Irbid, 16-18 November 2021. 'Integrated Sustainable Zone Management' (ISZM) represents a participatory and municipal-led approach. The method integrates perspectives of community organisations, government-related entities, local activists, volunteer experts and partners. Workshops on ISZM and similar conceptual approaches are organised by the ‘Municipal Know-how for host communities in the Middle East’ programme, which is implemented by Engagement Global's Service Agency Communities in One World (SKEW) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Essentially, ISZM contributes to sustainable governance structures by facilitating effective coordination among stakeholders, and community engagement. During the workshop last November, the participants formed teams and chose projects for which the municipal staff would like to adopt the ISZM approach. Next, the participant groups mapped stakeholders for their selected projects, and shared their results. In agreement, all participating municipalities identified the existing solid waste management partnership projects as being suitable for utilising the ISZM planning methodology.
The workshop took place in a gender-diverse atmosphere, highlighting the fact that women are playing an increasing role in planning and decision-making processes. The ISZM tool supports the inclusion of local communities, and encourages more youth and women’s leadership within the local administrations and communities.
As a result, the workshop helped improve the participants’ understanding of participatory planning as a cornerstone for sustainable governance and inclusive municipal partnerships.