Inclusive Local Governance in the MENA Region (INLOG)

Client 

SALAR International >   Sida >


Client Type 

Government Agency

Topic 

Local Governance 


Service 

Capacity Building

Year 

2024 - 2025


Status 

Ongoing

Project Summary

LUGARIT was contracted by SALAR International (part of the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions) to contribute to the Inclusive Local Governance in the MENA region (INLOG) project. Commissioned by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), this initiative aims to enhance local governance capacities across Algeria, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, and Syria. As part of its role, LUGARIT’s experts serve as mentors in the INLOG project.  


About the INLOG Project

Spanning 24 months, the INLOG program engages 50 participants from multiple countries in the MENA region. The project is aligned with the Swedish Regional Development Cooperation Strategy for MENA (2021–2025).  It aims to support the capacity development of a critical mass of strategic change agents who can contribute to improved local practices and policy dialogue (on decentralisation and local governance) in order to foster more effective, accountable, and people-centred local institutions.


The program fosters a systems perspective on local governance, emphasizing:


Participants work in country groups, analyzing policies and designing actionable strategies based on their specific national contexts. The learning approach includes action learning, peer learning, collaborative projects, coaching, mentoring, and technical policy support.  The program follows a blended learning approach, combining digital engagement with on-site regional workshops to facilitate knowledge exchange and applied learning.

A key objective of INLOG is to develop a regional Community of Practice, enabling participants to engage in cross-border collaboration and shared learning. By working together, participants contribute to regional governance dialogue while developing context-specific solutions for local challenges.


LUGARIT’s Role

Our experts serve as mentors and policy advisors in the INLOG project, providing support and guidance to country teams. Our contributions include:

Beyond direct mentoring, LUGARIT also contributes to regional knowledge-sharing efforts, ensuring that lessons learned from the program are synthesized, documented, and shared within the broader Community of Practice.


Program Learning Components

The INLOG program includes two core modules on:


Additionally, participants choose between two specialized tracks, based on their professional background and reform priorities:


Looking Ahead

By strengthening decentralization and governance structures, the INLOG project contributes to enhanced policy dialogue, improved service delivery, and more inclusive local governance. LUGARIT remains committed to mentoring local change agents and advancing governance solutions that support community-driven reform efforts in the MENA region.

Project Credits

Header Photo

A snapshot of a local street in Damascus, Syria.  1 May 2022.  Photo © hanohiki - via Alamy.  Link >

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