It is of great importance to study the best practices of developed democratic states on the effective interaction between the central and local governments, as well as develop proposals based on the gained experience.

In December 2012 the Uzbek delegation, comprising the representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Khokimiyats of Djizak and Namangan regions, and Center for Development and Introduction of Computer and Information Technologies "UZINFOCOM" visited Netherlands and Germany.

The core objectives of the study tour were:

• to learn the best European experience on reforms and legislative framework in the sphere of public administration and civil service, decentralization, local governance, local government and regional development;
• to establish partnership contacts with the potential foreign partner organizations and institutes, specialized in training civil servants;
• based on the gained experience, to develop recommendations on further improvement of the legislative and institutional basis in accordance with the Concept of the President of Uzbekistan;
• to develop practical recommendations on implementation of effective forms and methods of local governance in the activity of khokimiyats in the field of public services delivery, “e-government”, access to information, regional and local development.

The delegation held meetings at the Ministry of Economy (the Netherlands), Foreign Ministries of both countries, City Administrations of Amsterdam and Berlin, Chambers of Commerce, as well as exchanged views with experts of leading European research institutes in public administration, such as European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA), The Hague Academy for Local Governance (HALG), and Training and Research Academy of the Federation of German Civil Servants (DBB Akademie).

The participants of the study tour had an opportunity to get familiarized with the foreign experience on reforming the state and municipal governments, main risks and problems in implementing the reforms, public service system, including training and recruitment processes for civil servants, budget planning and management, both at central and local levels, as well as development of entrepreneurship.

In addition, the members of Uzbek delegation learned the legal framework of decentralization in those countries, contemporary approaches in urban/rural municipal management, and innovative projects in sustainable development of the region, particularly in agriculture and tourism.

It is worth noting the reached preliminary agreement on establishing interaction between the Academy of Public Administration under the President of Uzbekistan and European research institutes EIPA, HALG and DBB Akademie.

The results of the study tour and elaborated recommendations will be used, above all, in developing relevant bills as well as other draft legal acts that regulate the public service delivery system, particularly in One Stop Shops and Information Centers of Khokimiyats.

The gained successful experience and expertise will be shared with all interested agencies, including the regional Khokimiyats, business entities and civil society institutions through seminars, round tables and other events.

The study tour was organized by the United Nations Development Programme Local Governance Support Project in Uzbekistan.