Fostering Civic Oversight of Local Government

The project aims to increase democratic representation, transparency, and engagement of citizens and local organizations in local decision-making.
In the first two years of the project, from October 2021 to October 2023, the project included joint meetings and workshops between local CSOs, citizens, and representatives of Village and Local Councils in 12 target municipalities and increased participation in budget hearings. On the other hand, the activities of the project also included advocacy for the compliance of local governments with the central legal framework, especially in relation to public consultations and the involvement of local civil society in these processes. The targeted municipalities were Mitrovica, Vushtrri, Klina, Gjakova, Prizren, Dragashi, Ferizaji, Vitia, Lipjani, Kamenica and Fushe Kosova. Additionally, the activities also included collaborations and information sessions with central institutions such as the Information and Privacy Agency and the Office of Ombudsperson in different regions of Kosovo and with the membership of the CiviKos Platform.

The new cycle of the project, namely October 2023-October 2025, aims to harmonize the practices and regulations in all municipalities with the central regulations. Second, it aims to promote effective local council functioning and citizen engagement by developing standardized guidelines, a package of documents, and a national database of local council members. Both objectives lead to a general promotion of citizen oversight of local government institutions.