In Turkey, Qudra 2 strengthens the capacities of partner municipalities to deliver their services transparently and inclusively. Qudra 2 provides support to 18 partner municipalities through capacity development, dialogue and Community Support Projects (CSPs) in cooperation with the Union of Municipalities of Turkey (UMT). All supported municipalities have a high ratio of Syrians under Temporary Protection living in their communities.
Partner municipalities included in the programme have been selected in consultation with our local implementing partner, the Union of Municipalities of Turkey (UMT). Municipalities are selected based on the number and share of refugees, capacity building needs and limited funding.
Partner municipalities are supported through capacity building on planning, project management, migration management, inclusion and social cohesion approaches and dialogue activities that promote experience sharing. The competencies of municipal staff are strengthened using a practical learning-by-doing approach.
CSPs contribute to improved basic services and social cohesion in the local community. Projects support, for example, skills development courses, including language skills and cultural, arts, and sports activities for children, youth, and women. At the same time, the municipalities’ capacity to respond timeously to the specific needs of their refugee and host community population was strengthened.
Community support covered a wide range of different services, e.g., community participation and dialogue. Mersin Metropolitan Municipality, for example, initiated a project to engage and collaborate with citizens, refugees, building managers and Mukhtars. The project, Mahalle Bizim (The Neighbourhood is Ours), is designed to increase citizens’ awareness of municipal services and make them express their opinions when a decision is taken regarding their neighbourhood. A platform with different user interfaces for mukhtars, building managers, citizens and refugees is being developed to include all citizens in decision-making mechanisms and ease the transfer of their complaints, demands, and offers.
Other CSPs are related to environmental health, cleaning, and solid waste management. Qudra 2 involves additional community stakeholders, such as NGOs, Mukhtars, and youth and women’s groups, in its activities as much as possible to enhance learning processes and foster good practices amongst a wide range of actors at the municipal level.
In total, more than 151,000 individuals have benefitted from improved basic services through the CSPs supported by Qudra 2 in Turkey.