Institute Alternative has been recommending for years that Government’s Work Programme, as the most important act for determining the priorities of the Government’s work, should be opened for public’s suggestions.
This recommendation is now actualised in a letter to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Montenegro, Mr. Zdravko Krivokapić and Dritan Abazović.
We consider that citizens have the right to give reasoned ideas, proposals and suggestions for Government’s Work Programme in the current year.
We believe that through public call and appropriate deadline for giving suggestions, with additional effort of competent ministries and conversations with proponent, it can upgrade the quality of Government’s Work Programme.
We expect that ministries in the future, unlike previous practice, in accordance with established legal obligations, will publish work programmes and list of their activities that will be at public consultations during the year.
The first prerequisite for consulting the public is planning and informing the public on priorities and obligations, so that expert public and citizens could prepare in time and give quality contribution in making policies.
The Government and ministries should open a dialogue before making important decisions, so that those decisions have bigger legitimacy and public trust. It is necessary to improve medium and long-term planning and coordination of public policies because that is prerequisite for successful solution of complex problems.
It is very important for citizen participation in public policy development that public administration proactively publishes policy briefs, opinions on which they based their plans and decisions, so that everyone who wants can have information for equal participation in public consultations. It is important that with simple language, as less bureaucratic as possible, administration makes an effort to explain complex concepts so that as many citizens as possible are involved and decisions fit the best they can to the specific needs of those concerned.
Stevo Muk
President of Managing Board at Institute Alternative
