The Kyrgyz Republic started a political, administrative and fiscal decentralization process right after its independence in 1991. Unfortunately, due to instable political and to the social-economic situation, decentralization remained only half finished. The legal framework around public service delivery and the role of municipalities is in place, but not enforced. Issues of delineation of tasks, financing and quality control of service provision at central and municipal levels still need to be addressed. One of the priorities of the Kyrgyz Government tor the coming years is the redistribution of roles and responsibilities between the central and municipal levels, and the improvement of the delivery of public services.

The overall goal of the project is that Citizens in Kyrgyzstan profit from increased quality of and access to public services provided by municipalities.

The logic of this intervention is that quality and quantity of public services will increase if municipalities and service providers improve their governance and management capacities in public service delivery, and if governance mechanisms are improved and strengthened, especially oversight mechanisms on local level. This will finally improve living conditions of local citizens.

The project‘s beneficiaries are at 2 levels:

Local level: around 700‘OOO rural citizens, around 400 implement together with citizens individual municipal servants and 650 local councils of 60 service planning and delivery mechanisms; municipalities in 2 oblasts (lssyk-Kul and Jalalabat).

National levei: Parliament, State Agency for Local Self Governments and lnterethnic Relations, State Personnel Service, Union of Local Self-Governments.

• Citizens receive efficient and sustainable services from local public service providers. lt is expected that maximum 60 municipalities out of 154 in lssyk-Kul and Jalalabat oblasts will deliver better quality services to its population
• Effective stakeholder interaction system for public service improvements is in place. lt is expected that in the targeted municipalities citizens' participation mechanisms in public service definition, execution, and monitoring have been established and possibly institutionalized. In addition, the interaction between local and national level authorities has improved

Expected results:  

• Local service providers have better management capacities
• Municipalities are trained to elaborate and implement together with citizens individual service planning and delivery mechanisms
• Municipal oversight over public service providers is strengthened
• Advocacy and information dissemination capacities of municipalities and national counterparts are strengthened

Results from previous phases:  

The Entry Proposal of the project was approved in October 2013 and has been followed by a 16-month inception phase (November 2013-February 2015). During this phase an international tender was conducted and as a result, a consortium formed by HELVETAS Swiss Inter-cooperation and by the Development Policy Institute (a local NGO) was mandated to develop and implement the project.

During the inception phase (November 2014-February 2015), an in-depth assessment and planning process was conducted to elaborate the Project Document for Phase 1.

Line ministries, Government Apparatus, civii society organizations and rayon administrations.

Synergies with other Swiss projects: Osh/Jaiaiabat Water Rehabilitation and Karakoi Water Supply projects (Seco); Voice and Accountability (SDC). The coordination plattorm of donor projects is functioning under the leadership of the State Agency for Local Self Governments.

Phase 1 01.11.2013 - 30.04.2019   (Completed)