Community mobilization

How to Engage Citizens in Local Governance: Practical Guide for LPA, Developed by the “MĂ IMPLIC” Project (Revised Edition, 2024)

The “MĂ IMPLIC” Project is pleased to announce the revised edition (2024) of the Practical Guide for Citizen Engagement in Local Governance and Public Service Development. This essential resource is designed for local public authorities, utility service operators, civic leaders, and local organizations.

Citizen engagement is a cornerstone of effective local governance, ensuring that decisions reflect the needs and interests of communities. The revised edition introduces updated tools and innovative practices to:

Enhance transparency and public accountability.
Promote inclusion and social equity in governance processes.
Develop public services in a participatory and sustainable manner.

The guide equips local authorities and stakeholders with clear principles and practical tools to streamline and enhance citizen involvement. Key features include:

Fundamental principles of citizen engagement, emphasizing transparency, innovation, efficiency, and inclusion.
Mechanisms for civic participation, such as public consultations, surveys, participatory budgeting initiatives, and digital feedback platforms.
Examples of best practices and concrete models, including guidance on organizing public meetings, mobilizing community resources, and developing public service improvement plans.
Performance indicators for monitoring and evaluation, enabling a better understanding of progress and alignment with community needs.

Applying the guide’s recommendations helps make public services more efficient, accessible, and responsive to the real needs of residents.

By implementing the outlined models and practices, local authorities not only make better-informed decisions but also gain the support of citizens, who become active partners in the decision-making process.

Ultimately, the guide provides a sustainable framework for local development, where every member of the community—regardless of age, gender, or socioeconomic status—can contribute to building a better future for all.

The guide is available in Romanian language for free download in PDF format and is intended for mayors, local councilors, utility service operators, and all those involved in local development.

This document was developed as part of the “MĂ IMPLIC” Project – Civic Engagement in Local Governance (Phase II, 2023-2027), funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by Skat Consulting Ltd. The content does not necessarily reflect the views of the mentioned partners.

Ghid Practic pentru Implicarea Cetățenilor în Guvernarea Locală și Dezvoltarea Serviciilor Publice (ed.2024)

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We remind you that 14 groups of LPAs from Moldova will benefit from stronger local governance and increased access to quality public services, thanks to the support of the Project MĂ IMPLIC, funded by the Government of Switzerland and implemented by Skat Consulting. The project “MĂ IMPLIC” in Phase 2 aims to contribute to strengthening local governance and increasing the population’s access to better public services. The project will provide support to local authorities and citizens to improve local administration, strategic planning, and public service delivery. This initiative will bring benefits to approximately 106,000 citizens in these communities.

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#MAIMPLIC #LocalDevelopment #PublicServices #EfficientAdministration

30 groups of rural communities have developed public services with the support of the MĂ IMPLIC project

48 mayors from all over the country, Government representatives, Parliament representatives, and development partners participated on September 26, 2023, in the national event marking the conclusion of phase I of the MA IMPLIC project, which was implemented from 2019 to 2023. During the event, discussions were held on the perspectives of local development and governance for strong communities, as well as the results achieved within the MA IMPLIC project.

And on September 21, during the regional event that brought together local councilors, municipal enterprise directors, members of Community Initiative Teams from partner communities of the MA IMPLIC project, progress and results were discussed, and experiences and best practices regarding citizen engagement and the provision of sustainable services were exchanged.

The civic engagement project in local governance MĂ IMPLIC aims to create conditions for the population in the villages of the Republic of Moldova to have equitable access to quality public and communal services.

30 communities/groups of communities from the northern, central, and southern regions of Moldova have benefited from the support of the MĂ IMPLIC project to implement projects aimed at improving public services in four key areas: waste management, street lighting, sewage/sanitation, and water supply. This has allowed local public authorities to provide public services in a participatory, efficient, inclusive, and sustainable way.

At the national level, the MĂ IMPLIC project has contributed to establishing a favorable policy, legal, and financial framework for the provision of public services and the decentralization reform, significantly impacting the sustainable development of communities in the Republic of Moldova.

Over these four years, over 10,000 citizens have been directly involved in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of development activities. Currently, 83,120 users benefit from improved access and quality of services provided, resulting from investments under the project. Additionally, partner communities of the project have received significant resources under grant agreements, totaling over 42 million Moldovan lei from the MĂ IMPLIC project. The communities’ contribution to project implementation was over 20 million Moldovan lei.

Artur Mija, General Secretary of the Government of the Republic of Moldova: “Since November 2019, the MĂ IMPLIC project has significantly contributed to improving the living conditions of rural communities in the Republic of Moldova, especially in local public administrations, by strengthening their institutional capacities to provide higher-quality services, generate their own income, and develop local autonomy. The MĂ IMPLIC project achieved this through financial contributions and technical assistance to improve the infrastructure of public services in 30 localities, as well as assistance in implementing participatory, inclusive, and transparent decision-making processes. All these activities have already yielded results, and, furthermore, they align perfectly with the strategic objectives in the domain of local governance. The MĂ IMPLIC project is a trusted partner for the State Chancellery, demonstrating its firm commitment to ensuring an efficient policy framework in the field of local governance, decentralization, and the promotion of Local Public Administration reform. The project team has made a significant contribution to the process of conceptualizing, drafting, and consulting on the Public Administration Reform Strategy for the years 2023-2030.”

Larisa Voloh, President of the Public Administration Committee, Parliament of the Republic of Moldova: “The MĂ IMPLIC project is a heartfelt project for us, and our partners continue to believe in Moldova. Similarly, they believe in the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, and they help Local Public Authorities develop communities, meet the expectations of citizens for a better life, create conditions and quality services in our rural areas. MĂ IMPLIC means participation, cohesion, and inclusion; it means democracy and transparency, and, furthermore, it means everyone’s involvement in solving local problems. Not only at the local level, but also at the national level, the MĂ IMPLIC project has achieved results during this period. Together, we continue to advance in the decentralization process and implement important reforms for our European path.”

Guido Beltrani, Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Moldova: “For us, supporting Local Public Administrations and reforms is a very important element in international cooperation worldwide. The MĂ IMPLIC project has been an essential part of our efforts, and we are here to celebrate the results of four years of intensive work. Thanks to the project’s involvement and our partners, we can confidently say that this cooperation between Local Public Authorities and citizens has become more inclusive and reliable. Secondly, approximately 48 municipalities benefit from better public services in waste management, water supply, sanitation, public lighting, etc. Thirdly, I would like to mention that Local Public Authorities have managed to attract significant funding from third parties (state funds, citizens’ contributions, other development partners), and the efforts to attract these funds have been much greater than the planned investment grants.”

Florian Klingel, Executive Director of Skat Consulting Ltd.: “We have been able to work on a series of different projects, and we have always worked closely with Local Public Authorities and national partners. We have always supported them when it came to improving governance and public services. Consequently, when we reach the end of such a large project, after four years, it is a special moment and, at the same time, a moment of reflection and celebration. We are proud of these excellent results achieved by community groups along with our team, which provided technical assistance, managed financial support, facilitated solution development, provided training, and more.

Radu DANII, Local Governance Program Coordinator, Swiss Cooperation Office in Moldova: “Switzerland works in the Republic of Moldova on three dimensions: public health, economic development and employment, and local governance. What unites these areas and projects is the emphasis on promoting and stimulating civic participation. From this perspective, the MĂ IMPLIC project is a model because civic participation and citizen engagement are at the core of this project. Another encouraging aspect that has occurred during these years of project implementation is how certain partner localities have managed to associate themselves when it came to creating a service. The project has become a reliable and highly competent partner of the Government in terms of preparing and implementing Local Public Administration reform.”

Anatolie Gnatiuc, the mayor of Fundurii Vechi village, stated, “I admit that when we filled out the project participation form and were selected, we were somewhat vulnerable, and our ideas were simple. We thought that we would procure the equipment and get to work, collect the waste, and take it to the landfill, and that’s it. But at some point, we realized that having equipment is not enough. It is much more important for citizens to understand what they need to do and what this service entails. The MĂ IMPLIC project helped us a lot in finding participatory solutions, as is our theme, where all locals had the opportunity to get involved and express their views on solving local problems. Today, Fundurii Vechi village, in terms of waste collection service, is almost at the end. We recognize that there is still much work to be done, but we have managed to invest all financial resources. We are pleased that we have been able to solve the waste problem in the locality, thanks to the MĂ IMPLIC project. Local residents are very satisfied with the new service created.”

Ala Taran, a facilitator in the northern region, added: “The MĂ IMPLIC project not only develops the infrastructure of communities but also brings citizens together to engage in community life. It helps them understand that the life, well-being, and development of communities depend on the involvement of each citizen. The MĂ IMPLIC project has introduced contemporary approaches to involve all community structures in solving local problems and decision-making.”

Ina Codreanu, a local coordinator, mentioned, “Together with the Local Public Administration, along with the community initiative team, we have created a sanitation service and modernized solid waste management. The Local Public Administration, in collaboration with the Community Initiative Team, came up with a bold idea aimed at changing people’s lifelong habits, as they were used to mixing all waste together. We proposed separate waste collection. How did we manage to convince them? Through an extensive campaign of awareness and consciousness-raising, but to carry out this campaign, we were trained and assisted by the MĂ IMPLIC project team.”

The MĂ IMPLIC project is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by Skat Consulting (Switzerland). The first phase of the project was carried out over a period of four years, starting in 2019, with a budget of approximately 5,896,658 Swiss Francs (CHF).

Brochure: MĂ IMPLIC Project achievements and impact, phase I (2019-2023) can be downloaded here.

The video record of the national event is available on the link: https://www.facebook.com/ProiectulMaImplic/videos/1743507539403599

Photos from both events are available here: regional 21 September / National 26 September

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