Since the beginning of the decentralization process in 2005, several organizations have implemented programs to build the capacity of municipal bodies. With the last local elections in the country in 2017, the new municipal councils were established and the function of member / member of the council was taken over by a total of 1347 elected representatives in all 81 units of local self-government. Many of them took office for the first time. The OSCE Mission to Skopje throughout this period has been implementing programs to support elected representatives and representatives in municipal councils.

One of the most effective mechanisms for increasing the participation and involvement of citizens in the management process and for improving the stability and security of communities is decentralization. Decentralization is a process that requires a sustainable and organized commitment of the institutions involved at the local and central level. This process entails the constant adjustment of the relations between the various participants through constant dialogue and communication.

For the proper functioning of the Council as a "legislative" body at the local level, which conducts policy and adopts acts in the municipality, it is essential that its members have critical knowledge of the legal rights and competencies they have chosen. Therefore, we believe that this Handbook will greatly facilitate the acquisition of the necessary knowledge of all members, that will solve some of the dilemmas that the members of the councils face in relation to the legal work. In the end, we hope that the use of the Manual will contribute to greater efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and oversight in the performance of the advisory function at the local level. The manual provides an opportunity for reflection, which means that opens the horizon for further action and the creation of greater political will by local elected representatives in order to develop local democracy.