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Federal Republic of Serbia
FY 2001 Program Description and Activity Data Sheets
>> Regional Overview >> Serbia Overview FY 2001 Program
USAID’s strategic priorities and interventions in FY 2001 will depend in large part on the implementation environment in Serbia. Changes in the political or economic arena over the next year may offer an opportunity to advance our democracy building and economic reform objectives. However, should the current implementation environment continue, USAID will continue in FY 2001 to work towards creating conditions for a sustainable, transparent, and representative democratic society in Serbia. The FY 2001 program will concentrate on stimulating democratic transformation at the grass-roots level through a portfolio of inter-related activities addressing key constraints to political pluralism, civil society development, effective local government, and access to objective information. Building on our current efforts, U.S. assistance will focus on five major goals. (1) Increase the cohesiveness and effectiveness of the democratic opposition. (2) Strengthen sustainable democratic institutions such as civic action groups. (3) Support independent media so that the public is better informed on issues that affect them. (4) Make local government more efficient, responsive and accountable. (5) Encourage relationships between government and constituents that reward pluralism and participation.
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ACTIVITY DATA SHEET
PROGRAM: Serbia
TITLE AND NUMBER: Strengthened, More Pluralistic Democratic Political Culture, 169-021
STATUS: Continuing
PLANNED FY 2000 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $25,000,000 SEED
PROPOSED FY 2001 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCES: $22,500,000 SEED
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1997 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2006Summary: USAID's objective to achieve a strengthened, more pluralistic, democratic, political culture in Serbia requires significant changes to institutionalize the rule of law; improve advocacy capabilities of civil society NGOs; increase capabilities of the democratic opposition; and make the media more viable, effective, and independent. USAID's assistance program during FY 1999 and FY 2000 has been structured around an integrated portfolio of complementary activities in the areas of civic action, political process, independent media and more effective, responsive and accountable local government. During FY 1999, the program emphasized increased citizen involvement in the political process, more effective civil society, a more independent media, a legal system responsive to the rule of law and more effective, responsive and accountable local government. In FY 2000, the program has retained the objectives sought during FY 1999, but has increased support for civic action activities carried out by NGOs and labor unions; and substantially increased political process assistance to opposition political parties and the amount and range of assistance provided to the independent media.
Key Results: USAID's program in Serbia is changing rapidly as new imperatives and opportunities arise. Activities are at present focused on the following principal results considered necessary to accomplish this objective: (1) improved legal system that sustains democratic processes; (2) more effective political advocacy by civil society NGOs; (3) increased cohesiveness and electoral capabilities of the political opposition; (4) increased public policy analysis and reporting by the independent media; and (5) more effective, responsive and accountable local government.
Performance and Prospects: The USAID program in Serbia is structured to build on the commitment to democracy of organizations active in democratic and political reform. These included mayors and town council members of opposition towns and cities, trade unions, civic minded NGOs and opposition political parties. Significant support was provided to the independent media as a vehicle for disseminating the message of democracy and to promote fair and objective news reporting. Support for judicial reform advocacy and the rule of law was provided through working with local associations of judges and lawyers. It was expected that these activities would result in models of good governance and civic action in the communities and organizations USAID worked with and be emulated by communities and groups throughout the country. Good results at the local level would eventually impact democratic leadership at the national level. Expected results included increased nationwide access to independent media, the development of a new generation of pro-democratic political leadership, recognition of the achievements of assisted local governments in terms of increased transparency and accountability and establishment of a viable institutional foundation for the NGO sector.
Recognizing that an independent print and broadcast media is an essential element of a responsive democratic system, USAID stepped up its support to independent media in Serbia during FY 1999. The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) television and radio network, financed by external donors but operated by independent stations throughout the FRY, became fully operational during the year. All staff in six of 18 affiliate stations were trained in TV news broadcasting operations and in-house training capability was established for the ANEM radio network of 33 affiliated municipal radio stations throughout the FRY. Selected print media organizations were advised on business planning and management in order to improve commercial sustainability and enable them to expandtheiroperations. USAID provided critical support to independent newspapers and broadcast media to help them deal with severe crackdowns by the government over the course of the year, including facilitating expert analysis of the government's restrictive and punitive information law that enabled the Serbian media to respond more coherently to government harassment. This analysis formed the basis of a formal protest by the Serbian Bar Association.
Over the course of the past two years, U.S. NGOs that are USAID's implementation partners in democratic reform in Serbia have developed a substantial network of community and civic group leaders and opposition party activists that affirm genuine commitment to reform. The challenge is to help them internalize and practice the collaborative, democratic principles that they profess but do not necessarily fully understand. For democracy to grow and be sustainable in Serbia, it is critical that the democratic reform-oriented parties increase and strengthen their base of popular support and improve their capabilities to resist the dictatorial and divisive tactics of the ruling party and its partners.
Following a series of multiparty workshops USAID has sponsored since 1997, USAID provided technical assistance to a range of opposition political parties in 1998 and early 1999. Working groups were set up in several locations around the country, and party activists and others were trained in long-term political party building. This training included preparing and carrying out "customer" surveys to determine voter understandings of issues and to identify party support bases. These results were then used to craft party platforms highlighting issues important to potential supporters. These activities were suspended in March when the NATO bombing campaign began.
Through these efforts, many local party members and leaders developed an appreciation of the importance of communication with constituents and building their platforms on the basis of political themes and messages that reflect public priorities. Many also affirm having learned the value of cooperation, although backsliding is not uncommon. It was on this foundation that USAID began support in 1999 to the newly formed Alliance for Change, which consists of some 40 reform-minded parties and citizen organizations. The Alliance has the potential to press an agenda of viable political reform. It has continued to be supported by USAID since the program was restarted in July with technical and direct material assistance to enable the Alliance to strengthen its cohesiveness, broaden its base of support and sustain reform momentum. Increased support to this network of democratic activists is essential to the opposition's ability to galvanize and strengthen affiliated political organizations enough to make their candidates viable in forthcoming elections. In addition, technical assistance to opposition political parties has been restarted. USAID is also providing assistance to the Center for Free Elections and Democracy and is developing a program of special political action seminars for young people and women.
USAID began a local government pilot program in FY 1998 in the cities of Nis and Kragujevac with the objective of demonstrating how to develop more effective, responsive and accountable local government. The principal areas of focus included promoting community economic development, municipal finance and budget, services contracting and the development and use of appropriate management information systems. It was intended to provide the basis of a subsequent program to engage municipal associations and public policy institutes in the dissemination of lessons learned to local government authorities and managers in other parts of the country. This program to develop the institutions and processes necessary to make local government more effective and representative strongly complements USAID's program to encourage democratic reform through improved effectiveness of the political process.
Although the local government program was suspended in March, and has not yet been restarted, substantial progress was made on realizing the program's objectives in 1998 and early 1999. Significant steps were taken to increase citizen participation in community and local government issues, local government responsiveness to citizen concerns and strengthened procurement management by local government authorities in the two pilot cities. Special surveys were conducted to identify priority citizen concerns, how people get information about their local government and the services provided and how they deal with problems. The Kragujevac survey resulted in a focus on ways to improve local telephone service, utility billing and developing a system to respond to citizen inquiries.
Community economic development commissions were set up in both cities to prepare strategic plans for local economic development. Both municipal governments budgeted funding to capitalize small and medium enterprise loan funds and to establish offices of economic development. Both cities established procurement commissions composed of municipal officials, business leaders and media critics to prepare municipal procurement rules. The Kragujevac commission adopted interim rules that established a more open and transparent procurement system. Both cities prepared special municipal budget letters to inform local officials, the media and the public about the proposed 1999 budget and drafted information brochures inviting participation in a public meeting on the budget.
The NGO sector in Serbia is essential to democratic development and civic and political stability in the region. NGOs in Serbia are active in human rights and humanitarian activities, helping people meet basic needs and other social welfare and public interest concerns. NGOs in Serbia have the potential for being effective change agents. Several Serbian NGOs are involved in economic policy and democratic reform advocacy. These NGOs have a keen interest in promoting the development of Serbia's civic life and in building the foundations for a genuinely democratic society. Many NGO activists helped organize and participated in the citizen protest demonstrations that began after hostilities in Kosovo stopped. These NGOs have put together broad-based civic coalitions and action groups that are working for change in Serbia. The trade union movement has elements with interests and aspirations similar to these NGOs.
USAID achieved significant results during FY 1999 in strengthening civic groups in Serbia to be effective advocates of democratic reform and in developing bases for NGOs involved in democracy advocacy to improve communication and cohesiveness. NGOs have become more attuned to the idea of collaborating with the independent media as a way of sharing their concerns with the public. Issues dealing with how to build an open, pluralistic society, including such key underpinnings as judicial independence and freedom of the press, have been raised, debated and publicized by the independent media in Serbia.
When repression was increasing in late 1998, NGOs sponsored public conferences in the cities of Belgrade, Nis and Novi Sad on freedom of the press and the public information law. Other public meetings organized by NGOs this past year included discussions of corruption in the courts, war crimes, domestic violence and the criminal trial of the director of the city of Nis's radio station who was accused of illegal broadcasting. The Belgrade Legal Reform Roundtable was created in late 1998 through the collaborative efforts of 15 NGOs committed to increased cooperation and group cohesiveness. USAID support in 1999 to the independent Serbian trade union Nezavisnost, which had expressed a desire to become more active in advocating for and influencing reform, was focused on strengthening the management, organizational and participatory orientation of the union. The immediate result was a broadened understanding of democracy and sharpened perceptions by union management of the active role unions can play to expand the democratic process in civil society.
Possible Adjustments to plans: USAID is considering an expanded program of assistance to the democratic opposition, responding to requests from the Alliance for Change, which will, if approved, provide technical assistance for a program of economic reform and economic stabilization. Additional areas for direct collaboration with the democratic opposition could include assistance in the areas of constitutional reform, organizational support for humanitarian and social assistance programs and anti-corruption program assistance. USAID's program of technical assistance and training activities focusing on municipal service delivery and constituent service programs may be expanded to include direct, material assistance and other support. This would include, for instance, providing environmental impact analysis and clean-up, technical assistance in municipalities controlled by the democratic opposition that continue to suffer from toxic spills at NATO-targeted industrial sites.
Other Donor Programs: There are no other donors with democracy programs similar to USAID's program in Serbia at this time.
Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: USAID implements its democracy area activities primarily through U.S.—based NGOs and contractors, including National Democratic Institute, International Republican Institute, International Foundation for Electoral Systems, and Freedom House, Institute for Democracy in Eastern Europe, and American Bar Association/Central and East European Law Institute.
Selected Performance Measures:
Baseline (1999) Target
(2000)Target
(2001)Election Reform Law passed no yes Credible free and open elections no yes Repeal of the public information law
no
yes Repeal of the university law no yes New NGO legislation no yes NGOs, freely active throughout the country no yes Independent media associations formed to promote and protect freedom of expression no yes
ACTIVITY DATA SHEET
PROGRAM: Serbia
TITLE AND NUMBER: More Effective, Responsive and Accountable Local Government, 169-023
STATUS: New
PLANNED FY 2000 OBLIGATIONS AND FUNDING SOURCE: $-0-
PROPOSED FY 2001 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $15,000,000 SEED
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 2001 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2006Summary: USAID's assistance program to develop more effective, responsive and accountable local government in Serbia will focus on working directly with eight to ten, core, opposition-led municipal or city governments. Outreach activities will be directed to up to 30, additional, opposition-led municipal or city governments. A priority concern will be improvement of municipal service delivery by effecting better management of existing municipal resources. USAID plans to use technical assistance and targeted grants of material assistance to support realization of this result. USAID plans to enter into a long-term agreement with a qualified U.S. organization to assist in the detailed design and implementation of its local government program in Serbia. USAID expects to continue to make separate awards for priority activities consistent with windows of opportunity and its strategy to quickly develop more effective, responsive and accountable local government in Serbia that can contribute to the overarching goal of a more democratic, Western-oriented, national government.
The proposed program is being designed to have some impact in nearly all opposition municipalities in Serbia. The leadership in opposition cities and municipalities is generally interested in mechanisms for increased involvement of constituents in local government operations and issues, including prioritization of local services. The political leadership of opposition towns and cities is open to mechanisms for implementing de facto devolution and decentralization of power from the central government to cities, towns and municipalities. Local leadership is interested in collaborating with opposition leaders in other local government units, and very interested in finding ways to make their own towns and cities more financially independent of unreliable central government revenue sharing.
In tandem with efforts under the citizens’ participation objective, activities in this program will attempt to generate widespread citizen participation in local government decision making,; and include the private sector in planning and implementing local economic development. Innovative ways will be sought to improve local government legal and financial stability and sustainability; increase cooperation with kindred communities to further common agendas at the national level; and to improve efficiency and effectiveness in providing joint services in contiguous communities. Activities will also substantially increase the professionalism of local government politicians, managers and local bureaucracies, in terms of effectiveness, accountability and customer focus. Examples of service priorities include housing services, utilities, local transportation, infrastructure planning and building, schools, social welfare and health, and environmental clean-up operations.
The contractor selected to design and implement the activities for this objective would serve as the program manager, mobilizing activities in the four principal results areas necessary to achieve the objectives of the program, competing and awarding sub-grants and sub-contracts, and overseeing the implementation of resulting activities. USAID would continue to make separate awards for priority activities consistent with windows of opportunity and our strategy to quickly develop more effective, responsive and accountable local government in Serbia
Key Results: In current, preliminary plans, the principal results for which near term progress is expected are: (1) increased local government ability to deliver essential services to the citizenry; (2) increased citizen and civil society organization (CSO) involvement in the development of local government processes and services; (3) improved legal and financial sustainability; (4) increased local government influence at the national level; and (5) increased political and management professionalism.
Performance and Prospects: USAID's local government component of its democratization program in Serbia prior to the Kosovo war was carried out in the opposition cities of Nis and Kragujevac. The Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) controls Kragujevac and shares power with the Democratic Party (DS) and other political parties in Nis. USAID's program in these two cities quickly made good progress in getting politicians and local government management personnel to focus on effective mechanisms for increasing citizen involvement in community and local government issues and identifying priority concerns such as ways to improve basic urban services and promote local economic development. The central government did not support this program. Central government opposition to the proposed, more ambitious program, is expected.
Increased involvement and access will be facilitated by local level accreditation of CSOs and increased coalition building with advocacy CSOs serving as catalysts to assure inclusiveness in the scope of grass roots citizen participation in local government affairs. Improved legal and financial sustainability will require finding ways to increase local government autonomy, authority and resources in the face of the Central Government's expected refusal to collaborate in achieving these objectives.
Increased local government influence at the national level will require substantial near-term increased collaboration and networking through the development of effective district and national associations of kindred municipalities and productive networking and association with counterpart Central and East European and Balkan cities and local governments. Increased political and management professionalism will require, and be characterized by improved management efficiency and effectiveness; increased accountability and transparency; and improved, customer-focused service delivery that benefit constituents.
Possible Adjustments to plans: The program is designed to be open to targets of opportunity.
Other Donor Programs: Proposed European "Sister City" activities may be operational by FY2001.
Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: USAID implements its democracy area activities primarily through U.S.-based NGOs and contractors, including National Democratic Institute, International Republican Institute, International Foundation for Electoral Systems, and Freedom House, Institute for Democracy in Eastern Europe, and American Bar Association/Central and East European Law Institute.
Selected Performance Measures: Appropriate performance measures are under development.
EXPLANATION FOR SPECIAL INITIATIVES and CROSS-CUTTING PROGRAMS
Title: Cross-cutting Programs, 169-042
Planned FY 2000 Obligation and Funding Source: NONE PROPOSED
Proposed FY 2001 Obligation and Funding Source: $4,000,000 SEEDSummary: This objective is designed to accommodate activities that make significant contributions to more than one objective. The activities included in this objective for Serbia are the participant training program, and program development and support activities.
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Last Updated on: February 01, 2001 |
