The pilot initiative for decentralisation of education was discussed in Akhuryan Pilot initiative

08-07-2026 - 08-07-2026

Within the framework of SALAR International’s “Support to Decentralisation and Local Government Reforms in Armenia” (DeaLoG) project, representatives of the Municipality of Västervik, SALAR, and SALAR International, accompanied by representatives of the RA Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure and the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, visited the Akhuryan Municipality of Shirak Province on 30 June 2026.

During the visit, discussions were held with the Head of the Community, Zaven Manukyan, members of the municipal administration, the municipal council, and principals of general education schools on the progress of the education governance decentralisation pilot initiative and its next steps. The main objective of the initiative was presented as supporting municipalities in effectively exercising new responsibilities in the field of education by strengthening their governance capacities and institutional capabilities.

Welcoming the guests to Akhuryan, Mayor Zaven Manukyan noted that the municipality had consistently maintained active cooperation with the DeaLoG project and was ready to become one of the leading municipalities in Armenia’s education decentralisation reform, fully recognising the significance and responsibility of this process.

The Armenian team and Programme Manager, Varsenik Mnatsakanyan, presented the objectives of the pilot initiative, the activities implemented to date, and the key achievements of the DeaLoG project.

Garik Khachikyan, National Adviser on Local Self-Government of the DeaLoG project, reviewed the steps taken since the launch of the education decentralisation pilot initiative, including meetings held with stakeholders, cooperation with experts, ongoing activities, and the project’s vision for the future implementation of the pilot.

The Government’s policy approach was presented by Susanna Azatyan, Head of the Division for the Development and Implementation of General and Extracurricular Education Programmes within the Department of General Education of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport. She explained that although the Government is currently pursuing a policy of centralisation due to a number of existing factors, the Ministry is working closely with SALAR International and supports decentralisation in the longer term. However, she emphasised that the process should be gradual and carefully managed, as decentralisation is not simply about transferring responsibilities. She also highly appreciated Sweden’s support to Armenian municipalities and the Government of Armenia through professional expertise and capacity development.

Magnus Liljeström, Senior Adviser at SALAR International, stressed that the Swedish Government has never viewed decentralisation as a loss of power. On the contrary, it considers decentralisation to be the delegation and distribution of responsibilities to lower levels of government.

The discussion also focused on the Governing Together (STYRSAM) methodology, which has been successfully implemented in 31 municipalities across Sweden. Participants were informed that a training workshop for representatives of the pilot municipalities and schools would soon be organised in Yerevan with the participation of Swedish experts to present the practical application of the methodology.

Participants also had the opportunity to ask the Swedish partners questions regarding school governance, municipal responsibilities, state–municipality relations in education, and Sweden’s legal framework governing the education sector.

As part of the visit, the delegation also toured the municipal kindergarten and the newly opened Keti Education Complex, where they familiarised themselves with the institution’s infrastructure, learning environment, governance model, and educational opportunities. The Swedish partners met with the school director and staff to discuss practical experiences in education management, municipal governance, and school–municipality cooperation. They expressed great admiration for the modern educational campuses currently being constructed by the Government of Armenia.