Palestine, Sustainable Development through Improved Local Governance (OSR)

Objective

The project helps municipalities improve how they manage and use property data. This allows them to deliver better services and increase their own source revenue.

More specifically, the project supports municipalities to:

• make use of their mandate by taking responsibility for their role in the revenue process.
• improve their administrative capacity to provide and fund municipal services in a data driven manner;
• operate in a more transparent and accountable way  in a data driven manner.

Approach

The project is organised into six modules (0 to 5), each focusing on a specific step in improving data use, service delivery and revenue collection.

• The first three modules (0 to 2) focus on building strong property data management systems. This includes collecting and standardising data, setting up central databases and enabling data exchange with external partners.
• Modules 3 and 4 focus on using this data to improve municipal services, such as water and waste management, and to increase own source revenue.
• Module 5 focuses on transparency and citizen engagement through a digital platform that allows municipalities to interact with residents about services and municipal fees.

Across all modules, the project activities include the development of reference guides, data and information models, operational manuals, training materials, IT and GIS tooling, performing training, supporting pilot implementation, participating in central working groups and engaging with relevant stakeholders.

Qalqilya municipality has applied this approach since 2023. By integrating municipal data, improving data quality and identifying gaps in revenue collection, the municipality identified unrealized revenue potential and generated additional income. This gives the municipality more resources to invest in public services.

Building on the experience in Qalqilya, the approach is being extended to Yatta Municipality. A Memorandum of Understanding formalizes the cooperation between the municipality and the project partners. The activities in Yatta focus on improving data quality, connecting municipal systems and strengthening data-based financial decision-making.

Results

The project leads to several concrete outcomes:

• Municipalities have a stronger information base for decision-making, for example in urban planning and service delivery.
• A central property database is in place and connected to relevant municipal departments.
• Property data can be exchanged automatically with external stakeholders, improving data quality and reducing costs.
• Municipalities use data to improve services and develop targeted strategies.
• Own source revenue collection increases through better use of data.
• Citizens are more actively engaged through digital tools and services better reflect their needs.