Lithuanian Free Market Institute's Municipal Performance Index awarded Atlas Network's prestigious $100,000 Templeton Freedom award

NEW YORK, Nov. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Vilnius, Lithuania-based Lithuanian Free Market Institute (LFMI) was awarded Atlas Network's prestigious Templeton Freedom Award for its Municipal Performance Index for Freedom and Free Enterprise.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141113/158396

To build the case for policy change at the local government level, in 2011 LFMI designed and launched its Municipal Performance Index to measure and rank the performance of municipal governments in three overarching categories: municipalities for citizens, municipalities for investors, and municipal governance and administration.

LFMI President Zilvinas Silenas said, "The performance index is an easy self-evaluation tool for municipalities. As a byproduct of the index, we have been able to go to various cities and meet mayors, local entrepreneurs, and citizens to discuss issues and solutions related to their schools, taxes or debts. So we not only present our self-evaluation tool, we actually help them to be clearly heard."

The methodology comprised 55 indicators and anchored the evaluation criteria in the underlying values of freedom of choice, private ownership and initiative, free enterprise, efficient use of public resources, and transparent and accountable governance. LFMI carried out exhaustive research to develop and compile the municipality index and used it as a basis to frame a plan for needed policy change.

Thus, alongside the municipality rankings, the index yielded a solid, evidence-based framework and benchmark for municipal policy reform that gave a new credibility to free market approaches, including consumer choice, private service delivery, tax cuts, reduction of government regulations and bureaucracy, privatization of municipal assets, and balanced budgets.

Since the launch of the Index, LFMI met with the municipal authorities of all major Lithuanian cities – Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda, Siauliai, Panevezys – and visited numerous smaller cities. During such visits, LFMI met with local authorities, citizens, students, businesses, and the media.

Silenas said, "All these meetings helped to build up relationships both with authorities and local people."

Awarded since 2004, the Templeton Freedom Award is named for the late investor and philanthropist Sir John Templeton. The award annually honors his legacy by identifying and recognizing the most exceptional and innovative contributions to the understanding of free enterprise, and the public policies that encourage prosperity, innovation and human fulfillment via free competition. The award is generously supported by Templeton Religion Trust.

Atlas Network CEO Brad Lips said, "Lithuanian Free Market Institute epitomizes what Sir John Templeton wanted to encourage by founding the Templeton Freedom Award: credible research with practical implications for reformers that want to foster the prosperity that comes from free enterprise."

LFMI was awarded the prestigious $100,000 Templeton Freedom Award during Atlas Network's annual Liberty Forum & Freedom Dinner closing ceremonies at New York's historic Capitale Nov. 13, 2014.

About Lithuanian Free Market Institute (LFMI)

Lithuanian Free Market Institute (LFMI) is based in Vilnius, Lithuania. It is a private, nonprofit, non-partisan organization established in 1990 to promote the ideas of individual freedom and responsibility, free market, and limited government intervention. en.llri.lt

About Atlas Network

Atlas Network is based in Washington. It is a nonprofit organization connecting a global network of more than 450 free-market organizations in over 90 countries to the ideas and resources needed to advance the cause of liberty. AtlasNetwork.org – Strengthening the worldwide freedom movement.