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Swiss PRO
  • Government of the Republic of Serbia
  • The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
  • UNOPS
  • Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM)

News / Actualities

Third Good Governance at the Local Level e-Training Completed

  • Belgrade, 11 December 2020

A total of 129 participants from 43 local self-governments successfully completed the "Good governance at local level" e-Training, which was organized for the third year in a row by the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities within the Swiss PRO Programme. The training lasted for seven weeks, and the participants who passed all the tests were entitled to a certificate from the National Academy of Public Administration and the SCTM.

The training offered key information, knowledge and examples of relevant practice for the implementation of good governance principles in local self-governments in areas such as: accountable development and public resources management, administrative procedures predictability, cost-effective and efficient exercise of local government responsibilities, protection of rights and citizen participation in conducting public affairs at the local level, equality and non-discrimination, transparency in the conduct of local self-government and the prevention and sanctioning of corruption at the local level.

At the closing event, which was held on 8 December 2020 via the online platform, Đorđe Staničić, Secretary General of the SCTM, expressed satisfaction with the considerable number of participants who successfully completed the training and stated that the 129 participants who received certificates had completed an intensive seven-week course of 13 lessons as well as the same number of exams. On this occasion, he emphasized that the reform of local self-government in the context of public administration reform implies its fundamental transformation with the aim of creating modern service for citizens based on good governance principles.

"For that reason, we believe that the implementation of activities on this project, as well as the knowledge imparted during this e-training, will help local self-governments in gradually achieving this ambitious and demanding goal," concluded Staničić.

Saša Mogić, Public Administration and Local Self-Government Assistant Minister, supported the work of the SCTM and commended the participants who successfully delivered this e-training, which is a "big step and progress towards improving good governance in towns and municipalities", and asked them to pass on the knowledge and information they gained onto their colleagues at the local level. Mogić used the opportunity to mention the standards and procedures in local self-government and the SCTM Good Governance Index, in order for citizens to get equal quality and efficiency from each administration, although we are aware that their capacities differ.

Mogić also informed that the Ministry together with the SCTM was in the final phase of drafting the Local Self-Government Reform Programme with the accompanying action plan - with the support of the Swiss Government, and having in mind quality standards, and invited those present to a public debate to be announced soon. Mogić informed those present that the drafting was in progress and that the Ministry would soon publish the third call for a national competition for the best city and municipal administration - in 2020, which it formed with the SCTM and UNOPS.
 
Sascha Müller, Head of the Good Governance Sector from the Swiss Cooperation Office, pointed out that Switzerland was pleased to be supporting the reform processes in Serbia for years, and thanked the participants for taking their time and for working to improve their knowledge and promote this topic which was important for all citizens of Serbia. In the end, Müller said that Switzerland would continue to support Serbia on the path of improving and implementing the good governance principles.

Marko Vujačić from the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), pointed out that the governance relied on employees and their expertise, and that such trainings and other activities supported by the Swiss Government, with the commitment of individuals, could considerably contribute to a positive change.

The training was delivered within the "Enhancing Good Governance at the Local Level" project, supported by the Government of Switzerland through the Programme "Enhancing Good Governance and Social Inclusion for Municipal Development – Swiss PRO", implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in partnership with the SCTM.