Inter-municipal cooperation increases the potential for local economic development

On the third day of the modular training taking place in the Republic of Macedonia, the role of inter-municipal cooperation (IMC) in service delivery, the promotion of regional development and their promotion by the media were discussed and addressed.

The lecturers in these separate sessions were Mr Besnik Muçaj, Acting Executive Director of the KLGI Institute; Mr Trim Berisha, Head of the Department for Regional Cooperation and Development at the MLGA; and Ms Kaltrina Ajeti, Executive Director of the Kosovo Institute of Media and Communication.

The beneficiaries of this advanced programme first learned about the legislative and institutional approach to the concept of inter-municipal cooperation. At the same time, particular focus was placed on the process and procedures for inter-municipal cooperation initiatives, from the rationale and priorities for the need for cooperation between two or more municipalities, submission for approval to the Municipal Assemblies (by majority vote) and the start of negotiations between the relevant institutions, through to the assessment of the legality of the agreement and its entry into force.

Given the role of cooperation between two or more municipalities, it is extremely important that these forms of cooperation are also effective in implementation and do not remain only on paper.

At the same time, communication by officials to inform local and central media is one of the effective mechanisms for promoting municipal activities and the successes/good practices achieved through cooperation between municipalities. This communication should be two-way, with targets and objectives set as to what should be presented to the public.

At the end of the training sessions, the participants exchanged experiences and models from their respective municipalities through group work, and through practical work also identified areas of IMC, the benefits of IMC in service delivery and joint projects through IMC.

The programme is supported by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Kosovo!