VNG International

Local economic development

Employment

Public private partnership

Poverty alleviation

Urban and Town planning

MEPCO

The overall objective of the project is to enable Uzbek regional and central government representatives to get a better understanding of the role of the local administration in supporting rural development and advocating for change.

The specific purpose is to make a target group of 10 regional and central government representatives knowledgeable and provide them with hands-on experience and practical examples on rural and local development and decentralisation with a special focus of improved service delivery.

The results of the project are:

1. The target group is informed how municipalities can support the preparation, implementation and monitoring of rural and local development plans within the present constraints of centralised economy

how rural and local development strategies can be prepared to ensure maximum community participation and contribution, including examples of participatory monitoring and evaluation

2. Tha target group understands how to seek the coordination and synergy with the national development programme and policy implementation at the local level, with focus on development planning and service delivery, municipal infrastructures to support rural economic development

3. The target group knows how rural development plans can benefit the population and contribute to increased

employment, managing migration, encouraging investment of remittances to promote development of the region.

4. The target group is provided with examples of cross border cooperation (e.g. to address issues such as water cooperation, migration, trade agreements)

5. The target group understands the role of the private sector in supporting local economy and employment, including development of infrastructure to support small business (e.g. food processing, agro-eco and cultural tourism and other innovative activities in local development).

Activities:

- 10 day study tour to Czech republic and Poland

- Meeting with relevant stakeholders of local, regional and national institutions