Description
The project addresses the need for greater citizen involvement in the regional and local development policy making and implementing. The project aims at ensuring greater citizen involvement by boosting the civil capacity and setting mechanisms for real involvement of citizens and CSOs. First, the obstacles to civil involvement will be analyzed in depth. Second, recommendations will be made and publicly presented. Third, a citizen participation mechanism for regional and local policies will be set up. Fourth, 150 people will be trained to boost the capacity of the civil society. Fourth, a Steering Committee will be set up to support the testing of the mechanism. Finally, the mechanism will be tested. The project will benefit CSOs, local and regional policy-makers and civil servants and the public in general. The partner will help with its expertise in policy making, implementing and evaluating.
Summary of project results
The situation in Bulgaria is characterized with low participation by citizens and their organizations in the policy setting and implementation process. This passive behaviour becomes even more tangible when it is about regional and local development policies. The project aimed at ensuring conditions for the efficient participation of citizens and their organizations in the making and application of regional and local development policies by boosting their capacity and creating effective ways for real participation of the citizens and their organizations in the process. As a result of the project activities, a mechanism was set up which guarantees active involvement of citizens and their organizations in the making and application of regional and local development policies. The mechanism was tested via a public forum on the level of NUTS 2 region and the municipality. The pilot testing of the mechanism in South Central Region and Rhodope Municipality confirmed the initial hypothesis and thus the policies for the role of Maritsa River for the region were successfully discussed and made a strategy for tourism development in Rhodope Municipality was adopted. During the project implementation cooperation was developed between the authorities and NGOs in the 6 NUTS 2 regions. There was strong cooperation in the South Central Region and Rhodope Municipality where the mechanism for promotion of civic participation was tested which is a guarantee of sustainability. The main project outputs are as follows: an analysis of the obstacles to civic participation in the regional and local policy; recommendations were prepared for legislative and institutional changes; a civic participation mechanism was developed and tested for regional and local development policies; the representatives of all stakeholders were trained with regard to regional and local development policies. For more information, please, visit:
www.ardi.bg
Summary of bilateral results