Canada-Bosnia and Herzegovina Local and Cantonal Government Cooperation Program: Phases I and II
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| Sharing project experiences across Bosnia and Herzegovina: project team participates in the annual conference of the Bosnian Association of Urbanists in Tuzla (Nov, 2002) |
The Canada-Bosnia and Herzegovina Local and Cantonal Government Cooperation Program (CBiHCP-II) was a two-phase, five-year (1998-2003) initiative funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). It supported the broad goals of democratic development, economic liberalization and peace and unity in Bosnia and Herzegovina by developing model approaches at the local level to good governance, improved urban management and participatory planning. Capacity development activities were focused on several priority needs including: local economic development, strategic planning, stakeholder involvement, intergovernmental and intermunicipal cooperation, land use planning, project planning and management and local government organizational improvement. The project was being implemented in partnership with the Tuzla Canton and the Urban Institute of Tuzla (a public planning institute) with the participation of 13 other local governments in the canton.
Funding Agency
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Timeframe
Phase I: 1998-1999
Phase II: 2000-2004
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Geographic Focus
Bosnia and Herzegovina is divided into two sub-national entities, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska (RS). In the Federation, there are two levels of sub-national governments, a regional unit known as the canton and municipalities. In the RS there is only one level of sub-national government, the municipalities. The project was located in the Tuzla Canton, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Tuzla Canton is one of 10 cantons in the Federation and the largest in the country in terms of population. The Tuzla Canton (pop. 600,000) contains 13 municipalities including the City of Tuzla (pop. 180,000). The City of Tuzla, an ethnically mixed urban centre, is the fourth largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the administrative and cultural centre of the northeastern part of the country. It is also the region’s economic engine.
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Project Partners
The CBiHCP was implemented in partnership with the Urban Institute of Tuzla (UIT) and the Tuzla Canton Ministry of Physical Planning and Environmental Protection. The UIT is a quasi government agency providing planning, research and consulting services to the municipal and cantonal levels of government. The University of Tuzla was also a participating agency, providing logistical and professional support in a variety of areas including public consultations for the new Tuzla Canton Spatial Plan.
Background
The signing of the Dayton Accord in late 1995, which marked the end of the conflict in BiH, imposed a new governance structure on the country. More than five years after the peace agreement, Bosnians were still struggling to make the new decentralized governance framework operational and effective. Within the Federation entity, the cantons were given the most responsibilities of all three levels of government. Many powers that previously were exercised at the central government level were decentralized to the cantons and several of the major powers previously held by local municipalities were now vested with a new government level with limited experience. Consequently, cantons were in a situation where they must make the transition from a central planning paradigm to market-based system that takes into account the needs and wants of local citizens. This challenge must be considered in conjunction with the need to resuscitate a war-shattered economy and improve relations between and within communities.
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Project Description
The goal of the project was to transform the process of governance in Tuzla Canton, making it more accountable, transparent and efficient. Through a collaborative approach, the project sought to increase citizen involvement in governance and decision-making, improve the transparency and efficiency of local government service delivery, enhance the strategic planning capacity of local decision-makers and institutions and provide an effective framework for civil society to be engaged with government. Results included the development of a contemporary Spatial Plan incorporating the opinion, ideas and needs of the public; a body of institutions and professionals trained in engaging the public in decision-making; and organizations, both governmental and non-governmental, equipped with the capacity to implement the economic, social and environmental objectives of the Canton. Finally, the project shared lessons learned in Tuzla Canton to other local authorities, senior government agencies and other interested parties.
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Approach
The CBiHCP-II was a collaborative project that used a delivery model driven by knowledge transfer and capacity building. The Canadian Urban Institute’s Bosnian partners were initiating and implementing all activities with management and technical support from the CUI and its network of experts and consultants. As the Canton moved to develop a modern Spatial Plan and reform its governance processes, the CUI was supporting its needs for capacity development and strategic planning. The CBiHCP-II also looked to collaborate with other initiatives in the Canton. For example, the project collaborated with the Regional Development Agency to integrate the activities of the spatial planning process with those of the new cantonal Regional Development Strategy (RDS). The RDS provided a strategic economic development plan for the Canton and was completed by the government of Tuzla Canton with assistance from other international donors. Finally, in its final year, the project launched a Local Development Fund that provided seed money to local institutions to implement model projects defined in the planning process.
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Building Capacity for Peace and Unity: The Role of Local Government in Peacebuilding
 The militarized conflict that took place in Bosnia & Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995 crippled political and economic systems, destroyed infrastructure and, perhaps most tragically, tore at the social fabric of the country and its peoples. The 1995 Dayton Accord brought an end to the conflict and created a new structure for governing the country. Local governments were struggling to make sense of the new political and administrative structures created by the Accord, as well as manage the tenuous peace that currently exists. The Canada-Bosnia & Herzegovina Local and Cantonal Government Cooperation Program (CBiHCP) was instrumental in assisting governments in the Tuzla Canton with improving their capacities to provide services to communities while building structures for peace and unity. This project is an excellent example of how development cooperation can contribute to fostering peace and unity in an ethnically cleansed geography.
Building Capacity for Peace and Unity: the Role of Local Government in Peacebuilding was published in collaboration with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and Local Government Support Program (LGSP). Included in this publication is a case study on the Canada-Bosnia & Herzegovina Local and Cantonal Government Cooperation Program, Phase II (CBiHCP-II), which was implemented by the Canadian Urban Institute in the Tuzla Canton of northeast Bosnia. An electronic copy of this publication is available for download here.
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Canada-Macedonia Initiative in Support of Local Self Government
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| Towards local self-government in Macedonia: local government elected officials and staff from the Kicevo region discuss issues that transcend municipal boundaries. |
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The Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) in partnership with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje and the Ministry of Local Self Government delivered a 2003 capacity development program on regional development and intermunicipal cooperation for municipalities in the Kicevo region of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. This partnership was born from the initiative of OSCE to encourage international involvement in the implementation of the country’s Framework Agreement, also known as the Ohrid Peace Agreement. The agreement focused on securing the future of Macedonia's democracy and promoting the peaceful and harmonious development of civil society. The capacity building approach of the workshop was based on sharing experiences and discussing issues among participants from Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Canada and developing a joint municipal action plan for cooperation in the Kicevo region.
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Funding Agency
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje, the Government of the Royal Kingdom of Norway and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) Canadian Partnership Branch under the CUI’s program agreement entitled the International Partnership Program for Good Urban Governance, 2001-2006.
Timeframe
2003
Geographic Focus
The geographic focus of the project was the region of Kicevo situated in the western part of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Six municipalities in the area were involved in the project: Kicevo, Drugovo, Oslomej, Zajas, Vranestica and Plasnica.
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Project Partners
- Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje
- Zels (Association of Municipalities of Macedonia)
- Ministry of Local Self Government
- Ministry of Transport and Communication
- Municipalities of Kicevo, Drugovo, Oslomej, Zajas, Vranestica and Plasnica
- GHK International ( Canada) Ltd.
- Tuzla Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- University of Tuzla , Bosnia and Herzegovina
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Background
The OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje initiated the Kicevo Inter-Municipal Cooperation Pilot Project in partnership with the Macedonian Ministry of Local Self Government. The Project supported the country’s Framework Agreement for securing the future of Macedonia's democracy and permitting the development of closer and more integrated relations between the Republic of Macedonia and the Euro-Atlantic community. The Agreement focused on confidence-building measures for the promotion of peace and stability, which invited support from the international community in strengthening local government and implementing the new law on local self-government. Running from June 2002 to December 2003, the pilot project worked with six municipalities in the Macedonian region of Kicevo. The capacity development workshop entitled “In Pursuit of Regional Development Through Inter-Municipal Cooperation” made a direct contribution to the OSCE-led Kicevo Inter-Municipal Cooperation Pilot Project.
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Project Description
The goal was to build the capacity of municipalities in the Kicevo region to improve intermunicipal cooperation and encourage regional development. The objectives of the capacity development initiative were to:
- Share experiences and knowledge in regional development and intermunicipal cooperation between Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Canada;
- Develop an understanding of the shared issues, challenges and opportunities facing municipalities in the Kicevo region; and
- Develop a joint municipal action plan for pursuing a cooperative municipal project.
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