Support to Village Councils in the West Bank

Projet terminé

Switzerland will support Village Councils in the West Bank to improve the delivery of basic services in rural areas with a focus on those situated in Area C. Switzerland’s support aims at empowering selected local government units to deliver needed public services, while supporting an enhanced engagement of women, youth and people with disabilities, to improve local accountability processes. This intervention will be realized through dedicated funding to a local governance programme implemented by GIZ.

Pays/région Thème Période Budget
Territoire palestinien occupé
Governance
Décentralisation
Participation démocratique et société civile
01.07.2019 - 31.03.2023
CHF  1’182’500
Contexte The Palestinian Authority (PA) has allocated scant resources to developing rural areas situated in Areas B and C of the West Bank: local government units (Village Councils) are generally unable to provide basic public services and they are often not in position to maintain available public infrastructure, what has further increased social and economic marginalization. Village Councils in Area C (covering ca. 300’000 persons) face additional challenges posed by the illegal and discriminatory planning system implemented by the Israeli Civil Administration: their access to/control over land and natural resources as well as to public services are dramatically constrained. As a consequence, the economic, political, institutional and social development gaps among urban and rural areas have continued to widen, what has led the PA to initiate systematic efforts to improve the capacities of Village Councils to deliver basic  services and to encourage joint efforts and investment to reduce their number.
Objectifs Improving the performance of selected Palestinian Village Councils (VCs) with special attention to those in Area C, as well as ensuring vulnerable groups (women, youth and people with disabilities) participate actively in local planning processes.
Groupes cibles
  • Local authorities in VCs
  • Citizens in rural areas of West Bank with a focus on women, youth and persons with disabilities
  • Staff of Ministry of Local Government directorates
Effets à moyen terme
  • Citizens in 35 – 50 Villages in Area C of the West Bank actively participate in planning and implementation of the public service delivery and are able to hold their representatives (Village Councils and Joint Service Councils (JSCs)) accountable in a systematic way. (On average 40 thousand citizens will benefit from the programme).
  • Build capacity of VCs and MoLG staff in spatial planning, management and financial management, Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM), and networking.
Résultats

Principaux résultats attendus:  

  • Improve the capacities for strategic development and spatial planning in 35 - 50 Village Councils.
  • Foster constructive authorities-society relations
  • Improve capacities for local financial management.
  • Improve relations between the municipal and national administrative tiers as well as among local authorities (vertical and horizontal relations).


Principaux résultats antérieurs:  

  • 70 VCs around the West Bank (in majority in Area C) received capacity development packages (citizen participation, etc.)
  • Social accountability tools have been increasingly utilized and  mainstreamed  by  VCs
  • An assessment of the capacities of VCs was conducted, which was shared with relevant Ministries and development partners
  • IT equipment, accounting software and related training were delivered to participating VCs.


Direction/office fédéral responsable DDC
Crédit Coopération au développement
Partenaire de projet Partenaire contractuel
Institution étatique étrangère
  • National State Institute North


Coordination avec d'autres projets et acteurs
  • This project is complementary to Local Governance and Services Improvement Programme (LGSIP) designed by the World Bank, which is aligned to the MoLG’s Village Support Programme.
  • Capacity development activities of GIZ are coordinated with Enabel and World Bank.
Budget Phase en cours Budget de la Suisse CHF    1’182’500 Budget suisse déjà attribué CHF    858’686
Phases du projet Phase 3 01.02.2022 - 31.12.2024   (Phase en cours)

Phase 2 01.07.2019 - 31.03.2023   (Completed)

Phase 1 01.11.2016 - 31.12.2021   (Completed)