Final conference of the EU-funded project Activating Governance Reform for Enhancing Development

The final conference of the AGREED project “Activating Governance Reform for Enhancing Development”, took place on 27 July 2021. The project was implemented by the European Association for Local Democracy – ALDA, LDA Moldova, the University Legal Clinic and was funded by the European Union.

The conference agenda focused not only on the results achieved by the AGREED project, but also on addressing the issues of improving local governance, sustainable development of localities, involvement of citizens at local level. In three discussion panels the issues of territorial administrative reform and decentralisation were addressed, including models of training of natives in local development, current challenges of sustainable development at the local level, cooperation between civil society and LPA, etc. The discussions in the panels were attended by mayors, local councillors, but also by a deputy elected to the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, experts in the field and representatives of CSOs.

Participants mentioned that the project has achieved its planned results and most of the objectives with a few slight exceptions. The project succeeded in increasing the capacity of local LPAs and CSOs to consistently participate in the processes of ensuring good local governance and local development through joint actions, to involve citizens in local decision-making process, to mobilize communities and to implement projects.

Among the main activities and results of the project are the following:

1. The organisation of 32 capacity building workshops for public authorities and representatives of the local associative sector. As a result, 1,091 people were trained, of which 742 participated in physical format and 349 online;

2. Support was provided to local development initiatives through the implementation of the LPA-CSO-citizens-business environment partnership. As a result, 19 local projects were supported, with a total budget of over 150,000 EUR, which ensured the implementation of 26 community initiatives, including Transnistrian region and ATU Găgăuzia;

3. The elaboration of the voluntary amalgamation methodology was completed; 4. A training platform for capacity building of public authorities was created with interactive modules (E-Learning platform).

The event was attended by Tsvetomir Svilenov, Project Manager of the Delegation of the European Union, Larisa Voloh Deputy, Mayor of Palanca village, Alexandru Coica, Coordinator of Eastern Partnership and Central Asia Countries (ALDA), Victor Cotruță, Coordinator of Eastern Partnership Countries (ALDA), CSO representatives beneficiaries of grant projects, mayors, district councillors and secretaries.

More information is available on the following link: www.agreed.md

The online event can be watched on the project’s Facebook page.

“We thank all those involved in this event and hope that the governance reform will come as soon as possible to improve the local development and strengthen the potential of LPA in the Republic of Moldova,” said the participants.