Decentralization and Local Autonomy Development: Successful European Models for the Republic of Moldova

Implementation period: July 2011 – February 2012 

Partner: PAUCI Foundation (Poland), Corporate & Public Management Consulting Group (Latvia)

Sponsor: Soros Foundation Moldova, UNDP Moldova

Goal: The project proposes to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experience among policy- and decision-makers, local authorities, the associative structures, expert community from Moldova, Poland and Latvia, active in the field of decentralization reform that will contribute towards strengthening the local autonomy. 

Objectives

• Increase the administrative capacity of local public authorities;
• Familiarizing with the Polish, Latvian and other EU members’ experience with the legal and institutional framework functioning in these countries, procedures and mechanisms necessary in the decentralization reform development;
• Facilitate the transfer of experience acquired by the new EU members in the following areas of the decentralization: education, public health, transfer of competences, public utilities, attracting public and private investments for public services modernization etc.;
• Better understanding within Moldovan society of the need for decentralization reform that was analyzed, discussed and brought to public attention due to foreign and local experts’ contribution;
• Learning from the EU experiences in the field of decentralization reform and difficulties faced during its implementation that are valuable to be examined by Moldovan experts;
• Strengthening the partnership framework and communication platforms among civil society, decision-makers and representatives of local public  authorities of I and II level in order to identify  solutions  for problems  faced by Moldova in the implementation of the administrative decentralization reform.
• Better understanding among the Polish and Latvian experts of the specific of decentralization model in both countries as well as of the problems of the decentralization reform in Moldova

Results

• 2 exchange experiences and study visits;
• 1 International Conference;
• Recommendations and policies; a model for the implementation of the administrative decentralization reform in the Republic of Moldova
• Facilitation of the transfer to the Republic of Moldova  of experience achieved in the EU countries in the implementation of  the administrative decentralization reform;
• The strengthening of partnership between civil society, decision-makers and representatives of local public authorities of I and II level in order to find the problems faced by Moldova in the implementation of the administrative decentralization reform;
• The participation of the NGO sector and the private sector in the implementation of the administrative decentralization reform.