Municipal Profile: AL BIREH

About the Municipality: Al Bireh is a Palestinian City adjacent to in the central part of the , 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) north of . First named in history books as far back as 3500 B.C.E., Al Bireh historically served as a stopping point for caravans traveling from Jerusalem to . The municipality was first established In 2013, CHF International and the Municipality in 1928 under the British Mandate, and is now home to over 40,000 residents. of Al Bireh have begun a new partnership under the Local Government and Infrastructure Pro- Governance Excellence: In line with the gram (LGI) funded by USAID. The goal of this strategy of the Palestinian local governance partnership is to further enhance the municipali- sector, CHF’s partnership with Al Bireh will ty’s ability to meet the needs of its citizens in a focus on three key areas – community par- transparent and effective manner. ticipation, service delivery, and leadership development – to support the municipality’s vision of becoming a more responsive, efficient, and ef- fective center for governance excellence. Demonstrating their commitment, the municipality and wider community have already contributed countless staff and volunteer hours working with CHF on the city’s Strategic Development and Investment Plan and will contribute an additional $85,000 in the coming years.

Community Participation & Service Delivery: Along every step of the way, CHF works with the municipality to engage citizens to get their feedback to inform local government decision-making and service delivery. The key community participation and service delivery interventions include:

Key Interventions Expected Outcomes

Community members are taking an effective role in decisions that affect Participatory Planning and Stra- their lives by participating in developing the city's Strategic Development tegic Development & Invest- & Investment plan that will be the guiding document for local economic ment Plan (SDIP) (2013) and social development for the next 8 to 12 years.

A Citizen Service Center is a state-of-the-art municipal facility that pro- vides key services in an automated and transparent manner. To comple- Citizen Service Center (2014) ment the Citizen Service Center, processes within the municipality will be overhauled to reduce time spent by citizens and staff to process re- quests (2013).

With USAID funding, CHF helped expand the services available at the Expansion of the Al Bireh Youth youth club, including a new media center, computer, music performance Foundation Club (2009 & 2013) space and theater, and a language development unit, benefiting 1870 youth in 2009. The space was further renovated in 2013.

CHF International/ West Bank & Gaza: [email protected] - www.chf-pal.org - www.globalcommunities.org Photos: Strategic Development and Investment Planning workshops

“We at the Al-Bireh Youth Foundation couldn't imagine doing all this without the support of the CHF team. With the renova- tion, we were able to have more activities for youth...It helped us in having a better environment to work in. Thank you to CHF and for everyone who worked with us to have the best for the foundation.”

- Doha Jaber, Resident of Al Bireh City and Director of Al Bireh Youth Foundation Renovated Al-Bireh Youth Foundation

Leadership Development: CHF will be supporting the municipality in assuming a leadership role in achieving sustainable development and developing, sharing, and planning for a longer-term vision for the community and the municipality’s institutional development.

Leadership Development Key Expected Outcomes Interventions Based on a new municipal capacity assessment tool, the municipality Municipal Strategic Corporate will develop a Municipal Strategic Corporate Plan that outlines how the Plan (2013) municipality will address its institutional development priorities.

This intervention will address a critical problem the municipality is facing, GIS Spatial Data Management scattered spatial data, enabling the municipality to have the information and Administration (2013) required for physical and urban planning. CHF will also support the mu- nicipality in establishing a GIS unit for the city.

A new physical plan for Al-Bireh and Metropolitan Plan with Ramallah Physical Planning and Metro- and will ensure proper planning for local development, trans- politan Plan (2014) portation, and zoning to ensure enhanced access to public services and recreational spaces and greater environmental protection.

“We’ve begun our partnership with USAID through CHF because we were convinced that this partnership will have a real value add. It will enable us to take better decisions developing the capacity of the municipality, strategic planning and infrastructure…” - Ziad Assad Taweel, Director of Al Bireh Municipality

CHF International/ West Bank & Gaza: [email protected] - www.chf-pal.org - www.globalcommunities.org Municipal Profile:

About the Community: Bethlehem is a historic city located in the central West Bank, neighboring south Jerusa- lem, with a population of about 25,000 people. Bethlehem was among the first localities in existence in the West Bank, and its first election was held in 1872. In the most recent elections of October 2012, Vera Baboun was elected as the first female mayor of Bethlehem.

In 2013, CHF International and the Municipality of Bethlehem be- gan a new partnership under the Local Government and Infrastruc- ture Program (LGI) funded by USAID. The goal of this partnership is to further enhance the municipality’s ability to meet the needs of its citizens in a transparent and effective manner.

Governance Excellence: In line with the strategy of the Palestinian local gov- ernance sector, CHF’s partnership with Bethlehem will focus on three key areas, leadership development, service delivery, and community participation – to support the municipality’s vision of becoming a more responsive, efficient, and effec- tive center for governance excellence.

Specifically, CHF will be supporting the municipality in continuing its leadership role in developing ’s first Metropolitan Plan for Bethlehem, , Bait Jala, and surrounding villages. In addition, CHF will support the municipality in establishing a state-of-the-art Citizen Service Center, where citizens can access a range of municipal services in one fully automated location.

Along every step of the way, CHF will work with the municipality to engage citizens to get their feedback to inform government decision-making and service delivery. One key community participation innovation will be the Youth Shadow Local Council (YSLC), an elected body made up of 15 members aged 15-22 that mirrors the elected local council in its formation and supports its functions and role.

Working in partnership with the municipality, the purpose of the YSLC is to sensitize youth to good governance prac- tices and give them an opportunity to take a leadership role in their community’s development. The Bethlehem YSLC was established in May 2013 following the election shown below:

“Youth are not involved in decision-making processes. No one cares about their voices. Therefore, I hope that through the activities of the youth council, youth will be encour- aged to express their opinion and bring about new vision in the city.” - Betty Bathich, elected youth council member from Bethlehem

CHF International/ West Bank & Gaza: [email protected] - www.chf-pal.org - www.globalcommunities.org Photo: Participatory planning workshop in Bethlehem

“Bethlehem has been in recession and is in need of a renaissance. CHF has lit up hope for success and access; they’ve shared their experiences, and we thank them for that. And I be- lieve that our strategic planning is important; to us it means the survival of the city.” - Vera Baboun, Mayor of Bethlehem

In close partnership with the municipal council, staff, and community members, CHF will support the implementation of a wide range of complementary activities that increase the municipality’s efficiency, transparency, and responsive- ness in serving local citizens. The full list of expected interventions is included below:

Key Interventions Expected Outcomes Participatory Planning Community members have begun meeting to identify priority infrastructure and Strategic Develop- projects needed for Bethlehem residents as of February 2013 and will con- ment & Investment Plan tinue that process until a new Strategic Development and Investment Plan is (SDIP) - (2013) completed in 2013. This will be the guiding document for Bethlehem’s local economic and social development. Municipal Strategic Cor- Based on a new municipal capacity assessment tool, the municipality will porate Plan (2013) develop a Municipal Strategic Corporate Plan that outlines how the munici- pality will address its institutional development priorities.

Physical Plan & Metropol- A new physical plan for Bethlehem and Metropolitan Plan with and Beit itan Plan (2014) Sahour will ensure proper planning for local development, transportation, and zoning to ensure enhanced access to public services and recreational spaces and greater environmental protection. Citizen Service Center A Citizen Service Center is a state-of-the-art municipal facility that provides (2014) key services in an automated and transparent manner. To complement the Citizen Service Center, processes within the municipality will be overhauled to reduce time spent by citizens and staff to process requests.

CHF International/ West Bank & Gaza: [email protected] - www.chf-pal.org - www.globalcommunities.org Municipal Profile:

Jenin Municipality building About the Municipality: Founded in 2450 B.C.E, Jenin is the largest and oldest city of the located in the northern West Bank. The first municipal council in Jenin was established in 1886 under the leadership of Haji Abdul Majid Mansour, the city now has a popula- tion of over 39,000. In 2013, CHF and Jenin Municipality began a long- term partnership under the Local Government & Infra- structure (LGI) program funded by USAID. The goal of this partnership is to further enhance the municipality’s ability to meet the needs of its citizens in a transparent and effective manner. Center for Governance Excellence: In line with the strategy of the Palestinian local governance sector, CHF’s part- nership with Jenin will focus on three key areas – community participation, service delivery, and leadership de- velopment – to support the municipality’s vision of being a responsive, efficient, and effective center for governance excellence. Under these areas, LGI’s main interventions will include:

Key Interventions Expected Outcomes Citizen Service Center & Additional A Citizen Service Center is a state-of-the-art municipal facility that provides Community Infrastructure Project services in an automated and transparent manner. Processes within the (2015) municipality will also be overhauled to reduce time spent to process re- quests. In addition, LGI will support an additional infrastructure project based on priorities in Jenin’s Strategic Development & Investment Plan. Human Resources Management In- Providing the municipality with a well-developed and automated human formation System (2014) resource and payroll management information solution in order to improve their HR operations and reduce total operating costs. Municipal Strategic Corporate Plan Based on a new municipal capacity assessment tool, the municipality will (2013) develop a Municipal Strategic Corporate Plan that outlines how the munici- pality will address its institutional development priorities. Enhanced internal audit approaches An internal audit unit will ensure that the municipality adheres to required (2013) procurement, financial, and administrative regulations, while also enhanc- ing transparency and accountability of the municipality to citizens. Streamlined procurement proce- This intervention will focus on updating procurement procedures to be more dures and database (2013) efficient and transparent, and also develop a procurement database to in- stitutionalize new procurement procedures and templates.

“Our role is to leave behind a footprint by meeting citizen needs on the long run within the framework of our Strategic Development & Investment Plan... Our goal is to sustain our development resources in- stead of relying on others …” - Mayor of Jenin, Walid Abu Mwes

CHF International/ West Bank & Gaza: [email protected] - www.chf-pal.org - www.globalcommunities.org Municipal Profile: NABLUS

About the Municipality: Nablus is a Palestinian cultural and commercial center about 50 km north of Jerusalem in the West Bank with a population of over 125,000. It is one of the oldest cities in the world; its historic city center boasts archaeological sites from the 1st century. In addition, it is known for pro- ducing the most delicious Palestinian sweets, including kunafeh, the nabulsi soap industry, and famous poets from the Tuqan family. In 2013, CHF and Nablus Municipality began a long-term partnership under the Local Government & Infrastructure program (LGI) funded by USAID. This partnership will support the municipality’s ability to fur- Photo: Citizens at entrance of ther meet the needs of its citizens in a transparent and effective manner. Nablus Municipality Center for Governance Excellence: In line with the strategy of the Palestinian local governance sector, CHF’s partnership with Nablus will focus on three key areas – community participation, service delivery, and leadership development – to support the municipality’s vision of being a responsive, efficient, and effec- tive center for governance excellence. Under these areas, LGI’s main interventions will include:

Key Interventions Expected Outcomes

Community Infrastructure: With a contribution of around 40% of all costs from the Nablus municipality, this state-of-the-art Indoor Sports Complex (2015) Indoor Sports Complex will provide four floors of courts for volleyball, basketball, handball and indoor soccer, billiards, table tennis, fitness areas, and a theatre with over 2,000 seats.

Urban & Physical Planning Development of GIS systems paired with street naming and numbering plans will enhance the (2014) municipality’s ability to plan urban development and geospatially map projects.

Online service delivery The introduction of e-municipality will enable citizens to access municipal services online, eas- through e-municipality (2014) ing congestion at the municipality and reducing time spent accessing services. Municipal Strategic Corporate Based on a new municipal capacity assessment tool, the municipality will develop a plan that Plan (2013) outlines how the municipality will address its institutional development priorities.

Enhanced internal audit ap- An enhanced internal audit unit will ensure that the municipality adheres to required procure- proaches (2013) ment, financial, and administrative regulations, while also enhancing transparency and account- ability of the municipality to citizens.

Streamlined procurement This intervention will focus on updating procurement procedures to be more efficient and trans- procedures and database parent, and also develop a procurement database to institutionalize new procurement proce- (2013) dures and templates.

Mayor Ghassan Shakka: “Our mandate [as a municipality] is to serve our citizens and achieve economic and social security in line with our national policies... Currently we are trying to provide the city with new services such as hotels, sport complexes, and we will continue to focus on children and youth because they are the future…”

CHF International/ West Bank & Gaza: [email protected] - www.chf-pal.org - www.globalcommunities.org Municipal Profile: RAMALLAH

About the Municipality: Ramallah is a key political, cultural, commercial, and economic center in the West Bank. Originally founded by the Haddadin clan in the 1500s, Ramallah grew dramatically in the 17th and 18th century as an agricultural village and later in the early 20th century as an upscale destination in the region. Home today to over 27,000, including famous Palestinian activists, poets, artists, and musicians, it is renown for hosting the gravesite of the most celebrated Palestinian poet, Mahmoud Darwish, and has produced several traditional Palestinian dance (dabkeh) groups that have performed all over the world.

In 2013, CHF and Ramallah Municipality began a long-term partnership under the Local Government & Infrastructure pro- gram (LGI) funded by USAID. This partner- ship will support the municipality’s ability to further meet the needs of its citizens in a Photo: Planned upgrades to Ramallah Municipality building and establishment of Citizen Service Center

Center for Governance Excellence: In line with the strategy of the Palestinian local governance sector, CHF’s partnership with Ramallah will focus on three key areas – community participation, service delivery, and leadership development – to support the municipality’s vision of being a responsive, efficient, and effective center for governance excellence. Under these areas, LGI’s main interventions will include:

Key Interventions Expected Outcomes Participatory Planning and Community members will take an effective role in decisions that affect their lives by partici- Strategic Development & pating in developing the city's Strategic Development & Investment plan that will be the Investment Plan (2014) guiding document for local economic and social development for the next 8 to 12 years. Upgrade Ramallah Munici- Provide the municipality with state of the art municipal facility that will provide key services pality and establish Citizen in an automated and transparent manner. Service Center (2014) E-municipality (2014) The introduction of e-municipality will enable citizens to access municipal services online, easing congestion at the municipality and reducing time spent accessing services. Municipal Strategic Corpo- Based on a new municipal capacity assessment tool, the municipality will develop a Munic- rate Plan (2014) ipal Strategic Corporate Plan that outlines how the municipality will address its institutional development priorities. Enhanced internal audit ap- An enhanced internal audit unit will ensure that the municipality adheres to required pro- proaches (2014) curement, financial, and administrative regulations, while also enhancing transparency and accountability of the municipality to citizens. Metropolitan Plan (2014) A new Metropolitan Plan for Ramallah, Al Bireh, and Beitunia will ensure proper planning for local development, transportation, and zoning to ensure enhanced access to public ser- vices and recreational spaces and greater environmental protection.

CHF International/ West Bank & Gaza: [email protected] - www.chf-pal.org - www.globalcommunities.org