Program Coordinator: Fuad Suleymanov
The present program strategy has not changed significantly since last year.
The Azerbaijan Government undertakes the obligation to reform the existing laws for democratization of the governance in the country. But still a few persons participate in the process and the national intelligences, think tank centres and donors remain beyond of discussion. We hope FDI policy development research and forum will change the authorities approaches.
First five years of municipalities in Azerbaijan reflect lack of understanding principles of democratic governance at the spots: in many regions municipalities were very weak or practically "dead" and consider themselves as branch of the executive authority. Others who try to be full of initiatives face to problem of insufficiency or absence of professional administrative skills. From other hand newly introduced Law on administrative control over the municipalities makes the relevant Centre under the Ministry of Justice a super organ to check and approve municipal acts. Almost all municipalities are practising to solve current minor problems but not learned yet to consider and plan management to the significant problems of development of local population and the territory. It is big hope that municipal election at the end of 2004 will bring right people to these bodies of local self-governance and society may rely on significant changes next year.
Thus the main needs for local government and public service reform program remain as:
- Trainings and capacity building for newly elected municipality officials,
- Effective coordination between municipalities, State authorities and NGOs,
- Municipalities networking and unions of municipalities,
- Decentralization in public administration,
- Anti-corruption initiatives: transparent local budgeting process,
- Public accountability and promotion of principles effective functioning system of local governance, promoting communication between local governments and citizens,
- Development of the basic understanding among community about principles and good practices of public administration,
- Suggestions in drafting legislation dealing to the local governance, elaboration of existing powers,
- Support to local governments on policy drafting and management issues,
- Invoke municipalities to act in crucial political events: elections monitoring, etc.
Other international actors present in Azerbaijan like IFES, UNDP, CoE, CRS, USAID, WB, EF, Embassies work to municipalities and to reform public administration system in following main areas: to inform people on municipal activity, training and professional development of select municipal councils, municipal legal reformation, networking of municipalities, develop local communities' capacity. In 2004 we run together to WB and Eurasia Foundation small grant competition to pursue people involvement into pre-election company and develop regional community involvement program.
We have to put our efforts towards the regions where the necessity of basic public administration knowledge and improve practical skills of public service officials are felt to be developed urgently. Very important point is to have a longer-term impact from the projects implementation. Strategic alliances with the comparatively active municipalities as a pilot initiative could be an effective mean in this context.
Having discussed the outcomes of FDI project research we may use it for our interest: thus we enhance officials' capacity for successful implementation of public sector resource management reform by analyzing mechanisms for the transfer of resources among governments and identifying ways to address the issue of regional disparities and local resource mobilization. In addition it will allow curb corruption on the local level and provide access by the public to local financing management.
