LOGOS supports all nine partner municipalities in annual budgeting mechanisms. The main idea is to increase transparency and accountability of the budget process and public financial management of partner municipalities, and to increase citizens’ understanding of this process at the same time. The activities focus on the guiding and training of municipal officials in public budgeting and finance management. One priority is the promotion of active involvement and participation of citizens in the budget planning process and in budget execution (with special attention on inclusion of the villages). Another priority is the provision of regular information and communication with citizens on budgeting and finance.
| Drafting of budget plans | Citizen involvement in budget execution |
| Citizen involvement in budget planning | |
| Relevant press articles | Relevant pictures |
Drafting of budget plans
LOGOS supports its partner municipalities in the drafting of budget plans and in the development of annual budget mechanisms. Support for the financial management of partner municipalities took place on demand of LOGOS partner municipalities. LOGOS required that support needed to be complementary to the work of other international organizations and national agencies with the respective municipalities in this field.
Where the DEMI project of USAID provided guidance and trainings to relevant committees of the municipal assembly in order to strengthen their supervisory role in public budgeting and financial management, LOGOS was focused on increasing the capacities of the executive branch. LOGOS provided professional guidance and training to relevant committees of the municipal assembly in order to strengthen their supervisory role over the budgeting process. Of importance is that these plans are in line with the legal requirements according to amongst others the Law on Local Government Finance and the Law on Public Financial Management.
Over the course of 2011, the importance of sustainability of interventions as done by the LOGOS project was emphasized. A gradual shift from the project to the municipality was proposed in the field of finances. Municipalities were asked to budget financial reservations for the further implementing of activities, amongst others public information, elements of gender sensitive budgeting and solid waste management, but also the payment of the required fee to the AKM, in the budget of 2012. In 2013, LOGOS also organised trainings for the newly elected village leaders to inform them about the budget planning cycle.
Presentation of the municipal budget
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Citizen involvement in budget execution
LOGOS helps the municipalities to organize public meetings to present and discuss the budget execution. The idea behind this sub-component is to increase the understanding of the citizens and transparency of the budget process and public financial management in Kosovo municipalities.
LOGOS supported partner municipalities in the preparation of these budget presentations, and published informative brochures detailing municipal budgets. These brochures provided information on budget allocation, including expenditures (investments), municipal wages and successes in the collection of own source revenues. The brochures were distributed in amongst others public institutions and buildings, schools and in the city centers of the respective municipalities, and served as input for the budget meetings taking place between September and June 2011. Depending on the size of the municipality an amount of 800 to 1500 brochures were printed for distribution. A survey conducted in the end of 2011 unfortunately showed uneven and sometimes disappointing results in the distribution of brochures. On average only 1 in 6 citizens received the information, and in some municipalities only a small number of brochures had reached the public. On the other hand, it was shown that the brochures had effect in at least 40 percent of the cases, so that people came to attend the meeting. Bearing in mind the above results, LOGOS will continue to support and advise its partner municipalities on public information.
Citizen involvement in budget planning
LOGOS aims to increase citizen involvement and citizen participation in budget planning too. This is realized through the organization of public consultations for budgeting and finance management in all partner municipalities. LOGOS supported budget meetings by helping municipalities to organize the meetings, by inviting the village leaders and citizen participants and by taking the role of moderator in the discussions. LOGOS implemented these activities in cooperation with the DEMI project of USAID. Activities were coordinated and even some meetings were jointly organized. Where LOGOS focused on village leaders, USAID would focus on the inclusion of another target group such as for example the business sector or women. The target was set for an average increase in citizens’ participation of 50 percent. As can be seen in the figure below, in about half of the municipalities this target was met. The degrees of participation varied from 15 to 120 people.
Increased participation of citizens in public hearing for budgeting and finance management
Relevant press articles
Kamenica me investime të prekshme zhvillimore – Epoka Ere – 20.07.2012
Kaçanikasit duan transparencë më të madhe për tenderët, Ekrem Raka, Koha Ditorre, 11/02/2012
Komuna debaton me qytetarët ekzekutimin e buxhetit të vitit 2011,
Komuna debaton me qytetaret ekzekutimin e buxhetit
Related Pictures
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