Topical Information

At the end of October, the city of Bar, Montenegro hosted a two-day regional training organized by the Network of Associations of Local Authorities in South East Europe (NALAS), within the framework of the Regional Capacity Development Network for Water Supply and Sanitation Services (RCDN).

The event was aimed at increasing the effectiveness of the Standing Committees on Water Supply and Sewerage of Local Authority Associations and brought together representatives from the executive offices of the Regional Network's partner associations and representatives of their Standing Committees from Local Authorities. The goal was to exchange experience and build a foundation for long-term impact in water supply and sanitation services. As municipalities and their representative associations play a significant role in shaping policies in the water sector, this training provided an opportunity to share innovative practices, network and approaches to address challenges in the provision of public services.

The training presented practices and strategies for structuring committees, policy development, effective advocacy and improving capacity development and knowledge sharing. During the two-day program, the participants took part in training sessions based on the practices from Slovenia and Bulgaria in the structuring and management of committees, their tasks, responsibilities and tools for monitoring their work and activities.

"This training provides the knowledge needed to address critical issues in the delivery of public services in the water supply and sanitation sector, refining their approach to sector committees," said Mr. Milo Markoc, Vice-Chairman of the Utilities and Environmental Affairs Committee of the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro.

The training is led by Barbara Horvath from the Association of Municipalities and Cities of Slovenia (SOS) and Marusia Cvetkova from the National Association of Municipalities of the Republic of Bulgaria (NAMRB).