Monitoring of Local Authorities in Serbia through Organized Civic Action

About this grant

The goal of the project is to promote cooperation among citizens and local authorities in Serbia and Montenegro. Since 2002, the Center for Free Elections and Democracy has encouraged transparency, accountability and greater public participation in local government decisionmaking processes and structures.Multiyear funding will enable the center to work in 48 municipalities without forums for citizens to monitor and participate in local decisionmaking. Activities will include identifying and training teams of activists from each municipality; developing a guide outlining the legal framework for local government and the rights of citizens; providing ongoing training and support to the teams; and sharing experiences and lessons learned from work in the targeted communities with activists from other municipalities to expand the concept of civic forums to the remaining 163 municipalities.During the past two years, the center conducted a public awareness campaign to encourage greater accountability and civic engagement in local government; provided training to civic groups monitoring the local government decisionmaking; and developed civic forums in more than 50 municipalities.