The Institute for Development and Social Initiative ”Viitorul”, in the period September 2020 – July 2021, implemented the project ”Transparent public authorities for active and informed citizens”. It is financed by the European Union and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung through the Grants Program ”Development of local civil society in the Republic of Moldova”.

The purpose of the project is to promote and monitor the transparency and accountability of almost one hundred local government levels. So, at least 30 local non-governmental organizations, from de North, Center, and South regions of the Republic of Moldova will be able to fulfill the role of social guardian of society (watchdog), and to have an active position in the administration of the public affairs.

For this, the project team will do a number of activities like developing the methodology of promotion and monitoring the transparency and accountability LPAs. Team members will be in charge of beneficiaries selection, training, feedback, and coaching sessions (so that the theoretical part to be combined with the practical one). The team will help the beneficiaries to develop monitoring reports. 

Moreover, the project team proposed to inform citizens of the monitored localities, and not only, about the concept of decision-making transparency, how to use open data, and how they can get involved. There will be organized three TV shows at a regional level, three regional conferences (online), so that NGOs can bring to the attention of citizens, and other stakeholders, the findings of monitoring and evolution reports.

”The framework of the Republic of Moldova contains clear provisions on the involvement of citizens in the decision-making process. However, the study ”Open Government Index-2015” attests that only 44% of the country’s population knows about the existence of laws that guarantee them access to public information held by LPA. Defective decision-making transparency, lack of monitoring of local standards lead to an increased risk of corruption. On the other hand, active involvement of civil society in public decision-making increases the quality and applicability of the decision and thus leads to a better administration of public affairs, at the center of which are the interests of the citizens”, said Ana Znaceni, the project coordinator. 

”Our effort, in this project, will contribute to a better involvement of the citizens in the decision-making process at a local level, to a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of LPA decision-making transparency. Will be launched the initiatives on improving decision-making which, we believe, will facilitate the development of a clear vision on how citizens can collaborate more efficiently to grow the degree of transparency of all levels of government”, mentioned Liubomir Chiriac, the director of IDIS ”Viitorul”.

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Grants program ”Development of local civil society in the Republic of Moldova”, financed by the European Union and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, will offer during the years 2020-2021 grants totaling about EUR 3 million Civil Society Organizations, which operates outside the city of Chisinau.

The purpose of the program is to contribute to the development of local civil society in the Republic of Moldova, which promotes and monitors the transparency and the responsibility of public institutions, including in the implementation of the Moldova-EU Association Agreement.

This press release was elaborated with the financial support of the European Union. The content is the responsibility of the project ” Transparent public authorities for active and informed citizens” and doesn’t reflect the point of view of the European Union.