From Detroit to Lahore, most cities around the world are facing financing challenges. Bankruptcy, budget deficits, unmaintained infrastructure, declining quality of services and increasing urban poverty are unfortunately too common headlines. At the same time, the world is becoming more complex and municipal officials are not only dealing with the day to day business which comes with running a city but, they also have to increasingly address issues of social inclusion, local economic development, job creation, crime and violence, climate change, floods, natural and man-made disasters as well as an increasing number of urban dwellers. Against this backdrop, there is both a sense of urgency and a huge opportunity for change.
“Municipal Finances, A Learning Program for Local Governments” takes side. It takes the side of mayors, municipal practitioners and staff. Few learning programs on this topic target local level decision-makers and financial staff in such a direct and pragmatic way. The content and key messages are geared to respond to daily concerns and issues faced by cities and municipalities in the management of their finances.
“Municipal Finances, A Learning Program for Local Governments” takes position. A lot has been learned on what works and what does not and yet every time we talk about finances, engage in policy discussions or project preparation, we tend to reinvent the wheel. Structured around eight modules, it spans the arc from decentralization to transparency and accountability and travels less charted waters of assets management, credit worthiness, response to financial crisis, reporting mechanisms to various levels of governments and citizens.
- Module 1: Intergovernmental Finances in a Decentralized World
- Module 2: Municipal Financial Management
- Module 3: Managing Local Revenues
- Module 4: Managing Local Expenditures
- Module 5: Managing Local Assets
- Module 6: Managing External Resources
- Module 7: Achieving Greater Transparency and Accountability: Measuring Municipal Finances performance
- Module 8: Metropolitan Governance and Finances
“Municipal Finances, A Learning Program for Local Governments” takes action. Not only, does it provide cutting–edge knowledge on many technical issues, but, it also guides local governments through the maze of existing instruments. In particular, the Municipal Finance Self- Assessment (MFSA) proposed in Module 8 should help municipalities assess their own situation, connect the dots and move forward on the path of reforms.
Target Audience:
Local governments and municipal practitioners.
