Report from the Seminar

Report from the seminar

Learning from Municipal International Cooperation between local governments in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Norway 2011 – 2013

Sarajevo 1 – 2 October 2013

Delegations from five (Orkdal being excused) of the six participating municipalities (Donji Vakuf, Konjic, Mostar, Klepp and Sund) met along with representatives from the three local government associations (ALVRS, SKGFBiH and KS) in Sarajevo to review results and learning points from three years of MIC. The seminar which took place at Hotel Astra Garni combined presentations, discussions and group work. Proceedings were interpreted between Norwegian and Bosnian. A representative from the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Sarajevo was present for selected agenda items. All logistics were excellently prepared by SKGFBiH to whom KS is extremely thankful.

After a short word of welcome from KS, a presentation of the purpose of the meeting – to document results and learn from cooperation – participants briefly presented themselves. Municipalities were then invited to present their achievements.

1: Experience, learning and new capacities in three MIC partnerships

During presentations of

-“Safe and Accessible Communities” (Donji Vakuf and Klepp),

-“Climate and Energy Plan”, “Agriculture Plan” and “Children with Special Learning Needs” (Konjic and Sund) and

-“Children with Special Learning Needs” (Mostar and Orkdal)

results, learning, capacity building and sustainability were discussed. Issues of best practice sharing and dissemination were also debated.

Bosnia-Herzegovina has a weak central state which nevertheless is bound by European agreements and European targets; more specifically the European Charter of Local Self-Government as well as European targets on Universal Design, on Climate GasEmission etc. The Federal State of Bosnian-Herzegovina has different territorial administrations and tiers of government in each entity. Nevertheless experiences show that these differences can be overcome. Also, the poorly delineated responsibility between tiers of government (federal state, entity and tiers of local government –canton and municipality in FBiH, but only municipality in RS) is a challenge which experiences demonstrate is surmountable.

MIC activities have for the past three years worked along three main lines taking advantages of BiH’s European obligations and targets:

-Establishing processes in Donji Vakuf to achieve greater community safety and better accessibility in line with European targets for community safety and Universal Design. These internal processes – established through experience sharing and exchange of best practice with Klepp – can be replicated. Learning of new ways of approaching local government tasks and obligations has led to creation of new capacity in the municipality.

Experience shows it is necessary to establish targets, devise process, communicate well internally and inform citizens about purpose, targets and process.

New capacity is sustainable and replicable. It can be disseminated to others and shared.

-Establishing planning processes in Konjic by which planning capacity is developed for achieving European targets in curbing climate emission and better use of local agricultural resources for employment creation.

The planning process has developed new skills and new capacities which can be shared and disseminated to interested municipalities not participating in the programme. These plans also represent valuable assets which associations can build on when developing services to members.

-Establishing dialogue between tiers of government in order to develop specialized inclusive educational services for children with learning disabilities (behavioural for Mostar and physical for Konjic). These efforts have mapped hurdles and challenges in getting cantons and municipalities to fill gaps in responsibilities in order to deliver seamless services to needy individuals.

The process identifyinggaps and gray zones in service provision as well as how to overcome these when developing a better quality service,also mapped issues associations will have to bring to the attention of the authorities. During this process best practice which associations can share with members, was identified.

2: Benefit of MIC for associations and their role in sharing new capacities

The two local government associations in Bosnia-Herzegovina (ALVRS and SKGFBiH) in their interventions underlined the usefulness and importance of international contacts in order to identify relevant best practice and to access this practice. It was underlined that learning from individual partnerships between local governments must be shared with non-participants. Associations have an important role to fulfill in dissemination of experience and such best practice, some of which also is important in associations’ dialogue with authorities and in developing services for members.

3: Main results of and learning from MIC in Bosnia-Herzegovina

In a group work participants were invited to identify common denominators and preconditions for success and sustainability after the funding is over. Main points identified were:

-Mutuality

-Respect

-Collaboration between professionals

-Learning

-Process

-Good networks

-Inclusion and broad involvement

-Dissemination

-Institutionalization

-Experience sharing

-Citizen participation

-Good activity plans

-Division of roles

-Connection to priorities

When starting out a partnership it is always important to be aware that the funding will seize at one point, and one has to plan for the exit already at the beginning and all throughout the project period: How will this be sustained after the funding is over?

A suggestion derived from the group work was also that one should set time to discuss the different obstacles in the partnerships, and how they have resolved or plan to resolve them – also allowing for input from the other partnerships, as well as from KS, ALVRS and SKGFBiH.

4: New MIC Guidelines and new opportunities

The seminar was concluded with a presentation of new MIC Guidelines published in August 2013 and based on evaluations and learning from several KS supported MIC programmes. Main points of the guidelines include:

-Work must be framed within the Post-2015 agenda, the European Charter for Local Self-Government and national reforms in the beneficiary country

-It must contribute to improved local democracy, better local services and stronger local development

-Participants will define areas of cooperation which are under the responsibility of local governments in beneficiary country and resource country

-Cooperation shall contribute to exchange, learning and capacity building between professionals within the context of decentralisation or other reforms

-Within the beneficiary country there should be thematic focus and geographical concentration in order to build critical mass and disseminate new best practice to non-participating municipalities via associations

-Experience from such pilots can be used to build association membership services and to identify issues for discussion between association and national authorities

-Projects are subject to Results Based Management with established benchmarks, clear indicators and a good risk management strategy

The Bosnia-Herzegovina MIC programme is ending 1 December 2013. KS, however, finds this facility useful and efficient in creating new local government capacities. In discussions between KS and its sister associations in Bosnia-Herzegovina agreement has been reached on incorporating a new MIC facility into a new programme to be submitted for a Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs grant in early 2014. KS will prior to that call for “confirmation of interest” amongst its members.