Back National Workshop on Participatory Local Strategic Planning organised in Montenegro

National Workshop on Participatory Local Strategic Planning organised in Montenegro

The first National Workshop on "Participatory Local Strategic Planning" was organised in Podgorica within the framework of Phase II of the Joint EU-CoE ROMACTED Programme. The event followeed the official launch conference, which took place on 18 November in Hotel Hilton in Podgorica.

The workshop gathered together the delegated municipal contact points from seven municipalities and the Capital of Podgorica in Montenegro and local facilitators, and aimed at building capacities on principles of strategic planning at local level and working methods through the four steps of the ROMACTED methodology.

The opening remarks were addressed by the ROMACTED Programme Manager Marina Vasić, Head of the Division for Roma and Egyptian Inclusion (Ministry of Justice, Human and Minority Rights) Sokolj Beganaj, ROMACTED Project Officer for Montenegro Milica Kovačević and ROMACTED Focal Point Samir Jaha. The event was facilitated by the members of the ROMACTED Team.

Participants were given more detailed information related to all four steps of the ROMACTED methodology. A special focus was on the first two steps, which are ongoing or soon to follow. Thus, contact persons and facilitators discussed ways for qualitative and effective work with Community Action Groups and Institutional Working Groups. The activities planned for the next quarter have also been announced, namely assessing the needs of communities and assessing municipalities' capacities. The teams were drafting joint action plans, which they are also expected to work on in the future period.

Joint EU-CoE ROMACTED Phase 2 will continue the implementation of its methodology in Bar, Berane, Bijelo Polje, Herceg Novi, Niksic, Ulcinj, Tivan, and the Capital City of Podgorica (Konik Camp).

Podgorica, Montenegro 19 November 2021
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Action summary

ROMACTED, “Promoting good governance and Roma empowerment at local level”, is a Joint Programme between the European Union (DG NEAR) and the Council of Europe. The programme will be implemented by the Council of Europe’s Support Team of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Roma issues and the Office of the Directorate General of Programmes in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, Serbia, “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” and Turkey.

To build up political will and sustained policy engagement of authorities, to enhance democratic participation and empowerment of local Roma communities, to design and implement projects and to access national and external funds.

  1. To empower Roma community - on the individual level (assisting people to practice their basic rights and to expand their capacity and skills), as well as on the community level (assisting people to get organised to voice out their interests around community problem solving);

  2. To improve and expand the institutions' commitment, capacities, knowledge and skills in working for Roma inclusion, putting in practice the concepts of good governance;

The specificity of the actions would be to assist the local authorities to integrate Roma specific dimension/measures into the mainstream local policies, budgets and public service delivery in their agenda. 

Estimated results

The key assumptions for this support are based on the theory of change and are as follows:

  • Support to local authorities for ensuring openness, transparency and equity in dealing with local plans and budgets will lead to inclusive local plans and resource;
  • Enhanced capacity-building through training and coaching has a positive impact on public administration for delivering quality services to all citizens (including Roma citizens);
  • Municipality regulations and practices have an impact on the participation and empowerment of Roma: information is available, there is a recognition of the Community Action Group, participation is effective;
  • Community Action Group interventions will have a positive impact on presenting choices to be transformed into actions that will increase the ability of ordinary Roma citizens to assess their needs, contribute to the development of local public projects, watch-over their implementation, and monitor the local public budget;

Main activities

  • All Programme activities and incentives are meant to support strategic interventions (training, coaching, the implementation of participatory working cycles, advocacy actions, etc. during key moments of the municipal cycles: planning, budgeting, local decisions, projects etc.) which influence the attitudes, behaviour and actions of the local actors.
  • The Programme will adapt its actions and activities to each country and to each selected location from these countries, in order to fit in the policy cycle and to the dynamics and reality of each municipality, thus bringing an additional input to existing policies and practices for an effective and more inclusive functioning;
  • One of the leading guidelines in the methodology of the Programme is that participation in local governance can only be effective if it is context-appropriate. Thus, preliminary mapping, assessment, baseline survey and research are done in each selected municipality so as to facilitate the adaptation of the Programme and its support and monitoring of the process

This webpage has been produced using funds of a joint project between the European Union and the Council of Europe. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.

Project at a glance
  • Duration: 36 months (May 2017 – April 2020)
  • Beneficiaries/Partners: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo*, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey
  • Funding: The European Union and the Council of Europe
  • Budget: 3 750 000 EUR

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence. 

Project Contact