Citizen participation in drafting public policies increases transparency and accountability at local level

The Kosovo Local Government Institute – KLGI organised a virtual workshop on the topic ‘The Public Policy Cycle at Local Level’. Participants in the workshop were representatives of the local executive and legislature, as well as representatives of civil society.

The workshop aimed to familiarise participants with the public policy cycle at local level, and in particular to increase public ownership of local policies. The workshop focused on sustainable public policies, with particular emphasis on involving citizens in policy-making, as well as on the challenges and problems municipalities face in involving citizens in policy-making.

The public consultation process is very important in meeting the objectives of good, transparent and inclusive governance in decision-making processes. This process makes it possible to guarantee and increase transparency in support of the participation of the public and interest groups in policy-making processes.

Public policy therefore means the ongoing relationship and interaction of state bodies with the wider social environment. Above all, public policies are an activity oriented towards solving public problems in the environment, and this is done through public actors whose relations are structured and change over time.

The KLGI Institute works on and is dedicated to analyses and studies that contribute to effective local governance practices in Kosovo. Through its educational programmes, it also works on building the capacities of the country’s municipalities.

This activity was carried out with the support of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES).