The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has just allocated 4 millions DKK to Local Government Denmark (LGDK) for its continued support to Jordan in 2010-12.
LGDK started supporting Jordan's decentralization in 2005. Since then, various analytical tasks have been undertaken. A "Vision for Decentralization in Jordan" was developed in 2008, and a draft Local Government Performance Assessment System (LGPAS) has been developed since the end of 2008.
The future work will be implemented in close collaboration with the Jordanian Ministry of Municipal Affairs.
Four Focus Areas
The future work will focus on four different areas:
- Continued support to finish and implement the LGPAS as an annual performance assessment instrument that hopefully will be used as a basis for review of legislation on decentralization, for capacity-building to municipalities and for an annual review of decentralization in Jordan
- Support to establishment of a national association of municipalities in Jordan. The establishment of such an association was requested by Mayors in Jordan at a national conference in May 2009
- Support to strengthen the local planning system with a special focus on increasing public participation
- Support to elaborating the legal framework for good governance at the local level. This is an important priority, and the aim is to guide good local governance
The LGPAS includes 7 performance areas with 77 specific indicators, shaped upon Jordanian legislation, rules and regulations.
The establishment of a municipal association may be difficult in view of the many diverging interests in Jordan in relation to different clans, geographical areas and political parties.
Town-Twinning Between Danish and Jordanian Municipalities
It is expected that twinning among municipalities will be supported. So far, LGDK has made an analysis of areas for cooperation as well as the likely partners for such a co-operation. There are many employees in Danish municipalities of Arabic origin, making the twinning even more interesting.
A programme will be ready for implementation by the middle of 2010.
More information can be obtained from Project Manager Holger Pyndt.