Strengthening Citizen-centric Local Governments

The project, funded under the BMZ Special Initiative for Stabilization and Development in North Africa, focuses on improving public administration in Moroccan cities by increasing customer orientation, transparency, and efficiency. Citizens often face challenges due to cumbersome procedures and poorly defined responsibilities that hinder access to government services. Communication regarding the city council's activities is inadequate, and citizens are not sufficiently involved in municipal project planning and implementation.

The project aims to address these issues by ensuring that selected cities provide needs-based, participatory services. Up to 10 municipalities with populations between 60,000 and 500,000 will be supported in three key areas: Service Efficiency, Communication with Citizens, and Participatory Pilot Projects. The project will assist municipalities in setting up central reception centres where citizens can access comprehensive information about services and administrative procedures. It will also guide municipalities on improving transparency and accountability through reforms in complaints management and establishing professional communication departments.

Additionally, the project will focus on citizen participation, providing training on methods that allow municipalities to implement projects that better address local needs, with particular attention to the needs of women and youth. This will ultimately enhance the population's trust in public institutions and ensure that services are more participatory and aligned with citizens' needs.