Republic of Serbia

MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

MINISTRY OF PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL
SELF-GOVERNMENT
Republic of Serbia
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT
Republic of Serbia
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

From Then until Now:

“The Congress: 60 years at the

service of local and regional
democracy in Europe.”
- Gudrun Mosler-Törnström

CONGRATULATIONS!
Republic of Serbia
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

Decentralization Strategy
of the Republic of Serbia
 Republic of Serbia
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

Strategic Framework
• Strategy of Public Administration Reform (PAR) in the Republic of Serbia
was adopted on 24 January 2014.

• Action Plan on Implementation of the National Public Reform Strategy

for the period 2015-2017.

• All activities are fully aligned with the dynamics of the PAR Action in the
field of decentralization.

• Until now what is done will be used first to provide the finalization of the
baseline and later to support implementation of the Decentralization
Strategy and respective system and sectoral legislation.
 Republic of Serbia
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

Phase 1- Activities in 2015

The first phase of activities for the preparation of the baselines for the
Decentralisation Strategy, were implemented:

• Situation Analysis in the Field of Local Self-Government in Serbia;

• Study of Decentralization Models;

• Cost-benefit Analysis of Decentralization Models;

• Inventory of Tasks And Competence in Thirty-two Fields at all

Government Levels.
 Republic of Serbia
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

Phase 2- Activities in 2016.

SDC Project
Project Activities (1)
• Pilot Functional Analysis of LSG
– Define objective criteria for standardization of LSG functions
– Create guide for more efficient organization in the process of
decentralization
• Analysis of 5 Sectors for Adequate Task, Competences
and Finance Redistribution in LSG
– Sectors: Education, Health, Social Welfare, Agriculture, Urban
Planning, and Environmental Protection
– Will also assess financial and human resources needed for exiting
and additional tasks and competencies compared to the LSG
sources of funding.
• Development of Inter-municipal Cooperation Models
 Republic of Serbia
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

SDC Project
Project Activities (2)
• Information System
Combining financial and budget data with socio-economic
and demographic indicators
– improve the planning and functioning of LSG
– ensure equal rights for all citizens, by combining
financial and budget data with socio-economic and
demographic indicators
• Call Center
– established to provide continuous advisory support to
LSG in the process of decentralisation related to the
implementation of the current legislation
Republic of Serbia
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

Draft Law on Changes

and Ammendmends to the
Law on Local Self-Government
 Republic of Serbia
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

Substance of Change
1. Changes in the way LSGU competences are determined
2. Improvement of work of the municipal assembly, municipal
council and municipal administration
3. Strenghtening and further institutionalisation of citizen
participation in LSG units tasks (Signing and ratification of
Additional Protocol of ECLSG will be one step further in this
process)
4. Operational reform of Local Communities (меснe заједницe)
5. Strenghtening Intermunicipal Cooperation
 Republic of Serbia
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

Changes in LSGU competence

determination
1. Competences of municipalities are determined by creating
14 basic groups i.e, sectors which are further developed
in other sectoral laws.
2. Introduction of an unique list of tasks within the
competence of LSGs – to be developed and adopted by
MPALSG.
3. Changes will only be made in the method of
competences determination, i.e. the way LSG tasks
are listed and monitored, ensuring a basis for analysis
and further improvement of the LSG system
 Republic of Serbia
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

Improved Work of LSG Bodies

1. Changes to existing Municipal Assembly proceedings
are proposed, to improve the work of municipal
representatives and ensure public participation.
2. Introduction of mandatory monitoring of public utility
companies by the Municipal Council and the Council’s
duty to report on this issue to the Assembly. Additionally,
a decrease of the number of city councellors in smaller
LSG units is envisaged (from 11 to 5 members).
3. Municipal administration has the duty to perform all
administrative tasks for other bodies.
 Republic of Serbia
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

Strengthening Citizen Participation (1)

• Citizens Initiative – the number of citizen’s signatures
needed for its submition will be set at 5% of number of
citizens with right to vote (previously- to be at least 5%).
• Introduction of obligatory public hearings for
prepearing the Decision on the Budget (not
withstanding the existing duty for statutes, spacial plans and
determination of local revenue rates)
• Introduction of the duty for municipal bodies to inform
the public, in a proper manner, when it begins
preparation of a general regulation act.
 Republic of Serbia
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

Strengthening Citizen Participation (2)

• The introduction of the Proposal for a public hearing on
any general regulation act (other than those listed under
2), to be proposed by 100 citizens with the right to vote or 1/3
of municipal delegates to the line board of the Municipal
Assembly.
• Public hearings can be organized for draft decisions
which are in the mandate of the Municipal Assembly, by the
working body tasked with the development of the decision.
 Republic of Serbia
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

Operational Reform of
Local Communities (mesne zajednice)

Envisaged changes

• The initiative for establishment or abolishment of a local

community can be submitted alternatively by: at least 10%
of voters, or 1/3 of local delegates or the municipal council.
• The LSG unit will have the duty to support local
communities in performing administrative-technical and
financial tasks.

Existing legislative framework is inadequate, it dates from the

beginning of 90’s when local communities had their own
competencies, revenues and public property .
 Republic of Serbia
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

Operational Reform of
Local Communities (меснe заједницe)

Envisaged changes (cont.)

• The Act establishing the local community shall be

adopted by the municipal assembly. It will completely
regulate all structural and operational issues (tasks, bodies,
decision-making process, election procedures etc.).
• Elections for the president and members of Council
of the local community are direct and secret.
• Establishment of the legal framework to enable the
LSG unit to monitor the local communities.
 Republic of Serbia
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

Strenghtening
Inter-municipal Cooperation
• Inter-municipal coorperation is the transfer of
performance of tasks within the original competences
of a LSG unit to another LSG unit, or to a public utility
company established by the other LSG unit.
• Draft Law prescribes the basic, mandatory content of
the cooperation agreement betwen two (or more) LSG
units.
• It is proposed that MPALSG will keep record of concluded
cooperation agreements between LSG units.
• There is an initiative to allow for common performance
of delegated competences between several LSG units.
Republic of Serbia
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

THANK YOU!
Republic of Serbia
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

IPA 2012

Human Resource
Management in Local Self-
Government Units
 Republic of Serbia
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

General information
•Budget, in total 2 million Euro (EU IPA 2012 funds 1,8 mil.
euro and CoE funds, 0,2 mil. Euro).

•Implementation partners
–Council of Europe
– Ministry for Public Administration and Local Self-
Government,
– Standing conference of towns and municipalities

• Project duration: March 2016 - December 2017

 Republic of Serbia
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

Project Objective

This project provides support to LSG units and

Ministry for full and quality implementation of the
Law, and especially for introduction of HR
management function.
 Republic of Serbia
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

Law on Employees in Autonomous

Provinces and Local Self-
Government Units
• Precondition for the project, as its
implementation and subject mater is the scope of
the project.
• Adopted February 2016, came into force on
December 1, 2016.
• Regulates status of all employees in administration
on the level of provinces and local self-government.
• Establishes new civil servant system and a new
system of professional training for employees.
 Republic of Serbia
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

Results to Date (1)

• 250 participants from 126 LSGs attended 9 two - day
regional trainings for heads of local administrations
and employees at the local HRM units
• Advisory assistance through the SCTM Advisory Centre,
in cooperation with MPALSG, was provided in the form of
answers to over 150 questions the local authorities
sent while harmonising their work with the new legal
framework
• 245 participants from 110 LSGs participated 6
regional seminars held mid-2016 to disseminate
information on the new legal provision to local self-
government leaders across Serbia
 Republic of Serbia
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

Results to Date (2)

• Four info days were held (September 27-30 2016) to
introduce the benefits of the Municipal Support Packages
to LSGs.
• 20 applications were selected from the 93 received
from cities/municipalities/city municipalities for direct
support for implementation of MSP.

• Training needs assessment is conducted, and presented to

the project partners. Publication with the TNA results is
being prepared, and all the results and findings are ready to
be presented to the Council for professional development.
Republic of Serbia
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

THANK YOU!