VNG International / KS

Municipal Associations Capacity Improvement Programme

in

Bosnia and Herzegovina

MA(S)CIP

in cooperation with

Association RS and SOGFBiH

The project „Municipal Associations Capacity Improvement Programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina (MA (S) CIP) is a 3-year project 2004-2007 focusing on the development of the Associations of towns and municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina- ALVRS in the Republic of Srpska , and SOGFBiH in the Federation BIH.

Objective

The main objective of the project is to support the two Associations in their ambition to become self-sustainable, well functioning Associations. In addition, the project will encourage the cooperation of the Associations with their members and between the two associations.

The project is designed in two phases, A and B, both with a duration of 18 months. The first phase (A) aims at building full fledged associations appreciated by their members, but will not make them financially self-sustainable. The second phase (B) will gradually transfer the project subsidised structure into a structure of operations that is financially independent from donor support.

Phase A will focus on increasing the capacity of both associations for:

– their function as service-provider and knowledge-centre to municipalities through advise, information, courses and best practises., in the short run financed from the membership fees (and the project?) and in the longer run increasingly by paid services to the municipalities;

– their sustainability, representation, platform and lobby functions through developing and implementing a 4-year business plan on staffing, finances, cooperation with and between municipalities

Phase B will focus on increasing the income revenues of the associations through:

· further develop and review the 4-year business plans

· achieving nearly full coverage on membership contributions, to make the Associations financially sustainable

· increasing the budget by offering paid services to individual municipalities, on top of the services that will be provided out of the membership fees.

Phase A focuses on justification of the membership fees by developing and delivering services and products in a demand driven way. In Phase B, the road is then open to secure financial sustainability (through for example higher membership rate and more paid services to individual members like central purchasing, consultancy, publishing and insurance).

Partners, funding and budget

The two international partners are VNG International, the International Co-operation Agency of the Associations of Netherlands Municipalities and KS, the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities. The project will be financed by the Government of The Netherlands, represented by the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Sarajevo and the Government of Norway, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The project will build upon the results of the previous VNG International project “Strengthening Local Public Administration in Bosnia-Herzegovina” that from 2001 to 2004 supported and strengthened the municipal associations. This project was funded by the Dutch Ministry of Development Cooperation.

In addition, the project will co-operate and co-ordinate with other donor initiatives aiming at the municipal level, where possible.

The total project budget for the 3 years is 1.133.103 Euro, the Netherlands 767.875 Euro and Norway 365.228 Euro, of which a detailed budget for phase A, the Netherlands 495.450 Euro and Norway 182.614 Euro has been approved.

Project staff

The project will strengthen the capacities of both the 2 associations through 3 new full time posts in each association: Executive Director. Legal Advisor and PR and communications Officer. Initially the project pays the salaries of these 6 new staff members. The contribution from the project will decrease over time, Through the ambition of financial self-sustainability, the Associations manage to pay these 6 staff members themselves after the project. In addition, there will be a project office with 3 staff members, Project Manager, Project coordinator and Project Assistant.

Project activities

Almost all project activities are implemented by the Associations, supported by the project office and project experts. It is very important to note this approach. For example: it is not the project office that introduces legal advisory services to the members, but the Associations; not the project office is 100% responsible for newsletters and websites, but in very close cooperation with the Associations.

Phase A has 7 project categories:

1. Provision of services in the 2 municipal associations

- Introduce legal advisory service for the members

- Continue and further upgrade information services through newsletters and web sites

- Deliver an intensive training and pilot projects programme on Local Economic Development

- Collect and disseminate best practices on key topics of local government development from Bosnia-Herzegovina and neighbouring countries

2. Development of Human Resources in the 2 municipal associations

- Develop job descriptions and recruit 3 new staff members in each association (in close consultation with the associations)

- Elaborate a Human Resource Development plan for the associations

- Implement systematic Human Resource training and evaluation for the associations

3. Development of revenue-raising plan for the 2 municipal associations

- Development of a 4-year business plan for the associations

- Undertake multi-year projection of financial needs for the associations

- Develop, review and improve annual budget cycle procedures for the associations

- Carry out regional seminars on the need for fee payment for the associations

4. Improvement of member contact and public image for the 2 municipal associations

- Conduct two study tours for the associations and state/cantonal stakeholders

- Secure international representation of the associations

- Conduct series of regional roundtables on policy priorities

- Continue the cooperation process between the 2 associations

5. Training of Councillors after the local elections, coordinated by the 2 associations (closely coordinated with the office of OSCE, the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe )

6. Planning activities to strengthen the situation of women councillors and staff in the 2 entities (probably coordinated by the 2 Associations)

7. Planning activities to improve municipal finances in the 2 entities (probably coordinated by the 2 Associations) Phase A will be concluded with an evaluation of the results, including a client satisfaction analysis. A detailed plan and budget for Phase B will be drafted towards the end of phase A.

More information is available in a detailed work plan in which all activities and expected results are presented. Please contact one of the contact persons for a copy.