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Description
The project includes the implementation of a Local Integrity and Accountability Standard, together with an implementation manual, introducing to Bulgaria the Principles of Good Governance, established internationally (i.e. Council of Europe recommendations). The Standard and corresponding implementation manual are to be developed by a team of Bulgarian experts from the ACF in collaboration with foreign experts from Scanteam, Norway following a local analysis and with the active collaboration of local partners from participating municipalities.The foreign partner is involved in analysis of internationally established good practices, in designing the Standard and manual, in meetings and trainings for local activists. The local partners are involved in the designing of the Standard, as well as in its implementation monitoring (via submission of regular monitoring reports and reports on certain malpractice cases). The participatory approach (active involvement of local activists and collaboration with local authorities) is to ensure the maximum possible ability to address local particularities. The participation of a variety of 10 municipalities (among which regional centers, smaller municipalities, economically disadvantaged regions) is to ensure the maximum possible universality of the Standard and applicability to municipalities beside the pilot ones. The project promotes the good practices (within the Standard) and exposes the bad practices (via implementation monitoring of the Standard and via reporting through an on-line tool). The local meetings and trainings aim to improve the local capacity for independent reporting of bad governance to competent authorities. The Standard shall be presented before the Regional Anti-Corruption Councils. It will be suggested to Municipal Councils to approve it in the form of Ethical Code to become part of the local legislation.