During the state of emergency in Serbia, technical and expert support was provided to local government administrations through the joint Programme “Human Resources Management in Local Self-Governments – phase 2”, funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe in Serbia with the support of programme partners, the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government and the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities.
Serbian cities and municipalities faced many different challenges in their efforts to organise their work during the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and have thus asked for the support of the Serbian Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities, the implementing partner of the Programme, in order to overcome this new situation with more ease. One of the challenges for Serbian local governments was how to efficiently organise teleworking for their staff, ensuring at the same time the delivery of main services to citizens.
Within the Programme, the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities provided expert support in interpreting recommendations and decisions issued by the state administration during the state of emergency, in defining the status of persons in isolation or self-isolation and in providing protective measures for employees in direct contact with citizens.
Based on received questions and requests, the experts of the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities prepared two model legal acts – the model decision on teleworking from home and the model of the weekly activity workplan during the state of emergency. Both model acts, so far non-existent at the local level, helped the Serbian local self-government system, counting 23,000 employees, to continue functioning successfully during the state of emergency.
Furthermore, the Council of Europe Programme Team carried out an on-line survey which was distributed to all cities and municipalities throughout Serbia, aiming to identify challenges faced by local self-government units during the crisis. Responses collected from more than 100 cities and municipalities are currently being analysed by the Programme Team.
In the weeks to come, upon the ending of the state of emergency and the return of the public life and country economy to its normal pace, programme activities will resume in line with the dynamic of future new circumstances.
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About the programme „Human Resources Management in Local Self-Governments – phase 2“:
The programme „Human Resources Management in Local Self-Governments – phase 2“, worth €4 million, supports the development of human resources management and professional development of employees in Serbian local self-governments. The programme is jointly funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and is implemented by the Council of Europe in Serbia, in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government (MPALSG) and the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM). The implementation period of the Programme is three years (December 2018 – December 2021).
