For years, citizens across Tunisia have faced challenges accessing municipal administrative services. Obtaining permits, requesting documents, or filing complaints often requires long travel distances to administrative centres.
The process is cumbersome, involving repeated visits to different municipal departments, frequent delays, and limited public transport connections. As a result, many people, especially women, struggle to access these essential services. Similar difficulties exist for those seeking employment support.
To improve accessibility, transparency, and efficiency, GIZ introduced Citizen Spaces, one-stop shops for municipal administrative services across Tunisia. More than 25 municipalities have successfully implemented these spaces, strengthening trust, accountability, and engagement between local governments and citizens.
The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Evaluations confirm that Citizen Spaces have significantly reduced bureaucratic burdens, digitised municipal services, improved user satisfaction, and enhanced public trust in institutions.
Building on this success, the Inclusive Cities – Quality Public Services and Decent Jobs for All project, in collaboration with the Tunisian Ministry of Interior, is scaling up the initiative in three secondary cities outside major administrative centres, benefiting over 100,000 citizens.
To support this effort, Cities Alliance facilitated a partnership between the project and GIZ, leveraging more than a decade of collaboration between the two organisations. Their joint initiatives in Tunisia have included institutional support for the Federation of Tunisian Municipalities (FNCT), the development and implementation of City Development Strategies (CDS), and the establishment of Citizen Spaces.
This collaboration exemplifies Cities Alliance’s ability to convene partners around shared priorities and maximise impact. GIZ is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, a key Cities Alliance constituent.
Expanding Citizen Spaces
In February 2025, a Citizen Space opened in Djerba Houmt Souk, with Governor Walid Taboubi of Médenine Governorate formally inaugurating the facility. The governor toured the new space and learned about its first weeks of operation. The opening ceremony brought together representatives from the municipality, Cities Alliance, the German Embassy in Tunisia, GIZ, implementation partners, and local government.
With the opening of this Citizen Space, the 85,000 inhabitants of Djerba Houmt Souk now have access to more inclusive, transparent, and efficient municipal services. This achievement is the result of strong collaboration between technical and financial partners and the municipality.
Walid Taboubi, Governor of Médenine
Each Citizen Space is developed from start to finish with strategic locations selected to serve multiple communities. The process includes architectural design, renovations, installation of equipment and digital systems, and training for municipal staff. GIZ co-financed the spaces and provided an additional $37,000 in technical support, including expertise, supervision, furniture, and staff training.
The Djerba Houmt Souk Citizen Space is the second to open. The first launched in Remada in November 2024, while a third is nearing completion in Chebika (Kairouan).
Improving access to employment
Alongside Citizen Spaces, the project is collaborating with the Tunisian Ministry of Employment and Advanced Training (MFPE) and the National Employment Agency (ANETI) to expand employment services, particularly for youth in interior regions experiencing out-migration.
In October 2024, the first job fair in Kairouan was organised in partnership with MFPE and ANETI regional offices. Opened by Governor Dhaker Bargaoui, the event drew 380 participants, including 258 job seekers, 60 per cent of whom were women. More than 80 representatives from public and private sector institutions provided information on employment, training, and business development opportunities.
This event is more than a job fair; it is a platform for exchange and hope. Every stand is a potential gateway to a promising professional future for Kairouan’s young people.
Samira Nassej, Regional Director, National Centre for Advanced Training and Career Development
Looking ahead, MFPE and the project are finalising a partnership agreement to support 1,000 youth with training and business development opportunities, particularly in high-demand sectors such as the green and circular economy.
The Inclusive Cities – Quality Public Services and Decent Jobs for All project promotes economic inclusion and improved municipal services for rural-urban migrants and vulnerable host communities along the migration corridors surrounding Kairouan, Médenine, and Tataouine. It is based on the principle that strengthening local systems and creating opportunities for economically and socially vulnerable populations leads to sustainable change.
The project is part of the broader Resilient Systems of Secondary Cities and Migration Dynamics programme supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
