Digitalization of services, innovative solutions for community development and challenges to face every day: the “Urban Innovation Day” forum united representatives of different communities of Armenia.

The forum gives the communities the opportunity to speak about existing problems and get new solutions. Yerevan Mayor shared the city’s experience in digital system reforms that benefit more effective urban management.
Hrachya Sargsyan presented the participants the programs aimed at the development of the capital city and the improvement of the quality of services provided to the population, referred to the process of transport system reforms.

Mayor Hrachya Sargsyan claimed that they are updating the whole database of property tax, immovable and movable properties. In teamwork with the government the city authorities made changes at the beginning of the year and made it possible for citizens not to apply to the municipality when they need the so-called zero tax reference. Via the new mobile app people can pay waste removal payment due. Many problems of citizens’ concern can be solved due to these changes. A new system of HR management is being installed at the municipality owing to which the database of the municipality and more than 480 municipality subordinated establishments will be unified and it will simplify analysis and organization of refresher courses.

The forum held in the format of cooperation and experience exchange is implemented within the frames of “Mayors for Economic Growth” program by the UNDP and with the financial support of the European Union.

According to the UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia Natia Natsvlishvili, the UNDP is glad to cooperate with Yerevan Municipality in the organization of the Urban Innovation Day. Today, communities have challenges in further development and new solutions are needed to overcome them. Within the frames of the “Mayors for Economic Growth” program the UNDP designed a new format named portfolio and human-centered approach and in this context, they attach particular importance to interactions with the heads of different communities.
The aim of the proposed activities is to boost inclusive economic growth and creation of working places in communities owing to which the capacities of local self-governance bodies will develop. Testing and adopting innovative tools, the communities will significantly benefit citizens.
The largest community of Armenia adopted the principle of finding system solutions to problems so that the same solutions could be used in other communities.

As Yerevan Mayor’s Advisor Mery Margaryan said, the digital solutions and the experience Yerevan Municipality possesses today, will be shared via discussions. The platform of the forum will make it possible for other communities to develop in parallel with the capital city. The only condition is, according to the Mayor’s Adviser, is not to avoid innovations and move forward with optimism and accept challenges as a new phase of development.
The participants of the forum were also welcomed at the City Hall, then visited the Yerevan History Museum and familiarized themselves with the expositions telling about the history and culture of the capital city.