Description
The project addresses public mistrust and low support for the institutions as well as low public engagement in the decision-making process. The project aims at raising public trust and ensuring the independence of institutions by involving NGOs in decision/policy-making. First, data will be collected about the issues of the transition period; a methodology and a questionnaire for 4 interviewee groups will be prepared. Second, 30 in-depth interviews will be conducted; 2 analytical reports will be prepared on public mistrust and dependence of institutions and presented during 2 discussions. Third, 2 reports with recommendations will be developed and publicly discussed with all the stakeholders. Finally, the applicant will develop innovative strategies for the NGO sector together with students. The project will benefit NGOs, young people, decision-makers and the public in general.
Summary of project results
Even though the topic of the Problems of the Transition has been widely discussed by the academic and political literature, two central problems inherited from the transition period have not been explored in the way they are interconnected: 1. the failed institutionalization of independent state authorities (the regulatory authorities – Commission for Protection of Competition (CPC), Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC), Council for Electronic Media (CEM), Commission for Regulation of Communications (CRC) as well as the Central Election Commission (CEC), Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) and the National Audit Office (NAO)) and 2. the growing public distrust in the institutions of the representative democracy (National Assembly, parties, etc.). What was particularly interesting for the team was to identify the deficiencies in the work of the NGO sector in addressing these issues: 2) ensuring the independence of the institutions and regulatory authorities (CPC, EWRC, CEM, CRC, CEC, SJC, NAO). Based on the assessment of the deficiencies, the project aimed at developing detailed recommendations to help raising the contribution of NGOs to policy-making in this area that is so important for good governance and promote the active involvement of NGOs in policy implementation. As a result of the activities carried out, 2 expert’s analytical reports and 2 reports with proposals for policies for greater independence of public institutions were developed and publicly discussed. Both NGO representatives and decision-makers were not only acquainted with the main deficiencies in the work to ensure independence and promote public trust in public institutions but also were provoked to examine proposals for policies that take them out of their comfort zone and challenge them to look for innovative ways that rely on greater cooperation between different actors who are often regarded as having antagonistic interests. The student trainees under the project were introduced to new areas, developed expert capacity and their own proposals to address the problems of the transition which motivated them to look for ways to implement their proposals. For more information, please, visit:
http://cls-sofia.org/bg/projects/democracy-15/other-6/transition-proble…
Summary of bilateral results