Transparency, accountability, and citizens’ participation are the core elements of modern democracies at the central, as well as the local level. Municipalities that govern well are not governing alone. In fact, good governance means effective institutions and participation of all groups and interests of the society. The governance that is based on the wide participation of citizens reflects best on the principle of accountability and institutional transparency.

Provision of services to citizens, transparency, accountability, and participation of citizens are crucial for the reaching of the European standards of governance. These standards were conceptualized in 2008 in the Innovation and Good Governance Strategy at the Local Level of the Council of Europe, and are the standards which Kosovo municipalities are trying to reach.

This brief analysis, now a study of trends was initiated in 2019 from the Institute for Democracy and Development, analyzes the perceptions of the citizens in relation to the level of the implementation of the three basic principles of local governance in Kosovo, more precisely, the accountability, transparency and participation of citizens. Moreover, the purpose of this analyzing document is the offering of concrete recommendations pertinent to the strengthening and the improvement of the public policies in the above-mentioned areas.

Main data show that there is still lack of connection between the work of the municipalities and the requests coming from the citizens, this then leads to an accountability which is not satisfactory.  Likewise, a challenge for the local governments in Kosovo remains the participation of citizens in important decision-making processes, knowing that citizens are not that well informed about the work of the municipalities, and consequently they feel that the services they get from the municipal officials are not that satisfactory.

Izveštaj o performansi opština na području komunikacije sa građanima/građankama

Transparentnost, odgovornost i građansko učešće su suštinski  elementi modernih demokratija, kako na centralnom, tako i na lokalnom nivou. Dobro vođene opštine ne upravljaju same. Zapravo, dobro upravljanje znači efikasne institucije i učešće svih grupa i interesa društva. U upravljanju zasnovanom na širokom učešću građana, princip institucionalne odgovornosti i transparentnosti najbolje se ogleda.

Pružanje usluga građanima, transparentnost, odgovornost učešće građana presudni su za postizanje evropskih standarda upravljanja. Ovi standardi, koncipirani od 2008. godine u Strategiji za inovacije i dobro upravljanje na lokalnom nivou Saveta Evrope, su standardi koje kosovske opštine nastoje da postignu..

Ova kratka analiza, već studija trendova  koju je 2019. godine pokrenuo Institut Demokratija za razvoj, analizira percepciju građana u pogledu nivoa primene osnovna principa lokalne uprave na Kosovu, a to su odgovornost, transparentnost i učešće građana. Dalje, svrha dokumenta analize je da pruži konkretne preporuke u vezi sa jačanjem i unapređenjem javnih politika u gore pomenutim oblastima.

Glavni podaci pokazuju da još uvek postoji nedostatak korelacije između rada opština i zahteva građana, što čini da odgovornost ne bude na zadovoljavajućem nivou. Takođe, izazov za lokalne samouprave na Kosovu ostaje učešće građana u važnim procesima donošenja odluka, s obzirom na to da građani nisu dobro informisani o radu opština, te shodno tome osećaju da usluge dobijene od opštinskih zvaničnika nisu na odgovarajućem nivou zadovoljstva.