Strengthening Voice and Accountability of Citizens’ Participation and Oversight of Budget Processes Project in the Kyrgyz Republic (Swiss Government, 2011-2022)

"Strengthening Voice and Accountability of Citizens’ Participation and Oversight of Budget Processes" Project in the Kyrgyz Republic help citizens improve their quality of life through participation in addressing local issues. At the same time, project helps local self-government bodies to respont better to citizens' requirements and needs.

www.vap.kg

Implementing  organization: Development Policy Institute, Kyrgyz Republic (www.dpi.kg)

Project Manager: Bekbolot Bekiev, bbekiev@dpi.kg

Period:

• Inception Phase: November 2011 – March 2012 (funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in cooperation with UK Department for International Development (DFID), Office in the Kyrgyz Republic);
• I Phase: April 2012 – March 2015 (funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in the Kyrgyz Republic);
• II Phase: April 2015 – March 2017 (funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in the Kyrgyz Republic);
• Main Phase: March 2017 – May 2020 (funded by the Government of Switzerland through Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in the Kyrgyz Republic)
• III (Exit) Phase: September 2020 – June 2022 (funded by the Government of Switzerland in the Kyrgyz Republic).

Coverage:

• Inception Phase: Ivanovka municipality (Chui region), Lenin municipality (Jalal-Abad region) and Tort-Kul municipality (Issyk-Kul region);
• I Phase: Bagysh municipality, Kurmanbek municipality, Masy municipality, Sakaldy municipality, Jany-Jol municipality (Aksy), Avletim municipality, 1-May municipality, Ala-Buka municipality, Kok-Tash municipality, Beshik-Jon municipality, Kenesh municipality, Jany-Jol municipality (Toktogul), Torkent municipality, Sumsar municipality, Toguz-Toro municipality, Kok-Irim municipality (Jalal-Abad region); Ak-Chiy municipality, Kara-Jal municipality, Bosteri municipality, Kum-Bel municipality, Jety-Oguz municipality, Lipenka municipality, Aral municipality, Toguz-Bulak municipality, Bolot Mambetov municipality, Ulakhol municipality (Issyk-Kul region);
• II Phase: Ak-Bashat municipality, Burana municipality, Kyzyl-Tuu municipality, Kochkorbaev municipality, Boroldoy municipality, Kun-Tuu municipality, City of Kemin, Grozdnyi municipality, Aleksandrovka municipality, Yuryev municipality, Frunze municipality, Tash-Moinok municipality (Chui region); 
• Main Phase: Ak-Zhar municipality, Jazy municipality, Shark municipality, Kyzyl-Suu municipality, Kok-Zhar municipality, Gulistan municipality, Mangyt municipality, Bulolu municipality, Chon-Alay municipality, Ylai-Talaa municipality (Osh region); Ak-Tal municipality, Ak-Muz municipality, Kara-Suu municipality, Chaek municipality, Uchkun municipality (Naryn region).
• III (Exit) Phase:  the Kyrgyz Republic.

III Exit Phase

Project's goal

• Public finances are managed by LSGs in a more transparent and accountable mode through citizen participation in decision making process*.
  * The concluding Exit Phase project effort intends to consolidate the achieved outcomes with focus on sustainable, institutionalized capacity building systems for the municipal sector, and further reinforcement of the legal, policy and regulatory environment, prioritizing gender-responsive budgeting.

II Phase 

Project's goal

• Public finances are managed by LSGs in a more transparent and effective mode through greatly increased accountability and citizen participation in decision making process.

Main focus areas of VAP for 2015 – 2020

• Community engagement in budgetary process and taking their priorities into account
• Strengthening LSG capacities to respond citizens’ needs
• Strengthening capacities of communities and NGOs to participate in local self-governance
• Grant program as an investment exerciser
• Support to state policy on local self-government development

Key partners of VAP

• Local councils and executive bodies of LSG.
• Local communities, including formal and informal organizations and citizens’ groups.
• State bodies: Jogorku Kenesh (Parliament) of KR, the Government Apparatus of KR, the President Apparatus of KR, State Agency on Local Self-Government and Interethnic Relations under the Government of KR and State Personnel Agency of KR (now – State Agency for Civil Service and Local Self-Government Affairs under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic  (SACSLSG)), Ministry of Finance of KR, Ministry of Economy of KR, Chamber of Accounts of KR, other state agencies including local state administrations.
• Civil society organizations, international donor organizations, mass media.

Additional information

• Brochure on VAP in English, 2015
• Brochure on VAP in Kyrgyz, 2015
• Brochure on VAP in Russian, 2015

I Phase 

Project’s goals and objectives:

• Improving quality of services delivered to the population by the local self-governments

Expected outcomes and directions:

Assistance for local communities in strengthening their participation in management of the local services

• Development and introduction of the amendments to the laws and regulations, those promote accountability of LSGs to the communities, particularly in budget and resources management. Introduction of the tangible mechanisms that allow local communities to participate in the budgetary process and address local challenges.
• Support of the projects that facilitate active participation of the communities in addressing local problems (contest for all interested parties on a competitive basis).
• Introduction of the evaluation system for the citizens on the quality of local service delivery.

Strengthening of LSGs capacity in order to correspond with the population needs

• Strengthening communication between LSG bodies and population; supporting events on budgetary information disclosure.
• Improving knowledge of LSG staff on municipal management issues (training).
• Experience sharing between LSG bodies and communities by means of tours within the country, distribution of “The Municipality” magazine.
• Development and introduction of database on local budgets.
• Strengthening of LSG staff skills in management of local budgets including new tools for budget planning.
• Grant program that supports projects on priority issues for the communities (grants are provided on a competitive basis only for LSG bodies).

Assistance in development and introduction of improved state policy on local self-governance (political, administrative and financial decentralization)

• Support of efforts made by Jogorku Kenesh of KR on reforming legislation related to LSG; assistance to the Government of KR in implementation of administrative reform, including introduction of the evaluation system of the equality of LSGs activities.  
• In collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and other state bodies work on effective formation of local budgets’ revenues in order to reduce number of subsidized rural municipalities; work on improving of mechanisms for local taxes collection and management.
• In collaboration with the Ministry of Finance work on automatization of local budgets management. Development of database for maintenance of analytical work related to the municipal finance management.
• Assistance to the state’s efforts on concise determination and financing of delegated governmental authorities.
• Introduction of the new system on qualification improvement of the municipal workers including deputies of local councils, that will be implemented on a permanent basis and “attached” to the system of labor payment. 

Project's key partners

• Local Councils and Executive Bodies of LSG.
• Local communities, including formal and non-formal organizations and groups of citizens.
• Management Bodies at National Level (Kyrgyz Parliament, Staff of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Department of State and Municipal Administration of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, other state bodies including local state administrations.
• International donor organizations, Mass Media.

Additional materials:

• Voice and Accountability Citizens’ Participation and Oversight of Budget Processes in the Kyrgyz Republic Project Documentation (ProDoc), II phase, April, 31, 2015 – March, 31, 2019
• Voice and Accountability Citizens’ Participation and Oversight of Budget Processes in the Kyrgyz Republic Project Logframe