Meeting of the Steering Committee of the "MĂ IMPLIC" Project

On February 27th, the Steering Committee meeting of the “MĂ IMPLIC” Project took place, implemented by Skat Consulting, with the financial support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. Progress in the project was presented, and the planned activities for the first year of Phase 2 of the “MĂ IMPLIC” Project were also discussed.

At the beginning of the meeting, Mr. Andrei STRAH, Deputy Secretary-General of the Government, expressed gratitude to the Swiss Cooperation Office in Moldova and the SKAT Consulting team for their dedicated efforts, especially in supporting the voluntary amalgamation initiative launched by the Government of the Republic of Moldova. Mr. Strah emphasized the project’s role in improving transparency and accountability at the local level.

In turn, Mr. Guido BELTRANI, Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office in the Republic of Moldova and Co-Chair of the Coordination Council, acknowledged the transformative impact of the “MĂ IMPLIC” Project and highlighted the changes in the political landscape due to negotiations between the European Commission and the Republic of Moldova. He emphasized the project’s commitment to social cohesion among Local Public Authorities (LPAs) and its crucial role in alignment with EU principles. Mr. Beltrani mentioned that in Phase 2, the project expands its scope, addressing new areas such as digital literacy for LPAs.

Mr. Matthias MORGNER, Team Leader of the “MĂ IMPLIC” Project, presented the report for the period from May to October 2023, revealing significant progress both locally and nationally. Today, 47,000 users have access to improved communal services due to the Project’s interventions in partner communities. Another remarkable result at the national level is the technical support provided in the adoption of four laws and three government decisions, contributing to advancing the Local Public Administration Reform and improving the regulatory framework for providing quality communal services.

Mr. Morgner explained that in Phase 2 of the “MĂ IMPLIC” Project, it will expand its areas of intervention. In addition to communal household services, the project will contribute to improving administrative services and boosting local economic development. Moreover, in Phase 2, the project will partner exclusively with groups of LPAs (minimum 3 communities), with the objective of selecting 10 groups by April 2024.

In the coming year, the project will continue to support the promotion and implementation of local public administration reform, maximizing existing partnerships between LPAs regarding service delivery. It will contribute to the voluntary amalgamation process, consolidating models of inclusive governance. In line with the objectives of the Public Administration Reform, the project will focus on the following: joint provision of services by groups of LPAs, expanding the scope of service delivery, promoting the use of digital tools for local administration processes, and citizen interaction.

The overall goal of the project MĂ IMPLIC in Phase 2 is to contribute to strengthening local governance and increasing the population’s access to better public services. The total budget for Phase 2 of the project is 6.9 million Swiss francs (CHF).

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