Enhancing inclusive citizen engagement in key decision-making processes (XKGJA0002)

Commitment ID

XKGJA0002

Commitment Title

Enhancing inclusive citizen engagement in key decision-making processes

Problem

Citizen participation in policymaking and decision-making processes remains very low, despite the Municipality's ongoing efforts to encourage their involvement. This lack of engagement partly stems from citizens' limited awareness of the legal frameworks and internal regulations governing the implementation of municipal projects. During the monitoring of budget hearings, it was evident that citizens were not well-informed about their rights or the mechanisms available to influence decisions. Moreover, the current forms of participation, such as public hearings, have not been very effective in fostering meaningful engagement.

The recently introduced law on notifying and resolving citizen-submitted issues highlights the need for improved processes. The Municipality recognizes that a new approach, allowing citizens to directly propose projects and participate more actively in decision-making, is essential to address these gaps and ensure their voices are heard in shaping local governance.

Status quo

The Municipality of Gjakova regularly organizes meetings and public consultations to engage citizens, gathering their ideas, requests, and suggestions for various decision-making processes, including budget allocation, project implementation, and the development of legal documents. Despite these efforts, citizen participation in these meetings remains low, which does not align with the Municipality's strong commitment to fostering inclusive decision-making. According to surveys conducted by the Municipality, many citizens expressed a lack of interest in participating. However, some also indicated that better information about these meetings, as well as improved scheduling and location arrangements, could encourage greater involvement.

A notable success in this area has been the Social Contract project, supported by USAID, which effectively introduced participatory budgeting practices in Kosovo. This initiative demonstrated how structured citizen engagement can lead to better-informed budgetary decisions, aligning public expenditures with community priorities. The Municipality of Gjakova aims to build on this experience to enhance citizen participation and ensure that their voices play a more significant role in local governance processes.

Action

Key actions include:

• Awareness Campaigns: Organizing campaigns to inform citizens about the importance of their involvement in municipal governance and their rights in influencing decisions.
• Modern Communication Tools: Utilizing engaging formats like video messages and infographics to make invitations more appealing, along with adjusting schedules and locations to accommodate diverse community needs.
• Digital Platforms: Launching a redesigned municipal website, and a mobile app in January 2025 to simplify access to digital services and provide real-time updates.
• Participatory Budgeting: Increasing the participatory budget to €300,000 in 2025, empowering citizens to propose and vote on projects that address their community’s needs.
• Regular Meetings: Facilitating regular sessions between local councils, the Mayor’s Office, and municipal assembly members to address citizen concerns, ensure transparency, and educate the public on governance processes.
• Collaboration with CSOs: Involving CSOs through the Municipal Transparency Forum to promote broader citizen participation and ensure effective communication of public activities.
• Communication Strategy: Creating a four-year strategy to improve internal and external communication, aiming to better connect the Municipality with its citizens.

How will the commitment contribute to solving the public problem described above?

Broader citizen participation will significantly improve the quality of local policies developed by the municipality, as their needs, concerns, and suggestions will be actively considered and incorporated into the planning of the municipal budget and projects. This comprehensive approach ensures that public funds are allocated and spent more efficiently and effectively, directly addressing community priorities. The expected results of this engagement include:

• Improved policy quality: By integrating citizen input, local policies, and projects will be better aligned with the current needs of the community.
• Efficient public spending: Participatory planning will lead to more targeted and impactful use of public funds.
• Strengthened citizen trust: Greater engagement and transparency in decision-making will foster trust between citizens and local government.
• Increasing civic awareness: Awareness campaigns and participatory mechanisms will educate citizens on the importance of their role in governance, encouraging sustained engagement. Ultimately, this engagement promotes a more collaborative and inclusive governance model, ensuring that decisions made by the Municipality reflect the voices and priorities of its citizens.

What long-term goal as identified in your Open Government Strategy does this commitment relate to?

This commitment directly supports the Municipality’s long-term goal of promoting inclusive and participatory governance by encouraging broader citizen engagement in local policy-making and decision-making processes. It reflects the Municipality’s commitment to an active and open democracy, where every individual and community has the opportunity to contribute their perspectives and priorities.
By creating mechanisms that facilitate participation and actively involve diverse groups, this commitment addresses barriers to engagement and ensures that local government decisions are representative and accountable. Furthermore, it aligns with the Municipality’s broader vision of promoting transparency and accountability, as increased citizen participation increases oversight and trust in governance.
Ultimately, this commitment reinforces the strategic objective of building a collaborative governance model that not only amplifies the voices of its citizens, but also uses their input to create more effective, equitable, and inclusive local policies and projects.

Primary Policy Area

Civic Space, Inclusion

Primary Sector

Legislature, Public Services (general)

What OGP value is this commitment relevant to?