MĂ IMPLIC (I engage), Project on civic engagement in local governance – Phase 2

Ma Implic (“I engage” in Romanian) is designed as a long-term Programme over three successive implementation phases addressing the major root causes of poor local governance and ultimately fostering social cohesion and promoting social trust. The overall goal of Ma Implic is that the population of Moldova benefits from improved local governance, better access to and quality of public services.

The project encourages innovative approaches to administrative public services, communal services and local development, promoting cooperation between municipalities and citizens engagement in local decision-making.

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Services Provided:

Program implementation

Name of Staff involved and functions performed:

Florian Klingel (Program director), Julie Smolnitchi (Program manager), Matthias Morgner (Team leader), local team (5.5 senior advisors, 2.5 support staff), https://ma-implic.md/en/team/

Country:

Republic of Moldova

Project Period:

Phase 1: 2019-2023
Phase 2: 2023-2027

Name of Client(s):

SDC – Swiss Cooperation Office in Moldova

Name of Partner Organisation(s) :

National:
State Chancellery of the Republic of Moldova
Local Public Administrations (district authorities, municipalities), Ministry of Finance

International:
DESPRO NGO Ukraine (Phase 1)
Ximpulse GmbH (Phase 1)
DPI Development Partnership International GmbH

Description of the Project:

Since having gained independence in 1991, Moldova has seen several attempts of decentralisation reforms. As a result of these, the country has a rather fragmented structure of local government, with approximately 950 municipalities in a country of only 2.5 million inhabitants. While local governments nominally enjoy considerable autonomy, the challenge lies in the lack of local budget revenue to bring this autonomy to life, coupled with the absence of well established public participation in local government.

In this context, our Mă Implic project aims to empower communities where people actively contribute to the improvement of public services. The name of the project expresses this well: Mă Implic means I engage.

In Phase 1, citizens actively contributed to the establishment and modernisation of local public services, with more than 46,700 individuals in 45 municipalities now enjoying improved access to vital services such as water, sanitation, and waste collection.

In Phase 2, Ma Implic supports different stakeholders to improve three fundamental dimensions of a well-functioning local government unit:

  • The Government promotes and coordinates the local government reform in an efficient, effective and transparent manner
  • Partner Local Public Authorities groups (voluntary amalgamated or Inter-municipal cooperation) manage resources and local development in a more sustainable, inclusive and accountable way: Streamlining administrative public services; Improving communal services; Promoting local and/or regional economic development
  • People in partner communities meaningfully engage in local governance processes and influence the provision of local public services

Additional information:

– Ma Implic project website and Facebook

– Skat Annual Report 2023, page 8-9

– Results of Phase 1: video, brochure

– Success stories from Phase 1:

  • Video 1 (support to the government)
  • Video 2 (improving waste-collection services)
  • Video 3 (improving water & sanitation services)
  • Video 4 (improving street lighting)
  • Video 5 (assistance for the State Chancellery)
  • Video 6 (e-platform for Local Governence)
  • Video 7 (sewage and wastewater treatment)
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