A team effort

Since 2005, the Enhancement of Living Standards (ELS), a project funded by the European Union and the Area Based Development (ABD), a UNDP project have been working to support local government in 5 of the 12 regions of Uzbekistan to define what capacities are available to improve access to services such as health, education, as well as communal services: water, sanitation, gas and health that have a direct impact in the improvement of living standards and how to strengthen them.

UNDP and the EC recognize that good local governance contributes directly to sustainable local development.  By involving all major stakeholders in the planning, consultation, selection and management of initiatives prioritized at the local level significant progress can be accomplished to the benefit of the local population.  The ELS and ABD projects have adopted these principles and integrated them into a successful area-based approach that applies a comprehensive framework for rural development in the Ferghana Valley, Karakalpakstan and Kashkadarya region.  Such exemplar projects are an asset within the broader context of regional development, as they build practical partnerships among all development stakeholders.  

Since 2005 the EC and UNDP have organized a number of tours and training programmes abroad for representatives of local authorities. The aim has been that of strengthening the local authorities in their supporting role to communities to develop and implement local-community development plans for increased access to services and learn from international experience on local planning.

In December 2009 the Deputy Khokims of Namangan, Andijan and Kashkadarya regions, together with their colleagues from the Council of Ministers of Karakalpakstan, Ministry of Economy and Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations travelled to Germany to meet and exchange knowledge with their counterparts, including the Ministry of Regional Development, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of International Economic Relations, the German Agency for Entrepreneurship Development and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The training was facilitated and organized by the ARGE Management Academy in Berlin and Dresden and included local development planning and indicators, decentralization, regional-local development planning and small-medium business development in rural areas of Germany. The representatives of the Khokimiyats had more than one opportunity to meet and discuss local development issues during practical sessions and meetings with regional development agencies, municipalities Federal States of Germany and various local development actors in urban and rural areas of the country.

The ELS-ABD coordinator in Tashkent, Laura Rio says: “ the results of the study tour and how they impact in the wellbeing of the communities are to be closely monitored by the Khokimiyats themselves with the help of the ELS project but basically boil down to two to be achieved in 2010:  how many community development plans  will approved and financed this year by local authorities to support communities improve their infrastructures and the design of  a training plan for local government officials that is directly relevant to their daily work and improve their ability to support communities to access better services.”

For additional information on ELS-ABD activities in capacity assessment and development efforts at national and local community level:
Capacity Development in Europe and CIS: Annual Report 2009
http://europeandcis.undp.org/cd/show/79135FAA-F203-1EE9-BAAF1B325046B5C5

Interview with Laura Rio, ELS-ABD Programme Coordinator at the UNDP 2nd Annual Meeting for Capacity Development Practitioners in Europe and CIS
http://europeandcis.undp.org/cd/show/2CC2B2C4-F203-1EE9-B951A5D5FF134F5D

Communication for Development: A glimpse at UNDP’s practice