Tunisian municipalities lack the technical and organisational knowledge, qualified staff and financial resources they need to effectively provide local services, such as waste disposal or fully equipped recreational areas that are accessible to the public. Local governance is rarely guided by modern principles like participation or digitalisation. In addition, the population is not able to voice their needs and interests sufficiently in political discussions.
Improvements have been made in ensuring inclusive, transparent and effective governance in municipalities, which strengthens the relationship of trust between state and society in Tunisia.
The project provides advice in three fields of activity:
1) Delivering local administrative services more efficiently by using digital, inclusive and citizen-centred methods. Digitalised community centres simplify administrative matters such as paying electricity bills or obtaining permits from the municipality.
(2) Modernising local financial administration in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of the Interior, and improving communication with taxpayers and the Court of Accounts. This raises public awareness of the impact of tax payments on social cohesion, mobilises municipal revenues and ensures more effective oversight of municipalities.
(3) Introducing modern principles of local governance such as transparent information, citizen participation and digitalisation in municipalities. To achieve this, municipalities create action plans for digital administration and implement joint projects with civil society organisations and citizens.