UN-HABITAT will implement its activities through the UMP’s City Consultation Methodology - a well-honed technique used in over 120 Cities since 1986 to develop inclusive initiatives involving stakeholders, including local authorities and government in urban areas. This is the first that the methodology is being applied to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS. The process is spearheaded by UMP with support from UNDP.

The City Consultation Methodology is not only an effective approach for local development, it is also a strategy to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS by mobilising the leadership of City Administration in partnership with community-based organisations, people living with HIV/AIDS, academic research institutions, and other civil society actors.

What makes the HIV/AIDS City Consultations significant from the outset is the capacity of participating local governments and other local institutions to jointly develop, adopt and implement action plans to address HIV/AIDS. UMP works through its worldwide network of local institutions to provide technical support to the City Consultation process. This will help strengthen institutional, financial and human resources in the worldwide fight against HIV/AIDS.

Information Management and Dissemination
The consultations will generate important experiences and lessons to develop toolkits and information, which will be disseminated to help municipal authorities reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS.

Proposed Approach	May 2004
A City Response to HIV/AIDS in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago	February 2004
Appreciative Inquiry	February 2000
Appreciative Inquiry (Ai) Discovery Phase A Guideline	November 2003
The Magic Power of Appreciative Inquiry	November 2000

Leadership Training
From the outset, institution building on how to fight the disease are being developed through project management teams made up of people living with HIV/AIDS, local government officers, community volunteers and local anchor institutions. UNDP has provided critical support in training local facilitators. This initiative, which has been tested at national level, is being implemented at the municipal level to help cities respond to the crisis.

The training is aimed at creating a new generation of competent leaders and providing a model for sharing information within the network of local institutions and participating local governments.