“We need good governance: without good governance, fiscal decentralisation is meaningless”, stated a representative from the Bulgarian Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, setting the tone for discussion of the results of a Training Needs Analysis (TNA) of local authorities in that country, at a workshop held in Sofia on 29 February 2024. 

The TNA, carried out  by the Centre of Expertise for Good Governance (CEGG) at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe under the joint EU/CoE project “Developing fiscal decentralisation and improving local financial management in Bulgaria, was presented to stakeholders from national training entities, associations of local authorities, central government and civil society.

The outcomes of the TNA underscored the imperative for Bulgaria to craft a National Training Strategy for local government, and consider establishing a dedicated agency to oversee its implementation and help strengthen the institutional capacities of local authorities in line with #SDG16.

Following the workshop, the CEGG trained 15 participants on Participatory budgeting, as a potent instrument aligning to several of the 12 principles of Good Governance.

The activities were organised with the support of the project grantees, the Foundation for Local Government Reform and the Citizen Participation Forum.