Stefan Heck of GStB, who was also actively involved in realising the project, then outlined the history of the 'Rwanda direct' project. He explained that the online tool was designed along the lines of the kosdirekt platform, through which the GStB provides its member services for municipalities in Rhineland-Palatinate, taking into account the particular requirements for the Rwandan context. Once the technical realisation was complete, three members of RALGA's editorial team attended a training course in Rhineland-Palatinate to prepare themselves for working with the new system.
Participants in the online meeting then took a joint look at the end result. RALGA staffer Raissa Munyana Mutabazi presented and explained the key functions of the new online platform. In his concluding remarks, MINALOC delegate Yves Bernard Ningabire praised the accomplishments of everyone who had played a part in making the project a success: 'This platform is a good milestone, a concrete product towards the achievement of the Local Governance Exchange programme objectives in general, and a proof of what people can achieve together in particular.'
Everyone involved agrees: The launch of the platform marked the completion of a first major project that has strengthened the partnership sustainably: 'We always had short information paths. The cooperation was excellent and characterised by trust at any time', said Stefan Heck. The two institutions are already working on a follow-on project for digital archiving – another project that represents modern and sustainable governance as envisioned by the 2030 Agenda.