An increasing amount of local governments have started with the implementation of SMART technologies in their municipal budgets. This is one of the conclusions of the latest working paper of the Uraia platform, which was published in December. The working paper presents recommendations from the experiences shared during Uraia's annual workshop, which took place in April 2016 and in which the application of SMART technologies for local governments to increase their revenue or to decrease their expenses stood central.
Main recommendations: apply technologies in line with vision and capacities
The report shows that while an increasing amount of local governments have started applying SMART technologies in their municipal budgets, many experience great uncertainty regarding the implementation of these new technologies, causing hesitation to adopt them. Examples of recurring questions among local governments are: How to choose the best technology? What are the mistakes to avoid? In order to assist local governments with the questions and reservations they may have, the report aims to provide useful information and hands-on tools, presented through a large number of case studies of participating local governments, cities and their partners.
Out of all these experiences the report derives fifteen recommendations, divided into three categories: preparation, collaboration and encourage use (of SMART technologies). One example of a recommendation for the preparatory stage is to consider the technology as a means to an end and to choose it in line with the city’s or municipal vision and capacities. Furthermore it is important to invest in the needed (human) resources and to define a clear and flexible legal regulatory framework. The full report with all the recommendations elaborately explained can be found here.
The Uraia platform
The Uraia Platform is an initiative of the Global Fund for Cities Development (FMDV) and the Local Government and Decentralization Unit of UN-Habitat which was launched in 2014. Uraia supports innovation in local public management by encouraging the introduction of SMART technologies in three main areas: municipal finances, public services and infrastructure, and transparency and accountability.
* In the context of municipal management, SMART stands for Sustainable – Measurable – Actionable – Realistic – Transparent