For Immediate Release
Press Release
SEPTEMBER 8, 2023 – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Development Policy Institute (DPI) held the Forum of Aimaks 2023, an annual exchange of the best practices in local governance and service delivery to improve people’s lives at the local level. These services include improved water supply, solid waste removal, educational programs, sports and musical workshops, and information services.
More than 130 representatives of government agencies, development partners, and local governments from Jalal- Abad, Issyk-Kul, Naryn, and Osh Oblasts attended the Forum. Representatives from Akman and Abdrahmanov municipalities shared their experience in expanding drinking water supply service and organizing educational workshops for children using local resources and public-private partnerships. These municipalities also described how they engaged citizens in decision-making about municipal services through public discussions on budgeting, tariffs, and monitoring service delivery.
“The forum revealed the importance of citizen engagement in local self-governance and solving local issues. All citizens, including women and youth, brought their concerns to the government and helped forge solutions. As we have witnessed, local self- governments can change a lot in communities through advanced training and citizen participation in decision-making,” said Mr. Jetigen Bakirov, Deputy Head of the Department for Preparation of Decisions of the President and the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic.
The forum was organized under USAID’s Successful Aimak 2 Project. The Project works with 38 pilot municipalities across the country. Pilot municipalities are trained on the legal foundation for organizing local services, calculating tariffs, developing standards, assessing the needs of residents, engaging people in discussions, public procurement, and service organization methods.
Lesslie Viguerie, U.S. Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic, noted that the impact of joint efforts and insights shared during the forum extend far beyond the boundaries of partnering municipalities. “The lessons we learn and the management practices we exchange have the power to transform lives, uplift societies, and create lasting change on a national scale,” he said.
As part of the forum, participants also learned about other exchange initiatives supported by the Successful Aimak 2, such as the Club of Women Deputies of local keneshes and the “Peer-to-Peer Learning Platform” that enhance women leadership in local governance and provide access to best solutions for organization of local services. An annual forum will be held each year through 2025 as part of USAID’s Successful Aimak 2 Project.
USAID’s Successful Aimak 2 Project is a four-year program implemented in partnership with the Development Policy Institute across Osh, Jalal-Abad, Issyk-Kul, and Naryn oblasts aimed at improving the wellbeing of citizens in 50 municipalities by improving the quality of public services provided by local governments. Learn more at www.fb.com/SA2Project.
