The Republic of Kosovo, with a population of approximately 2 million, is a self-declared independent state. This landlocked area is bordered by Serbia to the north and east, the Republic of Macedonia to the south, Albania to the west, and Montenegro to the northwest. 

In February 2008, the Assembly of Kosovo declared Kosovo's independence as the Republic of Kosovo. Kosovo is currently in a process of decentralizing power and resources from the central level to the municipal level, with the municipal governments now responsible for a multitude of services, ranging from personnel recruitment to waste management. However, the quality of municipal services often is poor and local governments face many challenges as they absorb these new responsibilities.

As Kosovo strengthened its focus on its democratic institutions, ICMA supported the decentralization process by partnering in the Democratic and Effective Municipalities Initiative (DEMI). DEMI was a three-year program designed to assist Kosovo municipalities, their leaders, and citizens to promote, implement, and encourage good governance.