The objective of the "Local Transparency Booster" project has been to improve the transparency of the work of the local self-government units in Serbia, as well as to increase the capacity of local civil society organizations to collect and use information generated in the work of their local self-governments. The project has lasted for 18 months, from December 2014 to May 2016.
The project included research on the transparency of the work of all local self-governments in Serbia by monitoring their internet presentations and analyzing the availability of relevant documents developed within their activities. In this way, an insight into the current state of affairs was made, as well as the foundations for improving the services of local self-governments for the citizens. Local self-government units were empowered to develop new, but also to strengthen the existing mechanisms for a transparent and accountable approach in their work.
The second part of the project included training "We Have Something Against Corruption", which involved the strengthening of 50 civil society organizations for advocacy and monitoring of transparency and the fight against corruption at the local level. Empowered, these organizations have networked with the goal of combating corruption and creating a more inclusive environment for citizens and their initiatives regarding the improvement of the work of local self-governments.
Within the project, the Small Grants Support Program was implemented through which the following projects were supported: "Strengthening Transparency of Local Authorities: Secanj Fit for the Citizens", implemented by the "Power of the Word" association from Secanj; "Do You Know You Have the Right to Know" implemented by the “Mali Zvornik Municipal Council” citizens association from Mali Zvornik; “Building Capacities for Transparency Boosting" implemented by the "Podrinje Anti-Corruption Team" citizens association from Loznica; "Improving the Transparency of Public Finances in the Municipality of Opovo" implemented by the “Opovo Youth Initiative” and the Center for the Development of a Democratic Society "EUROPOLIS"; and "Strengthening Local Transparency by Improving the Availability of Information of Public Importance" implemented by the "Intermedia" and "Green Planet" associations from Blaca.
As a result of the project, the level of transparency of the work of local self-governments was estimated and an open online database of all documents of public interest resulting from the work of local self-governments was created. The database is available at www.dostup.no.
Within the project, recommendations have been made to improve proactive transparency at the local and national level entitled “Proactive Transparency of Local Governments: A Necessary Element of Good Governance and a Condition for Citizen Participation”, a policy paper entitled “Proactive Transparency of Local Governments in Serbia: In the Gap between Regulations and Practices”, as well as the "Proactive Transparency of Public Administration in Serbia: (Un) Achievable Goal” policy study.
Based on the results of the research conducted through this project, by participating in the Special Inter-ministerial Group for the preparation of the Second Action Plan for the Implementation of the Open Government Partnership Initiative in the Republic of Serbia for 2016 and 2017, the Belgrade Open School successfully advocated proactive transparency and availability of information from the Information Booklets. The obligation was introduced within the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Partnership for Open Government Initiative in the Republic of Serbia for 2016 and 2017.
The "Local Transparency Booster" project was implemented by the Belgrade Open School in partnership with the Toplica Center for Democracy and Human Rights and in cooperation with the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities, with support from the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia. The project was co-financed by the Office for Cooperation with Civil Society of the Government of the Republic of Serbia.