PROJECT NAME:

Promoting right and just administrative procedures for citizens and businesses

SECTOR:

Public Finance Management & Public Administration

PROJECT VALUE:

Total cost of the project: € 215.817.57 EU contribution: € 194.200.00

DURATION:

Months: 30 Start Date: 1st February 2023 End Date: 31st July 2025

DIRECT BENEFICIARY:

- Strategic Planning Office in the Prime Minister’s Office - Targeted ministries (Ministry of Finance, Labour and Transfers; Ministry for Environment; Ministry of Industry, Trade and Entrepreneurship; Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure) - Targeted independent institutions (Regulatory Authority for Electronic and Post Communications; Independent Commiission on Mines and Minerals;, Independent Media Commission) - Targeted municipalities (Ferizaj and Gracanica) - Public officials across the administration - Business community - Citizens at large

IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS:

Democracy Plus (D+)

COVERAGE/IMPACT:

Main target area: Good governance, Public Administration Secondary target area: Fighting corruption and supporting justice

OVERALL OBJECTIVE:

The overall objective is to contribute to increased civic oversight on public administration reforms on reducing administrative burden on citizens and businesses and advocating for guaranteed citizens right to compensation when wronged in cases of wrongdoings by the state.

PROJECT PURPOSES:

The project aims to promote right and just administrative procedures for citizens and businesses through two objectives: (1) addressing the right to seek compensation in cases of damage caused by public bodies to private individuals as recognized by the Law on Obligational Relationships; (2) addressing citizens and business challenges with administrative burden when obtaining public services while providing direct assistance to a group of institutions for simplifying some services and digitalizing the respective services.

PROJECT STRATEGY:

Through the implementation of its action plan, D+ aims to reach the following goals: 1. Informing and supporting citizens about their right to seek compensation in cases of damage caused by public bodies. 2. Supporting targeted institutions and municipalities to simplify administrative procedures for services and to digitalize services. 3. Giving businesses a voice and the opportunity to sit at the table with decision makers and discuss administrative burden. 4. Building a culture of co-creation of digital services between government on one side and citizens and businesses on the other side. 5. Changing the way citizens and businsses view and can contribute to public administration reforms.

ACTIVITIES:

To reach the objectives as above, D+ will be conducting the following activities during the project timeframe: • Monitor 20 cases of administrative wrongdoing in the Prishtina Basic Court. • Preparation of 10 fast reaction briefs following the monitoring process of 20 cases of administrative wrongdoing. • Creation of the legal helpdesk to provide counselling to citizens contemplating to seek compensation. • Preparation of an animated video on legal guarantees on compensation in cases of administrative wrongdoings. • Organization of seven (7) awareness raising events in seven (7) regions of Kosovo with a total of about 150 citizens, media, NGOs, businesses to discuss on the right to seek compensation. • Organization of four (4) public debates on national TV about the right to seek compensation, cases, finalization, etc. • Ombinus survey with about 1200 citizens surveyed on their knowledge on the right to seek compensation. • Conducting policy analysis for simplification of administrative procedures in eight local and central level institutions and for difitalization of services. • Organizing two (2) annual regional conferences on reduced administrative burden bringing together perspectives from Kosovo and involving at least two neighbouring countries on how administrative burden for citizens and businesses was reduced. • Organizing two (2) annual meetings with the business community to discuss their concrete needs and concerns on how to reduce administrative burden, present best practices from different institutions and share know-how. • Organizing periodic meetings (three times a year) with the inter-stakeholder Consultative Body on Administrative Burden Reduction. • Organizing awareness raising activities through preparation of leafleats, video animations on ptentials for simplified administrative procedures and consequences of administrative burden, inforgraphics and TV programs.

RESULTS:

• 20 court cases of administrative wrongdoings monitored and findings exposed to the public in various means. • 10 fast reaction briefs drafted and published, providing concrete recommendations to public institutions and informing citizens about their right to seek compensation in cases of administrative wrongdoings. • Direct support with legal advice of around 50 citizens through the establishment of the Legal Held Desk. • Two (2) video animations addressing administrative burden that citizens and businesses face. • Five (5) infographics with key data of the Action Plan and what it entails in practice for public institutions. • Four (4) public debates on national TV about the right to seek compensation. • Three (3) policy analysis about simplification and digitalizion of administrative procedures shared through social media and face to face meetings with targeted institutions. • One (1) legal review on the right to seek compensation with specific policy recommendations shared through social and face to face meetings with relevant institutions. • One (1) animated video on legal guarantees on compensation in cases of administrative wrongdoings