Qudra 2’s support for transparent and inclusive basic services in Jordan is designed and implemented with participation at its heart. Municipal Support Committees are one of several ways local and national stakeholders work together and learn from each other.
Qudra 2’s support for transparent and inclusive basic services is fundamentally based on a highly participatory process.
Implemented by AECID, the programme provides grant support to six municipalities in the Mafraq Governorate in northern Jordan: Hosha, Great Mafraq, Rihab, Sarhan, Manshyat Bani Hasan and Basiliyeh. The grant funding supports various measures to improve basic public services such as, waste management, employment support, or sports activities. These are designed as community support projects, implemented by the municipality, or smaller projects implemented directly by local community organisations.
Participation is vital for the programme at all levels. An extensive needs assessment was conducted before developing an “Action Plan” for each municipality. The plans were presented and discussed publicly and are a tool to involve local residents in decision-making.
Participatory Steering Through Municipal Support Committees
Throughout the project, the processes are steered in a participatory manner through several Municipality Support Committees (MSC). In each municipality, these committees bring together representatives of the Ministry of Local Authorities, the municipalities, and local communities. These meetings provide space for exchange and coordination, allowing local authorities to improve planning, monitoring and decision-making in public services management. In this process, municipalities, and local actors “learn by doing” during implementation and improve their capacities sustainably.
Joint Reflection on Lessons Learnt
The programme also collaborates closely with its partners to reflect on lessons learnt for the future. Recently, AECID and its six partner municipalities came together to discuss the lessons learnt while implementing the projects supported by the Qudra 2 programme. The lessons learnt workshop aimed at joint reflection on the efforts of local governments supported by Qudra 2. The aim is to identify the aspects of the project that have worked the best and those that have not, to learn from them and improve for future interventions.