The IDEAL program in Somaliland builds upon previous in-country experience for the creation, strengthening and duplication of local economic for that bring together local government, business community and civil society. These inclusive economic platforms will benefit the local economy through, amongst other, the development of smart business cases and the promotion of investments.
IDEAL is a 5-year program implemented by VNG International in seven countries facing fragility or conflict: Burundi, Mali, the Palestinian Territories, Rwanda, Somaliland, South Sudan and Uganda. IDEAL is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
ASPIRE is a 2-year program implemented by VNG International and funded by the European Union
The Advancing Strong Partnerships for Inclusive and Resilient Economic Development (ASPIRE) project is implemented in Somaliland with the aim to promote inclusive and resilient economic development, drawing on the Territorial Approach for Local Development. In Somaliland, ASPIRE focuses on Berbera District as a hub for inclusive local economic development (LED) in the region and as an entry point to address regional income disparities. Further, ASPIRE works with the Association of Local Government Authorities of Somaliland (ALGASL) as a target group and implementing partner in order to disseminate and replicate lessons learned of the Berbera pilot across Somaliland.
Overall objective: Local authorities and associations of local authorities contribute to inclusive economic growth in Somaliland.
Specific objectives are:
Improved capacity of Berbera District to promote inclusive LED.
Improved capacity of the Berbera Economic Forum (BEF) to promote inclusive LED.
Strengthened capacity of ALGASL to promote inclusive LED in Somaliland.
VNG International is the International Cooperation Agency of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG). Being part of VNG, one of the oldest and strongest local government associations in the world, our roots in local government are deep. It is second nature for us to work at both the technical and political level of local government.
We are also actively involved in European and worldwide networks of local government organizations. The combination of these two ‘characteristics’ enables us to cross-fertilize and to provide services for clients which better suit the needs of the beneficiaries. It is part of our identity: we are of, for, and together with local governments
VNG International designs and manages large and complex projects for donors such as the World Bank, the European Commission and bilateral donors. VNG INTERNATIONAL do not accept an assignment if they are not sure that they can deliver as agreed. VNG is proud of the high client satisfaction ratings achieved by their experienced and professional staff, supported by their ISO-9001 certified quality management system.