Making Cities Work Assessment and Implementation Toolkit - Managing Municipal Services Delivery

Making Cities Work is the goal of United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID)
Urban Programs Team. This Making Cities Work Toolbox includes assessment methodologies,
implementation toolkits, and other resources for three core areas: Managing Municipal Service
Delivery, Municipal Finance Services, and Local Economic Development. These materials are
designed to help USAID Missions from around the world better understand the needs of municipalities
and the problems they face, so that USAID staff can work with cities to design and
implement projects and programs that respond appropriately.

Municipal services—water, wastewater, solid waste, heating, and transport—are the basic building
blocks of efficient, healthy, and economically vital communities. Although ensuring adequate
provision of these services is a critical public sector function, many national and sub-national
governments fall short. Quality municipal services support the economic development of
municipalities, while poor levels of service, interruptions, low coverage levels, and other problems
can undermine quality of life in municipalities, retard economic growth, and erode trust
between citizens and local governments.
The assessments contained here will help USAID Missions analyze municipal service management
and delivery and will lead to potential projects and interventions that can help improve the
quality and reach of municipal services.