Description
The project addresses the low citizen participation and insufficient skills and knowledge of local leaders to develop public policies. The project aims at boosting local leaders’ skills to solve the community problems by training them. First, 12 discussions to raise the public awareness will be held in rural areas in the 6 planning regions. Second, 24 major local issues will be identified and 24 local leaders will be nominated. Third, the training needs of the community leaders will be studied and a training programme will be prepared. Fourth, the leaders will attend 3 four-day training courses on local policies, citizen participation leadership, cooperation between the authorities and the community. Finally, 12 public discussions will be held to propose possible solutions to the 24 problems. The project will benefit the local communities in the 12 rural areas. The partner will contribute with its experience and train the community leaders.
Summary of project results
The project addressed the low citizen participation and insufficient skills and knowledge of local leaders to develop public policies. The main sustainable component of the project is 24 empowered and trained community leaders who enjoy the support and trust of the local communities. The communities that nominated them and invested their trust in them have already local resources to solve their problems. The link built to the community, knowledge of local specificity and the acquired knowledge and skills of community leaders as well as their awareness of policy-making ways and control mechanisms contributed to 12 communities having active citizens. The project practice established itself as a universal way of empowering communities that can be applied elsewhere as well. Local partnerships were established that can be further enhanced in the course of time with a view to local development and mobilization of resources. As a result of the project local leaders were activated and mobilized to work in broad partnership, analyze, plan and discuss with the stakeholders joint activities, draw the necessary resources (human, financial, material, etc.), mobilize volunteers to solve local issues. At the same time local authorities and institutions had the opportunity to join the discussion of the problems identified with active public participation and become aware of the fact that there is local potential and willingness of people to cooperate and contribute. In some of the discussions, the latter authorities took specific commitments to the local community for cooperation and active involvement in the solution of specific problems.
Summary of bilateral results