Introducing Standards for Civic Participation in the Public Policy Management System (RS0018)

THEME: Increase the role of citizens in the public policy management system; COMMITMENT 5: Introducing standards for civic participation in the public policy management system; Status quo or problem addressed by the commitment: One of the key reasons why certain unenforceable public policy documents exist is that mechanisms for participation of stakeholders and target groups affected by those public policies are limited and unevenly applied. Serbia’s legal system does not incorporate arrangements for stakeholder consultation and rules for their implementation in the drafting of public policy documents. Furthermore, the process of passing of public policy documents is often non-transparent, i.e. the public is frequently unaware of the fact that a public policy is being drafted, which is why inputs by institutions and citizens whose expertise (based on previously conducted analyses and studies) could contribute to the quality of public policy documents remain unavailable to state administration bodies. Main objective: Increase the role of citizens in the public policy management system; Brief description of commitment (140-character limit): The key aspect of this commitment is to provide for consultations, i.e. to impose a duty on state administration bodies to hold consultations when drafting proposals of public policy documents. A legal framework should be put in place to define the consultation process, set out the criteria for determining the appropriate type and scope of consultations, specify the criteria for choosing representative members of the public and the business community who are knowledgeable on the subject matter and could take part in the consultations and provide for a duty to make public calls for participation of stakeholders and target groups. Another important form of civic participation in the decision-making process is public hearing. It is necessary to set out methodological rules for the conduct of public hearings, standardise the public hearing process and ensure appropriate participation of stakeholders and target groups in the process of passing of public policy documents. OGP challenge addressed by the commitment: Strengthening public integrity; Relevance: This commitment will enable broader civic participation in decision-making and greater transparency of public administration. Enactment of the relevant law and regulation will impose a duty to hold consultations and public hearings in the process of drafting proposals of public policy documents. Ambition: This commitment will result in provisions which will impose a duty to hold consultations in the process of drafting proposals of public policy documents and will bind state administration bodies to announce the drafting of any public policy document on the eGovernment portal and on their website. Furthermore, methodological rules for consultations and public hearings in the process of drafting and passing public policy documents would be put in place.

For Commitment details, please see Serbia Mid-Term Report 2016-2018 (Year 1).

For commitment details, see Serbia End-of-Term Report 2016–2018.