Citizen engagement is the foundation of inclusive governance, and two Talent for Governance participants—Yasmeen Sha’at from Jordan and Mohammed Elbikry from Morocco—are eager to apply the insights they have gained in their own communities.
Yasmeen and Mohammed completed the Citizen Participation and Inclusive Governance course before heading to the municipalities of Meerssen and Dijk en Waard in the Netherlands for a three-day study visit. They each highlighted a lesson that left an impression during their time there.
Satisfying Urban Planning through Citizen Participation
Yasmeen Sha’at is an architectural engineer for mega projects at the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority’s Planning and Studies Directorate. She wanted to learn from best practices on stakeholder engagement to improve urban planning processes and resident satisfaction. Her study visit provided practical experience on inclusive decision-making.
“The training and internship gave me a deep understanding of how inclusive governance enables communities to shape their future. The practical insights from the field visits highlighted the importance of involving all community groups in decision-making processes and how success can be achieved through joint collaboration,” Yasmeen reflects.
The Dutch approach to urban development, which actively incorporates diverse stakeholder feedback to create
community-driven plans, particularly inspired her. Yasmeen incorporated these methods into her Back Home Action Plan (BHAP) in Aqaba, which aims to improve community feedback mechanisms in developer and government decision-making.
Ensuring Outreach for Social Development
Mohammed Elbikry, Head of Projects at Morocco’s Agency of Social Development, works to empower marginalised communities. His participation in the programme stemmed from a desire to increase citizen involvement in social development initiatives. His BHAP aims to economically support underprivileged women in Rabat through skill-building workshops and communal finance safety nets.
According to Mohammed, the most important takeaway from the course is to integrate all groups involved with the social programme, beyond NGO-affiliated persons, in order to engage otherwise disengaged citizens, and to ensure their involvement throughout the programme’s implementation. 
The Dutch practice of giving citizens the right to evaluate government programmes also resonated deeply with Mohammed. He is now planning community meetings in Fez’s underprivileged neighbourhoods to reach out to local women.
“I will involve all target groups in the next programme, even if they are not affiliated with any NGOs,” emphasises Mohammed.
Moments of Inspiration
This municipal study visit provided both participants with moments of inspiration and practical solutions that can be applied to their respective local contexts. Yasmeen and Mohammed were impressed with the municipalities’ participatory governance models and the collaborative spirit they saw.
Yasmeen and Mohammed hope to drive meaningful change in Aqaba and Rabat by incorporating their learnt insights on promoting participatory decision-making and community engagement into their respective work, demonstrating how international collaboration can inspire local impact.
Talent for Governance
The Talent for Governance programme is a unique opportunity for young local government professionals to gain hands-on experience through training and working in a different context. Dutch municipalities play a key role by sponsoring the programme and hosting international participants for study visits.
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Looking to engage local citizens? Make sure to check out our upcoming course on Citizen Participation and Inclusive Governance!
