Regional Programme on Local Democracy in the Western Balkans (ReLOaD)
Project Value
8,500,000.00 €
Project Status
Finished
Beneficiary
Beneficiary Sector
Municipality
Implementing Partners
- UNDP
- Partner Municipalities
5,000,000.00 €
February 2017 - January 2020
Overall Objective
The project aims to strengthen partnerships between local governments and civil society in the Western Balkans by scaling-up a successful model of transparent and project-based funding of civil society organisations (CSOs) from local government budgets. This will contribute to greater civic engagement in decision-making and improvement of local service delivery. The aim is also to strengthen participatory democracies and the Western Balkan countries’ EU integration process by empowering civil society to actively take part in decision-making and by stimulating an enabling legal and financial environment for civil society to participate.
Summary of the Project
Activities
- Establishment of project structures
- Promotion and awareness raising
- Selection of partner local governments in participating Western Balkan countries
- Conduct an assessment of existing in-country mechanisms for disbursement of public funds to CSOs and provide specific recommendations for improvement looking at experiences and lessons learned (from the viewpoint of the principal model from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Conduct an assessment of existing (budget) mechanisms for disbursement of public funds to CSOs in each selected local government
- Formalise a methodology as well as a monitoring framework for funding of CSOs by local governments’ budgets
- Awareness-raising and familiarisation of local government leadership and staff as well as CSOs with the methodology for disbursement of public funds to CSOs
- Set a financing mechanism in line with national legislations (i.e. specific municipal budget line(s)) to fund CSO activities within each participating local government
- Design tailored grant schemes for CSOs in each target local government
- Launch public calls for CSO proposals
- Selection and contracting of CSOs
- Capacity development and training in project cycle management for local government staff within targeted municipalities
- Capacity development for CSOs
- Monitoring of CSO projects’ implementation through combined monitoring teams
- In-country promotion of the methodology for disbursement of public funds to CSOs as well as promotion of successful practices in each participating Western Balkan country
- Cross-country exchange of experiences, ideas and good practices, including through study trips
- Cross-country thematic networking
- Create an online interactive platform facilitating virtual knowledge sharing, advocacy and communication
- Design knowledge products and tools to strengthen local participatory democracy and public services delivery
- Increase the transparency of local governments through the creation of civic forums, use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) for citizens and improvement of capacities of municipal councils (specifically for Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Conduct a survey to identify standards for social services delivery by CSOs (specific for Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Expected Results
- Local governments and CSOs have basic understanding of the comprehensive transparent model for funding of CSOs from municipal budgets
- A model of transparent and project-based funding of CSOs by local governments is introduced and institutionalised in all participating local governments, and thus promoted and anchored across Western Balkan countries
- Services delivered by civil society organisations address the needs of local communities across the Western Balkan countries
- The capacity of civil society organisations and local governments to implement municipal grant schemes and deliver good quality projects is strengthened
- Enhanced regional networking and dialogue between civil society and local governments across the Western Balkan countries enable the multiplication of good practices
- Diversified dialogue and cooperation mechanisms between local governments and CSOs (specific for Bosnia and Herzegovina)
