Participatory Monitoring of Data Exchange by Official Duty (ME0070)

What public problem does the measure address? This measure responds to the problem of insufficient exchange of data by official duty, which is described as a principle by the Law on Administrative Procedure, with the aim of relieving citizens of the obligation to collect a bunch of documents in order to deliver some public service to them. However, bearing in mind the gap between official records that is difficult to bridge and the slow dynamics of establishing interoperability between electronic registers held by public law bodies, this principle has not taken root in practice to a sufficient extent. During the process of co-creating the NAP, citizens pointed out the slowness of certain procedures and the fact that a lot of documentation is still required for the realization of basic services, such as, for example, the realization of maternity leave for working women. The Ministry of Public Administration prepares a Report on the handling of administrative matters once a year, but mostly on the basis of information received from those subject to the Law on Administrative Procedure, while the satisfaction of citizens is still not measured. Bearing in mind the importance of effective exchange of data ex officio for the openness of administration and overall communication with citizens, the measure will try to, through the inclusion of citizens, as users of a previously selected sample of services, which will be selected to include services intended for target groups that include women, persons with disabilities and other users of social and child protection.

What does this measure entail? The measure includes a series of activities intended to encourage greater participation and openness in the process of monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the obligation to exchange data ex officio by the obligees of the Law on Administrative Procedure with the aim of strengthening responsibility for the application of the principles of this Law.

In what way does the measure contribute to the solution of the identified public problem? It is expected that the expansion of information on various challenges in the application of this principle will contribute to the determination of responsibility for insufficient application of this principle in practice.

Why is this measure relevant in relation to the values promoted through the OGP initiative? This measure is directly relevant to the values of transparency and openness of public administration, as well as strengthening the responsibility of authorities in the creation and management of public policies.

Additional information This measure is complementary to the goals and activities of the National Public Administration Reform Strategy 2022-2026, especially operational goal 2.1, which refers to "More efficient provision of services and the introduction of quality management of services provided." In addition, the implementation of this measure contributes to the realization of sustainable development goals, especially goal 16: 'Peace, justice and strong institutions', and tasks 16.10. Provide public access to information and protection of basic freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements, 16.6- Develop efficient, responsible and transparent institutions at all levels.

Budget 7.000 EUR

Activities

8.1. Analysis of the most used services that are not included in the Unified Information System for Electronic Data Exchange, with a focus on services for women on the labor market, people with disabilities, and services in the field of social and child protection Holder: Ministry of Public AdministrationMinistry of Public Administration, Directorate for Implementation of Principles of Good Public Administration, Analytics and Reporting in Cooperation with Trade Unions and the Non-Governmental Sector Activity realization indicator: - selected services for participative monitoring of data exchange by official duty Required financial resources: EUR 2,000 Source of funding: Budget of Montenegro, donor funds March 2024 - December 2024

8.2. Create a monitoring report on ex officio data exchange for selected services Holder: Ministry of Public Administration, Directorate for Implementation of Principles of Good Public Administration, Analytics and Reporting in Cooperation with Trade Unions and the Non-Governmental Sector Activity realization indicator: - prepared a report using the experiences of the users of the selected services Required financial resources: EUR 3,000 Source of funding: Budget of Montenegro, donor funds March 2024 - December 2024

8.3. Compiling information and reporting on the implementation of conclusions for the improvement of data exchange by official duty Holder: Ministry of Public Administration, Directorate for Implementation of Principles of Good Public Administration, Analytics and Reporting Activity realization indicator: - prepared information and formulated conclusions - prepared a report on the level of implementation of the Government's conclusions for the improvement of data exchange ex officio Required financial resources: EUR 2,000 Source of funding: Budget of Montenegro, donor funds January 2024 - March 2024

Action Plan Review

Commitment 8. Participatory monitoring of data exchange by official duty

● Verifiable: Yes

● Does it have an open government lens? Yes

● Potential for results: Modest

Commitment 8 seeks to increase openness in the obligation of public institutions to exchange data under the Law on Administrative Procedure. There were active discussions during the co-creation process around excessive administrative burdens for citizens when obtaining services from the public administration. [74] The Law on Administrative Procedure states that public institutions should not ask for information from citizens that they already have. Institut Alternativa believes this is an important commitment because particular legal acts do not comply with the Law on Administrative Procedure and no institution has monitored compliance until now. [75] This commitment largely consists of preparatory measures, such as reporting on data exchanges between officials. Future commitments could focus on reducing unnecessary administrative burdens for citizens in their interactions with the state.