The Association of Palestinian Local Authorities (APLA) held a training session on Maintaining the Sustainability of Local Government Units (LGUs) in Providing Inclusive Services under Crisis Conditions, especially in Current Circumstances. The training aimed to support LGUs in developing respective plans and programmes on the basis of a sustainable and inclusive response to crisis situations in general, and consequences of the current war in particular. The event brought together 29 representative staff of relevant LGU departments, also members of the Taskforce for the Inclusion of Marginalized Groups in Palestinian LGUs. APLA established this taskforce to promote the policy of inclusion in relevant operations.
Advisor Mu’ayyad Afaneh provided the training, which focused on three major themes: sustainability, inclusion, and crisis management. Important for LGUs, inclusive strategic planning must be flexible and provides response to states of emergency and effective crisis management. With an emphasis on integrating the needs of all segments of society, planning and implementation will ensure that all citizens have non-discriminatory and uninterrupted access to basic services. To this end, integrated strategies will be adopted to provide accessible services, promote justice and inclusion, and enhance organizational performance, resource-sensitive management amid the war on Palestine, performance indicators, and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.
Funded by the GIZ Local Governance Reform Programme, the training is an activity of the Taskforce for the Inclusion of Marginalized Groups in Palestinian LGUs, which seeks to engage LGUs in developing a concept and perceptions of inclusion, exchanging relevant experiences, and improving the role of APLA in consolidating efforts and sharing experiences at the level of LGUs. It is also tailored to develop a common and inclusive vision of the APLA and LGU representatives to move forward, develop, and adopt plans by all stakeholders to include marginalized groups at the local level.
