ANNUAL RESULTS 2014

Dialogue | EU Integration | Cities | Leadership 

ANNUAL 

RESULTS 

2014 

SKL International 

is one of Sweden’s 

leading organisations 

in local governance, 

decentralisation and 

local democracy. 

Ms Zainab Obaid, Ms Huda Mahmood and Ms 

Dhuha Ridha (right to left) from Iraq during 

a visit to Svartedalsskolan in Gothenburg. 

The three elected representatives from 

Diwaniyah (national and local parliament) 

participated in a learning journey to Sweden 

within the Governance in Social Care project 

in June 2014. Mr Kim Hermansson (far 

left), coordinator at the school shares his 

experiences from working with children 

with special needs. 

AFFILIATED TO THE SWEDISH ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND REGIONS

SKL INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL RESULTS 2014 01 

We focus on 

local democracy 

SKL International is one of Sweden’s leading organisations in the field of 

local democracy, decentralisation and local governance. We work with 

developing countries and countries in transition. 

At SKL International we don’t just focus 

on the problems and challenges at hand, 

but do our best to harness our partners’ 

inherent potential for development. We 

often build on Swedish experiences, 

but always adapt our services to a local 

context. 

We are a subsidiary of the Swedish 

Association of Local Authorities and 

Regions (SALAR), which is a member 

organisation for all of Sweden’s 290 

municipalities and 20 county councils 

and regions. Its mission is to provide its 

members with better conditions for local 

and regional self-government. 

This puts us in a unique position as we 

can draw on their expertise and network 

of Swedish local and regional authorities. 

SKL International responds to a strong 

demand from developing and transitional 

countries who want to know more about 

Swedish experiences of decentralisation, 

local self-government and local 

government associations. 

During the years we have implemented 

projects in over 30 countries on four 

continents. 

Our services focus on the enhancement of 

local democracy and on building a wellfunctioning 

local and regional administration. 

This is based on our knowledge of 

Sweden’s uniquely decentralised public 

sector, as well as a vast experience of 

decentralisation processes in diverse 

contexts. 

Our work is demanddriven 

and result-oriented. 

We utilise expertise and 

know-how from our 

extensive pool of experts 

within SALAR and 

from Swedish local 

and regional 

governments. 

We work in a range of areas: local 

democracy and governance; municipal 

management and service delivery; local 

and regional development; decentralisation 

policies; support to local government 

associations; and sustainable urban 

development. We often establish partnerships 

between municipalities as a way to 

learn and grow together. 

Our work is demand-driven and resultoriented. 

We utilise expertise and knowhow 

from our extensive pool of experts 

within SALAR and from Swedish local and 

regional governments. When appropriate, 

we engage international and local experts 

in our project teams to add complementary 

specialist skills and knowledge. 

It is our firm conviction that gender equality 

is an essential part of a well-functioning 

democracy; something municipalities 

have contributed to considerably in 

Sweden. That’s why gender mainstreaming 

is an important feature in our projects. 

We believe that growth and development 

have to be sustainable. The idea of environmental, 

social and financial sustainability 

is at the centre of every project. 

Our partners range from government ministries, 

associations of local governments 

and individual municipalities and regions, 

to local partners in the form of NGOs or 

other civil society representatives. 

SKL International is financed entirely 

through its projects. Our clients include 

the Swedish International Development 

Agency (Sida) and other bilateral donors, 

the European Commission and the UN. 

The Core 

At SKL International a core team of employed 

staff manages the commitments of the 

organisation, mainly as project managers. 

In addition to this, our associated consultants 

add valuable knowledge and dedication to the 

foundation on which we base our long term 

commitment to projects and relations. 

The core team and associated consultants 

during 2014 have been: 

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT 

ROW 1 Aneza Dizdarevic | Anna Backmann 

Annakarin Lindberg | Arben Qesku | Belhassen Turki 

ROW 2 Catharina Sparr | David Young | Erik Faxgård 

Florence Mutumba | Fredrik Lundkvist 

ROW 3 Gülsen Can | Håkan Gustafsson | Hoda Saad 

Klas Groth | Lars-Eric Ericsson 

ROW 4 Lena Falcón | Magnus Liljeström 

Mats Jarnhammar | Oya Otman | Paul Dixelius 

ROW 5 Ryan Knox | Suzanne Krook 

Tommy Holm | Tony Levitas 

SKL International AB | 118 82 Stockholm, Sweden | Phone +46 8 452 70 00 | www.sklinternational.se 

All texts and photos by SKL International staff and colleagues, unless otherwise mentioned.

OPERATIONAL REVIEW SKL INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL RESULTS 2014 03 

During the year we have 

put a lot of focus on 

strengthening the capacity of 

project managers in terms 

of financial management and 

to define the roles in 

the finance and 

administration 

processes 

Developing checks and 

balances at the finance 

department 

Sometimes overlooked 

by project managers 

and from time to 

time challenging for 

management, but the 

reality is that financial 

controls and project 

administration are the 

start and end of SKL 

International’s business. 

The obligations involved in donor agreements 

and partner contracts govern how 

things are run in the company, in terms of 

results but clearly also when it comes to 

having the right checks and balances in 

place. A stable finance department, well 

established routines and clear processes 

governing the work is a fundament for 

the company. 

“Every year the company goes through 

the statutory audit, in accordance with 

the Companies Act. This examination 

is done on the company’s accountancy 

and annual report and of the management,” 

says Ms Catharina Sparr, Finance 

Manager at SKL International. 

In addition to this, every project is 

audited at least on an annual basis. 

“During the year we have put a lot of 

focus on strengthening the capacity of 

project managers in terms of financial 

management and to define the roles 

in the finance and administration processes” 

Catharina Sparr continues. “Our 

auditors have encouraged us to do this to 

increase accuracy and to mitigate the risk 

of putting all eggs in one basket, which is 

the case if too much of financial management 

is taking place only at the finance 

department.” 

Today SKL International has two full time 

staff in the finance and admin department, 

apart from Catharina Sparr, Ms 

Florence Mutumba joined the company 

during the year as finance assistant. In 

addition, Ms Hoda Saad is dividing her 

time between her job as project coordinator 

with the role of day-to-day finance/ 

admin support to the more complex 

projects. 

“I see a clear constructive development 

in terms of the division of roles when it 

comes to financial management in the 

projects,” says Mr Håkan Gustafsson, 

Managing Director. Catharina Sparr 

agrees, and adds; “The changes we have 

made to roles and routines are definitely 

a development, and the audit report this 

year really supports the results. But this is 

an ongoing process and we will continue 

to push for change also during 2015.” 

Finance Manager Catharina Sparr and 

Finance Assistant Florence Mutumba 

By Magnus Liljeström 

& Hoda Saad 

Reflections 

from the 

board 

The board of SKL International is 

composed of elected representatives 

and staff from the Swedish 

Association of Local Authorities 

and Regions. They are appointed in 

accordance with the election cycle of 

the mother organisation which means 

that the current board will soon end 

its formal engagement and a new 

board will be nominated during 2015. 

We asked the outgoing board 

members to reflect on their personal 

engagement and their four years 

leading the company. 

Mr Lars O. Molin 

My interest and engagement in international 

development goes back to the 

sixties, when southern Africa was in the 

focus. During the seventies it switched 

to Afghanistan, which turned into a 

full-time engagement for me personally. 

In the eighties I started a development 

organisation working in cooperation 

with the Tunisian women’s organisation 

Union National de la Femme Tunisienne. 

Since the turn of the century, I have 

mainly been engaged in the Council 

of Europe as a thematic rapporteur 

on Human Rights and as chair of the 

Congress Monitoring Committee. 

No matter where I’ve been active, my 

engagement has always been built 

on values that form the basis for my 

life: the unique and equal value of all 

human beings. 

As I have an old and dear relation to 

Tunisia, I’m very happy about the 

company’s engagement there. The 

decentralisation project is important 

in the process of building a local 

democracy that is firmly rooted in the 

population. The Arab spring started 

here and Tunisia is the country in the 

region that has the best conditions for 

The board of SKL International AB during 2014 has consisted of Mr Jerker Stattin, Director of 

International Affairs at SALAR, Mr Lars O Molin, Chair of the Municipal Assembly in Örebro and Chairman 

of the Monitoring Committee of the Council of Europe’s Charter of Local Self-Government, 

Mr Michael Sandin, Councillor in Skåne Region and Ms Ann Beskow, Elected representative in the City 

of Gothenburg. Managing Director Håkan Gustafsson to the right. 

building a true democracy with respect 

for human rights. 

Ms Ann Beskow 

At our annual meeting, my involvement 

in the board of SKL International will 

come to an end. After 40 years in local 

politics it’s time for something else. 

One thing I want to leave behind is a 

genuine wish that more people and 

organisations knew about the work of 

SKL International. Take for example two 

of the countries where the company is 

deeply involved, Ukraine and Iraq. Every 

day we are flooded with news from these 

areas. News that provokes thoughts 

around how people manage to carry 

on with their lives under these circumstances. 

How can they continue building 

a democracy and create an open 

society for the future? To then realise the 

contributions in the name of democracy 

that are actually being made in these 

countries by SKL International, and that 

we have so much to share and so much 

to learn would be an eye-opener for 

many people. 

I believe it would increase the trust in 

the possibilities of democracy and the 

understanding of Sweden’s role in the 

world. 

Mr Michael Sandin 

I have always seen myself as an 

internationalist, which to me means 

working for a deeper understanding 

across borders and against intolerance. 

And I believe that it is important that 

municipalities adapt to this perspective, 

particularly if we are to be serious when 

we talk about better inclusion in society 

for people coming from other countries 

to Sweden. 

Looking back at 2014, I’m particularly 

proud of our new project in Ukraine. Of 

course it’s a challenging environment, 

but I think that we always shall be 

prepared to enter into difficult settings, 

as long as we know where to put our 

feet and whom to cooperate with. The 

potential results of such interventions 

are often larger than in other settings. 

During the four years I have followed 

the company, I can see a clear 

development towards an ever more 

professional organisation with a wider 

range of sources for financing and wider 

geographic and thematic areas of work. 

Mr Jerker Stattin 

As Head of the International section at 

SALAR I see the work of SKL International 

in perhaps a bit of a different light 

than other board members. SALAR’s 

involvement in international affairs is 

deeply rooted in our political structure 

as well as in our administrative system 

organisation and SKL International is 

one of three vehicles for our work. The 

other two are the International Section 

at SALAR, which focuses mainly on the 

European Union, because of its direct 

and indirect effect on our members, 

and the International Centre for Local 

Democracy, which promotes municipal 

partnerships between local authorities 

in Sweden and their peers in low and 

middle income countries. 

If I look back at my time on the Board, 

I conclude that the company has gradually 

moved from thematically based 

projects to more complex and reform 

oriented programmes. The recently 

contracted SymbioCity Kenya is a very 

interesting example of this as it sets 

off from the decentralisation process 

in the country, and is strengthening a 

local government association by using 

sustainable urban development as a 

thematic intervention area.

OPERATIONAL REVIEW 


By Håkan Gustafsson, 

Managing Director 

Navigating complex 

public sector reforms 

For SKL International, 2014 was characterised by more complex projects than ever 

before – moving from predominantly sector-specific support to all-encompassing 

multifaceted reform processes. 

The most common denominators among 

these new projects are that they have 

decentralisation in focus and that they 

all have their origin in a new type of need 

and expectation from donors as well as 

beneficiaries. 

I see three main aspects behind this 

trend: 

▶▶ 

▶▶ 

▶▶ 

Decentralisation and reform 

programs in general are complex 

undertakings. This means that 

unpredictable challenges can be 

expected down the road, which 

makes detailed terms of references 

and plans easily outdated and too 

rigid for their purpose. 

Working on reforms tends 

to exhaust resources of the 

pioneering institutions. This is 

a motivating factor for them to go 

for a limited number of supporting 

agencies that are working with them 

in a flexible set-up, rather than the 

traditional project setting of working 

for them, sometimes with overall 

delivery pressure making them less 

responsive to the real roadblocks for 

the reform. 

Reform processes take time to 

implement and rely on election 

cycles before they can be 

fully realised. It means that the 

institution in charge will not see real 

change without long term commitment 

covering crucial parts of the 

duration of the reform. If a reform 

process is partial and incomplete 

in its details – keeping the ultimate 

beneficiary, the citizen, in mind – 

there is always a risk that counter 

arguments will prevail. 

We have responded to these realities 

from donors and beneficiaries by recommending 

a type of navigation team 

responsible for creating a structure for 

process coaching. The navigation team 

is working in close contact with the 

people in charge of the reforms, to better 

understand what kind of support will add 

value to existing gaps and what is considered 

necessary to bring reforms forward 

in what in itself is an unpredictable and 

complex environment. 

As we have more recently been 

confronted with similar requests from 

different regions such as MENA and 

Eastern Europe, it seems to me that this 

is not a coincidence. The trend is rather 

driven by a demand from overburdened 

institutions to pursue reforms in a policy 

climate in which citizens expect more 

from the political elite than what they 

have delivered up to this point. So there 

is a sense of urgency among these champions 

(of the reform process), an urgency 

which creates demand for proper and 

easily accessed support that does not 

cause administrative burdens. 

A novelty in the arrangements 

for support 

Given harsh conditions for reforms 

due to scepticism rooted in previous 

failures and - as always - vested interests 

in the status quo, there seems also to 

be a widespread consensus that this 

is the last opportunity for a successful 

move from a corrupt past. This sense of 

urgency and pressure on the agents in 

charge of reform creates an emphasis on 

efficiency and simplicity in how support 

is provided. It seems however that the 

donor community, with the exception of 

Sida, has yet to adjust to this reality. 

The workload caused by ongoing 

reforms tends to exhaust the institutions 

in charge, which indirectly limits the 

capacity to fully utilise donor support 

due to scarce human resources. This can 

be problematic as it risks creating vague 

demands and thereby reducing the 

potential added value provided by the 

international community. 

So part of the demand that we have seen 

lately is obviously rooted in donor fatigue 

combined with pressure on beneficiaries 

to avoid engagements that might not 

meet expectations. On the other hand, 

if the international support can meet 

the need for simple and responsive 

interaction, then there is a match! This is 

basically a positive development in line 

with the common understanding that 

innovation is borne from demand. In this 

case this is through insights among leaders 

of poorly staffed institutions that the 

modalities for technical assistance need 

another setup in order to be efficient. A 

setup that is built on closer and longer 

relationships. 

What we have witnessed during 2014 is 

a demand for easily accessed guidance, 

which is built on relevant, and preferably 

timely and on-the-spot, experience, so as 

to avoid straining the limited resources 

of the institutions in charge. In the case 

of SKL International we are able to 

provide this kind of long term commitment 

through partnership agreements, 

a well suited model for building close 

relationships as a foundation for flexible 

response to upcoming demands. This 

means technical advisors can be defined 

as the need occurs rather than being 

locked into detailed predetermined 

proposals and commitments before the 

project has even started. 

Flexible support downplays 

pre-defined project results 

The global perspective among donor 

organisations seems to be increasingly 

moving towards result-based agendas 

and strategies. Projects that take stock of 

uncertainty and open agendas provide 

a contrast to mainstream project design 

where results should be 

pre-defined. The difference 

between a flexible 

and a result oriented 

approach can partly be 

a matter of definition, 

as the overall objectives 

of capacity building 

projects can be set at 

early stage but this is 

definitely not the case for 

how support is provided. 

Support in complex 

reform processes need 

to be extremely flexible 

and profound in addition 

to having a constant orientation towards 

activities that can add most value. For 

donors and supporting organisations, 

these jointly managed projects also 

seem to create challenges for evaluators 

as the results and outcome will depend 

on joint actions. Who deserves to be 

blamed or honoured for the (lack of) 

achievements? And how to assess ongoing 

guidance provided by the supporting 

(implementing is not really a valid terminology 

in this context) partner? 

Efficiency to redress dualism in 

project design 

There is an underlying logic in the donor 

community as well as among implementing 

agencies to be visible and also 

to try to impose methods, concepts and 

practices referred to as national good 

practice or “European standards”. Among 

project implementers there is another 

trend which is about promoting economies 

of scale through “products” that are 

provided “off-the-shelf”. 

Our experience is that well informed 

leaders in charge of reform processes 

are increasingly suspicious about such 

offers. I believe that the way the “new” 

demand is articulated is also a symptom 

“Support in complex 

reform processes need 

to be extremely flexible 

and profound in addition 

to having a constant 

orientation towards 

activities that can add most 

value.” 

of reactions towards a dualism in the 

setup of projects - built on assumptions 

that projects are not just designed to be 

supportive to the beneficiary but also to 

the image of the implementing agency 

as well as the goodwill of a donor. This 

can be visualised through high profiles of 

projects manifested in smart logos and 

acronyms. 

SKL International prefers to work in close 

cooperation with the institutions and 

organisations that we are supporting 

and in tight dialogue with the donor. This 

provides for opportunities to build up 

confidence among the actors involved 

and is in a way a means to de-brand 

activities in favour of the institutions 

in charge, which can make something 

positive out of the credibility achieved 

through the projects. 

So how do we act on these 

demands for support? 

We are looking at these tendencies 

manifested in a demand for navigation 

in reform processes as something very 

positive and we are certainly eager to 

promote this kind of support. We are 

doing this in different ways: 

The dialogue with donors and beneficiaries 

is key. Inception periods should be 

long enough to provide well informed 

input about the conditions for project 

implementation. 

A system perspective must guide the 

operations - meaning that the set-up 

should be inclusive, transparent and 

flexible to allow for adjustments as key 

aspects and true “vehicles” for change 

are taken on board. 

Avoid ready-made models and concepts 

applied in other contexts and countries. 

Examples can be useful to keep in mind 

and learn from, but every country and 

every situation is unique. Copy-andpaste 

is not just per se a questionable 

approach but can also result in a narrowing 

of the scope or wrong focus and 

cause a costly loss of energy. 

Promoting flexible design of projects and 

programs for constant adjustments to 

enable delivery on demand rather in line 

with a pre-defined result. This is however 

a challenge given that result strategies 

and guaranteed results are the vocabulary 

à la mode. 

The need for more adaptable setups 

to evolving challenges in projects will 

create a partly new trilateral interaction 

between project, beneficiary and donor 

which is also sensitive, given the obvious 

insight that donors should stay out of 

implementation and that their time and 

resources are limited. 

A connected challenge related to the 

more blurred roles in these kinds of 

project setups is that results might not 

always be easy to isolate in terms of 

cause and effect, attribution and contribution. 

Another challenge relates to forecasts 

of risks when projects rely on fragile 

partners, a situation where, on the 

other hand, this type of support is most 

needed. 

I believe that these are challenges that 

will need to be confronted by donors. 

They are also reason to think and 

strategise in more pluralistic manners 

on how support is best provided. Our 

missions during 2014 provide an interesting 

set of experiences that I think will 

provide thought-provoking lessons for 

future capacity building in complex and 

sensitive policy contexts. We have been 

very motivated to embark on these challenges 

and we will be happy share the 

experiences down the road. 

Managing 

Director Håkan 

Gustafsson (left) 

together with 

Deputy Minister 

Vyacheslav 

Negoda at the 

signing of the 

MoU between 

SALAR, SKL 

International 

and the Ministry 

of Regional 

Development in 

Ukraine.



Headlines in 


January 

Follow up study on Public 

Administration Reform in Kosovo 

As part of the Sida Framework 

Agreement for Democracy 

and Public Administration, 

SKL International conducted a 

study to assess specific areas 

and programmes for Sida support 

to public administration 

reform in Kosovo. The study 

was a follow-up to an analysis 

conducted by SKL International 

and its partners in 2013, which 

February 

had focused at support options 

more broadly within both 

Kosovo and Albania. The study 

assessed three proposed priority 

areas and potential partners 

for assistance as identified by 

Sida, namely the Office of the 

Prime Minister and Ministry 

of Finance Agency for Gender 

Equality and Local Governance 

and Decentralisation. 

Reunion of Swedish municipalities 

participating in SymbioCity pilot projects 

The municipalities of Helsingborg, 

Borås and Eskilstuna 

participated in SymbioCity pilot 

projects in China and Indonesia 

during 2012 and 2013. The 

purpose was to strengthen 

the cooperating cities’ (Duyun, 

Probolinggo and Palu) ability and 

capacity to engage in sustainable 

urban development. In early 

2014 the three municipalities 

participated in an evaluation 

March 

seminar in Stockholm with 

the ambition of reviewing the 

lessons learnt and experiences 

from the collaborations in 

order to improve similar project 

collaborations in the future. 

The seminar highlighted the 

important role that the municipal 

participants had in making the 

projects successful through their 

involvement, input and not least, 

commitment. 

April 

SKL International hosts Jordanian 

delegation in Stockholm and Skåne 

In late April, a high-level 

delegation from Jordan visited 

Sweden as a part of an 

EU-funded Twinning and 

Institutional Exchange (TAIEX) 

study visit on Decentralisation 

of Public Services. The group 

was composed of the Governor 

of the Local Development 

Directorate in the Ministry of 

Interior, Governor of Amman 

and Amman City Manager. 

In light of recently-articulated 

proposals for decentralisation 

in Jordan, the purpose of the 

visit was to explore EU best 

practices in decentralisation of 

public service, concentrating 

in particular on the division 

of responsibility within and 

between different tiers of 

government and to investigate 

the mechanisms for public 

accountability and transparency. 

In addition to visiting the host 

institution SKL International, 

the group also had meetings 

in Stockholm with the Swedish 


and Regions, Stockholm 

County Council, Stockholm 

Business Alliance, the Council 

of Stockholm Mälar Region 

and SRV waste management 

authority. 

In Skåne, the group had constructive 

discussions based on 

the evolving context in Jordan 

with the County Governor and 

County Administrative Board, 

Region Skåne and the City of 

Malmö. In addition, the group 

was able to visit a Centre for 

Citizens Dialogue in the City of 

Malmö. 

You are invited to join the discussion at 

the World Urban Forum in Medellin! 

SKL International made 

a broad invitation to its 

Networking Event; “How 

can one plus one make 

three?! Finding innovative 

solutions through the 

SymbioCity Approach” 

at the seventh World 

Urban Forum in Medellín, 

Colombia. 

May 

Research paper on the State of 

Decentralisation in Eurasia presented in 

Tblisi, Georgia 

At the “Seminar for Dialogue and Capacity Building of Local and 

Regional Authorities in Eurasia in the Fields of Development and 

Local Governance”, SKL International and partners presented 

a research paper focusing on the state of decentralisation 

in the region. The seminar was arranged by Platforma, a 

European platform of local and regional authorities engaged in 

development cooperation. 

The research paper concludes that there have certainly been 

decentralisation reforms in most countries of the Eurasia 

region, and a development of local self-governance during the 

past 10-15 years. Yet decentralisation processes are frequently 

inspired by a wish to do away with the excessive centralisation 

inherited from Soviet times, rather than by an understanding 

of the advantages of a proper distribution of authority between 

various levels of power. As a result, many local authorities have 

had to assume the responsibilities without the relevant authority 

or resources required to fulfil them successfully. 

It is within this framework that Platforma partners try to help 

reinforce the institutional and operational capacities of local and 

regional authorities in Eurasia countries, particularly in the field of 

good governance and local development. 

June 

Kick-off for Collaborative Platform for Sustainable 

Suburban Dynamics 

On June 18, SKL International 

participated in an inspiring 

kick-off for the Vinnova-funded 

project called ”Collaborative 

Platform for Sustainable 

Suburban Dynamics” or 

“Södertörnsmodellen” in 

Swedish. 

The project is designed to meet 

the challenges for sustainable, 

attractive cities by developing 

innovative forms for citizen 

participation and stakeholder 

collaboration for sustainable 

urban development in 

suburban municipalities. Ten 

“test beds” will be connected 

to municipal activities in 

the Swedish municipalities 

of Södertörn (Huddinge, 

Haninge, Botkyrka, Södertälje, 

Nynäshamn, Tyresö, Nykvarn 

och Salem). For each test 

bed, a think tank will be 

formed with representatives 

from the municipalities, 

the construction industry, 

consultants and researchers 

who will develop innovative 

solutions for sustainable 

urban development based on 

stakeholder collaboration. 

The project is managed by 

the Swedish architectural firm 

White. Other actors involved 

in the project are: the Royal 

Giresun and Ordu signing up for equality 

Within the framework of the 

municipal partnership project 

“Turkish Swedish Equality 

Network”, Ordu and Giresun 

municipalities in Turkey hosted 

a partner meeting to sign the 

European Charter for Equality 

of Women and “Men in Local 

Life”. The Charter was signed by 

Mr Seyit Torun, Mayor of Ordu, 

and Mr Kerim Aksu, Mayor of 

Giresun. By signing the Charter 

the local authorities of Ordu 

and Giresun have made a public 

commitment to the principle 

of equality of women and men. 

They are well on their way to 

draw up an Equality Action 

Plan based on the standards of 

the Charter. 

In connection with the two 

signing events, the Swedish 

Institute of Technology; 

the municipalities of 

Södertörn; Sweden 

Green Building Council; 

engineering firm WSP; 

Skanska; Ecoloop; Nordregio 

and Södertörn University. 

SKL International’s role will 

be to provide international 

best practices and knowledge 

as well as to disseminate 

project results through its 

vast network of international 

stakeholders in the field 

of sustainable urban 

development. 

gender equality expert Ms Ann- 

Sofie Lagercrantz from Kalmar 

municipality performed a 

lecture on the principles of the 

Charter. The audience for this 

presentation was representatives 

from NGOs, politicians, 

managers and employees in the 

municipality. 

The core group of the project 

met in a workshop focused on 

the baseline reports from each 

municipality. The figures and 

statistics presented show that 

there is an undisputed gender 

gap in most areas. The partnership 

project will continue to analyse 

the information and collect 

complementary data. 

SKL International’s 

role will be to provide 

international best practices 

and knowledge as well as to 

disseminate project results 

through its vast network of 

international stakeholders 

in the field of sustainable 

urban development. 

→



July 

Local decision makers from Iraq in Sweden 

During the summer a delegation 

of 14 participants from Iraq visited 

Gothenburg and Stockholm 

to study aspects of local governance. 

The delegation was headed 

by the Governor of Diwaniyah, 

Dr Ammar Albualikhan and consisted 

of members from the provincial 

council, a parliamentarian 

and leading managers from the 

social care sector. 

The visit was part of a component 

of the “Governance in Social 

Care” project, which focus on the 

role of local elected representatives 

and their role in planning, 

managing and following up on 

public service delivery. Iraq is in 

the middle of a radical decentralisation 

reform where the 

social services sector, amongst 

others, will be devolved to the 

provincial level. This will drastically 

change the mandates and 

roles for elected representatives 

and staff in all provinces. 

“We have noticed how vital it 

is with a continuous dialogue, 

not just between central and 

local decision makers, but also 

between elected representatives 

and the executive organs of the 

province. The lack of dialogue 

risks creating conflicts or misunderstandings 

that in the end will 

be a threat to the most vulnerable 

groups“ said Ms Zainab 

Al-Abedi, head of the women’s 

committee in the Diwaniyah 

provincial council. 

During the week the delegation 

met a variety of local decision 

makers in Gothenburg as well 

as Västra Hisingen, visited social 

care institutions in Gothenburg 

and Stockholm and discussed 

with former minister Ms 

Lena Hjelm Wallén about her 

experience of what it takes to 

achieve long term sustainable 

political decisions. 

The ongoing Syrian crisis and IS 

developments have affected the 

Diwaniyah province to a lesser 

extent that many other parts 

of the country, although many 

young men from the province 

have travelled north to participate 

in the conflict and many 

internal refugees have entered 

the province. 

Diwaniyah province is one of the 

poorest areas in Iraq with many 

groups that are socially and 

economically exposed. In order 

to develop the province with a 

long-term perspective, the leadership 

of the province are eager 

to cooperate also with partners 

outside the country. It is the 

hope of the Diwaniyah Governor 

that a continued and broadened 

cooperation with Gothenburg will 

be created; “We don’t lack money 

or other resources. What we need 

is knowledge and long-term 

relations with sound cooperation 

partners. Sweden has a good 

reputation in Iraq and we hope 

to work together closely in the 

future”. 

Snapshots from social care institutions and political meetings in Gothenburg and Stockholm. LEFT: Governor of Diwaniyah, Dr Ammar Albualikhan visiting the Gothenburg City 

Council Chairman, Ms Lena Malm and the Chairman of the Executive Board of the City of Gothenburg, Ms Anneli Hulthén. 

August 

Strengthening the voice of citizens in Kyrgyzstan 

SKL International carried out 

its first evaluation mission 

in Kyrgyzstan during August. 

The assignment reviewed the 

project “Strengthen Voice and 

Accountability: citizens participation 

in budgetary process” (VAP), 

which is jointly funded by the 

Swiss Development Cooperation 

and UK Department for 

International Development. 

The aim of VAP is to strengthen 

demand for services (voice of 

citizens) by working with the 

population and Local Self- 

Governments (LSGs) in rural 

areas. The project includes three 

main focus areas: 

▶▶ 

▶▶ 

Local communities (including 

civil society organisations) 

are participating 

in public service delivery 

management 

LSGs governing and managing 

capacity improved to 

respond citizens’ needs 

October 

▶▶ 

Improved LSG legislation 

to enhance proper 

decentralisation process. 

The overall project duration of 

VAP is eleven years, delivered 

in phases. The first phase of 

implementation started in May 

2012 and is due to end in March 

2015, with funding of CHF 7.68 

million. 

High-level delegation from Myanmar to 

study multi-level governance and 

decentralized public administration systems 

A high-level delegation from 

Myanmar visited Sweden from 

27 September – 3 October, supported 

by UNDP Myanmar and 

its programme for strengthening 

institutions in local governance 

and decentralisation. 

The group composed of 16 

delegates including the Deputy 

Minister of Home Affairs, two 

Regional Ministers, senior government 

directors, policy makers 

and key personnel directing 

public administration reform in 

Myanmar and senior staff from 

UNDP. 

The study visit supported the 

Myanmar delegation to explore 

the Swedish multi-layered 

system of governance and the 

division of responsibilities 

between national government, 

ministries, government agencies, 

regions, county councils and 

municipalities. The visit aimed 

at supporting a broader exploration 

of practices and procedures 

related to the local and regional 

levels, as well as the establishment 

of effective monitoring 

and dialogue between public 

institutions. The visit involved 

several meetings with concerned 

national and local authorities/ 

governments and agencies as 

well as the Swedish Association 

The purpose of the evaluation 

was to review of the performance 

of VAP during its first 

implementation phase and 

define the strategy for the second 

phase, which will run from 

April 2015 to March 2018. The 

mission involved an intensive 

programme with visits to LSGs 

in Jalalabad and Issky-Kul 

Oblasts, in addition to meetings 

in Bishkek with project stakeholders, 

including concerned 

Ministries, the Parliament and 

the Union of LSGs. 

Dr Zaw Oo, senior research fellow and 

Director of research at the Centre for 

Economic and Social Development of 

the Myanmar Development Resource 

Institute, also serving as a member 

of President Thein Sein’s National 

Economic and Social Advisory Council. 

of Local Authorities and Regions 

(SALAR), to assess and understand 

the institutional relationships 

between actors. Further, a 

detailed exploration of political, 

administrative and financial 

aspects concerning decentralisation 

was provided and discussed 

in the context of Myanmar local 

administration. 

September 

Mashrek seminar 

for regional and 

local authorities 

Together with Cités Unies 

France (CUF) and United 

Cities and Local Government 

(UCLG), SKL International’s 

regional office in Amman 

hosted a seminar involving 

local and regional authorities 

from the Mashrek region from 

24 – 25 September. The seminar 

is part of a global project 

managed by Platforma, an 

initiative co-financed by the 

European Commission that 

aims to improve European 

support to local and regional 

authorities and involve them 

in policy development. 

As a part of the seminar, 

SKL International delivered 

a discussion paper on the 

challenges and opportunities 

to support decentralisation 

in the region, with a focus on 

three country case studies 

of Lebanon, Jordan and 

Yemen. This was followed by 

a panel discussion involving 

representatives from across 

the region, where further 

reflections were provided to 

be integrated into the discussion 

paper. 

The seminar was noteworthy 

given the context in the 

region, with participants highlighting 

both challenges and 

opportunities that might stem 

from the current instability. 

Over 60 participants from 

Jordan, Palestine, Syria, 

Lebanon, Egypt, Yemen and 

Sudan attended the seminar. 

Representatives came from a 

range of actors including central 

governments, regional 

and local authorities, civil 

society and international 

development partners. 

→



December 

NovembeR 

SymbioCity studies Zimbabwe 

After having fostered and 

developed the SymbioCity 

Approach from 2010 to 2014 

the Approach is taking a 

step to the next level. Part 

of designing the SymbioCity 

2.0 programme has been to 

identify countries and cities 

suitable for SymbioCity city 

projects. Suitable in the sense 

that for example the national 

government shows engagement 

in the urban sector, that 

there is political support and 

capacity at local level and that 

there is openness to testing 

new approaches and challenging 

existing structures. In 

November 2014, Zimbabwe 

was among the first countries 

to be assessed. 

Although there have been 

some regressive trends in 

Zimbabwe over the past 15 

years, capacity at local level 

is still high in comparison to 

neighbouring countries. The 

international attitude towards 

Zimbabwe has also softened 

in recent times and sanctions 

have been lifted. 

This also means that bilateral 

co-operation is gradually 

increasing and the Swedish 

Embassy looks with optimism 

on future developments. 

The assessment team 

from SKL International 

was generally positive, 

particularly with 

regard to the future 

potential of Zimbabwe. 

Urban Advisor, Mr Mats 

Jarnhammar, had vivid 

impressions; “I see great 

potential in combining 

the SymbioCity Approach 

with the human capacity of 

Zimbabwean local governments. 

We can really help 

them get back on track”. 

Although there have 

been some regressive 

trends in Zimbabwe 

over the past 15 years, 

capacity at local level is 

still high in comparison 

to neighbouring 

countries. 

New plans to build 

the capacity of 

local government 

actors in Jordan 

This five-month assignment to 

assess Jordan’s institutional 

and organisational capacity 

for local government was 

undertaken as part of the 

EU project “Promoting Local 

Economic Development in 

Jordan” (PLEDJ). The project 

is being implemented at the 

central level by the Local 

Development Directorate (LDD) 

of the Ministry of Interior and 

Local Development Units in 

the 12 Governorates of Jordan 

(GLDUs). The global objective 

of this assignment was to help 

build the organisational capacities 

of LDD and GLDUs. 

SKL International’s team 

assisted the Director of LDD 

to assess the institutional and 

organisational capacity development 

needs for LDD/GLDUs 

and to develop three-year 

training plans for each category 

of staff of LDD and LDUs. This 

was based on a sound analysis 

of priorities and emphasised 

the provision of training offered 

in Jordan. 

During the course of the 

assignment the Government 

of Jordan launched the 

preliminary drafts of a 

new regulation concerning 

Governorate Councils 

and a new Municipality 

Law. Consequently, SKL 

International’s team was 

requested to expand their 

scope of work to take into 

consideration the decentralisation 

proposals, specifically by 

outlining anticipated future 

roles and capacity development 

needs in addition to the 

short- and medium-term training 

needs that were included 

within the original scope of the 

assignment. 

In addition to the above 

deliverables, the team was 

asked to outline anticipated 

LDD and GLDU roles and functions, 

as well as staff profiles, 

manpower requirements and 

organisational structures for 

LDD and GLDUs. 

Photos by Oksana Sappa 

One year after 

EuroMaidan 

Ukraine navigating between 

opportunities and constraints 

About the 

Project: 

Project name: Support to 

Decentralisation in Ukraine 

Duration: 2014 - 2017 

Budget: 31 750 000 SEK from 

Sida 

Main Partner: Ministry of 

Regional Development, 

Construction and Municipal 

Economy of Ukraine 

Project Organisation: A 

joint Ukrainian- Swedish 

Secretariat with office in Kiev 

and Stockholm 

Since the EuroMaidan revolution in February 2014, Ukraine has experienced 

dramatic changes and challenges. On the one hand, the revolution revived hopes 

for change and created widespread public support and political will to resume 

reforms of the country. On the other hand, there are numerous constraints 

to successful implementation of the reforms, like the conflict in Eastern Ukraine that 

continues to claim victims and deteriorate the country’s economy. In this critical 

situation, decentralisation is seen as one of the most important reforms to stabilise the 

country and to move Ukraine towards integration with the European community. 

→


As an important part of the Swedish 

Government’s support to Ukraine, SKL 

International kick-started a three-year long 

project in September 2014 to support the 

decentralisation process in Ukraine. 

Ambitious Reform Agenda 

Since the mid-1990s, Ukraine’s system of 

public administration has been the subject 

of almost continual reform, without 

yet really freeing itself from its Soviet-past. 

Discussion on the need for decentralisation 

has been ongoing for years but 

without any real changes. 

The EuroMaidan revolution triggered an 

urgent need for large-scale reform that 

can move the country towards effective 

and stable governance and provide for 

the country’s citizens while also addressing 

the regional tensions that have been 

inflamed through the conflict in the 

east. This opportunity was grasped by 

the new government that was formed 

after ex-president Viktor Yanukovych’s 

flight to Russia. In April 2014, a concept 

for reformation of local self-government 

was approved by the new government 

whose primary goal is actual devolution 

and delegation of powers, together with 

adequate financial means, to representatives 

of local communities. This decentralisation 

reform is seen as one of the 

most critical for creating effective public 

institutions. It can also help to ensure that 

regions feel that their local specifics are 

taken into account while being part of the 

Ukrainian state. 

Reform-oriented Parliament 

The Ukrainian Parliament, Verkhovna 

Rada, has an important role to play in 

the country’s decentralisation process 

since it requires adoption of new laws 

and changes to the existing constitution. 

Therefore, the results of the parliamentary 

elections in October are seen as a signal 

in right direction with a majority of the 

seats taken by political parties that are 

dedicated to democratic reforms and 

EU-integration. At the end of 2014, the new 

parliament approved a series of changes 

to budget and tax legislation that will 

allow regional and local administrations 

to collect more money for their budgets. 

During 2015, additional key laws will have 

to be approved related to important issues 

such as territorial reforms and distribution 

of authority. 

Q 

In your view, how can the 

parliament play an important 

role during the reform process? In 

what way does the new composition 

present an opportunity for reforms? 

Kostiantyn Gavrylov 

Liaison Officer for 

SKL International 

in Ukraine 

“For the first 

time since 

independence, 

the Ukrainian people have 

elected a pro-European and 

reform-oriented Parliament. The 

Coalition Agreement between 

politicians shows a strong 

political will to reform the 

State. Considering the very busy 

reform schedule and an urgent 

need to carry out the reforms, 

most of which rely on amending 

current or introducing new 

legislation, Parliament may 

become a “watchdog” of the 

reform launch and follow-up 

process.” 

People Demanding Change 

The realisation of proposed decentralisation 

reforms depends heavily on demand 

for change among the population. Lack 

of public support may result in the 

postponement of urgent, but potentially 

unpopular reforms. The EuroMaidan 

revolution, sometimes referred to as the 

“Revolution of Dignity”, has helped to 

facilitate a relatively strong consensus 

in the country regarding the urgency of 

reforms, and Russian aggression towards 

Ukraine has helped to strengthen this. 

Further, the consensus on the need for 

reform has helped to establish a broad 

coalition of civil society organisations. 

Therefore, this support among the wider 

population represents an opportunity for 

decentralisation reforms to succeed. 

Q 

Why is popular support important 

for the reform process? Popular 

support is never to be taken for granted, 

what can be done to keep it up? 

Erik Faxgård 

Project 

Manager at SKL 

International 

“Popular 

support for 

reform is as 

important as it is complex and 

difficult to predict. I believe that 

in order to grant any popular 

support one has to connect to 

the national “mood” of the 

people. Only talking about 

how well things are going will 

not be effective if a majority 

of the public believes that the 

country is heading in the wrong 

direction. Leaders need instead 

to connect with public sentiment 

on how people feel. There is a 

need to take these sentiments 

seriously and to communicate 

in a way that acknowledges 

that things are not going as 

they should. If the reforms are 

already in place and things are 

not going well, explain why that 

is the case or how the reforms 

will deal with it.” 

Escalating Conflict in the East 

At present, it is impossible to forecast 

how the conflict in eastern Ukraine will 

end and when. After the annexation of 

Crimea by Russia, some 5 000 people have 

already lost their lives and over 11 000 been 

wounded since the conflict started in April 

2014. The continuing conflict also creates 

complications for the decentralisation 

process. As of early 2015, the national government 

does not control highly urbanised, 

border areas of Donetsk and Luhansk 

regions, and it is unclear if and when these 

regions will return to the control of the 

Ukrainian state. Although the decentralisation 

reforms could serve as critical means 

for re-integrating these regions into the 

state on the terms of the local population, 

there remains a serious threat that portions 

of eastern Ukraine will either fully secede 

from Ukraine or become disputed regions 

for a long time to come. 

Q 

Why/how does the conflict in 

Eastern Ukraine present a threat 

to the reform process? In your view, 

how can decentralisation be a mean to 

address the conflict and related 

tensions? 

Lena Falcon 

Project 

Manager at SKL 

International 

“The conflict 

constitutes 

a threat not 

only to the national security and 

territorial integrity of Ukraine 

but also to the reform process. 

The conflict puts a heavy burden 

on the Government of Ukraine 

that needs to handle a serious 

humanitarian situation while 

also maintaining a focus on 

the reform process. It will 

be important to support the 

Government to keep this parallel 

focus and support their reform 

efforts despite the financial and 

human constraints caused by the 

ongoing conflict.” 

Deteriorating Economy and 

Corruption 

Preparation and implementation of largescale 

reforms is a long process that requires 

large amounts of organisational capacity 

and financial resources. The conflict in 

Eastern Ukraine is having serious consequences 

for the country’s economy due to 

different factors such as increased defence 

spending, a weakened investment climate 

as well as loss of production and trade particularly 

after separatists seized Ukraine’s 

main industrial and coal-mining eastern 

regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. The 

deteriorating economic situation therefore 

also represents a serious challenge to the 

implementation of reform. 

Another constraint is the widespread corruption 

that emerges from different clientpatron 

networks in the country. Corruption 

in Ukraine has been an institutional phenomenon 

both at local and central levels 

for a long time, and it is difficult to see how 

this situation quickly could change. 

Q 

In what way do the deteriorating 

economy and corruption present 

threats to the reform process? 

Ieva Kalnina 

Lead Expert for SKL 

International in 

Ukraine 

“Strangely 

enough, both 

these factors 

can also be 

seen in a positive light. Recent 

population surveys revealed 

that citizens tend to trust 

their local self-governments 

more than they trust national 

and oblast governments. 

The aim of decentralisation 

reform is to channel more 

public money to lower levels 

of public administration and 

in that way promote higher 

transparency and control over 

the use of public money. As 

for economic downturn, it is 

always good to remember that 

economy is cyclical - there 

will always be ups which will 

be followed by downs, and 

downs will never last forever. 

Economic downturn presents 

an opportunity to look for 

diversification possibilities, 

to cut the unnecessary 

expenditures, to re-focus 

investments on education and 

innovation. Independent local 

self-governments can have more 

freedom to act in these areas.” 

Looking into the Future 

(Keeping the Spirit Alive) 

Despite Ukraine’s difficult situation at the 

present, the political will and expectation 

of change among society provide a 

The EuroMaidan 

revolution, sometimes 

referred to as the 

“Revolution of Dignity”, 

has helped to facilitate a 

relatively strong consensus 

in the country regarding 

the urgency of 

reforms 

window of opportunity for reforms. 

To keep this spirit alive, it will be important 

to continue to promote decentralisation 

and highlight how reforms can result in 

real improvements for the country’s residents. 

SKL International will address this 

aspect by collaborating with the Ukrainian 

Government and other key stakeholders 

and supporting important areas such 

as fiscal decentralisation, financing for 

education, and public communication of 

governance reforms.


Iraq - the 

PERFECT case for 

DECENTRALISATION? 

By Anna Backmann 

Official Launch of 

Ukrainian-Swedish 

cooperation 

On November 17, the Swedish 

Embassy in Kyiv, the Swedish 


and Regions (SALAR) and SKL 

International officially launched 

the three-year project “Support to 

Decentralization in Ukraine” in Kyiv. 

The successful event was jointly hosted 

with partners the Government of 

Ukraine (GoU) and attracted a broad 

representation of key stakeholders in 

decentralisation reforms in Ukraine. 

Mr Andreas von Beckerath, 

Ambassador of Sweden to Ukraine, 

opened the event by saying: “The 

Swedish Government is pleased 

to support Ukraine’s plans for 

decentralisation. We believe this is a 

positive step towards a stronger and 

more inclusive democracy in Ukraine. 

Sweden has a long tradition of local 

self-government and can share many 

experiences and examples with 

Ukraine”. 

The speech was followed by a keynote 

address by the First Deputy 

Minister of Regional Development 

Mr Vyacheslav Negoda. Remarks on 

behalf of SALAR were presented by Ms 

Carola Gunnarsson, Vice President of 

SALAR, followed by an outline of the 

project scope and design presented 

by the SKL International team. The 

launching event closed with a signing 

of Memorandum of Understanding 

MoU between the Ministry of Regional 

Development, SALAR and SKL 

International. A well-visited attended 

press conference followed. 

Top: Ms Iryna Skaliy, Programme Officer at the Section for Reform Support at the Swedish Embassy in Kiev 

Bottom: Mr Vyacheslav Negoda, First Deputy Minister at the Ministry for Regional Development in Ukraine 

A country with a multitude of tribes, a colourful palette of religions and a myriad of 

ethnicities could potentially be the ideal ground for a decentralised governing system. In 

April 2013, a critical amendment was made to the previously (2008) established Law 21, an 

amendment that opened up for local authorities in Iraq to govern themselves. 

Iraq is just like in the rest of the world 

where each region, no matter which 

tribe or ethnicity the majority of its 

inhabitants are, has different needs. 

And formally, there is a lot of space for 

local officials to make their own decisions. 

Article 122 of the Iraqi constitution actually 

gives the provincial councils power 

“in accordance with the principle of 

decentralised administration” and Article 

115 says that anything that the federal 

government isn’t responsible for, should 

be the responsibility of the provincial 

councils. 

But the Iraqi government has been hesitant 

to enforce those stipulations. Some would 

say that their principles have pushed Iraq 

closer to splitting, and becoming three different 

countries: Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish. 

Others mean that the reluctance comes 

from good grounds and that it in fact is 

the strong centralisation that has kept the 

country intact, until now. 

The amended version of the Provincial 

Powers Act, also known as Law 21, 

would have seen local governments 

choosing their own judiciary and their 

own heads of security. The law also 

gave them the power to deploy the Iraqi 

army inside and outside major cities. 

In fact the amendment, Article 14, says 

“the governor shall have direct authority 

over all the apparatuses operating in the 

province which are tasked with security 

About the 

Project: 

Project name: Governance 

in Social Care 

Duration: Early 2013 until 

end of 2015 

Budget: MSEK 17 from Sida 

Main Partners: Governorates 

of Diwaniyah and Duhok 

The objectives: To strengthen 

governance and management 

in the social care sector 

by addressing issues of 

service provision and quality, 

accessibility, accountability, 

responsiveness, effectiveness 

and coordination between 

legislative and executive 

powers at sub-national level. 

Ambitions of the project: 

To work with small-scale, 

step by step, practical, and 

tangible improvements in 

the way decision-makers and 

officials, organisations, and 

institutions are functioning 

and interacting in the two 

governorates. 

→


SKL INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL RESULTS 2014 

17 

Some would say that 

their [the government’s] 

principles have pushed 

Iraq closer to splitting, 

and becoming three 

different countries: 

Sunni, Shiite and 

Kurdish. 

decentralisation process has now become 

the entry point for SKL International’s 

support in the province. By promoting a 

dialogue process among key stakeholders 

in the province, SKL International can help 

the partners define a strategic approach 

to the decentralisation of the Ministry of 

Labor and Social Affairs (MOLSA). 

The upside of working with social care 

related issues in Iraq is that there tends to 

be more consensus between groups than 

is the case in other sectors. Protection of 

vulnerable people is a cross-cutting concern, 

regardless of political affiliation, tribe 

or religion. The downside is that MOLSA is 

a somewhat neglected and weak ministry. 

Starting with three ministries with long 

traditions such as health, education and 

municipalities, seven of the provinces are 

assisted by the USAID funded Taqadum 

project with basic inventory of roles and 

functions, gap analysis and other factfinding 

types of assistance. 

As early as August 2015, eight ministries 

are supposed to be “decentralised” to the 

provincial level. 

This decentralisation process is complicated 

for several reasons. Until now it has 

not been formulated clearly with regard 

to model (deconcentration, delegation 

or devolution?), aspect (administrative, 

political, fiscal?) or its legal framework 

(legislation is inconclusive and incomplete). 

Therefore, stakeholders get insufficient 

guidance, and there is a tendency 

to postpone efforts to solve the problems 

that they ultimately will be confronted 

with. Furthermore, the roles and responsibilities 

of the actors are often blurred, 

overlapping and mixed, which makes it 

difficult to take action. 

The key stakeholders/institutions for the 

dialogue are: 

▶▶ 

▶▶ 

▶▶ 

The implementing actor, the recently-established 

General Directorate, 

that will take over the decentralised 

functions and responsibilities of 

MOLSA 

The budget distributor, the 

Governor’s Office that will also get 

the role as a Ministry as regards 

the reporting line for decentralised 

responsibilities 

The oversight body, the Governorate 

Council, which by law is ”an 

administrative unit of the central 

government working alongside the 

local ministerial department of the 

federal government”. 

A number of committees, task forces 

and working groups have already been 

established, with the aim to prepare 

for the imminent decentralisation. But 

given the plethora of groups and committees 

created, there may be a risk 

that the formation of new structures is 

considered a solution to the problem 

and not a means. 

Social care leaders in Iraq 

During 2013-2014 a leadership development 

programme was implemented for social care 

managers of Duhok and Diwaniyah, Iraq. 

As a reinforcement of the three original 

training seminars organized, a learning and 

exchange visit was arranged in May 2014 for 

managers from Duhok province. The delegation 

visited social care administration and 

institutions in Gothenburg and the vicinity 

of Stockholm. The visit also entailed a number 

of workshops related to leadership, e.g. 

one on gender and leadership. 

Among the learning points mentioned by 

participants as especially interesting were: 

• The close and honest collaboration 

between the administration and the elected 

council/s 

• The participation of staff in planning and 

budgeting – a bottom-up approach to planning 

• The informal relationship between officials, 

staff, and beneficiaries 

• The way private companies and other 

organizations work with public funding 

and with maintaining public order”. 

One of the complexities of Law 21, which 

may explain the Government’s reluctance 

to implement it, is that it would also have 

given the provinces more control over 

their own money. This would have made 

some of them a lot richer – as Law 21 

would increase the percentage of money 

that oil-producing provinces get. 

Signs of change? 

A gradual decentralisation is now seemingly 

in preparation for the 15 provinces 

that are not part of a region (Kurdistan). 

With regard to the model for decentralisation 

there are indications that the various 

functions will be managed through 

different solutions, and some may not be 

decentralised at all. Also the aspects will 

be dealt with in different ways; planning, 

budgeting, management, political power, 

resource allocation/tax extraction seem 

to have been managed only partially by 

the central authorities. 

Fertile ground for dialogue 

prepared in Diwaniyah 

After working with social care related 

institutions and leadership in Diwaniyah 

for close to two years through the 

“Governance in Social Care” project, the 

A remarkable substance has already 

been prepared however, although 

scattered in bits and pieces, with no 

one feeling mandated to take the lead 

in keeping it all together in its entirety. 

There are efforts, but not concerted, 

and there are approaches, but not 

unified. Concerted efforts and unified 

approaches are urgently needed to be 

put in place, especially for functions of a 

ministry like MOLSA. 

Under the guidance of SKL International 

staff, the Diwaniyah dialogue is now 

preparing the province for the upcoming 

decentralisation of the Ministry of Labor 

and Social Affairs, to the extent possible 

given the deadline of August 2015.


SKL INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL RESULTS 2014 

19 

Jasmine revolution 

opening up for 

decentralisation in 

Tunisia 

The popular uprising 

in Tunisia of January 

2011 was followed by a 

democratic transition 

process. It initially 

focused on the election 

of a National Assembly 

whose task was to decide 

over a new Constitution. 

The Constitutional 

dialogue prompted 

discussions around a 

new set of aspirations 

for democracy and 

social inclusion, with 

decentralisation in 

primary focus. 

Despite lofty 

aspirations, there 

was still a lack 

of clarity among 

policymakers concerning a 

number of key questions on 

decentralisation: 

What forms of local democracy should 

Tunisia consider? What forms of territorial 

organisation are feasible? What 

would be the most appropriate functional 

assignment between different 

levels of government? Which financing 

model will enable subnational governments 

to assume their assigned functions? 

The Tunisia Local Governance Pilot 

Project (TLG2P) was developed to respond 

to these questions through the provision 

of high quality, evidence-based policy 

analysis. It was to contribute directly to 

Tunisia’s democratic transition process by 

supporting capacity development of concerned 

stakeholders and encouraging the 

adoption of an inclusive multi-stakeholder 

consultation process. 

Mr Ryan Knox, project manager for TLG2P, 

has initiated and managed the project 

from the SKL International regional 

office in Amman together with local colleagues 

based in Tunis. This has been 

done against a backdrop of political 

and institutional instability following 

two political assassinations in 2013 and 

the closure of the National Assembly for 

nearly two months. In addition, 2014 saw 

the introduction of a second caretaker 

Government within the project implementation 

period. 

When asked to summarise the core 

achievements of the project, Ryan 

Knox says; “The project has delivered a 

number of important outputs, including a 

proposal for a National Decentralisation 

Mechanism, at the request of the Ministry 

of Interior. Policy analysis was carried out 

on a range of topics including territorial 

reform, human resources, local finance 

and competences such as local economic 

development, solid waste management 

and primary education. 

We have held regional consultations with 

148 municipalities on territorial-administrative 

reform, human resource development 

and the transfer of competences, 

in addition to a national workshop on 

inter-governmental finance. To allow for 

the inclusion of a wider range of perspectives, 

other stakeholders from the central 

government, regional authorities and civil 

society were engaged in the process.” 

A core objective of the project has been 

to mobilise the National Federation of 

Tunisian Cities (FNVT) so that it could 

begin to familiarise itself with a new role 

in national policy advocacy. Consequently, 

an FNVT Working Group was mobilised as 

the ‘institutional home’ for a large share of 

project activities. 

Despite its relatively short lifespan, the 

project has managed to leave a clear mark 

in the development towards FNTV truly 

representing the voice of municipalities 

in Tunisia. This is confirmed by Mr Saber 

Houchati, Executive Director of FNTV: 

“TLG2P has played an essential role in 

helping us to reinvent FNVT. At the start of 

the project, we were an organisation with 

limited capacity and there were questions 

about our legitimacy among the municipalities 

and central government. This has 

now changed, thanks in no small part to 

the support we received on TLG2P. 

We now know more about our role, the 

needs of our members and we have even 

begun to take on a role in challenging the 

central government in a constructive and 

meaningful way. In the last few months, we 

have been involved in a several cases of 

reactive and proactive lobbying, and will 

soon submit a position paper on decentralisation 

to the new Government. Our 

Swedish partners always tried to contextualise 

their advice within the Tunisian reality, 

and the process was primarily aimed at 

supporting capacity development, of our 

own Association, our members and the 

central government.” 

FNVT’s Position Paper on Decentralisation 

included a set of demands to the central 

government, articulated over the short-, 

medium- and long-term, concerning 

powers, finances, human resources and 

territorial reform. It represents the first 

experience in FNVT’s history where it will 

proactively articulate a comprehensive 

position for Tunisian decentralisation to 

the central government. 

For Ryan Knox the TLG2P experience has 

been unique; “TLG2P was in many ways 

the most challenging project I have managed. 

We were presented with a very short 

timeframe within which we not only had to 

acquaint ourselves with a completely new 

set of partners, context and country, but 

we also had to learn how to adjust to the 

Despite its relatively short 

lifespan, the project has 

managed to leave a clear 

mark in the development 

towards FNTV truly 

representing the voice of 

municipalities 

in Tunisia 

Photo: ©iStock.com/numbeos 

→



rapidly-changing context within the country 

and wider region. At the same time, while 

Tunisia was the first Arab State to genuinely 

recognise decentralisation as a serious policy 

alternative, there were a number of question 

marks concerning its validity and applicability 

to the Tunisian context. We therefore needed 

to develop and deliver a multifaceted work 

plan that would, on the one hand, build 

the capacity of, and correctly position out 

Tunisian partners while, on the other, carry 

out high-quality policy analysis related to 

decentralisation in the Tunisian context. I think 

our strategy to use the one year pilot project 

to engage local actors, build mechanisms 

for decentralisation dialogue, and populate 

the policy arena with evidence-based and 

context-specific analysis was successful, but 

there is now a greater expectation for us to 

continue our work and support the fulfilment 

of the aspirations of the Constitution (Chapter 

7). This is why we, together with our Tunisian 

partners, have requested financing for a new 

phase of support starting in 2015.” 

“The exposure provided by TLG2P 

on Swedish and other country 

decentralisation experiences has been 

invaluable to us. As indicated in our 

Constitution, we are united in our 

view that the best form of Government 

for Tunisia is a decentralised one. It 

is fair to say that the proposals and 

ideas put forward by TLG2P have 

influenced the preparation of the 

Constitution. TLG2P has provided us 

with know-how and competences on 

various processes including the value 

of a strong and independent lobbying 

voice for municipalities. A number of 

my NCA colleagues have even reversed 

their opinion on the importance of 

having a strong national federation of 

municipalities!” 

MR Imed Hammami 

Chairman of the Committee on Local and Regional 

Authorities, Tunisian National Constituent 

Assembly (NCA) 

The year in Amman 

By Ryan Knox 

Despite witnessing numerous 

challenges, 2014 has been 

a successful year for SKL 

International in the Middle East 

and North Africa (MENA) region, 

where our regional office was 

opened in 2013. 

As well as our ongoing projects 

in Lebanon, Iraq and Tunisia, 

we have provided consultancy 

inputs to a range of donors and 

supported our civil society partners 

on issues of key concern. 

Having a base in the region has 

given us greater insights and 

allowed us to continue our effort 

to build awareness about the 

rapidly-changing context for 

local authorities, particularly 

with an eye towards future programming. 

In February, we carried out 

an evaluation of a UNDP 

project in Jordan focusing on 

Youth Participation on Local 

Governance. Subsequently, 

during the period March – 

September, we carried out an 

institutional and organisational 

capacity assessment of the 

Jordanian Ministry of Interior’s 

Local Development Directorate 

and 12 Governorate Local 

Development Units, as part 

of the EU project “Promoting 

Local Economic Development in 

Jordan” (PLEDJ). In September, 

we co-hosted (together with 

Cités Unies France and United 

Cities and Local Government) 

a seminar in Amman involving 

over 60 representatives from 

local and regional authorities 

from the wider Mashrek region 

(Jordan, Palestine, Syria, 

Lebanon, Egypt, Yemen and 

Sudan), where we delivered a 

discussion paper on the challenges 

and opportunities to 

support decentralisation in 

the region (focus on three case 

studies of Lebanon, Jordan and 

Yemen). 

In October, we delivered the 

final activities of the Tunisia 

Local Governance Pilot 

Project (TLG2P) and finally, in 

December, we carried out a feasibility 

study on the applicability 

of the SymbioCity Approach for 

Tunisia. 

Based on our discussions with 

Sida and the Swedish Ministry 

of Foreign Affairs, as well as an 

increased demand from different 

donors and partners for our 

technical support and cooperation, 

we look forward to 2015. 

We anticipate it will present a 

wide range of challenges and 

opportunities, focusing both 

on our traditional fields of 

assistance, as well as new areas 

such a peace-building, resilience 

and post-conflict local 

development. 

About the 

Project: 

Project name: Support 

to Local Governments 

in Serbia in the EU 

Integration process 

Main Partners: Standing 

Conference of Towns 

and Municipalities 

(SCTM) in Serbia, and 

the Swedish Association 

of Local Authorities 

and Regions (SALAR), 

with SKL International 

as implementing 

organisation. 

Program implementation 

period: Dec 2011 to 

Oct 2015 

Budget: 32 MSEK. 

Overall objectives: To 

contribute to strengthened 

democracy, equitable 

and sustainable 

development in relation 

to local governance 

and closer ties between 

Serbia and EU. 

Enhanced knowledge 

and capacity together 

with organisational 

changes are expected to 

lead to better inclusion 

of local governments 

in the EU integration 

process and improve 

outcomes at local level. 

Focus areas: EU integration, 

gender equality, 

environment protection, 

business climate and 

SCTM organisational 

development. 

Photos by Dennis Ersöz, Klarsyn 

Serbia on the road 

to EU accession 

the stakes for municipalities 

The formal opening of accession negotiations in January 2014 was a major milestone in 

Serbia’s relations with the EU. Yet even the most optimistic observers recognise that this 

is merely the start of a process that will take at least half a decade. Moreover, the onus 

throughout will be on Serbia to demonstrate its readiness, with little margin for give 

and take from the EU side. Still, even if the rules must be accepted largely as they are, 

there is some flexibility in exactly when and how they are implemented on the ground. 

By David Young 

→


In 1992, the Swedish 

Association of Municipalities 

(SALAR’s forerunner) published 

what is known in local government 

circles as the “Green 

Book”. Entitled Municipal 

consequences of membership 

in the European Community, it 

proved to be a timely contribution. 

Two years later, with a 

close-fought referendum on 

membership to win, the government’s 

official commission 

found, for instance, that the 

rules on public procurement 

were ‘unlikely to make very 

much difference to municipal 

self-government.’ 

TOP RIGHT: Ms Tanja Miščević BOTTOM RIGHT: Project Managers Mr Vladimir Jovanovic (STCM) and Ms Annakarin Lindberg (SALAR/SKL International) 

This is why the accession 

negotiations are of vital interest 

to local government. The 

experience of current member 

states suggests that most items on 

the day-to-day municipal agenda are 

influenced by the EU in one way or 

another – through its procurement rules, 

environmental standards, employment 

law and funding opportunities to give 

just a few examples. 

Local authorities – a Key but 

oft-neglected Partner 

Yet in many other recently acceded 

The Swedish Green Book 

But the municipalities knew 

better. 

“The Green Book forced 

the government to take the 

issue seriously and helped 

the association to influence 

Sweden’s preparations 

through high-level political 

contacts as well as at 

technical level through line 

ministries”, 

says Mr Håkan Gustafsson, 

Managing Director of SKL 

International and then head 

of the association’s European 

integration unit. 

countries, local government has 

had little if any say in the accession 

process. That has often proved to be a 

costly mistake, with frequent examples 

of fines for illegal state aids or failure 

to upgrade waste and water facilities, 

while at the same time municipalities 

were ill-prepared to access the EU 

funds that could have helped with vital 

investments. 

“We learn a lot from our neighbourhood 

countries, but also from 

successful member states and their 

experience,” says Ms Tanja Miščević, 

Nevertheless, it was impossible 

to predict the full extent of the 

impact of accession. In public procurement, 

for example, the number 

of appeals from losing bidders 

shot up by more than anyone had 

anticipated. Even in areas where 

Sweden considered itself a model 

for the rest of the EU, there were 

unexpected effects, such as when 

the country found itself before 

the EU Court in 2000 because 

some municipalities had failed to 

uphold bathing water standards. 

But on the whole, those who said 

the EU would weaken Sweden’s 

system of strong local government 

have been proved wrong. 

head of Serbia’s EU accession negotiating 

team. “SCTM has a multiple role 

in the process. It is raising awareness 

of EU-related issues at local level and 

enhancing local government capacities 

in the field of EU policies, standards 

and funds. Among many other 

activities, SCTM has a great initiative 

on establishment of municipal EU 

officers, which is strongly supported 

by the negotiation team. Also, I would 

like to emphasise SCTM’s role as a hub 

for information flow among all cities 

and municipalities, which greatly 

facilitates communication.” 

Of course the challenge for 

local authorities does not 

end with accession. SALAR 

continues to play a vital role in 

following new developments 

in the ever-evolving EU acquis. 

The association established a 

Brussels office in 1994, the year 

before Sweden’s accession. 

As its former head, Mr Tommy 

Holm, explains, “the Brussels 

office makes it possible for 

SALAR to gain early informal 

knowledge about possible 

future proposals, which allows 

us to react without delay. By the 

time formal proposals are on 

the table, it is often too late.” 

SCTM’s Impact Assessment – 

a Foot in the Door 

Inspired by SALAR’s experience prior to 

Sweden’s EU entry in 1995, SCTM drew 

up an analysis of the impact of accession 

on local authorities. “Nobody else in the 

region has done this, says Ms Aleksandra 

Vukmirović, head of EU integration and 

international cooperation at SCTM. Not 

only has the process helped municipalities 

to understand the scale of the challenge, 

but the final report was something 

that SCTM could bring to the national 

table. “The impact assessment was our 

foot in the door,” says Ms Ivan Božović, 

coordinator of the EU integration component 

of the programme.” Line ministries 

and the chief negotiator now see us as 

partners in the process.” 

Tanja Miščević explains how SCTM and 

the negotiating team organised a working 

session with mayors in October 2014 to 

share information on the issues at stake, 

with the message that ‘it is never too soon 

to get involved in negotiations with the EU 

and that local governments have a lot to 

offer in the preparation of the negotiating 

position for some important chapters. The 

plan is to make this ‘a permanent cooperation 

mechanism, with thematic sessions 

aimed at transfer of specific knowledge.’ 

Subsequently, SCTM representatives 

have been invited to join working groups 

charged with preparing the negotiations 

in four key areas: public procurement 

(chapter 5), social policy and employment 

(ch. 19), regional policy (ch. 22) and 

environment (ch. 27). “SCTM’s contribution 

in these areas was of great importance,” 

says Ms Miščević, “and I believe 

that the significance of its participation 

in the process will be more visible in the 

following stages of negotiations.” 

State of play in the 

Negotiations 

The initial ‘screening’ – in which the EU 

Commission outlines the relevant acquis, 

and the Serbian government details progress 

so far – is complete for the above 

chapters. However, the starting date for 

negotiations proper is still uncertain. 

Some observers expect that EU member 

states will want to open heavier political 

chapters first, such as judiciary and 

fundamental rights (ch. 23) and justice, 

freedom and security (ch. 24), and may 

also want to see further progress on relations 

with Pristina. 

“Realistically, we are not expecting 

negotiations on environment to begin 

before 2016,” says Mr Miodrag Gluščević, 

programme coordinator and SCTM’s 

representative in the working group on 

environment. It is also likely that the EU 

will set ‘benchmarks’ – conditions that 

must be met before difficult chapters 

such as this one can be opened. “But 

now that our voice can be heard,” says Mr 

Gluščević, “we must organise ourselves 

to prepare specific negotiating positions 

and implementation plans that reflect the 

interests of local authorities.” 

Room for Improvement 

“There is still room for improvement 

as far as SCTM’s involvement is concerned,” 

says Aleksandra Vukmirović. 

For instance, some ministries wanted to 

invite SCTM representatives to Brussels 

for the screening meetings, but this 

was ruled out by the Serbian European 

Integration Office (SEIO). “Instead we 

were invited to follow the proceedings 

via video link and to collect questions 

from local authorities,” says Mr 

Gluščević. 

At the local level too, there have been 

hitches. Municipalities wishing to 

designate EU officers were challenged 

by administrative inspectors from the 

Ministry of Public Administration and 

Local Self-Government on the grounds 

that EU integration does not figure in 

the official list of local government 

powers. “This makes no sense”, says 

Ms Vukmirović: “Local authorities have 

to implement national laws related to 

the acquis, so they have to be informed 

about the process and involved in it, and 

they have to inform citizens. 

Municipal EU officers are even envisaged 

in the government’s own communication 

strategy,” she adds. But to be on the 

safe side, SCTM has, in dialogue with the 

ministry and with Ms Miščević’s support, 

secured an amendment to the law on 

local self-government that gives municipalities 

the formal legal right to address 

EU matters. 

Growing Local Influence on EU 

matters 

But on the whole Ms Vukmirović is satisfied 

with the growing influence of the local 

level on EU matters. She cites SCTM’s 

presence in the relevant bodies for 

planning, programming and monitoring 

Instrument for Pre-Accession II (IPA 

II) funding. Compared with IPA I, ‘the 

organisation of the whole process is 

much better, and local authorities have 

been consulted by SEIO on thematic 

priorities.’ 

Challenges remain, not the least of 

which is that many local politicians, relatively 

new in office after recent elections, 

are unfamiliar with the EU acquis and 

how it will affect their day-to-day business. 

“We have to keep explaining,” says 

Ms Vukmirović. Tanja Miščević hopes that 

municipalities in Serbia will follow the 

example of their Swedish counterparts 

in strengthening ties and raising the 

voice of local governments in Europe. 

“Cooperation between municipalities, 

both within Sweden and across borders, 

is evident,” she says, “and it is partly 

thanks to this that European issues 

become issues of everyday life.” 

→


Working together 

FOR local services 

Local leaders know that modern 

waste management demands 

action on a larger scale than municipalities 

alone can muster. With 

most household rubbish in Serbia today 

ending up on open tips, inter-municipal 

cooperation in some form is a must if the 

country is to live up to its own environmental 

aspirations, not to mention EU 

standards. Yet putting this into practice is 

often easier said than done. 

from Gävle to Zrenjanin 


The Serbian city of Zrenjanin and four surrounding 

municipalities, Žitiste, Sečanj, 

Titel and Kovačica, had tried to cooperate 

on waste management before. “But the 

mistake we made,” says Ms Ana Vujinov, 

project manager in Zrenjanin, “was to 

focus on only part of the system – landfills, 

for example. With Gävle, we looked 

at the whole chain, including recycling, 

composting, transfer stations, yards and 

vehicles, not only landfill.” 

Two and a half years later the five 

municipalities have set up a jointly owned 

company and drafted the first municipal 

investment project to make the single 

‘national pipeline’ for EU IPA II funds. The 

EU is expected to cover 75 per cent of the 

investment costs, with the rest coming 

from the municipalities themselves and 

the Serbian government. Much remains to 

be done, but the aim is a fully operational 

system that complies with all the relevant 

EU legislation by 2020. 

Open-minded Approach 

“And yet”, says Ms Annika Lundqvist, 

project coordinator at Gävle municipality, 

“it was not clear in the beginning that 

the ‘cluster’ with the Serbian municipalities 

would deal with waste.” Gävle was 

brought in for its expertise in intermunicipal 

cooperation more generally. 

But a key factor in the project’s success 

was that “we were able to connect with a 

process that was under way, on an issue 

that was already a political priority”, says 

Ms Lundqvist. 

Gävle’s open-mindedness has also been 

important. In the past, international 

consultants have tended to try and 

transplant their own models – “do it like 

we do, irrespective of local conditions 

and legislation,” says Ana Vujinov. “But 

Gävle gave us options.” 

Technical expertise was provided by 

Gästrike Återvinnare (GÅ), a municipal 

recycling and waste management 

association formed by Gävle and four 

other municipalities. But in the end, the 

Serbian municipalities opted not for an 

association but for a municipal-owned 

company similar to the Gästrike water 

company. 

Equal Shares 

Ms Vujinov stresses the importance 

of an equal partnership. “Previously, 

Zrenjanin, being the largest 

municipality, wanted to run things. But 

now each municipality has an equal share 

in the company, and each mayor has a 

seat on the executive board.” 

That waste management should remain a 

public concern was never in doubt. “You 

can never be rich enough to leave waste 

to a private company – this is one thing 

we have learned from the cluster,” says Ms 

Vujinov. Mr Thomas Nylund, Director of GÅ, 

agrees. “It is a question of resources – both 

environmental and financial,” he says. “Why 

should hard-pressed Serbian municipalities 

give up the chance to save the environment 

and make money?” The essential thing for 

Annika Lundqvist is “to be able to steer the 

system in the direction we want. That does 

not rule out using private companies to 

Timeline for 

Gävle and 

Zrenjanin 

cooperation 

September February June SeptembeR November March May 

December January 

2012 2013 


2015 

Kick-off meeting in 

Belgrade and visits to 

Zrenjanin, Zitiste and 

Secanj 

Meeting and study 

visit in Gävle. Signing 

of Memorandum of 

Understanding 

Web seminar on 

findings from review 

of regional strategic 

waste management 

plan 

Study visit in Stockholm 

and Gävle looking at best 

practices and SALAR’s work 

on public awareness and 

citizen participation 

Training in 

Zrenjanin on public 

awareness and 

communication 

Training in Zrenjanin on 

modern integrated waste 

management and capacity 

building 

Job shadowing 

in Gävle 

Seminar in Zrenjanin with 

students from the Technical 

College of Applied Sciences 

of the University of Novi Sad 

(Zrenjanin branch) 

Final conference 

in Belgrade 

→


At the service of its members 

developments at the Standing Conference of 

Towns and Municipalities IN SERBIA 


Left to right Ms Ana 

Vujinov, Mr Thomas 

Nylund and Ms Annika 

Lundqvist – drivers of 

the cooperation between 

Gävle and Zrenjanin 

deliver parts of the system, as long as 

municipalities retain control.” 

Spreading Best Practice 

“Experience from this cluster should be 

of great value for other Serbian municipalities,” 

says Mr Nylund. “Besides the 

holistic perspective, a key aspect is 

public awareness raising. Citizens must 

be on board, not least because they will 

have to pay directly for waste treatment 

services in future, through user fees 

rather than taxes.” Also important is 

that the Serbian municipalities have 

full ownership of the project. “We have 

contributed advice and support along 

the way,” says Mr Nylund, “but they have 

done the work.” 

“Other municipalities seeking to do 

likewise should ensure the active participation 

of mayors as well as high-level 

officials”, says Annika Lundqvist. “It is 

also essential that project leaders have 

the mandate and the capacity to drive 

the process forward.” And long-term 

commitment with a measure of patience 

is also required. “It takes time to develop 

a relationship,” says Ms Lundqvist. The 

teams visited each other a total of eight 

times, not counting web seminars, 

Skype meetings and job shadowing. 

Benefits for Gävle 

Asked what is in it for Gävle, Ms 

Lundqvist says the cluster has given 

the municipality a new perspective on 

its own activities, leading to greater 

internal cooperation between different 

departments and municipal companies. 

And, besides the reputational benefits, 

“the opportunity to spread this knowledge 

gives local staff a sense of pride in 

what we have achieved.” 

“By sharing our knowledge and experience 

we are contributing to a better 

environment,” says Thomas Nylund. 

And there are potential economic and 

employment benefits too. “By exporting 

Swedish know-how in waste management 

and environmental technology, 

we can also contribute to sustainable 

development at home.” 

Ms Zorica 

Vukelić 

Mr 

Vladimir 

Jovanović 

national and local 

government see us in 

a different light,” says 

“Both 

Mr Vladimir Jovanović, 

manager of the “Support to Local 

Governments in Serbia in the EU 

Integration Process” programme. Asked 

to summarise highlights so far, he cites 

the government’s recognition of SCTM 

as a partner in the process of negotiating 

EU accession – something which 

other local authority associations in the 

region have been denied. But equally, 

the association’s credibility with its 

members has grown. “Municipalities 

and mayors now take our advice much 

more seriously,” says Mr Jovanović. 

“Perhaps the greatest organisational 

change is a new strategic philosophy”, 

says Ms Zorica Vukelić, Deputy 

Secretary-General. In the past SCTM has 

tended to see itself as the prime beneficiary 

of donor funding. But SCTM’s 

latest strategic plan was drawn up on 

the basis of consultations with municipalities, 

and the work programme no 

longer reflects the association’s internal 

organisation, but rather its members’ 

needs. “How can we influence politics 

and legislation to improve conditions 

for our members?” says Ms Vukelić. 

“How can we help them to work better 

for their citizens?” 

In addition, cooperation with SALAR has 

introduced SCTM to innovative tools and 

techniques. Ms Vukelić cites a new model 

for consulting local authorities on the 

programming of EU funds. “In the past we 

struggled to get the state to understand 

local government needs. Presenting the 

thoughts and demands of municipalities 

in their own terms has proved to be 

much more effective,” she says. 

Mr Jovanović adds the example of 

gender budgeting, implemented for 

the first time in Serbia with the help of 

SALAR experts, and the use of ‘clusters’ 

of Serbian and Swedish municipalities 

to transfer technical know-how in fields 

such as waste management, energy 

efficiency and noise control. 

The programme has also forced SCTM to 

confront the issue of financial sustainability, 

says Ms Vukelić. With donor 

support set to tail off as EU accession 

approaches, the association will not 

only have to secure members’ contributions 

but also find other ways to 

generate income (through consultancy 

services, for example) and consider 

whether some of its activities that currently 

depend on donor funding will 

need to be scaled down or financed 

in other ways. “There remains a great 

deal to do”, says Mrs Vukelić, “but an 

important result of the programme 

is that SCTM’s thinking is now firmly 

oriented towards sustainability.” 

“Looking ahead, SCTM and its partners 

will need to shift their focus towards 

supporting municipalities on the 

ground”, says Mr Jovanović. “Otherwise 

it is hard to gain the attention of 

political leaders. In the current climate, 

mayors are understandably focused on 

attracting hard investments, and there is 

still work to do in explaining how ‘softer’ 

improvements in the business environment 

are essential to bringing in funds. 

We have to encourage municipalities 

to implement concrete activities in the 

field of gender, for example,” says Mr 

Jovanović. But, he adds, “at the start of 

the programme there were no voices at 

local level in favour of gender equality 

and environmental sustainability. We 

stepped in almost from scratch.” 

Among the main challenges that SCTM 

faces are a changeable political climate, 

the fragile economy, persistent corruption 

and patchy implementation of 

legislation – and all this on top of limited 

capacity and scarce resources at the 

local level. “But through its support to 

municipalities”, says Mrs Vukelić, “the 

association is playing a much-needed 

part in institution-building”.



Environment: Hot Topic for Serbian municipalities 

As a conclusion of their 2,5 year 

cooperation in the field of environment, 

representatives from 9 

Serbian and 3 Swedish municipalities 

met together with SCTM for two 

days to discuss and share experiences. 

Kula, Varvarin, Niš and Växjö 

presented their work on energy 

plans aiming to reduce carbon 

emissions and energy costs. Malmö 

together with Belgrade, Savski 

Venac and New Belgrade introduced 

guidelines for noise reduction 

in city planning while Zrenjanin, 

Žitište, Sečanj and Gävle shared 

experiences of forming a regional 

waste management company. 

As a result of lively discussions 

regarding political will (or the lack 

thereof), gender mainstreaming 

in environment and the need to 

involve of citizens; participants 

agreed that environment is a hot 

topic that needs more attention at 

national and local level in Serbia 

that requires increased cooperation 

between Serbian municipalities 

as well as inspiration and genuine 

support from international partners 

having faced similar challenges. 

As project manager for our 

programme in Turkey, I’m constantly 

challenged by change; 

in the Turkish context and in 

our partner organization, the Union of 

Municipalities of Turkey (UMT). 

From toddler 

TO teenager 

Charting the course of UMT’s growth 


During 2014 Turkey implemented what 

must be one of the largest territorial 

reforms in decades. Almost 3 000 municipalities 

became less than 1 400, and 30 

“mega municipalities” were created, some 

with territories almost as large as Denmark 

and with populations ranging from 14 million 

down to just under 1 million. 

And the process from first proposal to full 

implementation took less than two years! 

Meanwhile, the changes within UMT are 

similarly considerable, based on a clear 

long-term direction. Or, as expressed in 

an internal review of our programme: 

UMT was like a young child when the 

cooperation began, and now it’s more like 

an adolescent. 

Of course, such a change in an organisation 

is just as challenging to a project manager 

as the growing child is to its parents. 

When UMT and SKL International first met 

to discuss a possible joint project a decade 

ago, the union had only some ten employees 

and was almost unknown by others 

than mayors. So, rather than focusing on 

UMT, the “Tusenet” project was mainly 

built on thematic partnerships between 

Turkish and Swedish municipalities. 

When I entered that project in 2009, I 

got the opportunity to plan for a set of 

activities that addressed the institutional 

capacity of UMT. At the same time, UMT 

had grown to some 40 or 50 staff and 

started to formulate its first strategic plan. 

Together with UMT’s department for international 

relations, we sketched a new 

project, or rather a programme, focusing 

on activities that were in line with the 

strategic plan. This “Tuselog” programme 

has been implemented for three years 

now and is constantly updated and reformulated 

to adjust to UMT’s development. 

Early activities mostly focused on 

showing examples, producing reports 

and other inputs for UMT to make use of 

according to their priorities and capacity. 

Lately, input goes directly into the 

internal processes of UMT, such as the 

formulation of a new strategic plan. 

Our partner has grown, now the total 

number of staff is approximately 100. The 

growth is fortunately also matched with 

increasing maturity. Now UMT expresses 

clearly what support it needs and has the 

self-confidence to allow outsiders into the 

Offices of the Union of Municipalities of Turkey, located in Ankara 

organisation, even in sensitive processes. 

In essence, the work has become more 

demanding, but also more rewarding. It’s 

very stimulating to see how both individuals 

and departments develop. 

The joint programme management will 

end in 2015 but an extension is currently 

pending. At the end of 2016 we will hopefully 

be able to say that UMT is no longer 

a teenager but a promising university 

student.


About the project 

Better communication, 

better results in Turkey 

Project name: Tuselog 

Main Partners: Union of 

Municipalities of Turkey (UMT) and 

the Swedish Association of Local 

Authorities and Regions (SALAR) 

with SKL International as implementing 

partner. 

It consists of five components: 

UMT institutional development, 

UMT lobbying and member service 

capacity, UMT’s EU integration 

capacity, thematic partnerships 

between Swedish and Turkish 

municipalities and capacity development 

in Turkish municipalities. 

Duration: Implementation 

started in December 2011. Although 

originally planned for four years, the 

partners are exploring an extension 

until December 2016 

Budget: 35 million Swedish kronor. 

The Union of Municipalities of 

Turkey is conducting a leadership 

development programme 

to improve the way its leaders 

communicate. The initiative responds to 

two organisational reviews carried out by 

SKL International. These found that communication 

remains a challenge, despite 

the organisation’s impressive development 

over the past five years. 

During these past five years SKL 

International has twice been entrusted 

to perform organisational development 

reviews of the Union of Municipalities 

of Turkey (UMT). The first one was conducted 

during the “Tusenet” project in 

2009 and the second one in 2014 as part 

of the follow-on “Tuselog” programme. 

When coming back for the second 

organisational development review, the 

team of experts found that UMT had 

gone through a very impressive development 

over the intervening five years. 

The association had grown not only in 

numbers but also in competence and 

public recognition. 

For any organisation, rapid growth 

puts challenges on the communication 

system. Due to very heavy workload the 

association has had difficulties dealing 

with these challenges. Communication 

was found to be a key issue in the 

reviews and although some steps have 

been taken, communication is an area 

that the organisation would benefit from 

developing further. 

Through the Tuselog programme, all 

of the managers of the association are 

taking part in a leadership development 

program with focus on communicative 

leadership. This is the first step towards 

building capacity to organise and lead 

towards common strategic goals. It 

responds to the recommendation in 

the second organisational development 

review “to adopt more strategic 

approach towards communication”. 

Initiating the programme 

The leadership development programme 

was planned and launched together 

with the management of UMT. Interviews 

were held with the Secretary General, 

two deputy Secretary Generals and eight 

directors in order to create a platform for 

the training. This phase pinpointed the 

status, needs and challenges for strategic 

leadership and communication within 

UMT. 

A number of positive aspects were 

identified, including a genuine aim for 

group community, social responsibility 

and experienced leadership. However 

the interviews also highlighted a lack 

of information and shared vision at 

various levels, lack of structured internal 

communications and an unclear team 

structure. 

The programme was planned as a series 

of workshops over a year. It was connected 

to the implementation of UMT’s 

new strategic plan in order to benefit the 

whole organisation. The training took 

a comprehensive approach based on 

modern leadership approaches where 

communication skills are valued highly. It 

aimed to develop assets already in place 

and strengthen the managers in their different 

roles, corresponding directly to the 

perceived needs and challenges both on 

an individual and aggregated level. 

Creating a platform 

The first workshop took place in January 

2014 and gathered ten of the managers 

from both senior and middle management. 

The scope of the first sessions 

was to create a platform to understand 

the leaders’ communication goals and 

explore theories linked to behaviours. 

This knowledge platform consisted of 

recent research in the field, examination 

of leaders’ different roles, a reflection on 

current challenges and possible effects 

on the organisation’s results. There was 

also a team building exercise where the 

group identified abilities and skills and 

discussed UMT leaders’ role in anchoring 

the strategic plan. Furthermore the workshop 

clarified the desired values and 

expectations of UMT leaders and helped 

define UMT’s communication system. 

As study material, the training used a 

2011 Swedish research report on communication 

theory: “Communicative 

Leadership: Theories, Concepts, and 

Central Communication Behaviors”. 

The workshop leader, Ms Anne Scheffer 

Leander, a communication strategist, 

drew on her many years of experience 

working with communicative leadership 

in the City of Stockholm and of implementing 

and following developments in 

the field. 

“To follow the development of a communicative 

organisation in a completely 

different context and culture is very 

interesting and stimulating”, says Anne 

Scheffer Leander. “This project and 

programme for UMT leaders is very well 

timed as Sweden is well ahead of the 

research in the field and there will be 

opportunities for mutual benchmarking. 

Just recently a three-year research 

project started that aims to answer the 

question “What characteristics does a 

communicative organisation have?”. Ten 

companies and organizations - among 

Åmål and Mardin join forces to 

address shared challenges 

“I didn’t realise we were visited by 

a celebrity!” says Ms Anna Lundin, 

responsible for Europe Direct 

Fyrbodal in Åmål municipality. 

Anna Lundin is referring to the 

strong emotional reactions of 

Kurdish Swedes when spotting Mr 

Ahmed Türk, the newly elected 

mayor of Mardin, walking the 

streets of Åmål. 

Ahmed Türk together with co-mayor 

Ms Februniye Akyol visited Åmål 

to forge the two municipalities’ 

joint project on local economic 

development and EU integration. 

Although Mardin is a big metropolitan 

municipality with close 

to 800 000 inhabitants and Åmål 

them the City of Stockholm - will 

get their abilities in communication 

highlighted by researchers at 

Lund University.” 

Next step in the programme 

The following workshops will be 

more practical and focused on 

the communication system itself, 

including channels, messages, 

actors and objectives. There is a 

need for training on cascading and 

transmitting overall messages and 

goals in order to improve performance 

on both individual and unit 

level. To increase efficiency, there 

needs to be a more developed 

approach in how to create and 

contribute to an open and respectful 

work environment where 

dialogue and feedback is a natural 

part of the internal structure. 

“We believe that there are real 

benefits for the organisation to 

construct an effective communication 

system that is agreed upon 

and known to all. This will help 

build strategic capacity to lead and 

organise towards common goals”, 

says project manager Gülsen Can. 

Following workshops within 

the leadership development 

programme will be held in March, 

June and October 2015. 

a small one with just over 12 000 

inhabitants, the mayors of both 

cities express more or less the 

same challenges concerning local 

economic and social development. 

This includes high unemployment 

rate in general and high youth 

unemployment in particular. 

Another very important issue that 

the mayors from Mardin want 

to work on within this project is 

gender equality. Especially since 

illiteracy and hence unemployment 

among women in the 

Turkish region is quite high. 

Gülsen Can, project manager at 

SKL International explains the 

After local elections in March 

2014 and election of a new board 

for the Union of Municipalities of 

Turkey (UMT) the same year, the 

work to produce a strategic plan 

for the term 2015-2019 began at 

the association. 

The TUSELOG Programme has 

provided targeted support to 

UMT in this process in order to 

enhance capacity in strategic 

planning and institutionalise the 

process. Further results of this 

support are for example building 

team spirit, increasing interdepartmental 

communication 

and cooperation, and creating 

a common language within the 

organisation. 

Planning experts Mr Ferhat Emil 

and Mr Hakkı Hakan Yılmaz 

provided training and one-onone 

coaching all throughout the 

process. The Strategic Planning 

Team (SPT) members continuously 

received support and 

encouragement from experts, 

which increased self-confidence 

and provided fundamental learning 

for future planning. “Now, it is 

important for UMT departments 

to start implementing action 

Porya Khorshid Åmål, Oya Otman SKL International, Bahar Özden UMT, 

Michael Karlsson Mayor of Åmål, Ahmet Türk Mayor of Mardin, Februniye Akyol 

Mayor of Mardin, Anna Lundin Europe Direct Åmål, Shelly Rotshcild interpreter, 

Dilek Akyapi project manager Mardin 

reaction from people in the 

streets of Åmål; “Mardin and Åmål 

are actually already connected 

through immigrants from the 

region. Therefore this is not a just 

Strategic planning 2.0 at UMT 

By Ms Oya Otman 

plans and monitor the activities,” 

says Ferhat Emil to stress the 

importance of sustainability of 

this positive progress. 

Hakkı Hakan Yılmaz explains 

further; “UMT is now able to 

link plans and programmes 

with activities of departments, 

vertically (hierarchical) and horizontally 

(with other units). The 

process helped increasing awareness, 

ownership and motivation 

among staff, and new strategies 

were built to increase internal 

and external communication.” 

Head of Training Department, 

Mr Fikret Gültekin confesses that 

comparing with the first Strategic 

Plan of UMT, the new one is institutionally 

much more anchored 

and owned by managers and 

staff. The reason behind this is 

of course active participation 

and ownership of managers and 

staff. TUSELOG experts organised 

meetings with each department, 

as well as inter-departmental 

meetings for cross cutting issues. 

The Programme eam was also 

involved in these meetings to 

identify areas where TUSELOG 

could provide more support. 

any international municipal cooperation 

but a relationship that 

already is deeply anchored. It will 

be interesting and valued by the 

citizens of the municipalities”. 

Planning Expert Mr Ferhat Emil and 

Project Coordinator Ms Oya Otman 

Ms Bahar Özden, coordinator of 

SPT, stated that with TUSELOG’s 

support, UMT was able to prepare 

a professional, inclusive, realistic, 

plain and contextually rich 

strategic plan, which now can be 

proudly presented to its members. 

“We benefitted immensely 

to work with experienced senior 

experts who know UMT very 

well.” 

This process has helped UMT to 

reinforce institutional infrastructure 

and establish mechanisms 

for continuous monitoring. 

Action plans currently are in progress 

and once finalised, they will 

concretise future work for each 

department. And the now experienced 

Strategic Planning Team 

will be working as Monitoring and 

Evaluation Team until the next 

strategic planning period in 2020.


Turkish EU experts impressed by Sala 

In March 2014, a group from Turkey visited Sweden to study the Swedish experiences 

of EU-integration. Visits were made to the municipalities of Södertälje, Stockholm 

and Sala. The participants represented UMT as well as the Ministry for EU affairs and 

the visit was part of the “TUSELOG” program. When asked to reflect on what they had 

seen, heard and learned, this is what some of them said; 

Mr Ceyhan 

ÇIÇEK, 

Expert at the Ministry 

for EU Affairs of 

Turkey 

There are so many 

EU projects in Turkey implemented 

at the local level. However there is a 

problem of effectiveness and sustainability. 

We have observed in Sweden 

that in order to achieve an effective 

and comprehensive project targeting 

the citizens, you have to cooperate 

with other stakeholders. This is the 

main difference. 

I also think that Swedish municipalities 

and SALAR’s experiences on EU 

issues and projects can be good 

examples for Turkish municipalities. 

Therefore Turkish municipalities 

should cooperate with Swedish 

municipalities within the context of EU 

projects. 

One of the roles of the Ministry for 

EU Affairs is to coordinate EU affairs 

and projects in Turkey. While doing 

this it is important to cooperate with 

UMT because it is the biggest body 

concerned with local governments. In 

my opinion we, the Ministry and UMT, 

should focus on EU effects at the local 

level in specific chapters/sectors such 

as regional development and environment. 

UMT has good relations with 

municipalities and also has expertise 

in some sectors, and the Ministry for 

EU Affairs has a coordination and 

sector-based expertise. And these two 

institutions could develop projects 

focusing on the EU effects at the local 

level. 

The first lesson from Sweden is about 

the logic of local governance. There 

The group of EU Experts from Turkey together with Ms Carola Gunnarsson (yellow scarf), Chair of the 

Municipal Executive Board of Sala Municipality and Deputy Chairman of SALAR. 

is a big difference between Turkey 

and Sweden in this issue. The powers 

that local government in Sweden 

have, have made municipalities more 

responsive to citizens. And this creates 

a pressure on municipalities to provide 

better services for their citizens. 

The second lesson is about the culture 

of cooperation. In Turkey there is usually 

no cooperation among institutions 

in central and local level. In Sweden 

we have observed that without 

cooperation you cannot achieve your 

targets fully. 

The third lesson is about the impact 

of EU funds in municipalities. Even 

in a small municipality such as Sala, 

it is possible to achieve EU projects 

in different aspects. For example the 

business platform which is about 

entrepreneurship and Black River 

Valley is about local development and 

environment. On the other hand EU 

support in the Silver Mine is about 

tourism. If there is cooperation in a 

municipality and a team spirit, many 

things can be achieved. 

When I return to Turkey I will tell about 

the citizen-oriented policies, cooperation 

between institutions, focus on 

local self-governance, well developed 

social services, low interests for 

the EU elections, immigration challenges, 

Sala’s success with EU projects, 

Södertälje´s active involvement in 

social issues, and that it´s a very 

expensive country… 

Ms Fatma 

ŞAHIN 

Expert at UMT 

I was really 

impressed with Ms 

Carola Gunnarsson in Sala municipality. 

She has been in politics for such a long 

time but is still very active and passionate 

when it comes to the development 

of her own region. The biggest prison in 

Sweden is located in her municipality 

and she described how they work to 

create job opportunities through its 

existence. To tackle unemployment is the 

same challenge for her as for us. 

Through the visits in Stockholm, 

Södertälje and Sala we got a good insight 

into how the EU membership is handled 

at the local level in Sweden. Swedish 

municipalities are affected by EU laws 

and regulations in every aspect of their 

work. And they are aware of those 

regulations. They know the EU funds and 

how to get access to them. Still they told 

us that they have challenges using them, 

especially when it comes to sustainability 

of projects (this is a common problem 

between Sweden and Turkey). 

At SALAR there is expertise that follows 

the development of rules of EU every 

day. If something happens s/he gives 

information to the related expert at 

SALAR and at the end s/he can advise 

the municipalities on how to handle new 

regulation. In UMT we don’t have such a 

mechanism, but UMT and the EU Ministry 

in Ankara have joined in a project called” 

Turkish municipalities getting ready for 

the EU” . Our training sessions provide 

information about EU and what can be 

done with EU funds, together with trainers 

from the ministry. 

What I bring back from this visit is the 

reminder that the best way to develop is 

cooperation between different parties in 

the same municipality for the sake of the 

best outcome for a locality. 

A visit to the old silver 

mine in Sala made 

a lasting impression 

on Mr Cemal Bas 

from Union of 

Municipalities in 

Turkey and his 

colleagues. 

And finally, I must say that the train ride 

to Sala was very comfortable. I think it 

is a very good way to travel. When I get 

back I will tell my family about the Sala 

silver mine and the great attitude of the 

Swedish people that we met. 

Ms Aysel 

tOLunay, 

EU expert at the 

Ministry for EU 

Affairs of Turkey 

In Södertälje the biggest impression 

was to learn about its mixed population 

and how the city deals with that. 

The cultural mix in the city was a real 

highlight. 

In Sala the biggest impression was the 

passion of the people at the municipality 

and by far the visit to the Silver 

Mine. But not only in the sense of an 

touristic attraction, I was affected how 

the city made use of such an old mine 

and continued to keep it as a core cultural 

value of their city. They used EU 

funds to open the mine to tourism and 

I think this is a pure success of how EU 

funds can make such a great contribution 

to a small city. 

The three most important issues for 

me that I bring back from this visit 

are; participation of local actors in the 

decision making process is very important 

for local decision making, good 

cooperation between different actors 

is vital for local success and finally to 

have a strong will to take initiative 

and make changes and progress even 

in the smallest authority in the country 

is important. 

I think there’s not something like “the 

one outstanding thing” that should 

be changed in Sweden. When I look 

at Sweden from the outside I see it as 

a prosperous, wealthy state valuing 

democracy and its citizens. So that 

makes me to think that I wish this for 

my country too. 

Mr Cemal 

Bas, 

Expert at UMT 

After these visits 

to municipalities 

in Sweden it is obvious that EU is not an 

easy organisation to reach, learn and 

implement. There are many different 

aspects to consider. In this even municipalities 

are having some difficulties in 

reaching out and understanding EU legislations. 

However, municipalities close 

cooperation with local entrepreneurs 

and people makes EU more visual. In 

this sense for Turkey, municipalities can 

create offices such as EuroDirect and 

work with local groups and firms to apply 

for funds. 

It has been very interesting to hear about 

how SALAR works with EU relations. It is 

obvious that SKL has experts that have 

municipal background and international 

experience. SKL always works as a coordination 

agency and professional body 

that can get municipalities together and 

ultimately act together. UMT does not 

have such insight into EU related workings, 

at least not yet. 

My key learnings from the visit are; 

EU is not easy to integrate. It takes time, 

but coordination and deep understanding 

will always make local life better 

Always look for EU funds 

Be very careful with public procurement 

because national procurement laws are 

not that governing after all. 

The weather in Sweden can be very 

tough…



Talking about 

cities! 

What makes a good city? 

A 

clean environment, wellfunctioning 

services and good 

communications? Opportunities 

for employment and education? 

Its history, culture or nightlife? The people 

who live there? If we ask ourselves 

who makes a good city, the answer is 

naturally that all the people, businesses, 

actors and organisations at the local 

level through their actions and choices 

contribute to making a good or less good 

city. Working with urban development 

thus means working with all the actors 

at the local level. The local government 

plays a fundamental role. It creates the 

framework on which cities grow, and it 

enables progress and development. 

Looking at the world’s cities today, it is 

By Mats Jarnhammar 

Around the world, cities are 

struggling to provide services, 

jobs, housing and education for an 

ever-increasing urban population. 

They are also trying to make cities 

attractive, competitive, livable, and 

ultimately more sustainable places 

to live. This is what the SymbioCity 

Approach can do to help. 

obvious there is a lot of work to be done, 

not least in developing countries. Cities 

face serious challenges of uncoordinated 

growth, malfunctioning garbage collection, 

polluted drinking water, traffic 

havoc and untreated sewerage polluting 

rivers. Urban safety is becoming an 

increasing problem as more and more 

people compete for limited resources. 

An approach to sustainable cities 

Since 2010, we have supported cities 

through the SymbioCity Approach, a 

participative approach to sustainable 

urban development based on Swedish 

experience. We have used it to help cities 

plan and develop in a more sustainable 

way and to manage the resources they 

have in a more effective manner. 

By creating a platform for dialogue 

between stakeholders at the local level, 

new forms of collaboration have been 

initiated and the local government 

has a better position to fulfil their role 

to enable progress. In early 2014, the 

first phase of the SymbioCity Approach 

project came to an end, after five years of 

active engagement in the urban sector in 

Africa and Asia. When the biannual World 

Urban Forum took place in Medellin, 

Colombia in 2014, we presented not 

only the results of our work, but also our 

ideas for the next phase. 

A year of exploration and 

dialogue 

In preparing for the next phase of the 

program, our aim has been to improve 

the ways in which we support cities, 

and to engage with new countries and 

regions. We want to become more effective, 

more relevant and to increase our 

impact. To do that, we have consulted 

cities, citizens, politicians, planners and 

civil society in partner countries. 

In Zimbabwe… we talked to peacebuilding 

foundation PACDEF about how 

to re-build trust between citizens and the 

local government after service provision 

had stopped. 

In Colombia… we explored how bottom-up 

initiatives like urban gardening 

can build social resilience and improve 

safety in deprived neighborhoods. We 

learned how unconventional approaches 

to urban development can transform 

cities both socially and physically. 

In Tunisia… we discussed how urban 

improvements can become an engine for 

rebuilding society after the Arab Spring. 

In Kenya... we designed a new initiative 

for innovative and inclusive development 

in urban areas together with the newly 

formed Council of Governors. 

We have also developed the SymbioCity 

Approach further based on the knowledge 

generated in our work. We have 

strengthened the way we support the 

whole planning process; from vision to 

action. We have increased focus on gender 

equality, inclusive development and 

local economic development. And we 

have switched on the search light to find 

innovative environmental solutions that 

are adapted to conditions in our partner 

countries. 

What happens now? 

The next phase of the SymbioCity 

Approach will put increased focus on 

direct support to cities in making more 

integrated and inclusive plans, piloting 

new and innovative solutions and in 

more efficiently managing its urban 

systems. Targeted capacity development 

will be provided through training 

programs, on-the-job-training and 

city-to-city learning. On the global level, 

the SymbioCity Approach Secretariat 

will continue to engage in dialogue with 

international organisations. When the UN 

General Assembly convenes Habitat III 

in 2016, focusing on the implementation 

of the new urban agenda, we hope that 

signs of the SymbioCity Approach will be 

evident in the documents. 

Help Desk studies the “shrinking 

space” for civil society in Africa 

Late 2014 SKL International completed 

a study for Sida on the 

conditions for civil society to operate 

in Africa. Civil society organisations 

(CSOs) are an important partner 

in Swedish development cooperation. 

However, government restrictions are 

making it increasingly difficult for CSOs to 

operate effectively. This so-called “shrinking 

space” for civil society is a growing 

trend around the world. Sida asked SKL 

International to explore the conditions for 

civil society in 15 African countries where 

Sida is active. 

“Some of the challenges that CSOs face 

include restrictions on the amount of 

foreign funding and assistance they can 

accept, the areas they can work in and 

the types of activities they can undertake,” 

said the report’s author, Mr Henrik 

Alffram. 

“In Ethiopia, for example, CSOs that work 

with democracy and human rights issues 

are not allowed to have more than ten 

percent of their income from foreign 

sources. This makes it difficult for civil 

society to effectively defend and champion 

human rights issues.” 

The assignment was commissioned 

by Sida through the Help Desk for 

Democracy and Public Administration 

in Africa. The Help Desk provides short 

term expert advice in the areas of 

public administration, local democracy, 

political institutions, and rule of law. 

SKL International manages the Help 

Desk in consortium with the Overseas 

Development Institute (ODI) and Public 

Administration International (PAI). 

“The Help Desk is designed to respond 

quickly to requests from Sida and 

Swedish embassies in Africa,” said Mr Erik 

Faxgård, who manages the Help Desk 

at SKL International. “Together with our 

partners we have a core group of experts 

that are available to respond to requests 

government restrictions 

are making it increasingly 

difficult for CSOs to 

operate effectively. This 

“shrinking space” for civil 

society is a growing 

trend around 

the world 

within two days. We also have a broader 

network of experts that can be available 

within a week for more complex or specialised 

assignments.” 

SKL International has partnered with 

ODI and PAI in Sida framework contracts 

for more than four years. ODI is Britain’s 

leading independent think tank on international 

development and humanitarian 

issues. In addition to its 12 core research 

programmes and flagship projects, ODI 

produces publications, reports and think 

pieces, and convenes public events 

and seminars on its most important 

research findings. PAI is a management 

consultancy that offers expert advice to 

governments going through political, 

constitutional, economic and structural 

change. PAI’s key objectives are promoting 

good governance and good practice 

in delivering public services. 

SKL International is contracted to manage 

the Help Desk until the end of 2016.



SKL International expands its 

advisory support to Sida 

DFID Governance and 

Security Framework 

aGreement, Lot A 

Client: UK Department for 

International Development 

Dates: 2012-2014 with extension 

up until 2016 

Lead Partner: Adam Smith 

International 

Focus areas: Public sector 

governance and reform 

EU Framework Contract: 

Governance and Home 

affairs, Lot 7 

Client: European Commission 

Dates: 2013-2015 with extension 

up to 2017 

Lead Partner: DAI 

Focus areas: Human rights, 

SKL International has 

expanded its advisory 

support to Sida with the 

award of two new Sida 

Framework Contracts in 

democratic governance 

and human rights, and 

gender equality. 

Through these contracts, SKL 

International and its partners 

will provide Sida with short-term 

consulting and advisory services 

in areas such as local democracy, political 

participation, gender mainstreaming and 

a human rights based approach. 

“These framework contracts are 

a strategic opportunity for SKL 

International,” said Ms Suzanne Krook, 

Project Development Manager at SKL 

International. “We can inform the 

development of new results strategies, 

operational plans and new initiatives in 

our areas of expertise.” 

The framework contracts are also an 

opportunity for SKL International to 

democratisation, public administration 

reform, justice and 

rule of law, decentralisation 

and local development, civil 

society, home affairs 

EU Framework Contract: 

Studies related to the 

future development of 

Cohesion Policy and the 

ESI Funds, Lot 3 

Client: European Commission 


up to 2017 

Lead Partner: Altus Investment 

and Assets Management 

Focus areas: Analysing and 

making recommendations 

on Cohesion Policy and the 

European Structural Investment 

(ESI) Funds 

expand its collaboration with other 

Swedish organisations. SKL International 

leads consortiums with new partners 

Kvinna till Kvinna, Emerga and Global 

Reporting, as well as existing partners 

Overseas Development Institute (ODI), 

Public Administration International (PAI). 

“At SKL International we have a core competence 

in areas such as local democracy, 

decentralisation, political participation 

and public administration,” said Mr Håkan 

Gustafsson, Managing Director of SKL 

International. “Our partners complement 

and add specific expertise in other areas 

such as non-discrimination, rule of law, 

human rights systems, and freedom of 

speech”. 

Together the framework contracts target 

two of the three strategic priorities for 

Swedish development cooperation. 

Gender equality has long been one of 

the pillars of Sweden’s aid policy. In 

2013 gender equality was the principal 

or significant objective for 85 percent 

of Sida’s total portfolio and 15 percent 

of this support targeted specific gender 

equality efforts. 

“We believe that gender equality is one 

of the most important areas where we 

Sida Framework Contract, 

Democratic Governance 

and Human Rights 

Client: Sida 


up to 2019 

Lead Partner: SKL International 

Focus areas: Local democracy, 

decentralisation, political institutions/participation, 

public 

administration and financial 

management, state building, 

rule of law, freedom of expression 

and media, human rights 

Sida Framework Contract, 

Gender Equality 

Client: Sida 


up to 2019 


can make a difference in our work,” said 

Håkan Gustafsson. “We have achieved 

good results in this area through our 

projects in countries such as India, Turkey 

and Serbia. We look forward to bringing 

this experience and expertise to bear 

through the framework contract.” 

Likewise democracy and human rights 

comprised a third of Sida’s spending, 

equivalent to 5.4 billion Swedish kronor. 

Swedish development cooperation 

is guided by a human rights based 

approach, where the rights and needs of 

individuals are in focus. 

“At SKL International we have supported 

human rights from a range of perspectives,” 

said Suzanne Krook. “For example, 

we help improve the accountability and 

transparency of governments to their 

citizens and increase citizens’ participation 

in decisions that affect them. We also 

promote the needs and rights of women, 

children and minority groups, which 

affects the way that policies and public 

services are formulated and delivered.” 

The framework contracts will both run 

from early 2015 until January 2017, with 

the potential to extend for a further two 

years. 

Framework Contracts: Providing high quality advice around the world 

SKL International has a number of Framework Contracts through which it provides strategic advice, 

research and analysis to international donors around the world. 

Focus areas: Women’s political 

participation, women’s economic 

empowerment, sexual 

and reproductive health and 

rights, education, women’s 

security 

Sida Help Desk in 

Democracy and Public 

Administration in Africa 

Client: Sida 

Dates: 2014-2016 


Focus areas: Public administration, 

local democracy, political 

institutions/participation, rule 

of law 

Council of Governors at the core of 

Kenyan change process 

In the new Kenyan Constitution all services that affect the daily lives of Kenyans 

have become the responsibility of 47 counties, each with an average population of 

almost 1 million people. While the new Constitution is viewed as progressive and 

brings hope for something new, in reality the challenges could not be greater. 

By Paul Dixelius 

Kenya faces huge backlogs in critical 

infrastructure, in turn hampering productivity 

of business and service delivery. 

This eventually impacts on the quality 

of life for Kenya’s residents. The counties are 

gradually adapting to their new circumstances 

but are still overwhelmed by the challenges and 

need help to adapt their structures for future 

growth. The Council of Governors is the body 

that can best monitor the general situation in 

Kenya and will be instrumental in guiding the 

counties on the right track. 

The Kenyan elections in December 2007 were 

contentious on many levels. The Kriegler 

Commission that assessed the elections 

concluded that it was impossible to declare 

a rightful winner. The discontent amongst 

Kenyan citizens was widespread, leading to 

riots and more than a thousand casualties. 

With the assistance of then-UN Secretary 

General, Mr Kofi Annan, a new coalition government 

was formed in early 2008. However, 

allegations of fraud, corruption and political 

involvement in the post-election violence 

put heavy pressure on the government both 

from the population and from the outside 

world. The tense political situation led to the 

development of a new Kenyan Constitution, 

with the intention of reducing the presidential 

power and enhancing the power of the 

people. The new Constitution was approved 

in August 2010 marking a historical step and 

a break from colonial times. As envisaged, the 

new Constitution enhanced the role of parliament 

and citizens, increased independence 

of the judiciary and included a progressive 

Bill of Rights. 

Power to the counties 

A key feature in the new Constitution is the 

devolution of power from central government 

to the county government level. There are 47 

semi-autonomous county governments in 

Kenya. The counties currently have mandate 

Photo: ©iStock.com/miroslav


“The SymbioCity 

programme will entail 

institutional co-operation 

between CoG and SALAR 

with emphasis on the 

theme of sustainable urban 

development.” 

and responsibility for virtually all services 

that affect Kenyan citizens. This includes 

schools, clinics and hospitals, which in 

most countries are central government 

responsibilities. But county government 

responsibilities also encompass traditional 

local government services such 

as urban planning and development, 

parks and roads, sanitation and waste 

management. 

The elections in March 2013 marked the 

official launch of decentralisation, as 

47 new county governors and county 

assemblies were elected and began 

the challenging work of setting up new 

institutions. The common organ for the 

governors is the Council of Governors 

(CoG) - a non–partisan organisation 

established in accordance with the 

Intergovernmental Relations Act. As such 

it is a formal part of Kenya’s government 

structure. Since the new constitution 

was approved a key task for the CoG 

has been to lobby for the actual transfer 

of mandates from central to county 

level and to ensure matching financial 

transfers. As a result, almost all functions 

were formally transferred to the counties 

between February and August 2013. This 

was a deviation from the original plan 

Photo: ©iStock.com/DavorLovincic 

of gradual transfer of functions during a 

three-year period. 

An overwhelming task 

This quick and wide-scale transfer of 

functions and responsibilities has been 

a huge challenge for counties. Not only 

in terms of setting up new administrations 

for service delivery areas but also 

to make sure that all services on which 

citizens are dependent are actually 

delivered on the ground. And that they 

have enough funds. The reality is that the 

vast majority of urban residents in Kenya 

have inadequate access to basic services, 

and opportunities for communities 

to influence the quality and delivery of 

services have not been realised. Despite 

strong lobby efforts from county level, 

the agreed financial transfers from 

national government have been slow 

and irregular. This contributes further to 

deficient service delivery on the ground. 

Financial allocations mainly go to recurrent 

expenditure, with limited amounts 

spent on development projects. 

Similar transfers of power that have 

occurred elsewhere around the world 

show that there is a risk this tendency 

becomes cemented. The Dayton agreement 

in Bosnia and Hercegovina increased 

the mandates and power of cantons at 

the expense of the municipalities and 

the country has since experienced less 

public influence and deteriorated service 

delivery. To overcome this risk there is a 

need to establish adequate forums for 

dialogue with the local councillors on the 

one hand and the general public on the 

other. Transparency and accountability are 

even more important when the centre of 

power is geographically far away from the 

inhabitants. 

Institutional co-operation 

between SALAR and CoG 

The CoG can play a crucial role in this 

endeavour, for example in helping counties 

to establish forums and principles 

that ensure public participation in 

decision making processes. The Kenya 

SymbioCity programme, for which The 

Swedish Association of Local Authorities 

and Regions and SKL International are 

jointly responsible with the CoG, can 

become an important cornerstone in 

this work. The SymbioCity programme 

will entail institutional co-operation 

between CoG and SALAR with emphasis 

on the theme of sustainable urban 

development. The SymbioCity Approach 

brings Swedish expertise on how to 

work holistically with urban development 

and practical experiences of the 

long-term benefits of including people 

from all walks of life in the process. Both 

horizontal and vertical cooperation are 

key features in the SymbioCity Approach. 

These will also be central themes in 

CoG’s and SALAR’s joint ambition to support 

counties to become the new and 

improved generation of service delivery 

institutions in Kenya. 

In December 2012, SKL 

International held a SymbioCity 

workshop in Nairobi, which was 

hosted by the Swedish Embassy. 

A variety of Kenyan representatives 

from central and local level, 

private sector and civil society 

were challenged to build a sustainable 

city in two days with the 

help of the SymbioCity Approach. 

The response was overwhelmingly 

positive and marked the start 

of a broad Swedish effort to introduce 

the SymbioCity Approach as 

a concept to support sustainable 

urban development in Kenya. 

Together with central Kenyan 

urban development stakeholders, 

the “Kenya SymbioCity 

Programme” proposal was developed 

during 2014 where SALAR 

and CoG are both the institutional 

and key implementing partners. 

The programme is intended to 

strengthen CoG in its function 

to support counties in urban 

development and will entail comprehensive 

project interventions 

in seven counties around Kenya. 

Peace process heralds a new era 

for local democracy in Colombia 


After more than five decades 

of armed conflict in Colombia 

and several failed attempts to 

find a political solution to the 

conflict, a peace agreement between 

the Government and the FARC (Fuerzas 

Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) 

guerrillas seems more feasible today 

than in many years. The peace process 

presents great opportunities for change 

and a window of opportunity for 

strengthening the capacity and role of 

local governments in Colombia. Local 

governments are seen as key players in 

the implementation of an agreement 

and for building trust and inclusive institutions 

at the local level to guarantee all 

citizens equal rights and equal access to 

public services. 

Challenges for Decentralisation 

Decades of fiscal, political, and constitutional 

reform to decentralise government 

in Colombia have attempted to bring 

government closer to the people and 

made local governments responsible 

for critical services such as health and 

education. But the performance of the 

devolved system has been uneven due 

to the great disparities between local 

governments of different sizes and in different 

regions. The majority of Colombia’s 

municipalities are very small and many of 

the municipalities in the rural areas are the 

ones most affected by the conflict. These 

municipalities have often a low capacity 

both in terms of human and financial 

resources and suffer from inadequate 

administrative capacity, poor planning 

processes, uneven capacity to support 

local economic development, and lack of 

citizen trust and public participation. The 

great number of internally displaced people 

and the reintegration of combatants 

into society represents major challenges 

for municipalities and governments at 

all levels. 

Barriers to Democracy 

Political exclusion, violence, clientelism 

and corruption are some of the factors 

that have contributed to distrust in the 

public system among the Colombian 

population over the years and created 

barriers to public participation especially 

for poor and marginalised groups. The 

Constitution in 1991 strived to change this 

by promoting participatory democracy 

and assigning new functions to departments 

and local governments in matters 

relating to consultation, decision-making, 

implementation, control and financing. 

Forums and mechanisms for citizen voice 

and participation were also established. 

The Colombian 

Government, 

through the National 

Department for 

Planning (DNP), has 

expressed an interest 

for support based on 

Swedish experiences 

and expertise in the 

fields of public participation, 

intergovernmental 

financing and 

benchmarking. Experts 

from SKL International 

made two visits to 

Colombia during 2014 

in order to explore how 

Swedish support could 

improve local democracy 

and build capacity 

in these areas. 

However, many challenges for public participation 

remained. The history of nonconsultation 

had created a gap between 

decision-makers and citizens that still to 

this day prevents citizens and civil society 

organisations to fulfill their role in the 

field. In addition, public participation is 

also limited by local governments’ limited 

autonomy of resources, lack of capacity 

and know-how and cumbersome regulations. 

The ongoing peace negotiations 

address some of these issues such as 

means for public participation in decision 

making processes and social control of 

the territorial entities of the Colombian 

state, but much more needs to happen 

before public participation becomes the 

norm. 

Fiscal Decentralisation 

In terms of fiscal decentralisation, 

Colombia is considered one of the most 

decentralised countries in Latin America. 

But despite this and the notable economic 

growth rates in the past decade, 

income inequality and regional disparities 

remain wide. The current system for 

intergovernmental financing lacks strong 

re-distributional features to assure equal 

access to public services throughout the 

country. In total, the result is very different 

conditions for different localities. Local 

governments that are small, remote and/ 

or in conflictive zones have special problems 

to finance local services of the same 

accessibility and quality as other structurally 

more advantaged administrations. 

The dependency of national transfers also 

limits many local governments’ discretion 

over spending and service delivery as well 

as opportunities for citizen engagement 

and accountability measures in local 

planning and budgeting processes.

FINANCIAL REVIEW SKL INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL RESULTS 2014 1 

ANNUAL 

ACCOUNTS 

of 

SKL International AB 

556414-4201 

The board of directors and the managing 

director hereby present the annual accounts 

for the financial year 

2014-01-01 - 2014-12-31 

The annual accounts include: 

Auditor’s report 1 

The administration report 2 

Income statement 4 

Balance sheet 5 

Additional information (notes) 6 

page 

AFFILIATED TO THE SWEDISH ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND REGIONS 

AUDITOR’S REPORT 

To the annual meeting of the shareholders of 

SKL International AB Corporate identity number 

556414-4201 

Report on the annual accounts 

We have audited the annual accounts of SKL International AB 

for the financial year 2014-01-01 – 2014-12-31. 

Responsibilities of the Board of Directors and the Managing 

Director for the annual accounts 

The Board of Directors and the Managing Director are 

responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these 

annual accounts in accordance with the Annual Accounts Act 

and for such internal control as the Board of Directors and 

the Managing Director determine is necessary to enable the 

preparation of annual accounts that are free from material 

misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. 

Auditor’s responsibility 

Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these annual 

accounts based on our audit. We conducted our audit in 

accordance with International Standards on Auditing and generally 

accepted auditing standards in Sweden. Those standards 

require that we comply with ethical requirements and plan 

and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about 

whether the annual accounts are free from material misstatement. 

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit 

evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the annual 

accounts. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s 

judgement, including the assessment of the risks of material 

misstatement of the annual accounts, whether due to fraud or 

error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers 

internal control relevant to the company’s preparation and fair 

presentation of the annual accounts in order to design audit 

procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not 

for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of 

the company’s internal control. An audit also includes evaluating 

the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the 

reasonableness of accounting estimates made by the Board of 

Directors and the Managing Director, as well as evaluating the 

overall presentation of the annual accounts. 

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient 

and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinions. 

Opinions 

In our opinion, the annual accounts have been prepared in 

accordance with the Annual Accounts Act and present fairly, in 

all material respects, the financial position of SKL International 

AB as of 31 December 2014 and of its financial performance for 

the year then ended in accordance with the Annual Accounts 

Act. The statutory administration report is consistent with the 

other parts of the annual accounts. 

We therefore recommend that the annual meeting of 

shareholders adopt the income statement and balance. 

Report on other legal and regulatory 

requirements 

In addition to our audit of the annual accounts, we have also 

audited the proposed appropriations of the company’s profit 

or loss and the administration of the Board of Directors and the 

Managing Director of SKL International AB for the financial year 

2014-01-01 – 2014-12-31. 

Responsibilities of the Board of Directors and the 

Managing Director 

The Board of Directors is responsible for the proposal for 

appropriations of the company’s profit or loss, and the Board 

of Directors and the Managing Director are responsible for 

administration under the Companies Act. 

Auditor’s responsibility 

Our responsibility is to express an opinion with reasonable 

assurance on the proposed appropriations of the company’s 

profit or loss and on the administration based on our audit. We 

conducted the audit in accordance with generally accepted 

auditing standards in Sweden. 

As a basis for our opinion on the Board of Directors’ proposed 

appropriations of the company’s profit or loss, we examined 

the Board of Directors’ reasoned statement and a selection of 

supporting evidence in order to be able to assess whether the 

proposal is in accordance with the Companies Act. 

As a basis for our opinion concerning discharge from liability, 

in addition to our audit of the annual accounts, we examined 

significant decisions, actions taken and circumstances of the 

company in order to determine whether any member of the 

Board of Directors or the Managing Director is liable to the 

company. We also examined whether any member of the 

Board of Directors or the Managing Director has, in any other 

way, acted in contravention of the Companies Act, the Annual 

Accounts Act or the Articles of Association. 

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is 

sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinions. 

Opinions 

We recommend to the annual meeting of shareholders that the 

profit be appropriated in accordance with the proposal in the 

statutory administration report and that the members of the 

Board of Directors and the Managing Director be discharged 

from liability for the financial year. 

Stockholm 11/2 2015 

Deloitte AB 

Elisabeth Werneman 

Authorized public accountant


ADMINISTRATION REPORT 

Operations 

SKL International AB designs, plans and implements development projects in developing countries and countries in transition. 

Funding for projects is provided by external donors, with Sida being the main contributor. Other financiers are international organisations 

such as the UN and the EU as well as bilateral aid donors such as Danish DANIDA and German GIZ. 

SKL International's projects centre on local democracy and local governance. Its main areas of expertise are: decentralisation; local 

democracy and governance; EU integration; local and regional development; municipal management and service delivery; thematic 

local partnerships; and support to Local Goverment Associations. SKL International also works in sustainable urban development, 

most notably through the so-called SymbioCity Approach. 

The projects are carried out by employees as project managers/consultants together with experts and elected representatives from 

SALAR. SKL International also engages staff from SALAR´s members (310 municipalities, counties and regions of Sweden) as well 

other local and international experts. 

Year on year comparison 

(KSEK) 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 

Net sales 31 335 37 526 30 446 23 885 26 464 

Operating profit 50 1 445 2 384 260 846 

Profit/ loss after financial items 143 1 364 2 422 198 813 

Total assets 12 978 16 453 14 784 9 171 10 350 

Equity ratio (%) (1) 58,23 48,52 51,26 63,86 58,12 

Return on equity (%) (2) 1,31 13,57 19,41 2,34 9,93 

Return on assets (%) (3) 1,01 8,78 20,35 2,12 7,57 

Average number of employees 14 14 12 14 11 

(1) Adjusted equity/total assets. Adjusted equity means equity + untaxed reserves with deduction of deferred tax liability. 

(2) Net profit/loss for the year/average adjusted equity. 

(3) Profit/loss after financial items + interest expenses/average total assets. 

Ownership 

The parent company of which SKL International is a subsidiary is SKL Företag AB, corporate identity number 556117-7535, which is a 

wholly owned subsidiary of SALAR. SALAR and SKL Företag AB have their domicile in Stockholm. 

Significant events during the fiscal year 

SKL International AB's activities have a geographical spread clearly influenced by the Swedish Government's development priorities. 

The activities of the company are project-based and in 2014 assignments were implemented in countries such as Turkey, Serbia, Iraq, 

Albania, Ukraine, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan and Tunisia. Towards the end of the year SKL International agreed with Sida on a new project in 

Kenya. The project will use the SymbioCity Approach; a participatory approach to sustainable urban development that was developed 

in Sweden and is now implemented around the world by SKL International. 

During the year, a new two-year framework agreement was signed with SALAR with the option for a two-year extension. Sida also 

procured SKL International to manage a help desk function that provides research and advice on democracy and public administration 

in Africa. SKL International is also part of a consortium that has a framework agreement with the EU for consulting services to EU 

delegations around the world. In 2014 SKL International carried out its first consultancy assignment under this framework contract, in 

Jordan. 

New Accounting principles 

From 1 January 2014, the company applies BFNAR 2012:1 Årsredovisning och koncernredovisning (K3). 

The comparative year 2013 has been restated in accordance with K3. Restatement of prior years has not been made. The 

company previous applied Annual Accounts Act (Årsredovisningslagen) and The Swedish Accounting Standards Board's general 

recommendations for smaller companies (Bokföringsnämndens allmänna råd för mindre företag). 

Significant events after fiscal year 

The work on a new strategy for the company will start in early 2015, which is the final year of the current three-year strategy. 

During 2014 the company started to prepare for this work by analysing, for example, Sida's new result strategies and the opportunities 

for new projects in different geographies. SKL International's strategy will direct and guide decision making in critical areas 

such as business development, organisational growth, types of new projects and financers, partners and regional areas of focus. 

In the last quarter of 2014, two strategic projects were contracted and initiated (Ukraine and Kenya). These projects, together 

with a number of specific requests from organisations such as Sida and Cities Alliance, contribute to a positive market outlook 

for both the short and medium term. 

Proposal for the appropriation of profits 

The following profits are available for appropriation at the annual general meeting 

Profit brought forward from previous years 5 767 441 

Profit/ loss for the year 102 226 

The board and managing director proposes that 

5 869 667 

dividends be paid to the shareholders 51 113 

the following be carried forward 5 818 554 

Proposal resolution on dividend 

5 869 667 

The Board proposes a dividend of SEK 51 113, corresponding to 5.11 per share. 

The Board proposes that the dividend payment shall be made immediately after the annual meeting. 

The Board consider that the proposed dividend is justifiable in view of the demands that the nature, scope and risks on the size 

of equity and the company's consolidation needs, liquidity and financial position. 

The opinion should be seen against the background of the information contained in the Annual Report. 

The management plan no significant changes in existing operations such as significant investments, divestments or settlement. 

Regarding the company's result and financial position, please consult the income statement and balance sheet for additional 

information. All amounts are in thousands of Swedish kronor unless otherwise stated. 

In terms of its employees, no major changes were made which reflect this year's development in terms of consolidation and reprocessing 

efforts for new projects. The accounting assistant post was changed and replaced. Efforts was intensified regarding business 

development that began in 2013. In Tunisia, as well as in Ukraine, local consultants were recruited on a longer-term basis but with 

limited commitment in terms of time. With a number of new projects coming on board in late 2014, the company faces a need for 

recruitment.


INCOME STATEMENT 

Note 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 

2014-12-31 2013-12-31 

BALANCE SHEET 

ASSETS 

Note 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 

2014-12-31 2013-12-31 

Fixed assets 

Operating income, etc. 

Net sales 1, 2 31 335 37 526 

Other operating income 3 378 167 

31 713 37 693 

Operating expenses 

Other external costs 5 -17 128 -21 944 

Personnel costs 6 -11 029 -10 058 

Depreciation and write-downs -91 -128 

Other operating expenses 4, 5 -3 415 -4 118 

-31 663 -36 248 

Operating profit 50 1 445 

Tangible assets 

Equipment, tools, fixtures and fittings 10 147 238 

Total fixed assets 147 238 

Current assets 

Current receivables 

Accounts receivable-trade 901 270 

Receivables from group companies 7 327 8 790 

Other receivables 273 111 

Accrued not invoiced income 11 4 168 6 873 

Prepaid expenses and accrued income 162 171 

12 831 16 215 

Total current assets 12 831 16 215 

TOTAL ASSETS 12 978 16 453 

Result from financial investments 

Other interest income and similar profit/loss items 7 4 11 

Other interest income from group companies 7 122 13 

Interest expense and similar profit/loss items 8 -32 -98 

Interest expense for group companies 8 -1 -7 

93 -81 

Profit/ loss after financial items 143 1 364 

Tax on profit for current year 9 -41 -308 

NET PROFIT/ LOSS FOR THE YEAR 102 1 056 

EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 

Equity 12 

Restricted equity 

Share capital (10 000 shares) 13 1 000 1 000 

Statutory reserve 200 200 

1 200 1 200 

Non-restricted equity 

Profit brought forward 5 768 5 239 

Profit/loss for the year 102 1 056 

5 870 6 295 

Total equity 7 070 7 495 

Untaxed reserves 14 625 625 

Current liabilities 

Accounts payable - trade 1 675 3 625 

Income tax liability 196 565 

Other liabilities 1 088 1 321 

Accrued expenses and deferred income 15 2 324 2 822 

5 283 8 333 

TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 12 978 16 453 

MEMORANDUM ITEMS 

Pledged assets None None 

Contingent liabilities None None


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

General information 

Lease agreements 

Group contribution 

Related Party Disclosures 

SKL International AB designs, plans and implements 

development projects in developing countries and countries in 

transition. Funding for projects is provided by external donors, 

with Sida being the main contributor. Other financiers are 

international organizations such as the UN and the EU but also 

national national development assistance organisations such as 

Danish DANIDA and German GIZ. 

The parent company of which SKL International is a subsidiary is 

SKL Företag AB, corporate identity number 556117-7535, which 

is a wholly owned subsidiary of SALAR. SALAR and SKL Företag 

AB have their domicile in Stockholm. 

Accounting principles 

The company applies the Swedish Annual Accounts Act and 

BFNAR 2012:1 Årsredovisning och koncernredovisning (K3). 

This is the first year the company applies K3 and the date of 

the transition to K3 is 1st January 2013. The company earlier 

applied the Annual Accounts Act (Årsredovisningslagen) 

and The Swedish Accounting Standards Board’s general 

recommendations for smaller companies (Bokföringsnämndens 

allmänna råd för mindre företag). The comparative year 2013 

has been restated in accordance with K3. Restatement of prior 

years has not been made. In the transition to K3, chapter 35 

has been applied which requires applying K3 retroactively. This 

means that comparative figures for 2013 have been restated in 

accordance with K3. The transition to K3 has not had any effect 

on the Company’s result and financial position. 

Revenue 

Revenues are reported at actual value received or receivable. 

Revenues are reported net after deducting VAT, discounts and 

exchange differences for sales made in foreign currencies. 

The company’s revenues consists primarily of fees and expenses 

from the sales of consulting services. 

Sales of services 

Income and expenses for completed service and contractual 

assignments are reported as income and costs, respectively, 

in proportion to the degree of completion on the balance date 

(percentage of completion). The percentage of completion of 

an assignment is determined by comparing expenses incurred, 

on the balance date, with the estimated total expenditure. 

When the outcome of the service assignment or contractual 

assignment cannot be estimated with any degree of certainty, 

the income is reported only to the extent that it corresponds to 

the accrued assignment costs that are likely to be reimbursed 

by the client. An anticipated loss on an assignment is reported 

promptly as a cost. 

Financial leasing occurs when the financial risks and benefits 

associated with ownership have essentially been transferred to 

the lessee; if this is not the case, then it is an operating lease. 

All of the company’s lease agreements are reported according 

to the rules for operating leases. For an operating lease, the 

leasing fee is reported as a cost linearly over the duration, from 

the point at which utilization begins, which may differ from the 

actual lease fee paid during the year. 

Foreign currency 

The company’s reporting currency is the Swedish krona (SEK). 

At the end of each reporting period, monetary assets and 

liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated at 

the closing rates existing at that date. Exchange rate differences 

arising from operating receivables or liabilities are recognized 

in operating income, while differences attributable to financial 

assets or liabilities are recognized in finance costs. Exchange 

rate differences on available-for-sale equity instruments and 

on cash flow hedges are recognized in other comprehensive 

income. 

Government grant 

A government grant is not recognized until there is reasonable 

assurance that the entity will comply with the conditions 

attaching to it, and that the grant will be received. Receipt of 

a grant does not of itself provide conclusive evidence that the 

conditions attaching to the grant have been or will be fulfilled. 

Government grants are recognized in profit or loss on a 

systematic basis over the periods in which the entity recognizes 

as expenses the related costs for which the grants are intended 

to compensate. 

Remuneration to employees 

Remuneration to employee in the form of salaries, bonuses, 

paid holidays, paid sick leave, etc. and pensions are 

recognized in the vesting period. Pensions and other postemployment 

benefits are classified as benefit-determined 

and fee-determined pension plans. The company has only 

fee-determined pension plans. There are no other long-term 

remuneration to employees.Pension plans to which the 

company pays fixed contributions to a separate legal entity 

and where the company has no legal or informal obligation 

to pay additional fees, are fee-determined pension plans. 

Pension plans other than fee-determined pension plans are 

benefit-determined plans. Obligations regarding contributions 

to fee-determined plans are reported as a cost in the income 

statement when they occur. 

Received and paid group contributions are reported as 

appropriations in the income statement. 

Income taxes 

Incomes taxes comprise current and deferred tax. Current tax 

are recognized in net income. The taxable profit differs from 

the result reported in income statement when it is adjusted for 

non-taxable income and non-deductible expenses and revenues 

and expenses taxable or deductible in other periods. Current tax 

is determined using tax rates and tax legislation that have been 

enacted or substantively enacted at the end of the reporting 

period. 

Tangible fixed assets 

Tangible fixed assets are reported at acquisition value 

diminished through depreciation. Costs for improving the 

performance of assets, beyond their original level, increase 

the reported value of the assets. Expenses for repairs and 

maintenance are reported as costs in the period that they occur. 

Tangible fixed assets are systematically depreciated over the 

estimated useful life of each asset. When the assets’ depreciable 

amounts are set, the residual values are consequently observed. 

A linear method of depreciation is used for all types of fixed 

assets. 

The following depreciation periods are applied: 

Equipment, fixtures and fittings 5 years 

Accelerated depreciation, permitted for tax purposes, 

in addition to planned depreciation is reported as an 

appropriation in the income statement and as an untaxed 

reserve in the balance sheet. 

Write-downs 

The reported values of the company’s assets are determined 

on the balance date to see whether any write-down is needed. 

If such a need is indicated, the recoverable value of the asset 

is calculated as the higher of the useful value and the net 

realisable value. The asset is written down if the recoverable 

value is less than the reported value. A write-down is reversed if 

a change has occurred in the calculations used to determine the 

realisable value. A reversal is made only to the extent that the 

asset’s book value does not exceed the book value that would 

have been reported, with deductions for depreciation, if no 

write-down had been made. 

Transactions between the company and its related parties took 

place on market terms. 

Key sources of estimation uncertainty 

No estimates have been made that may have a significant 

effect on the amounts recognized in the financial statement. 

No assumptions about the future and other key sources of 

estimation uncertainty at the closing day have been made 

that involve a significant risk of material adjustment to the 

recognized assets and liabilities within the next financial year.


NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

Note 1 

Net sales 

Net sales per line of business are allocated as follows: 

2014 2013 

Development assistance fee 22 111 27 305 

Development assistance costs charged 9 224 10 221 

Total 31 335 37 526 

Net sales per geographical market are allocated as follows: 


Africa excl. North 640 2 606 

Asia 990 9 209 

Europe 15 585 15 538 

Global 2 813 3 954 

MENA 11 307 6 219 

Total 31 335 37 526 

Net sales per customer are allocated as follows: 


Sida (by SALAR) 27 226 30 362 

Sida 629 5 356 

EU 1 246 115 

UN Habitat/UNDP/UNITAR 912 839 

Other 1 322 854 

Total 31 335 37 526 

Note 2 

Sales and purchases within the group 


Sales 87,0% 81,0% 

Purchases 8,0% 7,0% 

Note 3 

Other operating income 


Government grants 355 157 

Isurance reimbursement 23 6 

Other reimbursement 0 4 

Total 378 167 

Note 4 

Leasing Agreements - Operating lease - lessee 


Lease payments 96 80 

Future minimum leasing fees, expected maturity: 

Within 1 year 89 80 

Between 2 and 5 years 145 0 

Later than 5 year 0 0 

234 80 

Note 5 

Remuneration to auditors 


Deloitte AB 

Audits 45 45 

Audit-related services 351 238 

All other services 94 3 

EY 

Audit-related services 0 136 

490 422 

Audits relates to the statutory audit - examination, in accordance with the Companies Act, of the company’s accountancy 

and annual report and the management by the board of directors and the managing director of the company. Auditrelated 

services relates to audit of finacial information regarding projects. Other services relates to consultations regarding 

tenders. 

Note 6 

Employees 

security charges 


Average number of employees 

Average number of employees is based on paid attendance hours in relation to average working hours. 

Average number of employees 14,00 14,00 

of whom women 8,00 7,00 

Salaries, remunerations etc. 

The board and managing director 

Salaries and remunerations 973 995 

Pension costs 333 210 

1 306 1 205 

Other employees 

Salaries and remunerations 6 612 5 750 

Pension costs 758 858 

7 370 6 608


Social security charges 2 036 1 965 

Total 10 712 9 778 

Salaries and remunerations 7 585 6 745 

Pension costs 1 091 1 068 

Social security charges 2 036 1 965 

Total 10 712 9 778 

Gender distribution of the board and management 

Number of boardmembers 4 5 

of whom women 1 1 

Number of members of management including managing director 1 1 

of whom women 0 0 

No compensation in addition to salary is paid to the managing director. The Board has received fees as determined 

amount decided by the Annual General Meeting. Managing director's period of notice is 6 months. Upon termination by 

the company, the company has also to pay severance pay of 12 monthly salaries. In the event of immediate termination 

of the managing director's contract no severance benefits are to be provided. 

Note 7 

Interest income etc. 


Interest income, group companies 4 11 

Exchange gains 122 13 

126 24 

Note 8 

Interest expense etc. 


Interest expense 4 0 

Interest expense, group companies 1 7 

Exchange losses 29 97 

Other 0 1 

34 105 

Note 9 

Tax on profit for current year 


Current tax -41 -308 

Reconcilation effective tax 

-41 -308 

Profit/ loss before tax 143 1 364 

Tax, 22% -31 -300 

Tax effect on: 

Non-deductible expenses -8 -7 

Standard income on tax allocation reserve -2 -1 

-41 -308 

Note 10 

Equipment, tools, fixtures and fittings 


Acquisition value brought forward 625 607 

Purchases 0 59 

Sales/disposals -89 -41 

Accumulated acquisition values carried forward 536 625 

Depreciation brought forward -386 -298 

Sales/disposals 87 41 

Depreciation for the year -91 -128 

Accumulated depreciation carried forward -390 -386 

Residual value according to plan carried forward 147 238 

Note 11 

Accrued not invoiced income 

2014-12-31 2013-12-31 

Accrued fees 3 046 4 874 

Accrued overhead cost fee 1 122 1 999 

Total 4 168 6 873 

Note 12 

Equity 

Amounts comparative year's opening balance according 

to adopted balance sheet 

Adjustments regarding transition to BFNAR 2012:1 (K3) 

Sharecapital 

Restricted 

equity 

Nonrestricted 

equity 

Profit for 

current 

year 

1 000 200 4 588 1 304 

Adjusted amounts comparative year's opening balance 1 000 200 4 588 1 304 

Appropriation of profits as resolved by the annual general 

meeting 

Dividends -652 

1 304 -1 304 

Net profit/loss for the year 1 056 

Adjusted amounts comparative year's opening balance 1 000 200 5 240 1 056 

Adjustments regarding transition to BFNAR 2012:1 (K3) 

Appropriation of profits as resolved by the annual general 

meeting 

Dividends -528 

1 056 -1 056 

Net profit/loss for the year 102 

Amounts closing balance 1 000 200 5 768 102

FINANCIAL REVIEW 

Note 13 

Share capital 

Amount 

Value per share 

Amount/value opening balance 10 000 100 

Amount/value closing balance 10 000 100 

Key Partner 

Municipalities in 2014 

This year, 8 Swedish, 9 Serbian and 19 Turkish 

municipalities have partnered in two of our most 

important commitments. 

Linköping 

Erzincan, Malatya, 

Burdur, Karaman 

Huddinge 

Tarsus, Manisa, 

Çorum, Şişli 

Note 14 

Untaxed reserves 

2014-12-31 2013-12-31 

SERBIA 

Karlstad 

Nilüfer, Gaziantep, 

Mulğa, Antakya 

Kalmar 

Osmangazi, 

Giresun, Ordu 

Tax allocation reserve, tax 2013 625 625 

TURKEY 

Total 625 625 

Note 15 

Accrued expenses and deferred income 

2014-12-31 2013-12-31 

Accrued salary 340 356 

Accrued vacation pay 679 535 

Accrued social security charges 525 488 

Accrued project expenses 468 1 106 

Other accrued expenses 312 337 

Total 2 324 2 822 

Gävle 

Zrenjanin, 

Žitište, Sečanj 

Malmö 

Belgrade, 

New Belgrade, 

Savski Venac 

Umeå 

Bornova, Karsıyaka, 

Zeytinburnu, 

Büyükçekmece 

Växjö 

Niš, Varvarin, Kula 

Design: 

Sam Bainbridge, 

Design Infestation, 

www.infestation.co.za 

Cover photo: 

Carl-Henrik Trapp, Elite 

Studio Gothenburg

ANNUAL RESULTS 2014

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