ICNL REPORT:
STUDY TOUR ON LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR
NGO/LOCAL GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIPS

ICNL Representative : Katerina Hadzi-Miceva (Legal Advisor, ICNL/Budapest)
Dates of trip: June 30 – July 11, 2002
Participants: Representatives from Macedonian Citizen Information Centers, NGOs and the
DAI/Local Government Reform Project.
Local Partner Organizers: Poland : Mr. Michal Guc, Deputy Mayor of Gdynia and Mr.
Wojchieck Girucki, Chief, Center for NGOs, Gdynia;
Croatia : Ms. Cvjetana Plavsa–Matic, Head
of the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs and Ms. Marija Boltek, Government
Office for Cooperation with NGOs, Zagreb.

Partnership between the local government and NGOs in Macedonia takes various
forms. First, there exist 13 Citizen Information Centers (CICs), which are part of the
local government. Second, there is an Information Service for NGOs and citizens, which
functions within the local government, but is operated by an NGO. In addition, some
cities employ a representative from a local NGO to serve as a Counselor to the Mayor on
a specific issue (e.g. environment). The CICs are focused more on communication
between the two sectors, and less on promo ting NGOs as social service providers. The
other two forms of cooperation seek to in tegrate NGOs into their work, but lack
sustainability and need to be further institutionalized.

With the goal of presenting innovative institutional practices relating to
NGO/local government cooperation to representatives of the above-mentioned
Macedonian organizations, ICNL organized a study tour on the Legal and Institutional
Framework for NGO/Local Government Partne rships. The study tour also aimed to
expose the participants to additional m eans of fulfilling their informational and
ombudsmen functions, to market their servic es more effectively, and to serve as a
communication point between local government and NGOs. In addition, the study tour
addressed organizational development issues , including staffing issues and resource
mobilization.

The study tour took place from June 30 to July 11, 2002. ICNL invited 5
representatives from the CICs and 3 repres entatives from NGOs that have initiated
cooperation with the local government. ICNL also hosted Ms. Vesna Atanasova from the
DAI/Local Government Reform Project, who, as coordinator of the CICs, nominated the
participants. Represented on the tour were CICs from the following cities: Bitola,
Gostivar, Kumanovo, Veles and Stip. The NGO representatives were selected in
collaboration with Mr. Zoran Stojkovski of the Institute for Sustainable Communities
(ISC). Representatives from the following N GOs attended the tour: Center for Civic
Initiatives (“CCI”), Prilep, Environmental Organization – “Sunrise”, Sv. Nikole and
Council for Prevention of Juven ile Delinquency, Kavadarci.

SUMMARY OF THE MEETINGS

I. POLAND

Poland offers one of the most impressi ve examples of NGO-local government
partnership in Central and Ea stern Europe, as there have been established sustainable
systems of NGO/Local government cooperation, which have successfully led to benefits
for the local community. Through this part of the study tour, participants studied
examples of an institutiona lized system of cooperation, which serves citizens and
integrates the NGOs. The bulk of the study to ur took place in Gdynia, which is notable
for being the first city in Poland to undertak e such an initiative for cooperation and to
successfully manage to include NGOs in the sy stem of city management. After receiving
an overview of the Polish NGO sector, particip ants focused on two primary issues related
to NGO-government partnership: (1) people and institutions facilitating cooperation
between NGOs and local government and (2) NGOs as service providers. The
participants were hosted by Mr. Michal Guc, Deputy Mayor of Gdynia and initiator of
this cooperation, and Mr. Wojcieck Girucki, Chief of the Center for NGOs in Gdynia.

1. Overview of the Polish NGO Sector

The tour began with a ge neral overview of the Polish NGO sector. Mr. Kuba
Wygnanski, one of the key players in the NGO sector, presented the famous
KLON/JAWOR database of Polish NGOs, Polish and international donors, and
cooperating international NGOs. He also rev ealed the results of his organization’s
research compiling basic data about the NGO sector, with particular emphasis on the
sustainability of NGOs working in the social sphere. From this presentation, participants
learned of possible ways to organize the da tabase of information for the NGOs in their
community and how to facilitate the exchange of information about the sector. Finally,
Ms. Ana Wojakowska of the Polish-American Freedom Foundation assessed the situation
in Poland from a donor’s perspective. Par ticipants learned about the project “Transition
in the region” (RITA), which is a poten tial source of financial support for the
development of cooperation between Macedonia n and Polish organizations, especially
related to the issues of cr oss-sectoral cooperation.

2. People and Institutions Facilitating Cooperation between NGOs and
Local Government

Participants visited the Citizen Advise Bureau (CAB) in Warsaw, where they
were introduced to the concept of CABs, which are led by local NGOs and serve as a
focal point of communication between citizen s and local government. The participants
were especially interested in the training on the basic principles for work with clients,
which is being conducted by all CABs in Polan d. In addition, they also saw samples of
“client forms” and learned how to maintain a da tabase of client information. Participants
expressed interest in implementing these pa rticular components upon their return to
Macedonia.

Through a joint meeting with the representatives from the CABs in Gdynia and
Gdansk, participants received a comparativ e perspective of cooperation, which provoked
lively discussion. Ms. Anna Plosaj, from th e CAB in Gdynia, explained the functioning
of CABs that have successfully developed c ooperation with the local government. She
emphasized the services that ar e available to citizens, the process of providing advice and
the training for volunteers who work with clie nts. She highlighted the forms of support
CABs are receiving from the local government and how they are marketing their services,
which should prove especially helpful to the CIC participants to further develop their
informational and ombudsman functions. The part icipants were particularly interested in
the sources of financial support that CABs are receiving from the local government and
in how to mobilize resources from other sources.

In contrast to these two examples of su ccessful CABs, participants met with Ms.
Tamara Wolodzko, from the Gdansk CAB, which is still struggling to build cooperation
with the local government. Ms. Wolodzko explained the efforts bei ng made to overcome
the barriers to cooperation and to gain the trust of the local government. She noted that
the Gdansk CAB is being operated by volunt eers. Her enthusiasm helped the NGO
participants to identify some common probl ems and discuss possible solutions. One of
the CIC participants noted: “The meetings enabled us to see that these organizations had
problems similar to ours, before they have reached this level of cooperation. This helped
us learn that well prepared and sustainable projects that serve the common good – are
the best argument for achieving easier communication with the local government”. Later
in the tour, the participants also visited the offices of the CAB in Gdansk. Their one
complaint was that they were not able to stay longer in these centers and attend some of
the meetings with the clients.

In Gdynia, participants studied a second form of institutionalized cooperation:
Centers for NGOs , which are establishe d by, and operating in cooperation with, the
local government. Mr. Michal Guc, Deputy Mayor of Gdynia, outlin ed the partnership
from the perspective of the local governme nt and explained the rationale behind the
Centers, and the scheme of their functioning. Mr. Wojciech Girucki, Chief of the Center
for NGOs, explained the type of services th at the local government is providing through
these Centers to local NGOs. He particular ly emphasized the role of providing free-of-
charge space for NGOs to support some of their activities and explained the format of the
meetings organized for facilitating discussi ons between the local government and NGOs.
Participants were interested to hear how th ese Centers facilitate the process of grant
giving. Finally, Mr. Kazimierz Bukartyk, the Pl enipotentiary of Mayor of Gliwice on
NGO issues, described his effo rts to implement the Gdynia model in his city. The
participants found some of the examples very useful in terms of strengthening their role
as facilitators of the local government’s financial support to NGOs and in terms of
fostering dialogue between the two sectors.

The CABs and the Centers for NGOs gave participants two models of NGO-local
government cooperation, which provide useful reference points in evaluating their own
activities. During the debriefing sessions, the CIC participants discussed the possibility

of either expanding the responsibilities of the current CICs and/or establishing new
Centers for NGOs, which could be facilita ted by the existing CIC. Even more
importantly, the participants were able to clarify how these Centers have maintained their
independence, although they are operating within or in close cooperation with the local
government. One of the partic ipants said that she was “most impressed by the
determination of these organizations to develop the activities in line with their aims,
while at the same time to be seriously accepted by the local government and to strive to
keep their independent functioning.” This is among the greatest challenges faced by the
actors of the cooperation in Macedonia.

2. NGOs as Service Providers

Participants also met with NGOs providing social services in place of the local
government. They visited the shelters for homeless people and centers for mentally
handicapped people, which are r un by local NGOs with the financial and in-kind support
of the local government. Du ring these visits, participants learned how the local
authorities are transferring re sponsibility to the NGOs and about the forms of support
they are providing to them. While examples of such cooperation exist in Macedonia,
there is a need to further recognize and institutionalize such cooperation. Participants
agreed on the importance of fostering a more frequent dialogue between the local
government and the NGOs, with the aim of enabling better understanding of their work
and receiving feedback from the commun ity. This could also result in a better
understanding of community need s and preparation of a joint strategy for responding to
those needs.

In a meeting at the Economic Foundation, pa rticipants learned of the Foundation’s
work on economic development in Gdynia. The Foundation is running a program for
unemployed people, who receive financial support from the local government. In
cooperation with the local government and co rporate sector, the Foundation organizes a
fair for job opportunities. Some participants expressed interest in carrying out such a
project in their communities, es pecially since unemployment is currently a big problem in
Macedonia.

The tour in Poland also highlighted the mu tual benefit that springs from engaging
volunteers in the field. The participants recogn ized that the number of volunteers in the
centers and organizations they visited was us ually larger than the number of employees.

II. CROATIA

Like Poland, Croatia offers impressi ve examples of NGO/local government
cooperation. Unlike Poland, Croatia has not deve loped the same level of institutionalized
cooperation at the local level. Instead, in Croatia, the national government has
established a National Office fo r Cooperation with NGOs, while at the local level, more
informal forms of cooperation are being de veloped, through the initiative of the NGO
sector. The tour in Croatia mainly focuse d on the issues of developing programs for

cooperation on national and local level, local government grant giving to NGOs, the
development of the role of NGOs as soci al service providers and the importance of
volunteers. The tour was hosted by ICNL’s long-standing partners, Ms. Cvjetana Plavsa-
Matic and Ms. Marija Boltek, from the G overnment Office for Cooperation with NGOs.

1. Developing Programs for Cooperation

Participants met with Ms. Cvjetana Plav sa-Matic, Head of the Government Office
for Cooperation with NGOs, and three representa tives of the regional resource centers in
Croatia. These sessions enabled them to compare the development of NGO/government
cooperation on the national and local level. Ms. Plavsa-Matic discussed the reasons for
establishing, and the process of establishing the Governme nt Office for NGOs. She gave
a systematic presentation concerning how the National Program for Cooperation had
been developed and outlined the basic principles on which this Program depends. She
also described the Croatian experience of developing cooperation on the national and
local levels and the continuing challenges. The participants recognized similar
challenges in Macedonia and consid ered potential solutions.

In addition, participants learned how the Croatian government sets the criteria for
financing NGOs from the state budget and how the selection process has been
implemented. Particularly interesting wa s the recent creation of a Commission for
review of grant applications, which on the na tional level is composed of representatives
of both the government and NGOs. Ms. Plav sa-Matic emphasized the principles of
transparency and accountability, which are fundamental to the development of a solid,
trusting partnership.

In complement to Ms Plavsa-Matic’s presentation, Ms. Sandra Kolonic-Bistricic,
of the Ri-Center (Regional Resource Center in Rijeka), spoke on developing a Charter of
Cooperation at the local level. She explained the process of forming a regional network
of NGOs in Rijeka, and also detailed the strategy of presenting the proposal to the local
government. Most participants found these presentations useful and expressed an interest
in developing such programs for cooperation in their local communities. In addition,
they decided to inform a representative from the Macedonian Ministry of Local
Government about the potential initiatives th at could be developed on a national level in
Macedonia.

2. Local Government Grant Giving to NGOs Which Are Providing Services
to the Community

Vesna Zec, Head of the Local Government Office for Social Welfare, and key to
the developing cooperation in Split, compared the previous and current framework for
transferring responsibilities from the local government to NGOs. In addition, she
explained the criteria for receiving fina ncial support from the local government for
projects in the field of deliver ing social services and for issues that the local government
has listed as important for the commun ity (e.g., the promotion and support of

volunteerism in the community). She also stressed the importance of cooperation within
the local NGO sector as a prerequisite for successful and trustworthy cooperation with
the local government.

Participants also met with NGOs that are direct partners with the local
government. This part of the tour prove d particularly interesting for the NGO
participants, because they were able to exch ange experience with organizations that work
in the same fields (e.g. environmental protection and juvenile delinquency). These
meetings offered a different perspective from those in Poland, because the form of
cooperation is not as institutionalized as in Poland. The participants met also with
activists who are performing their services on voluntary basis. The enthusiasm and
experience of these volunteers underscored th e importance of volunteers in the sector and
motivated the participants to develop progr ams for engaging volunteers in their local
communities.

CONCLUSIONS AND NEXT STEPS

A fundamental benefit of the study tour wa s that participants were exposed to a
variety of methods of promoting coopera tion between local governments and NGOs.
According to one participant, the tour allowed them to witness a “rich palette of forms of
cooperation” and meet the key players responsi ble for that cooperation. Another
commented that “ the tour has opened new perspectives for cooperation in the field”
which would be interesting to implement in their home cities . Significantly, the tour also
enabled participants to exchange experience among them selves and to recognize the
diversity of partnerships that exist in Macedonia.

ICNL is pleased that the tour dem onstrated realistic mechanisms for NGO-
government cooperation, not only to the participants, but also to Ms. Atanasova, who, as
coordinator of the CICs, will be working on thei r future development. We recognize that
five of eight participants are most eager and interested in undertaking immediate follow-
up activities. The most enthusiastic repres entatives are evidently those from the NGOs,
especially from “CCI” and “Sunrise”, and the representatives from the CICs in
Kumanovo and Gostivar.

Throughout the tour, ICNL held five plan ning sessions, which were led primarily
by Mr. Guc and Ms. Plavsa-Matic. During these sessions, participan ts reflected upon the
issues raised at the meetings and began to develop a strategy for follow-up activities.
Their concrete ideas include:

• A meeting through which study-tour particip ants could share their newly gained
expertise with other CIC and NGO representatives, and with government
representatives (such as the Ministry of Local Government and the Association of
Units of Local Government);
• Small workshops designed to further unders tanding of the partnership possibilities
in some local communities and to convey specific experiences of the study tour to
their local contacts;

• Trainings designed to build th e capacity of the participants and their colleagues in
the field of partnership;
• Setting up Centers for NGOs;
• Developing criteria for grant making from the local government;
• Developing Programs for cooperation between local government and NGOs

Upon their own initiative, all participants are currently working on an internal
report on the study tour, which should help th em to summarize the tour findings and
elaborate plans for individual ent ities. This process is being facilitated by ICNL, with the
assistance of Ms. Atanasova. In addition, they are preparing individual presentations
about the tour for their collea gues and local NGOs, at which tim e they plan to seek their
input in drafting a more concrete plan for the development of cooperation.

ICNL will remain engaged to facilitate cross-border exchange of experience
between our Polish and Croatian local partners and the study tour participants. ICNL
also stands ready to assist in preparing legal documents and procedures related to
partnership activities. ICNL will likewise support efforts to strengthen and develop a
network of volunteers in the local community.

We are aware that the implementation of follow-up activities will depend on the
openness of the local government in each city as well as on the ability of the participants
to translate the experience gained on the tour into meaningful action. This was implicitly
recognized by one of the part icipants, who stressed that: “…the experience in Poland and
Croatia taught us also that in order to accomplish our aims we need time and
enthusiasm”.

Potential barriers to effective partnershi p include the uncertain legal environment
in which the Centers must operate and the lack of financial support. The Macedonian
Parliament recently enacted a new Law on Local Self-government, which will require a
thorough analysis as to the le gal possibilities for the develo pment of cooperation. Even
given a favorable framework for partnership, financial restraints will make the
implementation process difficult. The draft Law on Public Financing, if enacted, will
likely provide more financial resources to the local government, providing greater
opportunity for the development of partnershi p activities. Finally, the NGOs need to
“convince” the local government about the ne ed to further institutionalize methods of
cooperation.

Considering the above-mentioned obstacles, ICNL recognizes the need for further
discussions with the participants on the best approach for conceptualizing and
implementing these follow-up activities. IC NL will be happy to combine efforts with
LGRP and ISC and seek their input, as the next step s are determined. We hope that this
cooperation will provide for a better assessme nt of the needs of the local communities
and more effective response to those need s. ICNL of course welcomes USAID’s
thoughts on how to ensure effective imp lementation of these initiatives.

At the end of the study tour, one participant noted that “all the models of
cooperation we have seen have been establis hed with the aim to accomplish goals that
are for the common good of th e community as a whole”. This is the basic message the
tour hoped to convey.

As always, ICNL expresses its appr eciation to Kathy Stermer and Melita
Cokrevska, USAID/Skopje for their guidance and support in organizing this tour, and we
look forward to our continued work together in the development of this field in
Macedonia.