Panel discussion on the risks for corruption in public-private partnerships at the local level in Montenegro was organized in Budva on 27 November 2013. This event is part of the project “Corruption at the local level – zero tolerance!” which is implemented by the Center for Civic Education (CCE) in cooperation with the Institute Alternative, NGO Bonum and NGO NADA. Jovana Marovic, Research Coordinator at the Institute Alternative, and Boris Maric, Senior Legal Adviser at the Center for Civic Education, in their presentations, reviewed the institutional arrangements in local governments for the implementation of public-private partnerships, as well as the existing problems in practice and the risks of corruption in this area.
On behalf of the Municipality of Budva, Miodrag Markovic, Head of the Office for Combating Corruption and Vesna Madrapa, Adviser in the Secretariat for Spatial Planning and Development, also had short presentations. Panel was attended by local officials, employees, members of the local assembly, NGO representatives and citizens.
“The permanent expert body for implementation of the state administration reform is need, in order for this process to be more successful”, Jovana Marovic, research coordinator at the Institute Alternative (IA), said at the round table “State Administration Reform: Where Do We Stand?”.
The round table was organized by the IA on Wednesday in Podgorica with an aim of offering a critical view at the state administration reform, especially with regard to the implementation of the Strategy for Public Administration Reform for the period 2011-2016 and with regard to the oversight of the process.
Marovic pinpointed the problem of deficit of employees in certain ministries and problem of suffice of employees in other ministries. She urged authorities to make an analysis, which would contain precise estimation of the administration’s scope of the work, number and professional profiles of people which should be recruited for certain sectors, as well as estimated mid-term costs of conducting the necessary work.
Marovic deems necessary formation of special coordinatory body to monitor the reform, given the absence of adequate institutional framework for management of the process.
Boris Marić, senior legal advisor at the Centre for Civic Education, asked whether the state administration reform was “unfulfilled dream”.
He highlighted provisions of the Decree on organization and manner of work of state administration, which allow for the appointments of the acting heads and managers of state authorities to undermine transparency of selection of people to the key posts in state administration.
Stevo Muk, president of the Managing Board of the IA, reminded during his introductory speech that, as a part of the so far efforts of reforming the country’s state administration, the two strategic documents have been adopted, legal and institutional frameworks for implementation of those strategies changed, as well as the mere structure of the state apparatus.
“However, challenges are still numerous. State administration is insufficiently organized, efficient and professionalized. As such, it represents an obstacle to the country’s faster integration into the EU”, Muk added.
During discussion, he pinpointed the insufficient separation of powers between Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Interior Affairs in coordination of state administration reform and suggested the need for a more close definition of these institutions’ role.
Olaf Poeschke, deputy ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, said that the introduction of merit-based system into the Montenegro’s civil service was one of the key priorities of the entire reform.
Representatives of the Ministry of Interior Affairs – Jadranka Vojinovic, the state secretary in the Ministry, and Veselin Vukcevic, the deputy minister, also took part at the round table.
They represented the reform results and drew attention to the Plan of reorganization of public sector, which the Government adopted in July 2013, and presented to the public on Wednesday, just before the round table.
Vojinovic said that the decrease of number of employees, envisaged by this strategic document, does not necessarily entail layoffs.
“Retirement, termination by mutual agreement, and termination of employment on the basis of disciplinary responsibility are also means of decreasing the number of employees”, she told.
Representatives of the Parliamentary Committee for Political System, Judiciary and Administration were also panelists at the round table.
Snežana Jonica, the deputy president of the Committee, highlighted the problem of undated resignations, which Milo Djukanovic, at the time when he was a candidate for the prime minister, ordered to the heads of authorities, as one of the challenges in depoliticisation of state administration.
“They were not ordered by the prime minister, but by the candidate tasked with composing the new government, thus by the president of the Democratic Party of Socialists”, she said.
Rifat Rastoder, president of the working body, offered an overview of the parliamentary oversight of state administration reform and highlighted increase in usage of control mechanisms from the side of the MPs.
Round table was held with the support of Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.
The round table entitled “State administration in Montenegro: Where Does It Stand?”, organized by Institute Alternative (IA), will take place on Wednesday, November 27, 2013, in Podgorica, PR Center, 23A, Josip Broz Boulevard, starting at 11 a.m.
This event represents part of the efforts Institute Alternative is making within its research programme on public administration reform to contribute to improvement of efficiency, effectiveness and accountability of public administration, local government and public services. The round table will be organized with the support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
The goal of this round table is to provide a critical overview of activities implemented within the process of public administration reform so far. This particularly refers to the implementation of the Strategy for Public Administration Reform for the period 2011-2016, but also monitoring of the entire process.
Accordingly, the discussion will be organized into two panels.
The first panel will provide an overview of what has been achieved so far within the process of public administration reform and present planned measures aimed at improving the existing situation.
The second panel will focus on the mechanisms for coordination, monitoring and reporting on public administration reform.
For additional information and confirmation of participation, please contact the event coordinator Milena Milosević by e-mail: milena@institut-alternativa.org or phone 067/237-660.
Small number of sessions of Committee for Anti-Corruption held during this year has challenged the body’s ability to meet its goals and poses an obligation to its members to meet more often in the future.
Given the number of session held, the Committee for Anti-Corruption is the most passive permanent working body in the Parliament of Montenegro.
In total, it has held eight sessions so far. The longest break in the work of this body was almost four months, in the period between March 27 and July 24.
Institute Alternative (IA) thus calls for a more pro-active approach of the Committee’s members, its president and his recently elected deputy, when it comes to the piled up obligations of fight against corruption in Montenegro.
This especially gains importance given the lack of experience of the Committee, which started its work in the last convocation of the Parliament, on one hand, and the body’s relatively ambitious annual work program, on the other hand.
Among other things, the work program envisaged continuous control and consultative hearings, discussions on special reports and information which this Committee was supposed to ask from the competent institutions.
Analysis of systemic laws in fight against the corruption was also planned, as well as the analysis of corruption risks during construction and spatial planning.
Passivity of the Committee over the past period, however, challenged its ability to meet some of the basic obligations, which the body, in charge of oversight and analysis of work of state authorities and institutions fighting against corruption and organized crime, should fulfill.
In other words, the deadline envisaged for consideration of sections of the 2012 reports of Supreme State Prosecutor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Police Administration, Agency For National Security, and Judicial Council, referring to the fight against corruption and organized crime, expired in late June.
IA also reminds that consideration of petitions submitted to the Committee has not been regulated yet.
In its last year’s progress report on Montenegro, European Commission also pointed to the lack of procedures for acting upon the people’s complaints.
IA thus urges the Committee’s members and Collegium of the Parliament to solve thus issue, in order to prevent for the untimely and incomplete response to the citizens’ petition to engender the legitimacy of this body.
Although we are pleased that the majority of our recommendations presented in the paper “Committee for Anti-Corruption: Cure or Placebo?” has been incorporated into the Committee’s annual work program, we deem necessary for this body to intensify its work. Otherwise, the previously outlined aims will remain a dead letter.
The Committee on Economy, Finance and Budget has completed consultative hearing on the subject of “Implementation of the Law on Non-Governmental Organizations in Financing“, which had started on October 21, 2013.
President of the Managing Board of Institute Alternative, Stevo Muk, took part in this hearing. Representatives of the Ministry of Finance, the Commission for the Allocation of Revenue from Games of Chance, the Government’s Council for Cooperation with NGOs, as well as several non-governmental organizations, also participated in this hearing.
Based on the presented viewpoints, as well as submitted written opinions and proposals, the Office of the Committee will prepare the Proposal of evaluations and attitudes. The Committee on Economy, Finance and Budget will vote on this Proposal during one of its following sessions.
Our researcher, Dina Bajramspahić, participated in an interactive workshop held in Prague on 7th and 8th November
Workshop topics were policy research, new technologies in purpose of innovative presentation of research findings and creative methods of advocacy. The workshop was organized by the Open Society Think Tank Fund, Open Society Prague and Google. Participants of the workshop were representatives of think tank organizations, non-governmental organizations with research capacities and organizations with experience in use of data for research or communications in evidence-based advocacy from 22 countries in Central , Eastern and Southeastern Europe.
Taking the form of an interactive workshop and in-person peer-to-peer learning exchange, this capacity-building event provided an opportunity for participants who already have at least elementary knowledge and experience using data for policy-relevant research and evidence-informed advocacy to gain additional knowledge, tools, and contacts that will empower them to further integrate the use of data into the think tank’s standard toolkit. The emphasis was on efficient online and offline forms for presenting findings of research with aim to ensure greater support and participation of the wider public.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok
Panel discussion on the risks for corruption in public-private partnerships at the local level in Montenegro was organized in Budva on 27 November 2013. This event is part of the project “Corruption at the local level – zero tolerance!” which is implemented by the Center for Civic Education (CCE) in cooperation with the Institute Alternative, NGO Bonum and NGO NADA. Jovana Marovic, Research Coordinator at the Institute Alternative, and Boris Maric, Senior Legal Adviser at the Center for Civic Education, in their presentations, reviewed the institutional arrangements in local governments for the implementation of public-private partnerships, as well as the existing problems in practice and the risks of corruption in this area.
“The permanent expert body for implementation of the state administration reform is need, in order for this process to be more successful”, Jovana Marovic, research coordinator at the Institute Alternative (IA), said at the round table “State Administration Reform: Where Do We Stand?”.
the reform, given the absence of adequate institutional framework for management of the process.
During discussion, he pinpointed the insufficient separation of powers between Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Interior Affairs in coordination of state administration reform and suggested the need for a more close definition of these institutions’ role.
problem of undated resignations, which Milo Djukanovic, at the time when he was a candidate for the prime minister, ordered to the heads of authorities, as one of the challenges in depoliticisation of state administration.
