Local Civic Monitor - Exercising the right to access information of public importance

Public administration reform is one of the key preconditions on which the European integration process of the Republic of Serbia is based on. Within the WeBER project, which is focused on monitoring and reporting on the progress of public administration reform in Serbia, Local Democracy Agency Subotica implemented the Local Civic Monitor project. The WeBER project subgranting programme is a project funded by the European Union and coordinated by Centre for European Policy.

In accordance with the SIGMA principles of public administration, monitoring and reporting on the progress of public administration reform in Serbia, six key areas were defined. The activities within the Local Civic Monitor project were directed towards the involvement of civil society organizations in public administration reform. Therefore, the local government, local CSOs, and local media were recognized as natural partners.

The research was carried out in five local governments – Subotica, Bačka Topola, Kanjiža, Ruma, and Sombor, regarding the way in which the Law on Free Access to Public Information is applied at the local level. Besides desk and field research in five municipalities, thematic panels, and round tables were held as well. On a monthly basis, through the Civic Monitor, media reported addressing issues related with effective implementation of the law on access to public information. All of these findings were included in the online Local civic monitor publication as an overview of local practices in 5 municipalities in the field of accountability.

Some of the main obstacles in improving accountability and responsive performances of local public administration are closely related to a general lack of citizens’ awareness and insufficient education for active citizenship, lack of culture of dialogue and public consultation, lack of capacities of local NGOs to act as professional and independent actors in ongoing public administration reform processes, and certainly, an evident lack of capacities for investigative journalism in local media.