REBUILD

In a context marked by political and military instability, Libyan municipalities have been under great pressure for years. In Libya, many administrative competencies have historically been concentrated at the central level. However, the public administration reform initiated since 2011 and the erosion of state power due to the conflict have led local authorities to assume an increasing role in managing services and responding to community needs.

The REBUILD - Research and Education Building Urban Institutions for Local Development project was launched in 2021 to respond to these challenges. It aims to improve the living conditions of the population by strengthening the role of local governments and supporting their capacity to design, implement and evaluate effective, inclusive and sustainable public policies .

In particular, the project aims to qualify the administrative staff and elected representatives of Libyan municipalities by fostering continuous dialogue with national Libyan institutions and offering continuous training on the main areas of public administration. The activities involve training being delivered by Libyan universities to ensure a local, continuous and locally rooted learning model.

REBUILD builds on the experience of the 'Nicosia Initiative', a decentralised cooperation programme launched in 2015 at the instigation of the European Committee of the Regions. This initiative launched a four-year cycle of exchanges between Libyan municipalities and EU local authorities, with the aim of strengthening institutional capacities through dialogue and training.

REBUILD develops and consolidates this approach, structured around four main axes

• the training of Libyan university lecturers (training of trainers - TOT);
• the subsequent training of municipal officials;
• the creation of a community of practice between Libya and the European Union;
• the implementation of two pilot projects in the fisheries and water management sectors.

Overall, the project aims to contribute to the building of resilient local institutions capable of improving public services and fostering sustainable local development in Libya.

The project is based on peer-to-peer cooperation and the exchange of experiences to sustainably strengthen local institutional competencies. The partnership is composed of Italian public institutions (Autonomous Province of Trento, Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia), the Centre for International Cooperation (CCI) and 10 Libyan municipalities, supported by local universities.

1. Create and implement a rights-based training curriculum for Libyan municipalities
2. Train, according to this curriculum, representatives and officials of at least 10 Libyan municipalities
3. Build and institutionalise adecentralised and accessible lifelong learning system , through local universities that represent the best-prepared educational actors in the country and in connection with Europe
4. Create and consolidate a community of practices for sustainable territorial development, promoting exchanges between Libyan and European authorities
5. Implement two pilot projects:
   - sustainable and inclusive economic development of the fishing sector | managed by the Region, in the coastal cities Benghazi, Sirte, Tobruk, Tripoli, Zliten
   - provision of basic public services in water management to improve the quality of drinking water | managed by the Province of Trento in the inland municipalities Azzawiya, Bani Walid, Gharyan, Sebha, Zintan.

WP1 - Training of Trainers (ToT)

• Target group: lecturers from 10 Libyan universities.
• Modalities: experiential training, e-learning, in-presence sessions, constant mentoring.
• Contents: sustainable development, local democracy, project management, human resources management, performance improvement, service delivery (fisheries, waste, health, urban planning, digital administration).

WP2 - Training of municipal officials

• Each ToT cycle is followed by training activities for local officials and administrators, delivered by the same university trainers.

WP3 - Communities of Practice

• Tools: Summer/Winter schools (July 2022 in Trentino, July 2024 in Lyon and January 2025 in Trentino), webinars, workshops and study visits to share experiences and resources.
• Communication component: working group among the 10 municipal contact persons for communication in Libya with facilitation and mediation from Italy, with in-depth study on storytelling and production of a short film by Libyan directors.

WP4 - Pilot Projects

• Fishing: feasibility study for the strengthening of the fishing sector in 5 cities, strengthening of the structure and fish supply chain in the port of Zliten, through counselling, training and supply of equipment.
• Protection of the environment and water resources: Strengthening of the 5 municipal laboratories in charge of drinking water quality analysis through counselling, training and provision of equipment.

Governance and Partnership

The governance of the REBUILD project is multi-layered to ensure effective coordination between European and Libyan partners:

• The Steering Committee, consisting of 15 representatives of the partner institutions, ensures the strategic direction of the project and meets regularly, alternating between in-person and online sessions.
• The Technical Board, with 23 members, coordinates operational activities and the monitoring of results.
• A Project Management Unit based in Trento is responsible for the technical, administrative and financial management of the project.
• A local team operates in each Libyan municipality involved, consisting of a project manager, a media officer and a university contact person.

REBUILD ran successfully from 2021 to 2025, strengthening local governance in Libya, promoting highly interactive training, strengthening local public services, and engaging communities and universities in a lasting network of cooperation in the Mediterranean. These in particular are the main achievements

• implementation of a training curriculum and training of university lecturers (TOT) and municipal officials;
• launch of a sustainable training system delivered by Libyan universities;
• development of an active community of practice, with exchanges between Libya and Europe;
• operational implementation of two pilot projects: in the fisheries sector and in waste management with renewable energy;
• production of a short documentary film and enhancement of local public communication;
• consolidation of relations between local authorities and universities, growth of institutional capacity and strengthening of civic involvement.

> Click here to see the 20 project storyboards