Supporting capacity building and the creation of local development plans

Donor:  Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

Partners: Government of the Republic of Serbia Public Policy Secretariat (PPS) and Balkan Center for Regulatory Reform (BCRR)

Beneficiaries: 10 local government units

Period of realization:  December 2021 – June 2023

The project's aim is capacity building for ten selected local self-government units (LGUs) and determentation and implementation of local development priorities in a transparent, inclusive, interdisciplinary, and evidence-based manner.

The following local governments are included in the project: Despotovac, Urban Municipality Palilula from Niš, Ivanjica, Kladovo, Loznica, Ljig, Smederevo, Subotica, Velika Plana, and Zaječar.

Activities which are planned within the project are:

• Assisting selected LGUs in capacity building and a transparent, inclusive, interdisciplinary, and evidence-based determination and implementation of local development priorities;
• Piloting and encouraging public involvement mechanisms at the local level;
• Establishing cooperation and knowledge exchange mechanisms among local self-government units for local development plans;
• Promotion of an integrative approach that encourages inter-sectoral and inter-institutional cooperation;
• Exchange of experience and improvement opportunities, at the local level, through cooperation and connections.

Objectives and results

• Organization of 10 workshops for LGUs;
• Creation of 10 drafts for local development plans;
• Development of evaluation mechanism related to activity results (including knowledge assessment surveys at the beginning and the end of the program);
• Development of a knowledge management tool (including mapping LGU challenges and regulatory gaps, for example, mapping available resources in local governments)  from a process implemented in different local governments;