Description
The project addresses the inefficient public consultations practically excluding the public and NGOs from policy-making. The project aims at promoting more efficient public consultations involving the people and NGOs. First, the public consultation mechanisms in Bulgaria will be analyzed. Second, the partner’s online platform for public consultations www.komentator.bg will be upgraded. Third, a database of the target groups (NGOs, the media, employer organizations, trade unions) will be set up. Fourth, 7 pilot consultations about important draft acts will be held. Next, an annual report about public consultations in Bulgaria will be prepared. Finally, annual awards for best public consultations will be delivered in 4 categories for NGOs, the administration, civil servants and the media. The project will benefit the public, NGOs, the media, decision-makers and civil servants. The partners will contribute with experience, online platform and interaction with the institutions.
Summary of project results
Due to the ineffective consultations, the citizens and NGOs do not have the feeling that they have any real impact on the development of policies and legislative acts. The administrations are not obliged to inform the interested parties, to listen to the proposals received and answer whether they accept them or not. The main goal of the project was to contribute to the improvement of the overall process of holding public consultations in Bulgaria. The successful project implementation satisfied the main needs of each target group. NGOs and the media were encouraged to take part actively in decision-making. Decision-makers and the representatives of the state administration received valuable tools to conduct good quality public consultations. The sustainability of the results was ensured through keeping the tradition of preparing an annual report, the awarding of prizes for the condition of public consultations in Bulgaria and using the developed Platform for Public Consultations. The following project outputs were prepared: Analysis and evaluation of the mechanisms for conducting public consultations in Bulgaria; Improved Platform for Public Consultations; Database of the target groups and the types of interested parties to be involved in public consultations; Developed and promoted Annual Report about the status of public consultations in Bulgaria in 2015; Awards for Best Public Consultations. For more information, please, visit:
www.komentator.bg
Summary of bilateral results