Inclusive Local Decision-Making (MK0134)

An inclusive decision making manner to encourage local and regional development
Start and end date of the commitment: August 2018 – December 2020
Lead implementing agency
Ministry of Local-Self-Government
Description of commitment
Status quo or problem addressed by the commitment
Unequal development has led to great differences in the quality of life in different parts of the country, specifically between municipalities, as well as between rural and urban areas. The balanced and sustainable development of the country based on the polycentric development model aims to reduce the differences within the regions and between regions, to increase the quality of citizens’s lives and to increase competitiveness among the planning regions by supporting innovation. These goals can not be implemented without provision of synergies between the public, business and civil sector. The development planning through the prioritizing questioning questions requires creation of networking and direct involvement of citizens in decision-making processes.
Main objective
The main objective is to enable participatory community development and good local governance by applying a structured citizen participation tool - a forum approach. The forum approach aims to enable citizens an active participation in decision-making processes in their municipalities, and the administration to develop participatory, accountable and credible local governance.
Brief description of the commitment
The following will be conducted in each of the eight planning regions: - Held 4 forum sessions and at least one meeting per working group between the sessions; - Representative presentation of institutions and citizens (minimum 40 participants) at forum sessions; - Well-structured quality discussions, with much of the time dedicated for expert support, project ideas and recommendations; - Conducted promotional activities in the regions; - Established informal and formal partnerships between interested groups; - Developed a number of project ideas; - Given recommendations to institutions and the same recommendations taken into account; - Implemented sustainable projects with visible socio-economic impact on the community.
OGP challenge addressed by the commitment
An innovative approach for including all relevant stakeholders and citizens in decision-making processes that have a direct impact on local and regional development. In addition to the main objective – civil society participation, the program strengthens the principles of good governance that are important for the democratization of the state as a whole. Gender equality is one of the biggest challenges in the decentralization process, which means that the program envisages participation of at least 40% women at each forum session. At the same time, the demand for equal participation of the non-majority ethnic communities in Macedonia goes hand in hand with the objective of reflecting the local context and increasing inter-ethnic dialogue
Additional information
Refrerence to Global Sustainable Development Goals - Objective 16 "Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions", Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels. 42 The measures under this commitment contribute to promoting transparency and accountability in public finances management at local level
Milestone
5.3.1 Selection of moderators, representatives civil sector representatives. The moderators will be selected by the Planning Regions Development Centers, by an external consultant’s support, from the list of forum moderators in ZELS. -Training for the Planning Regions Development Centers for conducting forum sessions. -Selection of key local partners. The moderators, along with the Planning Regions Development Centers, will be responsible for reqruitment of forum participants. The operation group is responsible for inviting participants to the forum, in accordance with the project proposal and their knowledge of the region, using various tools
5.3.2 Organizing 4 forum sessions in each planning region. By utilizing the forum access, the forum will start detecting the key problems and solutions, preparation of project proposals and selection of` projects that will be proposed before the Councils of the planning regions for their funding.
5.3.3 Implementation of the chosen projects
Contact information
Name of responsible person from implementing agency
Eli Chakar, coordinator
Title, Department
State Advisor
Phone and e-mail
elicakar@gmail.com, 071 226 415
Other actors involved
Development Centers for the planning regions in Veles, Kumanovo, Strumica, Struga, Bitola, Shtip, Tetovo and Skopje.
Swiss Agency for Cooperation and Development SDC Maria Karaeva-project coordinator karaevamarija@gmail.com

Theme V: Transparency at Local Level

5.3. An inclusive decision making manner to encourage local and regional development

Language of the commitment as it appears in the action plan: [72]

“The following will be conducted in each of the eight planning regions:
- Held 4 forum sessions and at least one meeting per working group between the sessions;
- Representative presentation of institutions and citizens (minimum 40 participants) at forum sessions;
- Well-structured quality discussions, with much of the time dedicated for expert support, project ideas and recommendations;
- Conducted promotional activities in the regions;
- Established informal and formal partnerships between interested groups;
- Developed a number of project ideas;
- Given recommendations to institutions and the same recommendations taken into account;
- Implemented sustainable projects with visible socio-economic impact on the community.”

Milestones:

5.3.1 Selection of moderators, representatives civil sector representatives. The moderators will be selected by the Planning Regions Development Centers, by an external consultant’s support, from the list of forum moderators in ZELS.

• Training for the Planning Regions Development Centers for conducting forum sessions.
• Selection of key local partners. The moderators, along with the Planning Regions Development Centers, will be responsible for reqruitment of forum participants. The operation group is responsible for inviting participants to the forum, in accordance with the project proposal and their knowledge of the region, using various tools.

5.3.2 Organizing 4 forum sessions in each planning region. By utilizing the forum access, the forum will start detecting the key problems and solutions, preparation of project proposals and selection of projects that will be proposed before the Councils of the planning regions for their funding.

5.3.3 Implementation of the chosen projects

Start Date: August 2018

End Date: December 2020

Context and Objectives

This commitment aims to address gaps in the development of different parts of North Macedonia through more inclusive participation in decision-making processes at the municipal level. The commitment calls for holding four forum discussions with the participation of key local partners and with a particular focus on women and non-majority ethnic groups. The milestones mainly focus on the technical aspects of organizing the forum discussions, including the selection of moderators and participants (5.3.1), and identifying and preparing project proposals for funding (5.3.2) and eventual implementation (5.3.3).

The commitment provides a detailed overview of the four forums that will take place, including the minimum number of participants in each (40) and the minimum percentage of women at each forum session (40 percent). It also clarifies that the moderators and representatives will be selected by Planning Regions Development Centres and with the support of external consultants. As such, the commitment is verifiable and relevant to the OGP value of civic participation. While the forum discussions could lead to greater local participation (particularly for minority groups) and projects that will eventually be selected for funding could lead to greater regional development, the potential impact of these activities is difficult to assess beyond minor. The actual impact will largely depend on how the commitment is implemented.

Next steps

The Ministry of Local-Self-Government could ensure the systematic and ongoing integration into development planning and project decisions of mechanisms that ensure the representation and involvement of civic society stakeholders. The Ministry could also conduct impact assessments for all planning and for multi-year strategic development plans.

[72] The texts for all the commitments are an abridged version of the commitment texts. For the full commitment texts, see the Republic of North Macedonia 2018-2020 National Action Plan, https://www.opengovpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Macedonia_Action-Plan_2018-2020_EN.pdf

Commitment 5.3 Inclusive decision-making for local and regional development

Complete:

The eight Planning Regions Developments Centers (PRDC) provided trainings and organized four forums on project planning in all eight planning regions of the country. The forums approved one investment project and one innovation project in each of the eight planning regions, such as inclusive classrooms for children with autism, renovation of schools, reconstructions of ski lifts, and renovation of a center for seniors, [79] which were implemented in 2019. [80]

Based on the experience from the initial forum sessions, the Ministry for Local Self-Governance incorporated this model in the Law for Balanced Regional Development from 27 January 2021. All eight planning regions are now legally required to hold consultations via the forums before agreeing on the priority projects to fund. This mechanism is similar to the one that municipalities have adopted when selecting projects for implementation (under Commitment 5.1), but at the regional level. Each planning region has a Council, including the mayors of each municipality from the region. Before these changes, mayors alone decided which projects would be financed from the annual budget in the planning region, without having to consult civil society or citizens. With the commitment, a legal obligation was introduced for citizens to be included in the decision-making process via the regional forums. [81]