Malawi and Iceland have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide performance-based scholarships for local council employees, a move the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Dr Ben Phiri, says will strengthen public service delivery across the country.
The agreement establishes the Performance-Based Educational Grant Scheme under the Iceland-Malawi Basic Services Programme (IMBSP).
It will run as a two-year pilot from 2026 to 2027 and targets employees from Balaka, Machinga, Mangochi, Nkhotakota and Salima district councils.
Speaking after the signing ceremony on Wednesday, Phiri thanked the Government of Iceland for its continued support to Malawi’s decentralisation programme.
He said investing in council staff would strengthen local institutions and improve the delivery of essential services to communities.
Under the scheme, scholarships will be awarded on a performance-based system, rewarding employees who have demonstrated commitment and results in implementing activities under the IMBSP.
The grants are also demand-driven, meaning applicants will only be supported to study programmes that respond to the priorities and skills needs of their respective district councils.
Head of Mission at the Embassy of Iceland in Malawi, David Bjarnason, said the initiative was about more than supporting individual careers.
He said it was designed to build stronger district councils capable of delivering better health, education, water and other basic services.
Bjarnason said each successful applicant would receive up to K10 million for an approved programme of study, with the scheme carrying a total budget of US$300,000.
He added that the programme is jointly funded by the Governments of Malawi and Iceland, reflecting a shared commitment to strengthening local governance and improving service delivery.
According to Bjarnason, beneficiaries will be selected through a competitive, transparent and merit-based process to ensure equal opportunity for eligible council employees.
He said recipients would be expected to return to their councils after completing their studies and use their newly acquired knowledge and skills to improve service delivery.
The scholarship programme is expected to strengthen the capacity of local authorities and improve the quality of services delivered to communities in the five participating districts.
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