Municipal Cooperation Research Articles

MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE IN GERMANY: PRACTICE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR UKRAINE

Establishing a municipal governance system is a long process focused on selecting the best practices that have proven to be effective and efficient. One of the methods is the transit of elements of municipal systems borrowed from other countries. The experience of ensuring democratic participation of the community formed in Germany is of interest. The purpose of the article is to identify the components of the German model of municipal governance that can be used by Ukraine to improve the efficiency of the national system of local self-government and bring it closer to EU standards. The elements of the comparative analysis in the article are the analysis of the institutional model of municipal governance and its state and political basis; determination of the specifics of the distribution of powers between the state and local governments and the nature of community participation in local self-government; characterization of the system of financial guarantees and the budget system; determination of the principles of cooperation and coordination of municipalities. The article uses the methodology of comparative analysis based on the identification and analysis of the legal, structural, organizational, political and economic components of municipal governance in Ukraine and Germany.

The Past, Present, and Future of Cross-Border Cooperation between Municipalities in the South Bohemian Region: A Case Study

The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive view of matters of cross-border cooperation, with the main emphasis on the typology and development of structures supporting cross-border cooperation in a selected region of the Czech Republic (South Bohemian Region). The study focuses on the analysis of changes in the methods and ways of cooperation of municipalities in the programming periods 2007–2013 and 2014–2020 (Euroregions, cross-border impulse centers, European territorial cooperation groups, partner and friendly cities, etc.). The research not only analyzes the actual development of cooperation between municipalities in the region studied, but also identifies the prerequisites of and barriers to cross-border cooperation. The data obtained show a significant decrease in the interest of municipalities in cross-border cooperation within the conditions of the Czech Republic in recent years. The current situation with regard to the existence and development of cross-border cooperation in 2024 is not very satisfactory, although it is paradoxically an area strongly supported by the EU Cohesion Policy. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative research methods to provide a comprehensive analysis of cross-border cooperation in the South Bohemian Region. A thorough review of existing literature on cross-border cooperation and related policies was conducted to establish a theoretical framework. The practical part of the study is based on field research carried out by the author in 2007–2013 and 2014–2020. This research examined the level of cooperation between the 623 municipalities in the South Bohemian Region (in 2016, there were 624 municipalities in the region). In the case of cross-border impulse centers, the input data were represented by e-mail and telephone inquiries to representatives of individual municipalities and the websites of Euroregions. To conduct a comprehensive study on cross-border cooperation between municipalities in the South Bohemian Region, logical and scientific methods were used. Universal methods of logic ensured the correctness and orderliness of the thought process, with abstraction identifying key elements. Synthesis was used to divide the study into parts, analyze them in detail, and integrate them into a comprehensive analysis. Scientific methods included analysis to examine the current status and frameworks of cross-border cooperation and comparison to identify similarities or differences between the Czech Republic and neighboring countries.

Twinning across the Adriatic: history, memory and municipal co-operation between Italy and Yugoslavia during the Cold War

AbstractThe heritage of World War II left an indelible mark on the relations between Italy and Yugoslavia. During the détente period, however, these two countries were able to overcome many historical resentments and established a fruitful co-operation in Cold War Europe. This article questions the engagement on state, regional and municipal levels and analyses the role of twin cities in this multilayered process. With the help of primary sources, we learn how the heritage of World War II played an important role in building new forms of post-war co-operation. In fact, post-war twinning is often the result of shared anti-fascist activities from the war years. However, this is not confined to communist municipalities or ‘red’ regions in Italy on one side, and socialist Yugoslavia on the other, but is a more fluid and flexible practice which involves historical ties, geographical positions, personal capacities and economic needs.

Municipal cooperation as a component of the mechanism of implementation of cultural rights

In the article, the author examines municipal cooperation as one of the ways to improve the state of providing services to the population, in particular educational services, services in the field of culture, as an element of the mechanism of creating conditions for the development of personality and creative self- realization of every citizen through a system of multidisciplinary, multi-level preschool, general secondary and out-of-school education , ensuring accessibility, free and compulsory education for all who need it, forming a high-quality information and educational space, ensuring community rights in the sphere of education, culture, preservation and popularization of national and cultural heritage within the limits defined by legislation, creating a competitive educational and artistic environment for the development of culture and provision of quality services to the population through the implementation of cooperation agreements or additional agreements on joining cooperation, implementation of relevant state and local programs, through a network of communal enterprises, organizations and institutions to meet the needs and interests of territorial communities.The author analyzes the concept and essence of municipal cooperation as a necessary element of the mechanism of realization of cultural rights at the community level and pays considerable attention to the issue of finding ways to effectively use various forms of cooperation at the local level, in particular, in conditions of martial law.The author has developed practical recommendations for increasing the effectiveness of municipal cooperation in the field of cultural rights implementation at the community level through appropriate staffing, in particular the involvement of specialists (project managers); awareness at the community level about various forms of such cooperation in the cultural sphere, broad communication not only of village, settlement, and city heads, but also of other officials of local self-government bodies with the deputy corps of local councils, an active part of the community, primarily youth, public organizations, etc.; availability of minimally sufficient financial, material and infrastructural resources for starting cooperation and finding additional sources of funding, in particular extra-budgetary ones; ensuring the principle of legal succession regarding the fulfillment of the terms of the cooperation agreements concluded between the communities with the participation of the heads and councils of the communities of the previous term; consideration of possible forms of cooperation in strategic plans for the development of territorial communities, in particular cooperation with communities of EU countries.

Survey of Accessibility of Information on International Cooperation of Municipalities on Border Regions Administrations Official Websites (case of AIRR member regions)

One of the problems researchers encounter when researching the topic is the availability of relevant information from official sources. This problem is especially acute when collecting data on international cooperation at the local level, since there is very little or no information on cooperation with foreign partners in the public domain on the websites of administrations. At the same time, the municipality is a border municipality, which means that it has conditions for the organization of inter-municipal cooperation with neighboring countries. Consequently, questions arise. Firstly, why does the administration not publish up-to-date information on international projects implemented on its territory? Secondly, if such interaction does not take place, why does the municipality, having a favorable geographical location, not implement inter-municipal partnerships with foreign municipalities? In this article the author tries to prove the relevance of the stated problem and suggests some ways to solve it by the example of studying the official websites of the border districts of some subjects of Russian Federation.

Sustainable Approach for Slum Redevelopment in Ludhiana

Ludhiana, the largest and highest populated city in Punjab, is the country’s most important industrial hub often referred to as Indian Manchester. The city is on an instantaneous urbanisation path, offering opportunities that attract migrants from nearby rural areas, districts, and even far distant cities. Much of this incoming population is socially and economically disadvantaged due to the city’s haphazard settlement and lacking affordable housing facilities; resulting in manifestation of slum squatters, accounting to 25% of the population. The Ludhiana Municipal Cooperation addresses the issue of slum settlement through Slum Free City Plan of Action (SFCPOA) -Ludhiana 2015, an initiative under the Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY), which aims to upgrade and redevelop all existing slums, avert the emergence of new slums and bridge demand and supply gap of affordable housing.From the perspective of stakeholder’s experiences, this research intends to evaluate the success and constructed realities of several government initiatives directed at making Ludhiana slum-free. A sequential methodology involving semi-structured interviews, field surveys, field imaging and developing slum ontology based on sustainability and socio-economic parameters is adopted. This paper concludes that, despite the government of Ludhiana’s implementations; slums remain congested, economically unviable and with low community engagement. Furthermore, this study serves as an analytical prototype for future government plans to redevelop, rehabilitate, or resettle slum dwellers in a sustainable manner.

Education for Sustainable Development in Germany: Governance and Inter-Organizational Perspectives—A Discussion on Qualitative Research Regarding the Municipal Level

The background of this conceptual paper constitutes the manifold efforts in Germany to establish and continue to develop municipal ESD landscapes. Related research is directed toward identifying factors which are either favorable or unfavorable for ESD implementation. Against this background, we outline the process of deriving research questions for new qualitative research. This is realized by adopting a governance analytical perspective. On the basis of a literature review, we elaborate on the state of research and discuss two promising governance approaches, along with associated empirical findings. Along with a further literature review, we also address why we consider expert interviews to be an appropriate approach for data collection and analysis. We conclude that it is important to not only focus on the coordination of collaborations, but also include the history of municipal cooperation, existing ESD (self-)understanding of involved actors, and collaboration practices. On this basis, we identify research gaps and specify research questions, which can serve as a basis for further research on ESD. Corresponding empirical research may optimize municipal ESD implementation processes.

The results of local elections 2023 in Norway

The article examines the results of local elections in Norway on September 11, 2023, in comparison to the results of elections in 2019. A description of the socio-political situation in Norway on the eve of elections is undertaken. Possible options for cooperation in large municipalities based on election results are analyzed. The author explores reasons for the decline in popularity of the Workers' Party. A forecast is given on how the election results may affect the parliamentary elections in Norway in 2025 and the current party politics.

THE EXPERIENCE OF MULTI-STAGE DECENTRALIZATION OF POWER IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES: LESSONS FOR UKRAINE

The article is devoted to the decentralization practices of foreign countries, their many years of experience in the system of reforming the state system. Given the similarity of many problems faced by the state authorities of France and Ukraine, as well as the presence of problems specific to our country, an extremely important task is the analysis of world experience in solving them.
 It should be understood that the concept of «decentralization» covers not only the processes of administrative and territorial management, but also political, financial, economic, etc. Accordingly, our hypothesis was that decentralization is not limited to the reorganization of administrative and territorial management. 
 When choosing a country whose lessons for Ukraine we chose for analysis, preference was given to France, since this country has long been considered exemplary in terms of decentralization policy. In addition, it was important for us that Ukraine, when creating a model of public power in the regions, chose the French, or continental, model. The indicative continental model is useful for scientific purposes, as it contains the fundamental principles for the implementation of the reform. Decentralized management, initiated by France, became an example for Ukraine.
 The article analyzes the peculiarities of the decentralization policy in France at several of its stages. The first was characterized by a course of delegation of powers in the field of management and socio-economic development of local self-government bodies, creation of elected bodies at the level of regions. At the same time, at the beginning of the XXI century. the state moves to the next stage, the focus of which is to strengthen the financial independence and potential of territorial communities, for which a number of powers were transferred to the latter. In the 2010s, the emphasis of regional policy shifted towards the stimulation of municipal cooperation and consolidation of regions.
 The assessment of the multi-stage implementation of the decentralization policy in France makes it possible to claim that the administrative-territorial reform of 2020 did not exhaust the political aspects of decentralization in Ukraine, and to predict new stages of the implementation of the decentralization policy in Ukraine.

Intermunicipal cooperation in the structure of cross-border cooperation

It is determined that the practice of local self-government in Ukraine during the years of independence of our state shows that the processes that accompany the implementation of communities and their members of their constitutional rights and freedoms in addressing local issues are systemic and catalysts for changes in local government regulation. in general and the powers of its subjects in particular, which are designed to create the best possible conditions for local government reform.
 It is indicated that the right to establish inter-municipal associations is one of the important manifestations of the constitutional independence of local self-government, a form of realization of the constitutional right to local self-government and at the same time a significant factor in strengthening and guaranteeing municipal freedom in local government relations.
 Examining cross-border cooperation as a constitutional institution, its basic level is considered – the local level, ie the level of cooperation of municipalities, which is a specific cooperation between the subjects of border areas, ie based on the law – territorial communities, their representative bodies and their associations, local executive bodies of Ukraine, interacting with territorial communities and relevant authorities of neighboring states within their competence, established by the current Ukraine legislation and agreements on cross-border cooperation.
 The author’s definition of the concept of “inter-municipal cooperation” as such is the organization of the process of interaction between territorial communities, as a result of which links are established for the medium and long term in order to find ways to solve common and identical problems and achieve socially beneficial effects. these communities.

Дослідження нетрадиційної сировини рослинного походження для функціональних м’ясних продуктів

Goal. To identify and systematize regional featuresof decentralization transformations in the ruralareas of the Western Polissia of Ukraine forsubstantiating and developing strategic guidelinesfor the sustainable development of the studiedterritories for the future. Methods. General scientificmethods are applied: dialectical, systemic,and synergistic, as well as special: abstract-logical(induction and deduction, analogy and comparison),theoretical generalization and analysis and synthesis,economic-statistical (statistical observation,comparison, grouping, tabular), matrix analysis(SWOT analysis). Results. Regional spatial andterritorial features of decentralization transformationsin the rural areas of the Volyn, Zhytomyr,Rivne, and Chernihiv regions were studied. Theresults of the use of budget revenues and capitalexpenditures of the created united territorial communities(UTC) were evaluated; the state and problemsof the development of municipal cooperation, andprovision of facilities for administrative services. ASWOT analysis of the strengths and weaknessesof the decentralization process in the rural areasof Western Polissia was carried out, which madeit possible to assess its real state, identify problems,highlight achievements, and justify prospectsand strategic guidelines for further development.Conclusions. Modern processes of decentralizationand the formation of UTC in Western Polissia contributeto increasing the efficiency of using existingand potential opportunities for rural development,strengthening the competitive advantages of ruralareas. The priorities of the sustainable developmentof rural areas in UTC are substantiated, which takeinto account the established vector of state developmentand are oriented towards the creationof self-governing, competitive, and financially sustainablerural communities thanks to the creation ofcluster associations; increasing the interest of localself-government bodies in increasing revenues tolocal budgets and finding reserves to fill them; improvingthe efficiency of the administration of taxesand fees, ensuring the investment attractiveness ofcommunities, etc. The results of the research willcontribute to the solution of theoretical and practicalproblems of ensuring effective and socially orientedactivities of the UTC as a basis for the sustainabledevelopment of rural areas in Ukraine.

Study of Generation and Composition of Solid Waste Management (MSW)

In this paper we studied about the generation and composition of solid waste management. For any management of solid waste there is a huge back up from urban local bodies. In the urban areas like Saran city area, the residential household, offices, Bus stands, public markets, center of shopping, etc the waste generated are generally dumped outside of the house or in a common dumping site or collection site. They are further collected by the Municipal cooperation from the site. Public dumped the wastes in open ground or side of the market without proper segregation which is difficult for the municipal cooperation to collect. Due to improper dumping of the waste, there is increase in pollution of water and soil. In this city the sites for dumping of the wastes are not properly manage or planned.

“Bridge Builders” in the Dispositif of Collaborative Inclusion. Enactments of Expertise in Cooperations between Local Administrations and Immigrant Associations

Abstract Immigrant associations in Germany are increasingly approached as experts and included in administrative action. This article develops a heuristic informed by governmentality studies to analyse this cooperation practice. A document analysis shows that immigrant associations are addressed as “bridge builders” between public administration and migrants. Interviews with actors in a municipal cooperation setting in Berlin reveal the paradoxes of this interpellation as well as reflexive strategies of organisational self-positioning.

A Governance System that Supports City Diplomacy: The European Perspective

Summary Although the concept of city diplomacy is not new, we are seeing exciting developments in the ways that cities work together to address local and global challenges. This article explores how the global political system must evolve to harness the full potential of a city diplomacy that is well-integrated into global governance. In order for city diplomacy’s promise to be unlocked, we must take action in four central areas: facilitating knowledge exchange between local, national and international governance; embracing networks as an integral part of global governance; systematically expanding municipal development co-operation; and revitalising the idea of a world charter of local self-government.

Proposta de autocorrelação espacial da relação entre as condições socioeconômicas na Região Metropolitana de Sorocaba, SP, Brasil

A espacialização dos dados sociais permite analisar algumas características sociais e territoriais dos setores censitários até a totalidade de uma cidade ou região metropolitana. O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar a autocorrelação espacial dos dados que refletem as condições de saúde e renda dos domicílios da Região Metropolitana de Sorocaba (RMS) e se há correlação desses indicadores por meio de um teste de regressão linear múltipla. Para isso, foi calculado o Índice de Moran Global e Local, os quais foram utilizados para mensurar a autocorrelação e a dependência espacial entre os setores censitários. Identificou-se que existem 177 setores censitários distribuídos pela RMS que mostraram autocorrelações para todas as variáveis e correspondem a 31,1% do território e 5,4% da população total da RMS. Portanto, este estudo pode ser utilizado por gestores públicos para desenvolver políticas públicas voltadas à melhoria da qualidade de vida da população, pois possibilita a identificação das regiões que extrapolam os limites administrativos dos municípios e que carecem de investimentos coletivos e cooperação dos municípios.

“It Gets a Bit Messy”: Norwegian Social Workers’ Perspectives on Collaboration with Police and Security Service on Cases of Radicalisation and Violent Extremism

ABSTRACT Social workers are a part of the prevention efforts against radicalisation and violent extremism in the Nordic countries. While multi-agency cooperation is not new in Norway, municipal cooperation with the police security service is. This cooperation, particularly its unintended consequences with a specific focus on the securitisation of “soft professionals” in the public sector, has been scarcely researched. We address this gap with findings from a qualitative study based on 17 individual in-depth interviews and two focus-group interviews with experienced social workers in Norway. Abbott’s theory of jurisdiction serves as our theoretical framework. Our findings suggest that social workers in some cases appear subordinate to law enforcement personnel. Further, the lack of clarity of roles and responsibilities raises ethical and professional dilemmas, especially regarding work transparency and client confidentiality, indicating an outside influence of security onto prevention work. An unintended consequence of this is the risk of lower levels of trust between prevention workers and their target group and a reduced ability to support at-risk individuals. Clarification of the roles and responsibilities of all partners involved in multi-agency PVE should be given attention from both policymakers and practitioners.

Legal Framework for Cooperation of Municipalities in the Conditions of the Czech Republic

In 1990, there was a "renewal" of local self-government in the Czech Republic and other legislative changes took place that strengthened the powers of municipalities and allowed them to develop completely new forms and ways of cooperation, such as microregions, joint participation in business corporations and interest groups of legal entities (associations), etc. The activities of the Union of Towns and Municipalities of the Czech Republic were also renewed. The entire 1990s are marked by the emergence of new regional and national cooperation structures, with further acceleration coming in connection with the accession of the Czech Republic to the EU in 2004. Late 2010s are connected with strengthening relations between the private and public sectors, or with the division of existing forms of cooperation, due to which municipalities now have a fragmented structure of more than 20 possible ways of cooperation with other municipalities. However, in individual areas of the Czech Republic, this cooperation has different intensity, spatial arrangement and, of course, also different legal form, the historical genesis of which is mapped in this paper.

The municipal gaze on the EU: European municipalism as ideology

ABSTRACT The EC/EU has been an eminently nation-led project. However, running in parallel, the European municipalist movement, braiding relations among cities across Europe, has sought to build an influential political role for municipalities within the European polity. The study of European municipal cooperation has become a consolidated thread of research in European and Urban Studies. Nonetheless, contributions on the topic tend to focus on the pragmatic aspects of municipal collaborations, glossing over the ideological foundations of European Municipalism. Therefore, by challenging the dominant scholarly view, this article contends that European Municipalism may be considered as a ‘thin-centred’ ideology. To support this argument, the ideological structure of European Municipalism is unbundled by throwing light on its conceptual components. As a result, this article construes European Municipalism as a ‘thin-centred’ political ideology, which postulates universal city-to-city mutualism and proposes a European counter-project built on a polycentric and diffuse conception of power.

Efficiency of the functioning of public administration: regional empirical study

This paper presents qualitative research findings and a comparative scale efficiency analysis of the units performing services in the building sector. The analysis is based on two unique regional datasets from two countries, the Slovak Republic (SR) and the Czech Republic (CZ). Performance of building competences in Slovakia is based on the principle of voluntary cooperation of municipalities. In case of the Czech building sector, the competences have been transferred to the newly created municipalities with delegated or extended competences. Both states introduced reforms in public administration with the aim to improve their efficiency, including the performance of building competences. Czech Republic is currently undergoing a recodification of Building Act with unification of building authorities into the system of state building offices. The results of our qualitative research in both states in the period 2014-2019 show insufficient personal management due to low financing of building competences. Using quantitative statistical methods, we came to the conclusion that in Slovakia, a return to the performance of competences by state administration (district offices) instead of building offices (as a part of self-government) would not be effective.

Main Tendencies and Challenges of Project Management In local Self-Governments

The article examines topical issues of work on projects and their implementation in local government bodies, analyzes the existing practice and the current situation. The study analyzes the legal basis for attracting budget funds for the development of local self-government, the procedure for preparing project applications, interaction with donor organizations and partners, as well as problems and opportunities in this area. The emphasis is on such aspects as the selection of projects for the competition, the role of the project manager in preparing a high-quality project proposal, the possibility of cooperation with NGOs, the presence of a team, the cooperation of municipalities, villages, communities, and communities in the preparation and implementation of joint projects. The analysis of the current situation, dynamics, and main trends in the development of project activities in local government bodies was carried out; the experience of cities and villages is compared. The main attention is paid to the prospects for the development of territorial units, potential areas of project activities. The author notes that one of the main obstacles to the successful work of the project in local governments is the lack of human resources and experienced specialists. The author focuses on the need for constant practical work and support from external experts who can advise and improve the qualifications of project management specialists. Keywords: decentralization, project management, local government, donors, projects.