|
On the "community forums" program |
|
|
|
Goals
Program's main goal is to
support the participatory development of communities on local level.
The Forum is a developmental platform aiming at (1) citizens improving
their own life by means of own ideas and participation; and 2) the
administration developing participatory and accountable local
governance that can be trusted.
Activities
The FORUM process is comprised of two main stages. In the first stage
(session stage) forum participants - citizens of the municipality where
it has been implemented are involved in six to eight structured
discussions within which they create project ideas and recommendations.
The second stage is the practical implementation of selected projects.
FORUM's structure
All interested adult citizens from the municipality can participate in
the FORUM. Usually, the FORUM is comprised of ten working tables the
most, each of them comprised of five to ten participants. Working
tables represent various social and economic interests and views in the
community. Working tables structure the forum discussions and define
the project selection. All tables have equal rights and "weight" in the
project selection process.
Project Criteria and Approval
The FORUM selects the projects that will be financed and implemented,
by following the rules and criteria previously agreed upon by
participants. When selecting the projects it is recommended the
following to be taken into account...
Outputs
Each of the FORUMS is expected to end with the following measurable results:
- Six to eight implemented forum sessions, with at least one working meeting organized between two subsequent sessions ;
- Significant number of local community representatives (at least 50 participants) have participated on the forum sessions;
- Well
structured and quality discussions have been achieved in terms of
significant time spent on expert inputs, project ideas and
recommendations;
- Publicity and measurable public relations activities have been realized in the community;
- Informal and institutionalized partnerships have been established between the local stakeholders;
- Various project ideas have been developed;
- Recommendations have been submitted to municipal authorities and they have been taken into account by the municipal authorities;
- Sustainable projects with visible social and economic effect have been implemented in the community.
|
About the program 
