Municipal Resource Mobilization Manual - Building the capacity of municipalities and unions of municipalities

The "Building the capacity of municipalities and unions of municipalities: Municipal Resource Mobilization Training manual" is a publication designed to help Lebanese municipalities overcome severe financial and administrative challenges that intensified after the 2019 financial crisis. These challenges include a sharp decline in revenues, hyperinflation, difficulties covering operational expenses, staffing issues due to low salaries, sub-optimal working environments, lack of access to "Fresh Dollar" bank accounts, and a reduced capacity to provide essential services like street cleaning, solid waste collection, and street lighting. Furthermore, Lebanese municipalities often lack professional proposal writers and fundraising specialists needed to attract local, national, and international funding.

The manual introduces a "Municipal Resource Mobilization Model" that advocates for collaboration between municipalities and community members and influential actors. The goal is to leverage their talents, energies, and networks to attract funds for crucial local services.

The manual operates on the working assumption that municipalities must become more inclusive, innovative, and flexible in their fundraising and proposal writing efforts, engaging diverse groups such as youth, women, private sector actors, and civil society organizations. It also includes a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework to assess the effectiveness of resource mobilization efforts and community impact.