2010/09: Citizen Monitoring Project
Foundation for Local Government Reform (FLGR) started work on a new 18-month project entitled Citizen Monitoring towards Effective Management of Public Resources. The project envisages wide and effective citizen participation in quality control and quality assessment of citizens’ satisfaction of the delivery of the crucial public services at local level, such as:
- Waste collection, disposal and management in general;
- Public transport;
- Kindergartens;
- Greens areas protectionand maintenance of playgrounds;
- Administrative services.
The implementation of the proposed project shall take place in 3 Bulgarian municipalities. After a comprehensive service research on their territory is made, the most crucial public services for the citizens of each pilot municipality shall be selected and its production-delivery process shall be monitored by locals. Based on citizens’ control and observation data, citizens shall have the possibility to develop ideas and steps for improving service production and provision.
Project goal is:
- Citizens capacity building for monitoring and evaluation of the production and the provision of selected public services;
- Establishment of working relationships between citizens, municipal leadership and administration to achieve improvement of public services.
Project objectives are:
- Introduction of effective and multipliable models for citizen monitoring of the municipal council and administration performance as well as quality of selected public services;
- Initiation of public debates and increasing citizen awareness on the effect of citizen service monitoring;
- Increasing citizen participation and control;
- Improvement of the municipal council and administration performance and the quality of public service production and delivery.
During the first month of the realization of the project FLGR developed selection criteria for three pilot municipalities. Part of the criteria are related to the size of the municipalities (up to 10 000, 30 000 and 100 000 residents) and to the geographical location.
Bulgarian municipalities are invited to participate in the project through FLGR website, FLGR e-weekly and post.
The America for Bulgaria Foundation (ABF) assists in the development and growth of a vibrant private sector for the benefit of a free and democratic Bulgaria. Founded in 2008, the ABF is a successor to the Bulgarian American Enterprise Fund, an investment fund created by the U.S. government acting through the U.S. Agency for International Development. The grants provided by ABF will build on the legacy of goodwill and friendship that exists between the American people and the citizens of Bulgaria.
