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Projects»Participatory Iniciatives
     

Participatory Budgeting and Monitoring in Korca and Pogradec

The project aimed at strengthening community participation in governance and civil society, through their involvement in all stages of the budget cycle that is related to: identification of investment according to local needs, assessing the capacity to support the projects, preparation of budget proposal in Municipality Council, overseeing the procession of the adoption of the budget, monitoring and evaluation of public works and the continuation of the process.

Financed by: European Commission                                            Time interval: 2009-2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phases of project implementation:

 

1. Mobilization of factors and actors of the project: After supporting the goals and activities of the project from the head of municipalities
Working Groups and were established in both cities , with members form civil society, council members and municipality staff. Two local coordinators were selected to be the intermiadiary between URI and the city staff.

- It was drawn up a schedule of activities;
- Capacity building was provided to  the main actors of the process  in the areas of budget and citizen ‘s information ;
- There have been prepared the  materials for community awareness.

                          

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Organization of cycles of meetings with communities in Korca and Pogradec municipalities.  In this framework have been developed:
-  Meetings with local government to collect data about the last year budget and forecast for 2010;
- Prepare presentations to the public on : the expected results from the EU project  and the realization of investment projects in 2008-2009 and the project in continuing for 2010;
- Division of the municipalities in the areas for meetings with the community. Korca in six areas, Pogradec in 3 ones 
- Two rounds of open meetings with the community of each area to determine their needs;
- A list of priorities,  needs and suggestions of participants in each meeting
   -245 citizens in the meeting, 20% female, 120 proposals in total (Korca)
    -162 citizens in the meeting, 31% women, were proposed 43 investments and 48 improvement services

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.The establishment and operation of Participatory Budgeting Committee, with elected citizens as members, together with staff from budget, finance and service delivery departments;
- Training about the philosophy of participatory budgeting and their role in this process;
- About possible criteria for selecting the major priorities

 

•   Classification of the priority needs identified as prior by communities during open meetings, based on sources of funding

• Study of the feasibility of proposed priorities and finalization of this list
•  Sending of this matrix in the Project Working Group for discussion with the Economic Commission of the Municipality Council
  

                 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Approval of year 2010 Budget by Municipality Council.  This component was associated with lobbying activities, clarification and awareness, such as meetings, discussions and round tables.
• Working Group produced the first draft of the municipal budget, which was reviewed once again by the Citizens Committee of Participatory Budgeting and community representatives
• There were verified in the field the priority projects Korca: From 18 priorities selected by the Citizens Committee, the Municipal Council will support eight of them. So, about 60% of the investment fund will support citizen’s priorities. Pogradec: The proposals for investments by citizens, the budget will support 6 or 38% of them


      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The new initiative by the process of participatory budgeting "Give solution" in Korca: Initiative complies the needs of citizens in the area of public services (56 % of the requests are for them). So, the initiative aims to increase the effectiveness of the use of maintenance funds and rapid resolution of complaints.


      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-All the concerns raised by citizens are deposited in the administrative regions
-There are verified and photographs in the field of all problems raised;
-The Municipalities structures give it solution within a week and is photographed and is reported the change.


5. There are established the monitoring group for two prior investments that will be supported by the  2010 budget
               


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are trained the groups in this process and shared tasks in the function of monitoring instruments
- Prepare reports for the Municipality and citizens groups

 

6. Institutionalize the process of PB (Persistence of process)