The opening remarks of the conference, where the comparative results of the Municipality Governance Scorecard for the years 2018-2023 were shared, were delivered by our Board of Trustees Chairman, Dr. Yılmaz Argüden, and Project Advisory Board Member, Enver Salihoğlu. 

Dr. Argüden delivered the opening speech of the conference, emphasizing the importance of embracing good governance as a culture, starting from local governments, and extending to every institution: “Municipalities constitute an area where the citizen interactions with the government gain greater importance. Therefore, local governments are the starting point for applying good governance for inclusive development and sustainable future. Improving the quality of information shared with the public, improving inclusive and meaningful participation, and improving the service processes with a continuous learning perspective are the keys for building trust and reinforcing democracy. Embracing the 7 good governance principles, namely consistency, responsibility, accountability, fairness, transparency, effectiveness, and participation, reinforces social trust and citizen satisfaction for local governments.”

Advisory Board Member of the Municipality Governance Scorecard Project  Enver Salihoğlu emphasized the value-creation of the Municipal Governance Scorecard in his opening speech, highlighting its significance in establishing a trust relationship between the municipality and the citizens. He stated, "We can say that the 21st-century democracy method is the understanding of 'governing together and stakeholder engagement based' Local governments represent the most useful application for this. This reassessment Scorecard, conducted five years later, is also important in terms of comparison with the previous evaluation."

Dr. İnan İzci, presenting the approach of the research, stated, "This study is the world's first citizen-centered good governance measurement tool. Our main goal is to develop a culture of good governance. The report focuses on the functioning and methods of operation rather than the performance of our municipalities. The assessment was made based on documents and information shared openly by the municipalities."

Sharing the research results, Dr. Erkin Erimez compared the results with the previous report, indicating a significant improvement in governance over the past five years. He stated, "We can say that there are positive advancements in some areas, while there is regression in others. However, it's a process, and recognizing shortcomings and striving for improvement are crucial parts of this study and good governance."

During the conference, municipalities progressing in their governance journeys according to the comparative results of 2018-2023 shared how they have progressed in their governance journeys. The panel included 6 İstanbul district municipalities; Avcılar, Bağcılar, Fatih, Kadıköy, Sultanbeyli, and Şişli municipalities. The leadership roles assumed by these municipalities in areas such as integrated reporting, obtaining the European Label of Governance Excellence, writing voluntary local assessment reports, implementing participatory budgeting practices, and enforcing preventive policies constitute exemplary approaches that enhance the quality of local governance.

Rana Seymen, the Strategy Development Manager of Avcılar Municipality, emphasized the need for local development to talk about national development, highlighting the importance of transparency and consensus mechanisms.

Serbay Öztürk, the Strategy Development Manager of Bağcılar Municipality, thanked the Academy for creating an opportunity to share good examples among municipalities. He said, "These studies shed light on our strategic planning efforts."

Çise Kan, the Chief Advisor of Fatih Municipality, mentioned integrating data-driven work into their daily activities, stating that they  improved effectiveness of their services with data driven decision making.

Can Nurkan Akbal, the Strategy Development Manager of Kadıköy Municipality, highlighted the usefulness of Integrated Thinking and Integrated Reporting for their municipalities, suggesting that making it mandatory by the Ministry of Interior would be beneficial for everyone.

Mehmet Aktaş, the Strategy Development Manager of Sultanbeyli Municipality, emphasized that they organize to obtain the right to use the Europen Label of Governance Excellence every year, stating that they are continuously improving service quality with what they have learned  through Integrated Municipality Governance Model.

Bahar Yıldırım, an Urban Planner from Şişli Municipality, who obtained the right to use the European Label of Governance Excellence said, "In participatory budgeting, we benefit from the views and suggestions of all segments, even 7-year-old children. Because we serve the entire community of all ages, and we believe it is important to benefit from everyone's thoughts.

During the conference, publications prepared by the Academy to enhance local governance quality were distributed in an online format. The Municipal Governance Scorecard 2023 publication, on the other hand, was presented to participants as a printed gift.