Central Project Evaluation: Municipal Development Initiative (IDM) in Tunisia

Central Project Evaluation: Municipal Development Initiative (IDM) in Tunisia

The IDM project (2015–2024) sought to improve municipal transparency, citizen orientation, and participation in Tunisia. Activities included creating citizen spaces, promoting digitalisation, and fostering youth and women’s participation in local governance. The project supported 59 municipalities across Tunisia, targeting improved administrative services, participatory governance, and digital transformation. Funded by the BMZ with a total budget of €11.62 million, it addressed decentralisation challenges and contributed to national and local policy frameworks.

Mainlevel Consulting AG conducted the evaluation, assessing the project against OECD DAC criteria and providing recommendations to enhance future initiatives.

Conclusions

The IDM project successfully promoted municipal digitalisation and citizen-oriented services. While it faced challenges due to political instability and resource constraints, the project achieved notable progress in fostering participatory governance and transparency.

• Relevance: Strong alignment with Tunisian decentralisation policies and international development goals, particularly SDGs 5, 16, and 17.
• Coherence: Complemented existing government initiatives and donor activities, avoiding duplication of efforts.
• Effectiveness: Improved municipal capacities and increased citizen participation, especially among youth and women.
• Efficiency: Delivered results within budget constraints, though administrative hurdles slowed some processes.
• Impact: Enhanced citizen trust in municipal governance and advanced gender equity in local decision-making.
• Sustainability: Institutional capacities and digitalisation initiatives show potential for long-term impact.

Recommendations

• Strengthen Digital Governance: Expand municipal digitalisation efforts and integrate national e-governance frameworks.
• Enhance Gender and Youth Inclusion: Increase funding and training for initiatives focused on women and youth participation in local governance.
• Improve Financial Sustainability: Support municipalities in generating revenues and managing resources to sustain project outcomes.
• Optimise Coordination Mechanisms: Foster better collaboration among government agencies, municipalities, and civil society to ensure project alignment.
• Expand Training and Capacity-Building: Provide targeted training for local officials and stakeholders to institutionalise good governance practices.