"Governing Together" workshop for Participants of the Pilot Initiative on the Decentralisation of General Education Governance Pilot initiative

06-07-2026 - 06-07-2026

On 3 July, SALAR International organized a workshop entitled "Governing Together" for representatives of the municipalities and schools participating in the Pilot Initiative on the Decentralisation of General Education Governance, implemented under the "Support to Decentralisation and Local Self-Government Reforms in Armenia" (DeaLoG) project.

The pilot initiative is being implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia, with the support of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia.

As part of the initiative, the municipalities of Akhuryan (Shirak Province), Vayk (Vayots Dzor Province), and Tatev (Syunik Province) have been selected as pilot municipalities. The participating schools are the secondary schools of Keti, Martiros, and Tatev, which will subsequently be reorganised into educational complexes.

The workshop aimed to introduce participants to the "Governing Together" methodology, which has been successfully implemented in 31 municipalities across Sweden as a modern, participatory, and effective approach to education governance.

The methodology promotes stronger cooperation between schools, municipalities, and other stakeholders, encourages a culture of shared decision-making, strengthens accountability, and contributes to the continuous improvement of education quality.

Opening the workshop, Varsenik Mnatsakanyan, Senior Program and Team Manager of the DeaLoG Project, emphasized that the event provides an excellent opportunity for participants to exchange experiences, acquire new knowledge, and learn from Sweden's successful practices in education governance.

Welcoming the participants, Anush Lalazaryan, Head of the General and Extracurricular Education Policy Development and Analysis Division of the General Education Department at the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, noted that Armenia has entered an important stage of decentralisation, describing the process as a key prerequisite for the country's balanced development. She highlighted that decentralisation is embedded in the Government's programme and strategic priorities, and that significant steps have already been taken in the education sector.

According to Ms. Lalazaryan, while recent legislative amendments have placed all schools in Yerevan and the regions under the authority of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, their administrative and operational management has been delegated to the regional governor's offices. At the same time, she stressed that the Ministry strongly supports decentralisation, as the Government's policy places communities and their residents at the centre of development. In this context, the long-term vision is to gradually transfer school governance responsibilities to municipalities, provided they are equipped with the necessary capacities and resources.

Magnus Liljeström, Senior Adviser at SALAR International, also welcomed the participants and introduced the organisation's work. He explained that in Sweden, municipalities bear full responsibility for the provision of education at all levels, including preschool, compulsory, upper secondary, and adult education. He noted that all 290 Swedish municipalities are responsible for managing schools and implementing national education policy, while the national government establishes education standards and strategic policy frameworks.

The authors of the "Governing Together" methodology, Daniel Berr and Stefan Möllen, education experts at the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR), presented the philosophy and practical application of the methodology. They highlighted the importance of close cooperation between schools and municipalities and effective collaboration among stakeholders at different levels of governance.

The experts also delivered a dedicated presentation on evidence-based decision-making in education governance, focusing on the collection, analysis, and practical use of data to support decentralisation reforms and strengthen cooperation between the state, municipalities, and schools.

As part of the DeaLoG Project's capacity development activities for the pilot municipalities, education officials from the Municipality of Västervik also travelled to Armenia to participate in the workshop. They shared their municipality's experience in applying the "Governing Together" methodology, presenting the evolution of school governance in Västervik, the challenges encountered during the decentralisation process, and the practical solutions adopted to ensure effective and sustainable education management.

The workshop brought together around 70 participants, including representatives of the two ministries, Yerevan Municipality, the pilot municipalities and schools, as well as project partners and education experts.

The project's education experts also shared their perspectives on the decentralisation of education governance and practical approaches to its implementation. The workshop concluded with an interactive community planning exercise facilitated by Serob Khachatryan, Education Expert of the DeaLoG Project. Through group discussions and practical exercises, participants explored collaborative planning methods and developed solutions for strengthening education governance at the local level.