10023959-Conseils techniques et organisationnels pour améliorer la coordination et la promotion de la décentralisation

Official Title

Overview

Scope of Work

This assignment is part of the implementation of the Promotion of Responsible Governance in Mauritania II (ProGResp II) project, which supports Mauritanian authorities in strengthening local governance and advancing the decentralization process. Mauritania has undertaken an ambitious reform to bring public services closer to citizens, strengthen local government capacities, and promote inclusive and sustainable local development, in line with national priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals. Despite significant institutional progress, decentralization continues to face challenges. Mauritania's vast territory, low population density, climate-related pressures, regional disparities in access to public services, and the presence of refugee populations place considerable demands on local governments. At the same time, their human, technical, and financial capacities remain uneven. Coordination between central institutions, sectoral ministries, regions, and municipalities is also insufficiently structured, while responsibilities and institutional roles are not always clearly defined or effectively implemented. Citizen participation and communication between public institutions and communities remain limited. The Government has strengthened the institutional framework for decentralization, notably through the establishment in 2024 of the Ministry Delegate to the Minister of the Interior in charge of Decentralization and Local Development and the National Council for Decentralization and Local Development (CNDDL). The revision of the National Strategy for Decentralization and Local Development (SNDDL) provides an important framework for consolidating these reforms. Against this background, the ProGResp II project will support the coordinated implementation of decentralization reforms by national and local stakeholders. The assignment will run for 21 months, with a particular focus on strengthening institutional communication, improving stakeholder coordination, and increasing ownership of the decentralization process. The assignment comprises three complementary components: 1. Finalization and implementation of the communication strategy The service provider will support the Ministry in finalizing and operationalizing the existing communication strategy for decentralization and local development. This will include an implementation plan, activity schedule,