Program
Making Local Government Work Better
Local governments need the right tools to better serve communities. We help Sri Lankan authorities use data, technology, and budgeting best practices to improve public services.
Across Sri Lanka, local governments need better data, stronger revenue systems, and more practical tools to improve services and meet community needs.
The Strengthening Governance in Sri Lanka program supports more effective and accountable local government by promoting data-driven policymaking, fair revenue collection, and improved service delivery. Funded by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the program works across national, provincial, and local levels, helping local authorities better respond to community needs while creating better conditions for local businesses.
Impact
Supported government institutions to implement performance and data systems for routine use across provinces and local authorities, strengthening evidence‑to‑decision pathways for fiscal and service delivery decisions.
Established Sri Lanka’s first Budget Transparency Index baseline for local authorities, creating a clear roadmap for minimum disclosure standards and more accessible, citizen‑facing budget processes.
Partnered with provincial authorities to standardize and streamline building approval processes, positioning local governments for digitalization and piloting one‑stop service center models.
Advanced institutional reforms such as the modernization pathway for the Jaffna Public Library, improving public access to knowledge and community services.
Building on these achievements, the program is advancing reforms to strengthen data‑informed law and policy, promote responsive public spending, and expand quality services for vulnerable groups and local businesses (2023–2028).
Featured Publication
Ride the Wind but Know the Tide
15 years of politically informed subnational governance reform in Sri Lanka (2005– 2020)
APPROACH
The program combines politically informed, adaptive programming with practical systems reform across Sri Lanka’s 341 local authorities. By piloting reforms at the subnational level and integrating proven models within government systems, it supports reforms that are both technically sound and politically feasible—and designed to scale.
