Development of a Uniform Methodology for Planning, Monitoring and Performance Evaluation of Programmes and Projects Implemented by Civil Society Organisations and Monitoring the Spending of Allocated Funds (RS0024)

THEME: Improve procedures governing public calls for applications for the allocation of public funds at all levels of government, including evaluation issues and available remedies. COMMITMENT 11: Development of a uniform methodology for planning, monitoring and performance evaluation of programmes and projects implemented by civil society organisations and monitoring the spending of allocated funds; Status quo or problem addressed by the commitment: The data obtained through the Annual Aggregate Report on spending of budget funds allocated and disbursed to associations and other civil society organisations from the national budget of the Republic of Serbia as support to programme activities show that cross-checking methods are not sufficiently used in the monitoring of execution of supported projects and programmes. These data also show that the main method of monitoring the execution of programmes and projects is review of final and narrative reports, while monitoring visits to associations account for the lowest share. This shows there is a need to harmonise the practices of monitoring supported CSO programmes and projects, using multiple different monitoring and evaluation methods. Main objective: The aim of improving the process of monitoring and evaluation of supported programmes and projects is to ensure sounder follow-up to ensure their better implementation. In addition, this will give public administration bodies a much better image of the value for money of their investment, which will provide the basis for improved planning and more effective spending of budget funds, in accordance with the objectives set out in public policy documents. Brief description of commitment (140-character limit): Preparation and adoption of methodological instructions for the development of a plan of monitoring and evaluation of approved CSO programmes and projects and tracking spending of allocated funds. OGP challenge addressed by the commitment: More efficient management of public resources; Relevance: Strengthening the system of fiscal accountability and provision of information to the general public about CSO projects and programmes financed from the national budget of the Republic of Serbia will promote and develop integrity and accountability in the work of state institutions and build citizens’ trust in state institutions and civil society organisations. Ambition: Adoption of methodological instructions on the development of a plan of monitoring and evaluation of approved programmes and projects will impose a duty on public administration bodies to adopt a uniform approach to planning, monitoring and evaluation of approved CSO programmes and projects. This uniform approach to evaluation of the results of supported projects and programmes will provide a basis for evaluation and publishing of achieved results. This measure is in line with Commitment 12 of this Action Plan, which envisages amendments to the Regulation on Funds to Support Programmes or Missing Amount of Funds for Programmes of Public Interest implemented by Associations, as is imposes a duty to report on achieved results of the supported CSO programmes and projects and defines the content and form of the Tender Cycle Evaluation Report. This will ensure better public availability of information about the value for money of implemented projects and greater accountability of public administration bodies and CSOs for the public money they spend.

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

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