After Kyrgyzstan became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991, the government began a program of decentralization, increasing the responsibilities of cities. ICMA became involved with the city of Naryn, which had determined that the key to improving service delivery within the existing revenue constraints was to increase the efficiency of its operations.
Through a Resource Cities/CityLinks partnership, the ICMA program paired Naryn with the city of Great Falls, Montana, to focus on two service areas: solid waste management and water/wastewater management.
In the course of the program, Naryn developed comprehensive master plans addressing water treatment, waste separation and reuse, collection, disposal, equipment needs, and tariffs. The city presented the plans at a public hearing and took steps to begin implementation.