectors and civil society – negotiate and cooperate on the basis of concrete information derived from evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the local economy, as well as the opportunities and risks involved. This dynamic exchange between partners improves governance at local level.

Current projects

Object 685 – 696 of 971

Grand Bargain Project 2017-2018

15.02.2017 - 30.06.2020

The Grand Bargain is one of the concrete initiatives announced at the WHS to improve humanitarian action, as it provides avenues for how aid financing must be more efficient. The top 30 donors and aid agencies endorsed this so-called “Grand Bargain” to make aid more efficient, including long-term, flexible and less earmarked funding from the donors, reduced overhead costs and reporting requirements, a greater use of digital funding (cash transfers) and more means flowing to local and national responders. It also commits to more coherent and “impartial” needs assessments and less competition between aid agencies. In a nutshell, the Grand Bargain tries to address some of the structural reforms that are needed in the humanitarian system through the lenses of financing.


Improved food security, nutritional status and incomes among vulnerable households in Juba, South Sudan

01.02.2017 - 31.12.2018

In the current context of economic stress and limited supply of food due to disruption of the main supply routes, urban and peri-urban agriculture in and around areas of Juba provides livelihood opportunities for food production and income generation. The deteriorating situation calls for a two-pronged approach of boosting the agricultural production of nutritious commodities and improving access to the most vulnerable groups who may not be able to produce for their own consumption.


Sustainable Livelihood and Disaster Mitigation (SLDM)

01.02.2017 - 31.12.2021

The intervention works on the nexus of DRR, food security and agroforestry and successor programme of the Sloping Land Management programme (SLM). Building on SLM, food security remains central, but DRR is the principle concern of the domain of intervention. Combining food security and DRR increases the scope to work holistically towards sustaining the resources on which livelihoods depend. The emphasis on sustainable food production addresses the humanitarian needs of communities. Coupling this with a focus on community action serves to enlarge the scope for groups and individuals to act more autonomously.


SSD IOM: Regional Information and Coordination Mechanisms for South Sudanese Displacement Dynamics

01.02.2017 - 30.08.2018

Continued conflict, food insecurity and a dire economic situation have increased the scale of displacement both within and outside the country to unprecedented levels, with many sheltering in UN POCS or crossing to neighbouring countries. For humanitarians to be able to respond to the needs of these populations, a better understanding of the displacement dynamics and trends must be developed. IOM’s proposed project will help create a better understanding of the displacement dynamics and trends and enable humanitarians to effectively respond to needs of the populations.


HortiSempre 2

02.01.2017 - 31.12.2021

Switzerland’s introduction of market focused and innovative solutions in horticulture, contributed to the growth of the sector in Northern Mozambique by improving productivity and de-seasonalization of production. Phase 2 of the project will consolidate and scale-up on these achievements in order to increase the annual income for 25’000 poor women and men producers. The introduction of beans and cassava will enhance the resilience against weather shocks and disasters.



Better public services in fourteen of Benin’s communes

A woman and a man shake hands in front of a sign with Switzerland's logo and the names of the two towns involved in building the bridge.

01.01.2017 - 31.12.2021

Efforts to decentralise public services in Benin are paying off. The SDC is focusing on two of the country’s departments. Since 2008, when the first support programme was launched, significant progress has been seen on the ground.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Benin
Governance
Health
Rule of Law - Democracy - Human rights
Decentralisation
Infectious desease

01.01.2017 - 31.12.2021


CHF 8'700'000



Effective management and prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases

: A woman doctor examining a woman patient.

01.01.2017 - 31.03.2022

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), non-communicable diseases are the biggest cause of death worldwide. On an international average 60% of deaths are linked to NCDs.  This rate is often much higher in low-to-middle-income countries.  This is the case in Kyrgyzstan where cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes account for 80% of deaths

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Kyrgyzstan
Health

Primary health care
Health systems strengthening

01.01.2017 - 31.03.2022


CHF 4'810'000



Swisscontact (Kredit Süd)

01.01.2017 - 31.12.2018

Swisscontact veut élargir son rôle en tant que moteur de la promotion du secteur privé dans les pays en développement. A cette fin, Swisscontact repose son programme sur les axes d’intervention suivants : formation professionnelle et renforcement des capacités, promotion des petites et moyennes entreprises, facilitation de l’accès aux services financiers et promotion de l’utilisation efficace des ressources.


Solidar Suisse (Kredit Süd)

01.01.2017 - 31.12.2018

Solidar Suisse oriente son programme de développement sur les besoins et les droits des personnes vulnérables et défavorisées dans les pays les plus pauvres et dans les pays émergents et en transition où les inégalités sont profondes. Solidar Suisse développe des programmes qui renforcent les mouvements sociaux et promeuvent l’intégration active de la société civile dans les processus politiques. Le « travail décent » est devenu l’élément phare de Solidar Suisse qui a développé une véritable expertise dans cette thématique.


Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV)

01.01.2017 - 31.12.2021

To contest the increasing problem of drug resistance and to accelerate malaria elimination, new drugs against malaria are needed. The Geneva-based Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) drives the discovery, development and implementation of new antimalarial drugs. Working with pharmaceutical, academic and affected country partners, MMV reduces costs and ensures affordable and equitable access to quality medicines by vulnerable groups at risk of malaria, in particular children and pregnant women.


Sustainably managed pastures and healthy animals: Mongolia's 'green gold'

A woman holding a blue bucket tends to a herd of yak in a vast grassland landscape.

01.01.2017 - 30.09.2021

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the number of livestock in Mongolia has nearly tripled – to the detriment of the country's grasslands. The SDC is supporting an array of measures to encourage the sustainable use of pastureland, and to improve animal health and the marketing of livestock products. These efforts are helping to safeguard the livelihoods of nomadic herder families.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Mongolia
Agriculture & food security
Employment & economic development

Agricultural land resources
Agricultural co-operatives & farmers’ organisations
SME development
Agricultural policy

01.01.2017 - 30.09.2021


CHF 8'676'000


Object 685 – 696 of 971