The mayor’s office of Ungheni, in partnership with the mayor’s office of Orhei and the Regional Center for Substance Development, during 24 months will be implementing the project “Extended Durable Partnership for the Decentralization Reform”. The initiative is aimed at strengthening the capacity of the local public authorities from Ungheni and Orhei districts for interacting with the people in implementing decision-making and public policies.

Contacted by IPN, executive director of the Regional Center for Substance Development Svetlana Ciobanu, who manages the project, said the initiative is applied in the context of the decentralization of the local public authorities, while the key activity of the project will be the creation of the pilot Information Center in Ungheni town, which will facilitate the obtaining by people of information about the local public authorities.

Svetlana Ciobanu also said that over 60 territorial-administrative units from Ungheni and Orhei districts will be involved in the project. They will develop an electronic platform accessible to all the people in parallel. Another aspect of the project concerns the quality of chances between sexes. Emphasis will be put on the active involvement of women in the decision-making process.

According to Svetlana Ciobanu, there will be carried out a series of activities aimed at training representatives of the main community players and at creating a network of local authorities that is needed to promote public policies and the decentralization reform. There will be also established a public-civilian partnership system that will stipulate methods of interaction between the local public authorities and civil society.

The €300,000 project “Extended Durable Partnership for the Decentralization Reform” is financed by the European Commission through the EuropeAid/132706/L/ACT/MD program.