Gender mainstreaming in Europe & CIS

Joint United Nations Development Programme (Bratislava Regional Centre),Council of Europe and Open Society Institute/Local Government and Public Service Reform Initiative

28 October 2008

The UN Development Programme’s Bratislava Regional Centre, the Council of Europe and the Open Society Institute/Local Government and Public Service Reform Initiative held a regional workshop designed to encourage cooperation between municipalities in Eastern European countries.

Milking opportunities for participation in Armenia

28 August 2008

Armenia, 28 August 2008 – The participation of local people in making funding decisions for spending in their communities has great benefits in several areas: as well as promoting active citizenship and accountability in local budgetary decisions, such a budget methodology ensures live concerns are reflected in these decisions, with tangible impact on local economic development. This method for the implementation of UNDP projects is used alongside decentralization efforts in Armenia, and most recently gave birth to three new milk collection centres in the northern Tavush region.

Governing close to the people in Turkmenistan

21 August 2008

Turkmenistan, 21 August 2008 – The UNDP Project “Local Self-Governance” has completed 24 trainings for over 400 representatives of local self-governance bodies (Gengeshi) and local administrations as well as some 50 partners from local communities in the pilot districts of Ahal, Balkan and Lebap provinces. The trainings lasted from June to August 2008. Issues related to participatory local development planning, social mobilization and partnerships, and development and management of projects were in the focus of training programmes. A team of eight experienced trainers recruited by the project and trained for this purpose by international local development experts facilitated the activities. Representatives of the Turkmen Parliament and UNDP Turkmenistan also attended as observers.

Introduction to Capacity Development and Capacity Assessments - A training course for the Western Balkans Service Delivery project

14 February 2008 - 15 February 2008
Objectives: o Familiarize participants with UNDP’s approach to capacity development (CD), including the policy framework, capacity assessment (CA) methodology and CD response strategies o Train Western Balkans Project consultants in the application of CA/CD approaches specifically how to undertake capacity assessments. o Adapt Capacity Assessment methodology for utilization by Project consultants.

Localizing the MDGs: The role for local leaders and using disaggregated data for local development

21 November 2007 - 23 November 2007
The training event aims to strengthen the capacity of local stakeholders to mobilize all stakeholders for local development planning and budgeting and for improved usage of disaggregated data in local development decisions to support the achievement of the MDGs. By understanding the importance of and sources for sub-national data, the objective is to assist communities to set MDG targets that are tailored to local realities. The resulting targets and indicators would be incorporated into local development strategies and used to monitor their progress. The workshop is based on two training programmes developed and implemented by UNDP: “Local leadership for localization of the MDGs” and “Building Capacity and Statistical Literacy for MDG monitoring”.

Regional Training: Capacity Development for Sustainable Growth and Human Development

9 July 2007 - 11 July 2007

Local Governance and Decentralization Training

5 June 2007 - 7 June 2007
The UNDP Bratislava Regional Centre organised a training on Local Governance and Decentralisation in Bratislava on 5-7 June 2007. The objective of the course was to provide senior UNDP staff participants in Europe and the CIS region (Resident Representatives, Deputy Resident Representatives, Senior National Officers and Project Managers) with the necessary theoretical knowledge combined with practical exercises on LGD, so as to identify entry points and programme in support of decentralization and establish substantive and co-financing partnerships with stakeholders to address the challenges of decentralization. The sessions of the training included topics such as introduction to decentralization, fiscal decentralization, capacity development, public service delivery, support by UNDP BRC, and programming to support decentralization.

Local Government Associations Training of Trainers

2 May 2007 - 4 May 2007
UNDP BRC together with the COE has developed the toolkit ‘Transforming a Local Government Association’. This toolkit can be used to strengthen local government associations (LGAs) through tailor-made organization development and training programmes. Therefore, in addition to the toolkit we will develop a training/consultations programme and train a team of regional trainers to be able to transfer knowledge and experience to their respective LGAs. In the framework of this project, we would like to invite representatives from LGAs in the Caucasus and the Central Asia to participate in these trainings. The ToT will be held from 2 to 4 of May 2007 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Regional development forum in Chisinau

30 June 2006

Representatives from the new European Union member states, accession candidates and neighbouring countries met in Moldovan capital Chisinau to discuss regional development policy and the potential for cross-border cooperation.

Localizing MDGs - Opportunities for local leaders

21 June 2006 - 23 June 2006
Семинар по теме: Локализация Целей развития тысячелетия (ЦРТ): Возможности для местных лидеров является первым в серии учебных мероприятий по усилению потенциала местного лидерства в странах Центральной и Восточной Европы и Содружества Независимых Государств (ЦВЕ/СНГ), направленный на повышение роли местных лидеров в качестве мощных агентов перемен при достижении Целей развития тысячелетия. Тренинг огранизован Региональным Центром Программы Развития ООН в Братиславе (Словакия), Потенциал 2015, ПPOOH Киргизстан и проводится при участии LEAD International. В семинаре примут участие эксперты из 5 среднеазиатских государств.

Joint meeting of the Gender, Local governance and Human Rights Communities of Practice

13 June 2006 - 15 June 2006

Localization of the Millennium Development Goals - Training of Trainers

10 March 2006 - 14 March 2006
A training-of-trainers workshop on the topic of Leadership for Localization of MDGs took place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from March 10 to 14, 2006. Its organization and running was a partnering exercise between the UNDP Capacity 2015, UNDP BRC Poverty Reduction Group, UNDP Uzbekistan and LEAD International.

Next phase of South Serbia development

13 February 2006

Development of southern Serbia is entering a new phase, with the continuation of the Municipal Improvement and Revival (MIR2) programme aimed at strengthening local government and supporting inter-municipal social and economic development in the impoverished region.

Public Private Partnership training programme for representatives of EU Accession countries and Western Balkans

25 January 2006 - 27 January 2006
A training-for-trainers workshop on the topic of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) took place in Istanbul, Turkey, from January 25 to 27, 2006. Its organization and running was a partnering exercise between the UNDP Capacity 2015 and Public-Private Partnership for Urban Environment (PPPUE) Programmes and TIKA (Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency). Capacity 2015 and PPPUE provided the content and materials for the workshop, while TIKA provided funding and organized the event.

The Principles of Partnerships - Contributions to European Integration and Development Effectiveness

7 December 2005 - 9 December 2005
The UNDP Regional Center Bratislava hosted its first joint communities of practice meeting. The event brought together members of the Local Governance and Decentralization sub-practice, the Civic Engagement sub-practice, and focal points for Capacity 2015 for a joint Community of Practice event on December 7 - 9, 2005, in Belgrade, Serbia. The meeting focused on the role of partnerships in relation to improving public service delivery and the wider processes of EU integration. Within this context, three types of partnership were particularly highlighted; public-private partnership, inter-municipal cooperation and civil society partnerships. Participants included 34 country office members representing a total of 12 countries from the CIS region, five external resource people, and eight members of UNDP Regional Center Bratislava joined by supporting staff.

Fresh funds for social assistance in Serbia

24 November 2005

UNDP, the Serbian Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Policy and the European Agency for Reconstruction signed a 1.25m euro agreement to offer continued support for the Social Innovations Fund.

Seminar on Capacity Development during Political Transitions

21 November 2005 - 23 November 2005
Knowledge seminar co-organized by UNDP Bratislava Regional Center and Bureau for Development Policy/Capacity Development Group

BiH municipalities lack plans for development, finds UNDP survey

7 November 2005

More international assistance with local development is sorely needed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to a new UNDP survey that found that 49 percent of the country's 125 municipalities have done no planning for development since the end of the war in 1995.

Fiscal decentralization requires wide-ranging approach, says new study

15 September 2005

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia - Empowering local-level governments in transition countries requires a comprehensive approach to contend with a communist legacy of centralized inefficiency and to avoid upsetting the fiscal balance, finds a new report on fiscal decentralization from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Bosnia-Herzegovina gradually assumes control over the return of refugees

27 April 2005

Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, 27 April 2005 - Almost 350 refugee families in Bosnia-Herzegovina have returned to their homes, which were reconstructed under the first phase of an international project. Handover ceremonies have been organized this month in the municipalities of Derventa, Tuzla, Doboj, Lukavac, Bosanski Brod, Travnik and Mostar City to mark the success of the first phase of the project.