Action plan – Modriča, Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2024 – 2026

At-a-Glance

Duration

Dec 2028

Date Submitted

26th November 2024

Foreword(s)

The Open Government PartnershipThe Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a multi-stakeholder initiative focused on improving government transparency, ensuring opportunities for citizen participation in public matters, and strengthen... More (OGP) is an opportunity for civil society organizations and public administration to create a ripple effect in the implementation of administration reforms, advocating and implementing reform actions in several areas, where recognized challenges are hindering the necessary development and improvement of the work and life environment. The OGP process is complementary to the EI process, and we see more concrete opportunities to make our administration more open, transparent, and responsible in a standardized and rich process, and to improve the environment for the work of the NGO sector in Modriča and our inter-sectoral cooperation, as well as communication with citizens.

One of the most important functions of the municipal administration of Modriča is to provide adequate and quality services to its citizens. As the foundation for the further development of the Municipality of Modričan and good management, we set transparencyAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, transparency occurs when “government-held information (including on activities and decisions) is open, comprehensive, timely, freely available to the pub... More and participation in the process of creating policies and making decisions. The reform implies the improvement of the situation in areas of public interest, which are horizontal issues and concern a large number of users and policymakers.

Digitization, environmental protection, participatory democracy, genderOGP participating governments are bringing gender perspectives to popular policy areas, ensuring diversity in participatory processes, and specifically targeting gender gaps in policies to address gov... policy, and anti-corruption are areas on whose development the further progress and competitiveness of our local society depends. In connection with this, our first two-year Local Action Plan of the Partnership for Open Government was created.

The strategic framework for public administration reform of the municipality of Modriča is focused on creating an efficient, transparent, responsible, modern public administration that will base its work on good practices and principles of the European administrative area and truly work for the benefit of citizens, by providing fast and reliable services.

Open Government Challenges, Opportunities and Strategic Vision

What is the long-term vision for open government in your context and jurisdiction?

The long-term vision of the Municipality of Modriča in the context of open government is to organize a modern public administration that will ensure respect for the public interest and quality satisfaction of the needs of citizens and business entities, as well as create conditions for efficient, effective, transparent, more participatory and responsible public administration. This means cooperation with non-governmental actors and citizens, a transparent procedure for managing public goods, and consistent application of regulations.

The vision for the starting point is the right of citizens to access administrative documents through the publication of these documents by public institutions. In this way, we intend to increase trust in institutions and better monitoring of the work and activities of local authorities.

Through increased transparency, we strive to increase efficiency in the work of officials and prevent favoritism in procedures led by the local administration.

What are the achievements in open government to date (for example, recent open government reforms)?

The Municipality of Modriča has secured the Certificate for Favorable Business in Southeast Europe (BFC SEE). This international recognition testifies to our commitmentOGP commitments are promises for reform co-created by governments and civil society and submitted as part of an action plan. Commitments typically include a description of the problem, concrete action... to transparency, citizen participationAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, citizen participation occurs when “governments seek to mobilize citizens to engage in public debate, provide input, and make contributions that lead to m... More, and public accountabilityAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, public accountability occurs when ”rules, regulations, and mechanisms in place call upon government actors to justify their actions, act upon criticisms ... More. The formation of the Business Council resulted in constant improvements and positive feedback from local businesses.

The business survey conducted by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs covered various aspects of local businesses, including profiles, conditions, satisfaction with services, quality of utilities, and workforce needs. The Investment Profile of Modriča serves to attract potential investors, and the Department informs domestic companies about public calls for improvement and development of infrastructure.

The Department for Local Economic Development and European Integration was established with a focus on reducing unemployment and improving the lives of citizens. Initiatives such as Open Day further demonstrate Modriča’s commitment to encouraging better communication, direct dialogue, and improvement of the business environment. Modriča launched the digital platform INVEST IN  Modriča, a modern tool for attracting domestic and foreign investors, promoting entrepreneurship, and creating new jobs.

What are the current challenges/areas for improvement in open government that the jurisdiction wishes to tackle?

The Municipality of Modriča through its previous work is developing the principles of cooperation, participation, and transparency and will continue to develop open government. The Development Strategy of the Municipality of Modriča 2017-2026 covers several areas that require greater development, and the challenges we have identified are:

1. Transparency as a mechanism for strengthening the right to informationThe legal right to request information from the government allows the public to follow government decision-making, participate in ensuring better decisions, and hold the government accountable. Techni... and open access to information: to address insufficient information of citizens about the competencies of the municipality with the services it provides, as well as the rights they can exercise.

2. Involving citizens in the process of creating public policies at the local level: to address the lack of promotion of mechanisms for citizen participation.

3. Environmental protection: to address insufficient participation of young people in the creation of public policies in the field of environmental protection.

4. Digital access: to address the unavailability of materials from the website of the municipality for persons with disabilities.

What are the medium-term open government goals that the government wants to achieve?

The medium-term goals of the open government of the Modriča municipal administration are as follows:

• Increase the awareness of municipal officials, civil society organizations, media, and citizens about the process of joining the Partnership for Open Government;
• Improve the knowledge of municipal officials, the non-governmental sector and citizens about the process and obligations for joining the Partnership for Open Government initiative;
• Increase the engagement of civil society organizations in improving the transparency and responsibility of the work of the municipal government;
• Establish informal partnerships of key civil society organizations.

How does this action plan contribute to achieve the Open Government Strategic Vision?

This Local Action Plan represents a good platform for the cooperation of the municipal administration with citizens and civil society organizations, a powerful instrument for improving its transparency, responsibility, and efficiency. Particularly,

• The obligation in the field of Access to Information responds to the need for continuous involvement of citizens in the work of local self-government;
• The obligation in the field of Public ParticipationGiving citizens opportunities to provide input into government decision-making leads to more effective governance, improved public service delivery, and more equitable outcomes. Technical specificatio... responds to the need to educate citizens on mechanisms and possibilities of direct involvement in the decision-making process at the local level;
• The obligation in the field of ​​Climate and Environment respond to the problem of weak participation of young people in the creation of public policy in the field of green policies;
• The obligation in the field of Digital GovernanceAs evolving technologies present new opportunities for governments and citizens to advance openness and accountability, OGP participating governments are working to create policies that deal with the ... responds to the need to improve the accessibility of information published on the existing website of the municipality of Modriča.

How does the open government strategic vision contribute to the accomplishment of the current administration’s overall policy goals?

The obligations that we propose in the Action Plan go in the direction of strengthening public administration to respond to challenges that are complementary to the measures and obligations highlighted in a series of municipal strategic documents:

• Development Strategy of the Municipality of Modriča 2017-2026;
• YouthRecognizing that investing in youth means investing in a better future, OGP participating governments are creating meaningful opportunities for youth to participate in government processes. Technical ... policy of the municipality of Modriča 2024-2028;
• Strategy for the development of social housing in the area of ​​the Municipality of Modriča 2021-2027;
• Local Action Plan for Gender Equality of the Municipality of Modriča 2023-2026;
• Sustainable EnergyEnsuring universal access to sustainable, dependable, and affordable energy is critical to every aspect of prosperity. Increasing public oversight and transparency in the energy sector can help to ens... Management and Adaptation to Climate Change Action Plan of the Municipality of Modriča (SECAP) for the period up to 2030;
• Local Action plan for improving the position of the Roma population in the area of ​​the Municipality of Modriča 2019-2023.

The link also contains additional documents that contribute to greater openness of the local government.

Engagement and Coordination in the Open Government Strategic Vision and OGP Action Plan

Please list the lead institutions responsible for the implementation of this OGP action plan.

• Office of Open Government
• Office of the Mayor of the Municipality
• Admissions Office and Information Department
• Department for Veterans and Disability Protection and General Affairs
• Department of Economy and Social Activities
• Department for Spatial Planning, Housing and Communal Affairs and Ecology
• Professional service of the Municipal Assembly and the Mayor
• Association of families with four or more children “Hope 4” Modriča
• Women

What kind of institutional arrangements are in place to coordinate between government agencies and departments to implement the OGP action plan?

The internal municipal team, with an overall approach and systematic work, using their professional knowledge and previous experience and behavior of the functioning of municipal departments, got to know and assessed the general situation and possibilities for the creation and development of the Local Action Plan Partnership for Open Government.

The internal team consists of municipal officials, and 9 members, while the Forum included municipal officials, but also external participation, partner non-governmental associations on the project, and 11 members. It is also responsible for the coordination of the process and the essence of the undertaken obligations, while the participants of the Forum participated in identifying problems and proposing solutions for open government at the local level.

The internal municipal team and the Forum are responsible for coordinating with other departments in the co-creation processCollaboration between government, civil society and other stakeholders (e.g., citizens, academics, private sector) is at the heart of the OGP process. Participating governments must ensure that a dive.... They will meet quarterly to review progress.

What kind of spaces have you used or created to enable the collaboration between government and civil society in the co-creation and implementation of this action plan? Mention both offline and online spaces.

The following spaces were used to establish cooperation between the municipal administration of Modriča and civil society in the development of the Local Action Plan of the OGP: informative meetings were organized for representatives of civil society organizations and municipal officials in order to discuss the definition of the strategic vision, obligations through proposals and suggestions and other related issues.

The aforementioned spaces will be used for the implementation of the Action Plan together with representatives of local communities and educational institutions from the area of ​​the municipality of Modriča. It will also serve to measure changes in terms of increasing the level of citizens’ knowledge about the use of OGP mechanisms, as well as future proposals for improving the process of involving citizens in decision-making.

What measures did you take to ensure diversity of representation (including vulnerable or marginalized populations) in these spaces?

During the informative consultations for the preparation of the Action Plan of the local partnership for open government, special attention was paid to the active participation of vulnerable and marginalized groups. It is also foreseen that during the implementation of the obligations provided for in this Action Plan, care should be taken to ensure that representatives of vulnerable and marginalized groups are equally represented.

Our process for better open government has been open to people of all ages, ethnicities, religions, and genders from the start. The Women’s Association “SPARK” and the Association of Families with Four or More Children “Hope 4” from Modriča are representatives of civil society organizations in the Forum.

Who participated in these spaces?

In the process of co-creating the Local Action Plan for open government, the following participated:

• heads of municipal departments;
• employees employed in the municipal administration and
• representatives of civil society organizations.

The choice of civil society organizations that are part of the regular forum included the representation of three vulnerable groups, which include gender and women’s groups, people with disabilitiesA government is not open unless it is accessible to all, and governments are working to ensure people with disabilities are afforded equitable services and opportunities to participate. Technical spec..., and the indigenous population.

How many groups participated in these spaces?

11

How many public-facing meetings were held in the co-creation process?

3

How will government and non-governmental stakeholders continue to collaborate through the implementation of the action plan?

Stakeholders will be informed about the progress of Action Plan milestones through reports. The Municipal Administration of Modriča will ensure that national contact persons for OGP and local self-governments are involved in discussions and activities during the implementation phase of the Action Plan.

Within the regular holding of the Forum, members will coordinate and cooperate in the implementation of each given obligation. The forum aims to promote a constructive, ongoing dialogue on open governance between local government and local civil society organizations. The establishment of the Forum ensures space for regular, two-way communication about good governance. The work of the Forum is designed to achieve real gains in transparency, accountability, and participation.

The focus is on the further development, implementation, and evaluation of open government in the process of developing and implementing the OGP Local Action Plan.

Please describe the independent Monitoring Body you have identified for this plan.

The monitoring body for the Local Action Plan will consist of one representative of the government. The task of the monitoring body is to independently assess and evaluate the success of the OGP initiative at the local level.

The representative of the local government has many years of experience in working with civil society, and the economic sector, writing and implementing projects with both domestic and international donors, and in the preparation of municipal strategic documents.

The monitoring body will externally monitor the process of co-creation and implementation of the Action Plan and will promote the OGP initiative in the area of ​​the municipality of Modriča. The monitoring will meet once after the end of the joint creation process and every time an assessment of the realized obligation is made.

Provide the contact details for the independent monitoring body.

• Ivana Mijanić, Head of the Department for Local Economic Development and European Integration, ivana.mijanic@modrica.ba

What types of activities will you have in place to discuss progress on commitments with stakeholders?

The implementation of the obligations defined by the Local Action Plan will be monitored through the following activities:

• implementation of the initial assessment of the process of joint development of OGP;
• development of detailed and effective plans for the implementation of obligations from the Action Plan;
• monitoring the implementation of those plans;
• development of an effective engagement strategy during the implementation of the Action Plan;
• writing progress reports that follow the implementation of the Action Plan.

Members of the internal municipal team, as well as representatives of the Forum, and project partner NGOs, will meet regularly when milestones are reached to discuss progress and exchange advice on activities to achieve upcoming milestones. Discussions will also be held with the oversight body to share progress and goals and with key stakeholders to inform the next steps and provide guidance on meeting milestones.

How will you regularly check in on progress with implementing agencies?

The person for monitoring and evaluation will be in charge of coordinating activities related to the implementation of the Local Action Plan and the implementation of all activities toward the public and the OGP support unitThe OGP Support Unit is a small, permanent group of staff that work closely with the Steering Committee and the Independent Reporting Mechanism to advance the goals of the Open Government Partnership.....

The key responsibilities and activities that will be carried out regularly are:

• coordination of continuous participation of non-governmental actors in the implementation of OGP;
• coordination with municipal Departments and other competent institutions in the area of ​​the municipality of Modriča;
• regular communication and cooperation with the OGP Local Program Support Unit;
• regular publication of information on the process of joint development, implementation of measures, and achieved results from the Local Action Plan.

The local monitoring bodyLocal Monitoring Bodies independently evaluate and assess the performance of OGP participating locals. Similar to the Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM) for OGP countries, these bodies assess the c... will additionally collect evidence from the activity holders and evaluate the results of the fulfilled obligations from the Action Plan.

How will you share the results of your monitoring efforts with the public?

Monitoring results will be publicly available through various channels, including:

• The city OGP Local portal, which will publish content quarterly;
• Regular communication with the existing media as well as published materials on the social networks of the municipal administration and partner non-governmental organizations;

We will promote achievements, consultations, and progress through our communication teams and channels and encourage civil society partners to do the same.

• Official Website – Modriča Municipality
• Facebook Page – Modriča Municipality Administration
• Facebook Page – Udruženje Žena Iskra Modriča
• Facebook Page – Udruženje porodica sa četvoro i više djece Nada 4 Modriča
• Facebook Page – Radio Modriča
• Facebook Page – Moja Modriča
• Facebook Page – Modriča Info

Endorsement from Non-Governmental Stakeholders

• Danijela Govedarica, President, Women
• Tatjana Pisarević, President, Association of families with four or more children “Hope 4” Modriča

Commitments:

• Public education through “Civic Academy’s” activities to engage citizens in self-governance
• Holding workshops in local communities to raise the capacity of citizens for open government
• Improve the digital accessibility of the municipality’s website for people with disabilities
• Encourage the participation of young people in the implementation of green policies

Letter-of-support.pdf