Expertise France is supporting decentralisation in Tunisia
After having decided in 2014 to set out decentralisation in its Constitution, Tunisia made a remarkable leap forward with the adoption in April 2018 of a new Local Government Code (LGC) and, a few days later, the holding of the first municipal elections since the revolution in 2011.
The challenge now lies in facilitating the application of this new Code and assisting elected officials in the implementation of their commitments and the competences which have been transferred to them.
Structuring the decentralisation process
Expertise France has been a partner of the Ministry of Local Affairs and Environment (MALE) since the outset. Its General Forward-looking and Support Body for the Decentralisation Process (IGPAPD) is managing the ongoing reform.
In the context of the Programme to Support Decentralisation and Local Governance financed by Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Expertise France is providing three-pronged support to IGPAPD to better structure the decentralisation process:
(1) Definition of the implementing decrees of the Local Government Code and their alignment,
(2) Creation of the High Authority for Local Finances,
(3) Establishment of a first social audit of Tunisian municipalities.
This programme, which is currently being implemented, allows Expertise France to be able to contribute to related reflection, as is currently the case with the World Bank with the essential issue of human resources management in municipalities and the mobility of civil servants towards these municipalities.
Supporting Tunisian elected officials and their teams
Another strong trend is that Expertise France today works more directly alongside the new Tunisian municipalities via various initiatives, which aim to better equip the new Tunisian elected officials and their teams to meet the commitments they made to people and fully assume the competences transferred to them by legislation.
For example, the Open Government Support Programme in Francophone Africa (#PAGOF), which is also financed by AFD, has made it possible to produce a practical guide on the principles of open government for Tunisian municipalities, in partnership with MALE and the Centre of Training and Decentralisation Support (CFAD). It was showcased during the first #PAGOF regional seminar organised in Tunis on 22 and 23 November 2018.
Another example: on 18, 19 and 20 December in Bizerte, Expertise France mobilised dual French and Tunisian expertise to launch the “Lab’Baladiya” programme, alongside its partners, the National Federation of Tunisian Cities (FNVT) and French Institute of Tunisia (IFT). This “municipal laboratory”, which is in the form of six training workshops organised nationwide in Tunisia, aims to promote the sharing of experience and expertise between elected municipal officials from France and Tunisia in order to address the issues identified in the field by Tunisian elected officials, given the experience of French decentralisation. It should allow exchanges on innovative solutions in various areas (environment, transport, economic development, etc.) and promote the emergence of territorial projects, which could lead to a strengthening of decentralised cooperation relations between France and Tunisia.
Finally, through the Lemma project, financed by the European Union, Expertise France is supporting the development of the municipality of Mahres (Sfax Governorate) via the mobilisation of its diaspora and is conducting reflection with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Ministry of Local Affairs to promote the involvement of the Tunisian community abroad in the decentralised cooperation actions.
Expertise France, relying on the different expertise and experience of its teams at headquarters and in the field, aims to continue its commitment alongside the Tunisian central and local authorities. The aim is for decentralisation to effectively lead to more local democracy and economic and social development for Tunisia and all Tunisians.