Studies are carried out with the aim of developing and implementing a participatory local governance model for 14 new metropolitan municipalities within the Local Administration Reform Phase III Project implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In this context, citizen meetings were held in September in four pilot provinces selected.

The meetings in which the representatives of metropolitan and metropolitan district municipalities, provincial and district city councils, as well as citizens from urban and rural neighborhoods participated, were held in Hatay, Malatya, Balıkesir and Tekirdağ.

Prior to the meetings, focus group meetings and workshops were held with the local participatory mechanisms and local stakeholders of the municipalities of the 14 provinces which became metropolitan city in the framework of the Law No. 6360, in order to evaluate the current situation regarding participatory mechanisms at the local level and to discuss proposals for the development and improvement of these mechanisms.

Following these studies, a draft implementation guide was prepared to make participatory mechanisms more effective at the local level. The draft guideline was tested and finalized in online trainings organized for metropolitan municipalities, metropolitan district municipalities, provincial/district city councils and other relevant stakeholders in four pilot provinces.

Issues related to making the neighborhood management participatory were discussed and the current status of participation at the local level was evaluated in the citizen meetings organized to raise awareness about participation. It was stated that citizens had the opportunity to participate directly in the allocation of a certain part of the public budget in this way, emphasizing the importance of participatory budgeting, which is a democratic process.

The representatives of the municipalities participating in the meetings discussed good examples in this regard and showed a supportive attitude towards the adoption of participatory management approach and the continuation of the works by determining and prioritizing the real needs of the people.

In the next phase, it is envisaged to prepare a documentary style short movie with success and human stories by making use of the trainings and citizen meetings held so far.

The studies directly support the global struggle and policies of the United Nations towards the goal of “Sustainable Cities and Communities” among the Sustainable Development Goals.

Local Administration Reform Phase III Project, financed by the EU, is implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization and the Ministry of Interior. For more details about the project, you may visit www.lar.org.tr

You may also follow the project activities on social media. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram: @larorgtr