First objective

Working in a developmental perspective MDP is focusing on the making of municipal development strategies, either as general strategies for the whole communitiy (master plan) or in a sector like spatial and urban planning or economic planning. This making of development plans implies demanding processes and specific municipal planning organisations (a participatory plan methodology) in order to let and make participate all relevant local stakeholders and the citizens. The results shall be strategic documents of high quality in terms of the analyses of the local development potential and platforms of local actors who shall be able to cooperate in the future in order to implement concrete projects for the coming three to five years.

A basic foundation for this has been laid by MDP with the elaboration of municipal development visions in phase 1 (2002 – 2004). In all the partner municipalities these visions (which are basic assumptions of a wishful future position and situation of the own municipality) have in the meantime been approved by the municipal assemblies and councils. In addition basic municipal management instruments at the mayors' level like tho local governments' „Mission“ and a „Code of Good Governance“ have been worked on. While the Mission describes the basic tasks and committments of the local government, the Code of Cood Governance represents a municipal statement to follow basic principles in all municipal decisions and service performances.

These principles are: effectivity as an orientation to real effects for the citizens; efficiency as a principle to spare costs and expenses and to use the municipal ressources in the best and most economic way; transparency as a rule to offer the citizens all relevant informations (documents, reports, everyday informations) on municipal decisions and public affairs; accountability as a basic principle to take responsibility for all public decisions and actions; and participation as a permanent action principle to involve the citizens and local stakeholders in the local public decisions.

Vision, mission and code of good governance are instruments for local governments which permanently have to be revised in the ongoing municipal practice.

General strategic plans including their projects of implementation are in work in 2005 and 2006 in Petrovo and Usora. Local Economic Development Plans (LED) are going to be elaborated and decided in 2005/2006 in Doboj and Doboj Istok. The main challenges shall be the financial and managerial implementation of concrete projects emerging from these strategies and plans. In Doboj Jug an urban plan and in Maglaj a regulatory plan is in progress.

In order to give these plan and strategy making processes good foundations in terms of quality and real future results (implementation of projects) MDP supports the professionalisation of municipal staff and management in their daily work. Capacity building is therefore one of the most important tasks of the municipalities. MDP works in two main fields to support professional work of municipal people. A basic need of all municipalities can be seen in the improvement of the Human Resource Management. Competence of staff, continuing education, clear criteria for the recruitment of staff, periodical evaluation of municipal people's performances and the like fit the primary goal to serve the citizens in the best possible way and to increase the municipal employees' satisfaction with their everyday work. A second field concerns the introduction of modern electronic technologies in the municipal work all relevant ways. E-Government describes a change of internal work procedures with the help of modern Information Technologies (electronic data systems, digital work flow procecures), a much more efficient delieverance of basic citizens' services (like templates for registration, permissions, concessions and the like) which can be summarised with the goal of establishing „One-Stop-Shops“ for citizens. These management reforms are demanding but promise a higher satisfaction of municipal people and citizens.

Furthermore MDP supports the improvement of the municipal quality management in order to ensure permanently a good quality of municipal work, performances and services. This implies to monitor all relevant municipal activities in a transparent and systematic way. With the support of MDP the municipalities have begun to introduce the Common Assessment Framework (CAF). This is a systematic self-assessment tool which can be periodically applied by the municipal management in order to check defiencies and problems in the municipal work and mangement. First experiences have been made in 2005. Further steps of consolidation shall be made in 2006.