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. The U.S. Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic reports.
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 regions 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 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.
