USAID’s Project Standardizes Municipal Development
In early April, Eurasia Foundation (EF) Azerbaijan, through USAID’s Strengthening Municipal Budget Transparency Initiatives and Increasing Public Participation project office, hosted a workshop and presentation on the project for approximately 50 municipal development experts in Azerbaijan to solicit feedback on its formulation of a standardized system to assess the performance of local government structures. Created within the framework of its Municipal Management & Budget Transparency program, this system will be used to objectively evaluate Azerbaijan’s municipal structures and to increase public access to information about municipal activities.
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| Representatives of the Economic Research Center presents the results of the Enhancing Transparency Initiative and Ensuring Public Participation in the Municipal Budget project |
The system contains over 100 indicators that will be used to gather data about municipal performance in social, economic and ecological areas. Once collected, the data will help identify areas where professional staff development is necessary and will help central budget planners target allocations to municipalities that are performing well.
According to Jamal Shahverdiyev, EF Azerbaijan’s Country Director, “The creation of these indicators is a necessary step towards improving the ability of municipal authorities to act as reliable partners for local, federal and international organizations. EF is proud to be spearheading this effort and investing in the long-term success of Azerbaijan’s system of local governance.”
Tahir Rzayev, member of the Parliamentary commission on regional development, supports the system’s development. “The utilization of this measurement system will give municipalities an increased sense of responsibility about the tasks they need to perform as local government agents. We look forward to cooperating with the municipal project to create a common vision for the collection of data and exchange of information on municipal activities.
Once the system is finalized, a comprehensive manual and computer software program will be developed to train municipal leaders on nationwide implementation. It will then be made available to local, national and international organizations with an interest in municipal development.
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