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Projects
BACID II – Capacity Building in Ländern des Westbalkans und der Republik Moldau
Short Description:
Overall goal
Based on the experiences and results of the previous project the overall objective of the BACID II programme is the socio-economic development of the countries of the Western Balkans Region and the Republic of Moldova through the development of effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels (referring to Sustainable Development Goal 16). By providing support to public administration reforms in the whole region, public service delivery will become more effective and sectors in the non-EU countries will be enabled to introduce EU standards and principles of good governance supported by regional cooperation.
Expected results
Expected results are:
- Actors in the region gained practical know-how in good governance and community services in adoption of EU standards in public service delivery.
- Public administrations in the region have improved the implementation of good governance principles as pre-conditions for European Integration.
- Local governments in the region are positioned as viable partners in European Integration.
Target group / Beneficiaries
The project covers the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia) and the Republic of Moldova. The target groups are approximately 600 public and municipal servants and officials, employees of 9 local government associations and 2 regional networks as the local project partners (ReSPA and NALAS), a minimum of 25 scientific institutions and businesses, as well as civil society organisations. Approximately 1500 people will directly benefit from the project. Ultimately, all public institutions and local governments in the region, their decision-makers and employees, will indirectly benefit from the project through improved public services and improved quality of life for all citizens in the countries of the Western Balkans.
Activities
Activities include:
- Preparation and launch of the BACID Grant Scheme through which beneficiaries gain know-how in good governance through transfer of Austrian experiences.
- Practical capacity building with Regional School of Public Administration of the Western Balkans (ReSPA) and its members on quality management.
- Fostering partnerships for modernisation of public administration within the Danube Governance Hub through the organization of cross-sectoral forums on good governance, the establishment and maintenance of strategic partnerships within the Danube Governance Hub, and the organization of the Danube Governance Hub Conference on good governance.
- Support to the SEE local governments in decentralisation through assistance in further developing the Regional Decentralisation Observatory, the elaboration of annual Fiscal Decentralisation Reports, and the elaboration of the report and model platform for municipal budget transparency in the region.
- Support to local governments in EU integration through the assistance to Network of associations of local authorities of South East Europe (NALAS) and local governments’ access to EU funding, the support of NALAS participation in EU related local government networks and initiatives, etc.
Context
A well-functioning public administration is necessary for democratic governance and accountability. The quality of administration also directly impacts governments’ ability to provide public services, to prevent and fight corruption and to foster competitiveness and growth. There is still major dissatisfaction with government performance in terms of transparency, responsiveness, control, and impartiality in the Western Balkans. As EU candidate, EU potential candidate or EU neighboring countries, the countries covered by the project must integrate EU standards in all areas of public policies, including rule of law, economic governance and public administration reform. Through support to good governance and strengthened regional cooperation, the project is in line with the requirements set by the EU Enlargement Policy (as well as EU Neighbourhood Policy) on public administration reforms (PAR) in the pre-accession and institution-building in the context of EU accession. The project is in line with the South-East Europe 2020 Strategy of the Regional Cooperation Council.