September 8, 2023 – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Development Policy Institute (DPI) held the Forum of Aimaks – 2023, an annual exchange of the best practices in local governance and organization of services aimed at improving people’s lives at the local level (such as water supply, solid waste removal, educational, sports and musical workshops, information services, etc.).
More than 130 representatives of government agencies, development partners, and local governments from Jalal-Abad, Issyk-Kul, Naryn, and Osh oblasts attended the Forum.
Representatives of Akman and Abdrahmanov municipalities shared their experience in expanding drinking water supply services and organizing educational workshops for children using local resources and public-private partnerships. These local self-governments also involved citizens in the decision-making process through public discussions of the local budget and tariffs and monitoring the service delivery process.
“The Forum revealed the importance of citizen engagement in local self-governance and solving local issues. All citizens, including women and youth, brought their concerns to the government and helped forge solutions. As we have witnessed, local self-governments can change a lot in communities through advanced training and citizen participation in decision-making,” said Mr. Jetigen Bakirov, Deputy Head of the Department for Preparation of Decisions of the President and the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic.
The Forum is organized under USAID’s Successful Aimak 2 Project. The Project is working with 38 pilot municipalities across the country. They are trained on the legal basis for organizing local services, calculating tariffs, developing standards, assessing the needs of residents, engaging people in discussions, public procurement, and service organization methods.
Lesslie Viguerie, US Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic, noted that the impact of joint efforts and insights shared during the Forum extends far beyond the boundaries of partnering municipalities. “The lessons we learn and the management practices we exchange have the power to transform lives, uplift societies, and create lasting change on a national scale,” he said.
As part of the Forum, participants also learned about other exchange initiatives supported by the Successful Aimak 2, such as the Club of Women Councilors in Local Keneshes and the Peer-to-Peer Learning Platform that enhance women's leadership in local governance and provide access to best solutions for organization of local services.
The annual Forum will be held from 2022 to 2025 as part of the USAID’s Successful Aimak 2 Project.
The USAID’s Successful Aimak 2 Project is a four-year program implemented in partnership with the Development Policy Institute across Osh, Jalal-Abad, Issyk-Kul, and Naryn oblasts aimed at improving the well-being of citizens in 50 municipalities by improving the quality of public services provided by local governments. Learn more at www.fb.com/SA2Project.