2009-2011
Empowering municipalities to better serve their constituents in relation to social and environmental rights in 50 municipal authorities in the Mugan region of Azerbaijan.

Project Summary.
The overall objective of the project is to improve public and social services in the Mugan region. Each distinct region within the geographical remit of the project has around 30 settlements, remotely located and only 50% reached by tarmac covered roads, no public transport, and a third of which has very poor supply of electricity, gas and water.  
The project aims to contribute towards improving some of these conditions for the local population through building the capacity of municipalities in the Mugan region to exercise their rights and responsibilities in favour of the population, which is the specific objective of the project.  It is foreseen that by strengthening the capacity and knowledge of civil society organisations and local authorities in relation to their responsibilities, they will be able to participate better in the definition of sustainable development strategies, appropriate for the region, and hence meeting the needs of its population. In other words, the project will ensure that the municipal authorities are in a position to carry out their responsibilities and duties at the local level as a result of the decentralisation process. Specifically, the project will enable the municipalities to gain confidence in the face of Executive officials placed locally who continue to obstruct their efforts, and provide them with the necessary skills to better serve their constituents. The project will therefore facilitate interaction between State and Non-State Actors and support an increased role for local authorities within the decentralisation process, as stated within the legal framework in Azerbaijan. The elaboration and prioritisation of local development plans will result in a better use of the available resources, both by consumers and the municipalities, and as such contribute to improving the living conditions of the population, easing some of the poverty burden existing within their daily lives.