Locations
Transformative Governance in Libya
Enhancing Public Institutions through Innovation and Inclusion
Introduction:
Strong, accountable, and inclusive public institutions are fundamental to Libya’s long-term stability, sustainable development, and social cohesion. Effective governance systems enable governments to deliver quality public services, manage public resources responsibly, promote citizen participation, and strengthen trust between the state and its citizens.
Despite Libya’s significant human and economic potential, years of political fragmentation, institutional duplication, administrative inefficiencies, and governance challenges have weakened public sector performance and limited the effectiveness of service delivery. Strengthening public institutions and modernizing governance systems have therefore emerged as critical priorities for Libya’s recovery, resilience, and sustainable development.
Recognizing the need to support institutional transformation and improve governance outcomes, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched the Transformative Governance in Libya: Enhancing Public Institutions through Innovation and Inclusion project in 2025.
The project adopts an integrated approach that combines public administration reform, civil service modernization, integrity and accountability measures, and digital transformation to strengthen the effectiveness, transparency, and responsiveness of public institutions. Through strategic partnerships with government institutions, academia, civil society, and development partners, the initiative supports Libya’s efforts to build modern, citizen-centered institutions capable of delivering better services and driving sustainable development.
The initiative contributes to Libya’s governance reform agenda and supports the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions by promoting effective, accountable, and inclusive governance systems.
Objectives:
The Transformative Governance initiative aims to:
- Strengthen institutional effectiveness and coordination across public sector institutions.
- Support Public Administration Reform (PAR) and Civil Service Reform (CSR) through the development of modern management systems, governance frameworks, and reform roadmaps.
- Enhance integrity, accountability, and transparency within public institutions.
- Promote evidence-based policymaking and data-driven governance.
- Strengthen public sector human resource management systems and professional development frameworks.
- Advance digital transformation and e-governance solutions to improve public service delivery.
- Foster collaboration among government institutions, academia, civil society organizations, and the private sector.
- Promote inclusive governance and support the meaningful participation of women and youth in public administration and decision-making processes.
- Build national capacities to design, implement, and sustain governance reforms.
Achievements:
Since its launch, the Transformative Governance in Libya project has made important progress in laying the foundations for governance reform and institutional modernization in Libya:
- Convened two high-level national reform workshops in Tripoli and Tunis, bringing together representatives from key government institutions, academia, civil society organizations, private sector actors, national experts, and international specialists to identify governance challenges and develop reform priorities for Libya’s public administration.
- Established a multi-stakeholder platform for dialogue on Public Administration Reform (PAR) and Civil Service Reform (CSR), fostering collaboration among the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Local Governance, Ministry of Finance, Audit Bureau, General Information Authority, and other national stakeholders.
- A preliminary assessment of governance and public administration challenges, identifying key reform priorities related to institutional effectiveness, legal and regulatory frameworks, organizational structures, human resource management systems, fiscal sustainability, digitalization, and strategic planning.
- Facilitated national discussions on international Public Administration Reform experiences and lessons learned from countries including Georgia, Estonia, Lebanon, Kuwait, Yemen, and Ethiopia, helping stakeholders identify practical approaches applicable to the Libyan context.
- Initiated the development of a Public Administration Reform Roadmap and a Civil Service Reform Strategic Framework to guide future institutional reform efforts and support a coherent, nationally owned reform agenda.
- Launched the process of establishing a national network of “Change Agents” composed of reform-minded professionals from government institutions to champion, support, and sustain governance and civil service reforms.
- Identified the establishment of a unified Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS) and strengthened government data management systems as key reform priorities to support evidence-based decision-making, workforce planning, transparency, and digital transformation.
- Promoted a data-driven and citizen-centered approach to governance reform by emphasizing institutional accountability, transparency, service delivery improvement, and enhanced coordination across government entities.
- Strengthened national ownership of governance reform by engaging stakeholders in the co-design of practical and actionable solutions tailored to Libya’s governance, political, and institutional context.
Through these initial interventions, the Transformative Governance in Libya project has established the foundations for a long-term reform process aimed at building more effective, accountable, inclusive, and digitally enabled public institutions capable of delivering better services and strengthening public trust in government.
