Sectors	Rule of Law and fundamental rights
EU Acquis Chapters	Other issues
EU funds	271 236 €
Implementation period	2011 - 2024
Categories	(Mouse hover to see significance)

The contract objectives is to support establishing the sustainable mechanisms and institutions of citizen participation at local level based on present co-operation agreements between the public and civil society sector. The action is also designed to support improved co-operation for more responsive functioning of the local self-governments with particular focus on areas of greater involvement of civil society, empowerment of women and youth groups, human minority rights protection. Further to this, activities are designed to support the public dialogue and greater involvement of NGO-s – engaged in democracy development at grass-root level. The project activities are designed to support dissemination good local practices among the target groups involved. In terms of the measures proposed, it is designed to help strengthen local cross-sectoral partnerships through capacity building programme and awareness raising activities intended for both civil society and local government.

Empowering the local civil society for dialogue and partnership building was the main rationale of activities which were composed of the following components: Awareness raising actions – one thematic conference, three local public debates, four thematic electronic newsletters, three Local NGO Address books, two training seminars for civil society and local authorities. Activities supported issue based co-operation between NGOs operating within different local contexts and thus helped harmonising local practices related with institutionalised cooperation with local authorities and more transparent procedures of their financing. Awareness raising and training activities supported the development and strengthening of local NGOs resource centres, with particular emphasis on their improved participation in sectoral policies and local development strategies. Therefore, specific focus of the action was on CSO-s engaged in local democracy development, human/minority rights protection, intercultural dialogue, women’s and youth empowerment groups and environment protection. In that respect two trainings were held, two NGO Working group meetings, one public call for written contributions jointly coordinated by project team members and Working group members, filming of the two documentaries, production and dissemination of the documentaries continued, further three NGO Address books prepared and published, three thematic newsletters prepared and disseminated (350 mailing list), jointly coordinated preparation of the closing conference and NGO Fair (70 participants), jointly prepared one collection of written contributions, organisation of local information campaign promoting implementation of municipal memorandums, jointly developed one survey and research analysis, one regional NGO thematic network and signed memorandum of co-operation for promoting democratic governance at local level in the Western Balkans. Development of organization and management skills of the target groups, interaction among diverse local NGO practitioners and local government representatives, exchange of practice in democratic governance with neighbouring and the EU member states were designed in support to networking and effective coalition building for structured consultations between civil society and local authorities so as to help improve the implementation of the municipal co-operation agreements and more effective participation of civil society in reform process in BH.