The Citizen and the Public Decision in the XXI Century

Goal:
The general objective of the project "The Citizen and the Public Decision in the XXI Century" was a better reflection of the citizens' interest in the public policies elaborated at the local level.
In this project CeRe aimed at increasing the local authorities' administrative capacity to elaborate public policies in a participatory way in 7 communities. A new particpation method - the citizens' group, was used for the first time in Romania. At the same time, based on the experience produced in the project, a guide was created in order to help public authorities in the public decision making process.

Partners:

The Resource Center for public participation - CeRe developed thes project in partnership with the Foundation Partners for Local Development (FPLD) and the Towns Association of Romania (TAR).
The seven town were the project was implemented are Aninoasa, Horezu, Isaccea, Mizil, Pecica, Pucioasa, Targu Neamt

Main activities:

• Selection of the 7 communities;
• Training on "Participatory Public Policies Development for the Local Administration";
• Training on participatory process facilitation for the facilitators that will work in the project;
• Creation of citizens' panels in the 7 communities;
• Selection, by the citizens' panels, of a local problem in each community, to become the subject of a public decision or policy;
• Assistance for improving citizens' information and consultation mechanisms and for developing participatory policies/decisions in the 7 communities;
• Seminar on "lessons learned in the project";
• Creation of a guide for participatory local policies development;
• The Public Participation World Café.

Project's results:
One local decision was adopted in each community after the consultation of citizens. The decisions were from various fields, according to local agenda: developing an industrial park or an agrement park, creating associations of owners, developing the associative spirit of inhabitants, choosing a traject for a street or ooportunities for spending the free time. Next ti citizens' group methodology, various other methods were used: debates, citizens' consultative committee, creation of a local children and youth council, world cafe, focus group etc.
A new participation tool was used and consolidated as a participation tool for local government: the citizens' group. Each town has organized a local citizen's group, which was apreciated as a method to consolidate long-term relationships between the administration and the citizens. The seven towns,next to Amara, represent the places were this method has been applied for the first time.
CeRe has evaluated the town-halls' websites and has issued a number of recommendations to improve them from the point of view of accesibility for the citizens. CeRe has created a methodology taht takes in account the provision that are compulsory from the legislation.
Each local council have received a number of recommandation s to improve its internal regulations. In Horezu, the proposals coming from CeRe were adopted during the project and become part of the official regulations.
As an important result, the participants haave mentioned the experience exchange and the possibility to find a common space for reflection on citizens' participation
A guide entitled „Citizens' involvment - a shor version" was created for local governments in order to facilitate the process of citizens' participation in local decision making. The guides includes recommendations collected during the projects' activities from the seven communities and participants in world cafe.

Results in numbers:

• 7 communities to be involved in the project were selected: Aninoasa, Horezu, Isaccea, Mizil, Pecica, Pucioasa, Targu Neamt;
• 18 representatives from the 7 communities have been trained on the "Participatory Formulation of Public Policies" ;
• 12 CeRe consultants and experts have been trained as participatory processes facilitators.
• Citizens' Panels have been set up in all 7 communities. 2906 citizens (of which 47% women) were involved in citizens' groups.
• The project team has formulated recommendations for improving the websites of the authorities managing the 7 cities and the functioning regulations of local councils;
• Events for citizens' consultations were organized in each community: 4 debate, 2 world cafe, 1 focus group, 1 citizens' consultative committee, 1 local youth council, 1 local children council. 740 citizens were involved in the events of the project.
• The guide for participatory local policies was submitted for review to partners, central and local public administration representatives, and other participants in the Participation World Cafe and has been edited and distrbuted in 200 copies.

The project "The Citizen and the Public Decision in the XXI Century" was financed by the European Union through Phare Program "Consolidating Democracy in Romania".