Strengthening local government : fiscal and management capacity -- Yerevan, Armenia

Under the project, four 2-day seminars were held in the Armenian School of Public Administration in Yerevan from March to July 1997. Between each of the later three seminars, site visits were made to communities of Abovian, Ashtarak, Jermuk, Sevan, Sisian, and Vanadzor, as well as to the Yerevan Community Neighborhoods of Achapnyak and Arabkir. The content of the seminars included community assessment methods, identification of program strategies, goals and objectives, program budgeting, and performance measurement. TA included visits to assist with identification of programs, strategies, goals, and objectives, as well as forecasting of revenues. Several of the communities demonstrated exceptional aptitude and initiative in their struggle for independent decisionmaking at the local level. Two notable successes were Ashtarak and Sisian. Recommendations for the future include working with the same communities through a complete fiscal year and expanding the training to another set of communities. (Author abstract)