📋 Tender Overview
The project aims to support the decentralization process in Tunisia by strengthening the role of the National Federation of Tunisian Municipalities (FNCT) as an actor in support of municipalities and political advocacy for decentralization. As part of this project, the FNCT will technically and financially support 17 pilot municipalities in the implementation of their local development plans. This is a contribution to a project funded by the European Union.
Country/region Topic Period Budget
Tunisia
Governance
Employment & economic development
Decentralization
Urban development
01.11.2022 - 30.06.2027
CHF 3,482,965
The project in brief
Background The decentralization process was triggered in 2018 by the holding of the first municipal elections and the entry into force of the new Code of Local Authorities (CCL) which established the principle of free administration of municipalities and expanded their powers. Since then, some progress has been made but a lot of slowness and problems have persisted due, in particular, to political and governmental instability, the unfinished legislative framework and the lack of human and financial resources necessary for the fulfillment of the powers entrusted to the municipalities. The orientations of the President of the Republic and the current government, as well as the text of the new constitution of July 2022, are less explicit on the process of decentralization (but without fundamentally calling it into question). This vagueness, coupled with the economic crisis, has destabilized the process and paralyzed the administration, which could gradually break the dynamic of decentralization and promote a return to a centralist state. In such a context, the SDC's contribution to this project enables it to adapt its support to the decentralization process by relying on support for local dynamics, through support for the National Federation of Tunisian Municipalities which today represents the sole actor legitimately representing all the municipalities and defending their interests. Based on the achievements and shortcomings of the decentralization experience of recent years, this project aims to strengthen the role of municipalities as players in local development by providing them with the technical and financial resources for their ambitions: (i) Technical resources: Strengthening capacity building through direct technical assistance to the 17 pilot municipalities and through a capacity building program for the FNCT as a support structure for the 350 municipalities and (ii) Financial resources: through the establishment of a innovative financing mechanism to be tested with the 17 pilot municipalities, called the Municipal General Competence Fund (FMCG) and managed by the FNCT. This fund aims to fill the financing gaps of traditional mechanisms and will allow municipalities to exercise "their general competence"
Objectives Improve the living conditions of populations in Tunisian municipalities.
