With limited budgets, local governments in emerging democracies in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union are working to provide services, promote economic development, communicate effectively with citizens, and operate more efficiently. The autonomy of these local governments depends largely on their ability to find solutions to local problems without seeing increased central government funding as the only option.

Municipal associations, foundations, and corporations have emerged throughout the region to assist local governments. Now LOGIN offers these organizations and local government officials a new way to share information, develop networks, and improve the services they provide to municipalities.

Hailed by former U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright for its innovativeness, LOGIN facilitates the exchange of information through the Internet. It also uses traditional dissemination methods, including workshops, publications, conferences, and training. The Internet component of LOGIN is more than a Web site. It is a Web-based, database-driven tool for storing and exchanging information worldwide. It allows individuals from different countries and speaking different languages to collect, store, manipulate, and exchange information.

The LOGIN network is made up of organizations that are committed to serving local government (associations of local authorities, NGOs, for-profit companies). The network is completely open and can be accessed by anyone. Partners in the network include:

These partners offer country-specific information and news, legislative updates, calendars of country-specific and regional events of interest to local governments, and an online library. Partner Web sites also provide formation about the roles and responsibilities of various European institutions and their components, especially the European Union and the Council of Europe. Sponsoring partners also make available information on funding opportunities for local government initiatives in the region and training events for local government practitioners in the region.

The LOGIN database includes the following categories:

The LOGIN Web site (http://logincee.org) provides information on project development and access to the English language portion of the library. The LOGIN network database can be accessed through the Bulgaria country site, at http://www.flgr.bg. All partner organizations’ Web sites will be integrated with the LOGIN services by the end of the first quarter of 2001.