Sustainable Development through improved Local Governance (SRoL)

The SDLG project in Palestine empowers local governance by enhancing service delivery, promoting participatory decision-making and strengthening institutional frameworks. By focusing on marginalized communities, the initiative aims to boost resilience and foster long-term sustainability, ensuring more inclusive and effective development.

Objective

The objective of the SDLG project in Palestine is to enhance the legitimacy and stability of marginalized communities by strengthening local governance. The project aims to improve the capacity of Local Authorities (LAs) to provide responsive and inclusive services, support participatory decision-making, and promote decentralization. Through smart administrative systems, integrated spatial and economic planning, and strengthened institutional frameworks, the project improves accountability and sustainability. Additionally, it seeks to empower local leaders, civil servants, and community members, while creating an enabling environment for village councils and national stakeholders to enhance service delivery and resilience​.

Results

The project has resulted in Local Authorities (LAs) becoming more accountable, responsive, and inclusive to residents’ needs by improving service delivery systems, including smart administrative and financial management. Participatory Community Planning Committees were established to guide strategic spatial and economic planning. The project also created a stronger institutional environment, enabling Village Councils to advocate for better local governance. National authorities are now more aware of the evidence needed to enhance community resilience, particularly in Area C, where planning processes are documented for better coordination and policy-making​.

SDLG Programme

The Strategic Partnership between the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and VNG International is 5-year programme, focused on 4 thematic priorities: Security & Rule of Law, Migration, Local Revenue Mobilisation, and Integrated Water Management. This programme, called the Sustainable Development through improved Local Governance (SDLG) programme, is currently being implemented in 9 countries (Burundi, Mali, Palestina, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, Iraq, and Mozambique). Despite the diverging contexts and themes, the SDLG programme pursues one overall objective: To empower local governments and their representative bodies to shape a more sustainable future for their communities.