Strengthening the Role of Local Communities (mjesne zajednice) in BiH - Phase II (MZ2)
The Project focuses on encouraging community led local development and revitalizing community governance through mjesne zajednice. Mjesne zajednice is the smallest administrative unit for direct government engagement with citizens in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The overall goal of the second Project phase is to improve the quality of life of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina through empowered, gender responsive local communities (MZs) that facilitate active citizen engagement in public life, stand for people-centred performance of local governments and catalyse democratic transformation at the local level. The focus of the Project phase 2 will be wide horizontal upscaling and replication of successful legislative and institutional approaches, as well as maintaining the policy dialogue that help empower MZs at the local level. Hence, efforts will be channeled along the following three outcomes:
Outcome 1: Local governments create a conducive environment that enables pro-active engagement of MZs in decision-making and community-led local development.
Outcome 2: MZs as legitimate and sustainable community spaces translate citizens’ voice into quality, gender-responsive and inclusive services and use MZ networks for replication of successful MZ models countrywide.
Outcome 3: Higher government authorities take responsibility and act in response to increased citizens demand for an improved MZ regulatory framework, moving forward broader local governance reforms at country level.
Flagship results achieved so far:
- New MZ Vision developed and endorsed by project partners - the MZ Vision charts the foundation for a renewed community governance through four main MZ functions: (i) MZ as an advocate of community interests; (ii) MZ as a venue for service facilitation or service delivery; (iii) MZ as a socio-cultural community center; and (iv) MZ as a venue for citizen participation.
- MZ Methodology - set of tools for improvement and the efficiency of the work of local communities: MZ Annual Workplan, MZ Report on completed activities, MZ Financial report, Minutes of the Forum and List of Forum attendees, MZ Handover notes and records, as well as Code of Conduct for MZs representatives.
- Citizens’ forums – wide-participatory process which ensure greater democratic participation of the citizens and increase transparency of decision-making process at the local level.
- Community hubs - the free public and multi-functional spaces open to all citizens which serving as the center for community life and catalyzer of community initiatives.
- Networks of LG practitioners working with MZs established together with both entity Associations of municipality and cities functional.
- Partner Local government operational teams for work on MZ established.
- Citizens’ Perception Survey within partner LGs and MZs - data and results gathered through this survey will set some of the Project baselines, as well as to measure progress at the end of the Phase.
- Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Principles of Local Self-Government in the Federation of BiH, that was developed through broad consultation processes and proposed for further parliamentary procedure by the Government of the Federation of BiH, was adopted by relevant parliamentary bodies and both parliamentary houses (House of Representatives and House of Peoples). The next step in the parliamentary procedure is public hearing.
- MZ web platform launched https://www.mjesnazajednica.ba/.
Contact:
Maja Zarić, Head of Local Governance and Municipal Services Portfolio, Embassy of Switzerland, maja.zaric@eda.admin.ch
Snežana Kanostrevac-Cvijetić, Senior Programme Officer, Embassy of Switzerland, snezana.kanostrevaccvijetic@eda.admin.ch
Mario Vignjević, Programme Officer, Embassy of Sweden, mario.vignjevic@gov.se