The Project
Democracy and good governance in a country are largely determined by the active participation of citizens in the
decision-making process. Clear and transparent procedures are
precondition for a legitimate civil representation in the design and
implementation of public policies. In Bulgaria there are 75 councils
that advise the executive power in the process of formulation and
implementation of policies. In most cases it is not clear how are the
members of the existing advisory councils chosen, how the councils
function, what kind of problems are discussed, what kind of
suggestions are made and how the councils account for their activities
to the public. Part of the problem is that laws or other regulations
do not have exact criteria determining civic representatives
participation.
The question of the development and functioning of advisory bodies
with citizen participation has two sides: first - how the right of
citizens to participate is guaranteed and secondly - how their
responsibility is defined. The aim of the project is to propose models
for legitimate citizen participation in decision-making which to
ensure equitable and transparent selection of civil society
organizations, transparency of their activities, strict accountability
to citizens and responsibility for decision making. The project is
aimed at introducing good practices for civil participation in
Bulgaria, resulting in a more effective application of the principles
of democratic governance and public control over public policies.
The existence of consultative bodies with legitimate civil
representation and effective forms of online civic participation
guarantees that the solutions found by the public on important issues
will be transparent and sustainable, as they will include the opinion
of all stakeholders. This will contribute to the strengthening of
civil society and its establishment as a full participant in the
development of public policies.
The question of the development and functioning of advisory bodies
with citizen participation has two sides: first - how the right of
citizens to participate is guaranteed and secondly - how their
responsibility is defined. The aim of the project is to propose models
for legitimate citizen participation in decision-making which to
ensure equitable and transparent selection of civil society
organizations, transparency of their activities, strict accountability
to citizens and responsibility for decision making. The project is
aimed at introducing good practices for civil participation in
Bulgaria, resulting in a more effective application of the principles
of democratic governance and public control over public policies.
The existence of consultative bodies with legitimate civil
representation and effective forms of online civic participation
guarantees that the solutions found by the public on important issues
will be transparent and sustainable, as they will include the opinion
of all stakeholders. This will contribute to the strengthening of
civil society and its establishment as a full participant in the
development of public policies.
The project “Models and Good Practices for Legitimate Civic
Representation” is financed by the NGO Programme under the European
Economic Area Financial Mechanism.
Activities
Two analysis are part of the project. The first of them is on existing consultation/public bodies and online forms of citizen participation in Bulgaria. The second one covers practices and models for the constitution and functioning of such bodies and shapes in Europe.
A round table consisting of all stakeholders, NGOs, representatives of the legislative and executive authorities, political parties and the media will be organized. The aim is to share the accumulated knowledge and to discuss the appropriate country models.
A database of best practices for constitution and functioning of advisory bodies and online forms of civic participation will be established. It will be publicly available on the website of the project. Its aim is to assist NGOs, central and local authorities during their work in the sphere.
For the same target groups a manual " Why and how to create an advisory board including civil society? " will be created. It will be used while designing new consultative bodies at the different governing levels.
Series of activities related to the publicity of the project will be organized.
Target Groups
The main target groups are policy makers, NGOs. Additional target groups are media and informal citizen groups.
Period of implementation
January 2014 - July 2015
Project Results:
• Proposed working models of advisory boards and online forms of civic participation to be applied in Bulgaria
• Creating a database of best practices to be used by decision-makers at local and national level
• Increasing the legitimacy of civil representation and consequently more effective application of the principles of democratic governance and public control over public policies