Municipal Cooperation Program - Haiti

The Haiti-Canada Municipal Cooperation Project (MCP) aims to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Haitian local authorities affected by the 2010 earthquake, thus enabling them to play a leading role in the reconstruction of Haiti.

MCP is implemented by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), the Union des municipalités du Québec (UMQ) and the City of Montréal. The project started in January 2011 and will end in February 2013. The budget for the project is CDN $9 million; this includes a $7-million contribution from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), as well as service contributions valued at $2 million from the City of Montréal, and FCM and UMQ members.

MCP primarily supports the City of Port-au-Prince and, in the des Palmes region, the communes of Gressier, Léogane, Petit-Goâve and Grand-Goâve; this support enables the communities to better plan and coordinate reconstruction activities; to ensure improved delivery of some services; and, to undertake reconstruction projects or rehabilitate public equipment.

The program provides financial and technical support to the target communities. In Port-au-Prince, a support office has been set up to train municipal staff in the areas of municipal administration, urban planning and project management. New staff has been hired, and equipment is being provided and reconstruction projects undertaken. In the des Palmes region, MCP supports the rehiring and training of municipal staff in various fields, as well as equipment purchases. The program also implements projects to reconstruct or rehabilitate public infrastructure or equipment.

The program also supports two national-level federations in Haiti: the national federation of Haitian mayors, the Fédération nationale des mairies d'Haïti (FENAMH); and, the national federation of boards of directors of communal sections, the Fédération nationale des CASEC d'Haïti (FENACAH). The support enables both associations to strengthen their position as a credible voice with Haiti's national government in the reconstruction and decentralization process. MCP also works with the Ministère de l'Intérieur et des Collectivités Territoriales, Haiti's Ministry of the Interior and Local Authorities, to support its coordinating role for international municipal aid.

In addition, MCP is harmonizing its activities with those international partners willing to work in the same regions and communes, including the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG), Cités Unies France (CUF), the City of Paris, and the City of Barcelona.