The #DemoCoDesign social innovation lab took place on April 10-12 within the framework of the UNDP "Resilience for All" project.

The event aimed to develop municipal sectoral service ideas to strengthen social cohesion between the refugee population and residents of host communities through the improvement of the management of municipal sector services delivered by local self-governments, including the improvement of the quality of the delivered services, transformation of existing services, and design of possible new inclusive, accessible, and efficient services.

During the event, the teams from 10 enlarged municipalities (Armavir, Kajaran, Abovyan, Aparan, Noyemberyan, Artik, Masis, Yeghegnadzor, Dilijan, Khoi) turned their initial ideas into innovative projects with the guidance of experts and collaborative design efforts. The winning ideas will be implemented within the next six months. UNDP and municipalities will co-finance and establish a new municipal sectoral service.

The winning service ideas include:

• Enhancing the quality of inter-settlement transport services, alongside improving existing services in Armavir and Noyemberyan;

• Introducing new services in the sphere of trade and services in Artik;

• Implementing a new management and maintenance model for the water supply system in Kajaran.

These new initiatives come to support social cohesion between the residents of the host communities and the refugees, complementing the UNDP work in the field of innovative municipal sectoral services’ innovation and transformation.

The "Resilience for All" project is implemented in partnership with the RA Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, with the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway.