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Managing communications and advocacy processes

President of the Managing Board of the Institute alternative, Stevo Muk, has participated in the International Workshop for Managers of Research Organisations in the Western Balkans and the EU, which took place from 19-21 October in Sarajevo. The aim of the workshop was to exchange views between the leading people of research centers in the Western Balkans on their actions in terms of numerous challenges, such as unpredictable socio-political context, uncertain funding sources, staff dissatisfaction and a lack of professional staff, as well as stronger and stronger competition. Regarding this, managers of leading think tanks in the region presented their experiences in dealing with some of these challenges. This event has also offered the best practices of managing research organisations from the region and the EU.

Upravljanje komunikacijama i zagovaračkim aktivnostima

The workshop included six panels, each of which was dedicated to a certain level of accountability of managers in research centers: Research process management and quality control processes; Managing communications and advocacy proccesses; Standard operating procedures; Human resource management and staffing processes; Governance, oversight, and management of external inputs into programmatic work; and Sustainability: fundraising, financial management and strategic planning.

President of our Managing Board spoke at the panel dedicated to management of communications and advocacy processes. Stevo presented our communication strategy, channels for advocating recommendations, as well as our work in working groups. A special part of his presentation was devoted to our ongoing efforts to visualize our findings and adapt them “graphic” to the different interested groups.

The workshop was organised by Center for Social Research Analitika, in cooperation with Regional Research Promotion Programme (RRPP) and The Think Tank Fund of the Open Society Foundations (OSF).

Upravljanje komunikacijama i zagovaračkim sposobnostima

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Our comments on the Draft Strategy on the Public Administration Reform

We have prepared and submitted comments on the Draft Strategy on the Public Administration Reform, given to a public hearing by the Ministry of Interior in August, on the version of the text available on the website of the Ministry of Interior.

We are unsatisfied with the way this draft has been adopted, but also with its content.

This text has been adopted through a series of isolated events, without clearly defined objectives and roles of the actors. Neither the Parliament of Montenegro nor the trade unions or employers’ associations were included in preparing this Strategy. Civil servants, except those who are directly involved in the work on the document, were also not included. And, in the end, unfortunately, the citizens were also not involved in preparing this Strategy.

As for the content, besides the methodological objections, we remark the way of defining chapters Strategic management of the process of public administration reform, Development and coordination of public policies, Civil service system and human resources management, Organisation and accountability in the public administration, Provision of services, Management of public finance.

Our basic proposal is to restore the process of adopting this Strategy at the beginning – defining the problem we want to solve on the basis of data on their prevalence, impact and scope, and then defining the precise measures to solve them.

In the meantime, you can read our detailed comments on the current text of the draft Strategy on the following link.

IA’s comments on the Draft Strategy on the Public Administration Reform (only in Montenegrin)

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Press release: Attacks on media and political parties do not contribute to the solution of existent political problems

We strongly condemn attack on offices of the TV Pink M and premises of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) which took place last night and invite the competent state authorities to urgently identify all the perpetrators and those who mainstreamed this, as well as to undertake the necessary measures in order to adequately punish the actors of these events.

Attacks on media and jeopardizing safety of journalists will not contribute to solution of political problems. On the contrary, in this manner only tensions are created that can be additional obstacle to finding a rational political solutions in the public interest.

Attacks on premises of political parties further polarize the society that is already too much divided.

Dissatisfaction with the editorial policy of media or with the work of a political party can be expressed in many different civilized manners, but never with violence.

All media, political parties and other entities have the right to work in a safe environment if we really want Montenegro to be democratic and organized country.

Goran Đurović, Member of the RTCG Council
Stevo Muk, President of the Managing Board of the Institute Alternative (IA)
Daliborka Uljarević, Executive director of the Centre for Civic Education (CCE)

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Press release regarding the breakup of the protest

IA calls upon authorities competent for the oversight of the police work to urgently engage in the control of the police activities during the breakup of the protest

This morning, the police has used force to break up the protest of citizens organized in front of the building of the Parliament of Montenegro organized by the Democratic Front

We express our concerns regarding each excessive, unjustified and unlawful use of force and we demand answers whether the organizers of the protests have been addressed with the official statement on the termination of the protests was before the action took place.

Furthermore, we appeal to the Parliamentary Committee on Security and Defense to urgently convene the control hearing of both Minister of Interior and Police Director in order to determine circumstances of police actions that took place this morning.

IA strongly condemns any kind of violence used against MPs, journalists and citizens. We are especially concerned about the removal of journalists from the scene, banning them from recording and threats against journalists, which are extremely undemocratic practices which limit the media freedom and work of journalists.

The Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms should, in accordance with his competences, urgently conduct a control regarding the procedures applied towards persons arrested and determine whether any subsequent use of force has happened in the police premises.

The Department of Internal Control should urgently and impartially investigate the behaviour of each police officer and issue the official report.

We invite all actors to exercise their rights in accordance with the Constitution and laws, including the freedom of association and assemble as well as to respond in an appropriate and peaceful manner to the situation.

We insist on establishing the responsibility without any exception and sanctioning each unlawful act by any official, from highest to lowest ranking in the hierarchy.

Competent institution have the responsibility to respond whether the acting under the veil of the law enforcement has grown into the politically charged actions.

Stevo MUK
President of the Managing board

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Call for application – Fourth generation of Public Policy School

INSTITUTE ALTERNATIVE

announces

Call for application for participants of the Fourth Generation of

PUBLIC POLICY SCHOOL

The School aims at providing participants with theoretical and practical knowledge about public policies, their creation and improvement. The school will help you to properly research and analyse public policy, plan and conduct research, write an analytical text / policy paper, to formulate recommendations for decision-making and communicate / represent the conclusions and recommendations.

The school will be organised as a three-day seminar and will take place in Budva. Lectures and workshops will be held on Saturday, 7 November, Sunday, 8 November and Monday, 9 November 2015. Lecturers are experts in public policy from the region – professors from universities in Zagreb, Belgrade and Podgorica, representatives of state institutions and independent research centers.

In order to successfully apply for Public Policy School – Fourth Generation, please send:

  • a detailed curriculum vitae (CV)
  • short cover letter

at the e-mail address info@institut-alternativa.org, no later then 1. November, 2015.

The school is intended for direct or potential stakeholders in the policy-making process, employees in state administration, local governments, Parliamentary Service, non-governmental organisations, unions, the media, as well as final-year students of social sciences.

For selected students, the School program is free of charge. The project Public Policy School is supported by the Commission for Allocation of Revenue from Games of Chance.

For further details, please read the Info Pack that is available here. (only in Montenegrin)