Local Governance Development in Iraq -LOGDEVI

Through long-term partnerships and a strong focus on institutional development, the LOGDEVI project has supported Iraq’s efforts to strengthen local governance, improve public service delivery, and advance decentralisation. Implemented in two phases between 2018 and 2025 by SALAR International and its Iraqi partner, IRFAD, LOGDEVI has contributed to more effective, inclusive, and accountable local government institutions, laying foundations for sustainable development and improved quality of life across Iraq.

Iraq’s recent history has been marked by conflict, political instability, and weak public institutions. The US-led invasion in 2003 and the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime created a political vacuum that gave rise to prolonged conflict, foreign interference, and fragmented governance structures. Although the security situation gradually stabilised following the defeat of ISIL in 2017, Iraq has continued to face major challenges related to decentralisation, corruption, lack of coordination between governance levels, and low public trust in local administrations.

In this context, strengthening local governance and improving public service delivery have been critical for Iraq’s long-term stability and development. The Iraqi constitution and legal framework promote administrative decentralisation, yet implementation has been uneven and constrained by weak institutional capacity.

SALAR International began working in Iraq in 2012, initially supporting the Swedish Government’s engagement on local governance issues. From the outset, SALAR International has worked in close partnership with Iraqi authorities at central, regional, and local levels, as well as with its long-term and trusted local partner, the Iraqi Research Foundation for Analysis and Development (IRFAD). This partnership laid the foundation for the Local Governance Development in Iraq (LOGDEVI) project, which was implemented in two phases between 2018 and 2025.

LOGDEVI has been implemented in the governorates of Diwaniyah, Muthanna, and Duhok, in close collaboration with the High Commission for the Coordination of Provincial Affairs (HCCP), the Ministry of Planning in Baghdad, and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in the Kurdistan Region. Through continuous local presence, embedded offices within governorate administrations, and formal Memoranda of Understanding with governors, the project has achieved results with strong potential for institutionalisation at both regional and federal levels.

What LOGDEVI has worked on

LOGDEVI was designed to address a complex set of challenges related to decentralisation, local governance, and service delivery in Iraq. These challenges included policy incoherence, corruption and patronage, inefficient use of public resources, unclear institutional mandates, weak planning systems, lack of accountability, poor coordination between central and local governments, limited fiscal autonomy, and minimal citizen trust in local administrations.

Rather than focusing primarily on direct service delivery, LOGDEVI placed strong emphasis on institutional development. The project was grounded in the understanding that sustainable improvements in public services require clear roles and responsibilities, effective internal systems, transparent decision-making, sound financial management, and inclusive planning processes. Strengthening institutions was also seen as a key anti-corruption measure and a way to reduce political interference and nepotism.

Across both phases, LOGDEVI followed a set of guiding principles, including local ownership, demand-driven support, adaptive and incremental planning, conflict sensitivity, a human-rights based approach, gender equality, environmental sustainability, and the use of SALAR’s and Swedish municipalities’ practical experience of local governance. A core strategy was to create structured forums for dialogue and cooperation between actors at local, regional, and national levels.

LOGDEVI Phase 1 – Building foundations for decentralised governance

LOGDEVI Phase 1 focused on developing proof-of-concept models for decentralisation and inclusive service delivery. The project consisted of two distinct components.

The first component was implemented in southern Iraq, primarily in Diwaniyah and Muthanna, with a focus on decentralisation reform and strengthening local administrative, financial, and planning systems. LOGDEVI supported organisational development within local Administrative and Financial Affairs Departments and Provincial Planning and Development Councils. This resulted in clearer mandates, improved planning and budgeting processes, strengthened local decision-making, and the development of sector plans and local public policies. Digitalised financial reporting systems and administrative manuals were introduced, contributing to greater transparency and accountability.

The second component was implemented in the Kurdistan Region, particularly in Duhok, with a thematic focus on inclusive education and child protection. LOGDEVI supported improved cooperation between education and social care authorities, leading to the development of official policies, systems, and structures for inclusive education and child protection. Key results included the institutionalisation of child protection mechanisms in Duhok, the development of a standard child protection programme for the Kurdistan Region, piloting a comprehensive inclusive education model, and establishing a personality case study office linked to the juvenile court. These efforts strengthened protection for children and other vulnerable groups and improved cross-sector collaboration between government institutions and civil society.

Despite operating in a challenging environment marked by political turbulence, financial crises, popular protests, and the COVID-19 pandemic, Phase 1 delivered substantial and durable results through its partnership-based and adaptive approach.

LOGDEVI Phase 2 – Deepening systems change and sustainability

LOGDEVI Phase 2 built on the foundations laid during Phase 1 and focused on further strengthening official systems at multiple levels. Recognising that decentralisation reform is a complex, long-term process, the project targeted areas where change was deemed feasible and likely to be sustained.

Phase 2 worked simultaneously on several fronts: advancing principles of administrative decentralisation; strengthening local public policy development and fact-based planning; fostering alliances around climate change; institutional development of the social care sector in Duhok; and deepening cross-sector collaboration for inclusive education and child protection services.

Although Phase 2 was implemented over a relatively short period of 24 months, its sustainability is closely linked to the long-term engagement of SALAR International and IRFAD in Iraq. A key result was the institutionalisation of systems, policies, and units within official government structures. Examples include the establishment of the Local Development Centre in Diwaniyah; approved internal administrative systems for Qada (district) and Nahiyah (subdistrict) administrations in Diwaniyah and Muthanna; operational manuals for women’s sections endorsed by governors; officially recognised juvenile police and child protection entities in Duhok; and regional-level adoption of inclusive education and social care systems by ministries in the Kurdistan Region.

Phase 2 also strengthened IRFAD as a national change agent. Through organisational development support, IRFAD evolved from a service provider into a trusted institutional partner for decentralisation and local governance reform, recognised by authorities in Baghdad and southern Iraq.

SALAR International’s contribution through LOGDEVI

Through LOGDEVI, SALAR International—together with IRFAD and Iraqi partners—has made a significant contribution to strengthening local governance in Iraq. The project has supported local government institutions to become more effective, inclusive, and accountable; improved coordination and cooperation across administrative levels; and enhanced the ability of local authorities to deliver services that respond to the needs of vulnerable groups, including women, children, and persons with disabilities.

LOGDEVI demonstrates that long-term engagement, local ownership, institutional development, and trust-based partnerships are essential for sustainable reform in fragile contexts. By developing and institutionalising practical models for decentralisation, inclusive education, child protection, and local planning, SALAR International and its partners have contributed to laying the groundwork for a more responsive, transparent, and inclusive system of local governance in Iraq—supporting the country’s path towards stability, social cohesion, and improved quality of life for all Iraqis.

Yama Omari
Project Manager
yama.omari@skr.se