Amidst the ongoing socio-economic crisis, many Lebanese villages have been enduring increasingly lengthy electricity shortages. In the past year, state power cuts have reached an average of 22 hours each day, disrupting the provision of municipal services and fueling communal tensions over lack of basic services. In response, the USAID-funded Community Support Program (CSP) has provided underserved communities in Lebanon’s Beqaa, North, and South regions with back-up municipality-operated generators while developing the skills of municipal technicians to safely operate and maintain the generators. As part of this process, and to ensure the sustainability of USAID’s investments, CSP established a “Generators Management Community of Practice”, a network comprised of 30 benefiting municipalities, as a platform to share lessons learned and best practices and to develop innovative solutions to maintain generator operations amidst diminishing revenues and soaring costs.

Between September 21 and October 5, 2023, CSP held three training workshops for members of the “Generators Management Community of Practice” on a financial management application/program. Designed and provided in partnership with the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR) International, training sessions were attended by 27 representatives from 13 municipalities, including Mahmarsh, Mounjez, KfarYashit, Beit Chlala, Khreibet Al Jundi, Aiha, Tannoura, Deir Al Ghazal, Hasbaiya, Yanouh, Arzoun, and Fardiss – some of which are recipients of USAID assistance through its previous BALADI/RMF Program. Following the training, the 13 communities showed interest in further on-the-job trainings to effectively utilize the application. This intervention is facilitating efficient monitoring of monthly subscriptions, revenues, expenses, maintenance, and invoicing, thereby streamlining the overall financial management of USAID provided generators and contributing to their improved financial sustainability.

“The training was highly beneficial and the application will significantly simplify our generator transaction calculations. It will save time, minimize errors, enhance our internal system, and guarantee precision and transparency. We are eager to implement it within our municipality,” said Michelle Debes, Member at Deir El Ghazal municipality.