Results to Date
Best Practices Program
The Municipal Best Practices Program (BPP) is one of the MLGA programs implemented in cooperation with ZELS and the Council of Europe.
To promote and better explain the BPP, four regional informational meetings were held for Macedonian mayors and municipal officials. Educational material for the program—a prospectus—was presented. A question and answer session was facilitated.
A total of 43 best practice nominations were received from 18 municipalities (Veles submitted 19 nominations; Kocani and Aerodrom, three nominations each; Stip and Negotino, 2 nominations each; and Strumica, Centar, Dolneni, Ohrid, Kriva Palanka, Kavadarci, Delcevo, Gevgelija Vevcani, and Bitola, one application each). The following is the total number of municipal nominations received for specific BPP topics:
- Service Provision: Increasing the Quality of Services in the Process of Decentralization: 16 nominations.
- Citizen Participation: Promotion of Citizen Participation in the Decision-making Process: 16 nominations.
- Financial Management: Increasing Own-source Revenues by the Municipality:
7 nominations.
The table below is an overview of short-listed nominations for Best Practices.
No. |
Municipality |
Topic |
Practices |
Total points |
Rank |
1. |
Dolneni |
2 |
Administering taxes in Municipality of Dolneni |
287 |
1 |
2. |
Ohrid |
3 |
Informative center for documenting, registering, and categorizing lodging capacities and monitoring of tourist tax payment in the primary and complementary lodging capacities |
277 |
2 |
3. |
Strumica |
3 |
Urban redevelopment reconstruction and building of the city market |
269 |
3 |
4. |
Bosilovo, Vasilevo, and Novo Selo |
1 |
Establishment of common administrative bodies |
263 |
4 |
5. |
Strumica |
3 |
Processes in decentralization and transparent and accountable management—critical factors for increased property tax collection rate and communal fee collection |
259 |
5 |
6. |
Veles |
2 |
Delegated authorities |
253 |
6 |
7. |
Veles |
1 |
Electronic media covers meetings of municipal council |
251 |
7 |
8. |
Bitola |
3 |
Tax collection – updating real estate database with automatic data processing |
251 |
7 |
9. |
Gevgelija |
1 |
Decentralized offices for communication resulting in improved service for citizens |
250 |
8 |
10. |
Kocani |
3 |
Energy conservation – use of solar lights in Goceva Suma, solar traffic lights, and windmill on Lukubija monument |
245 |
9 |
11. |
Vevcani |
3 |
Water system reconstruction – new system for distribution and control of water delivery |
245 |
9 |
12. |
Veles |
1 |
Decentralized municipal offices – neighborhood services |
245 |
9 |
Six practices were identified to be recognized at the highest level with a “Best Practice 2008 in Service Provision/Citizen Participation/Financial Management” plaque. The remaining practices received a “Best Practice Finalist 2008 in Service Provision/Citizen Participation/ Financial Management” plaque.
The Steering Committee verified the process of selection and defined a ranked list of municipalities.
According to the ranked list, the recognized six municipalities:
No. |
Municipality |
Municipal Best Practice |
1. |
Dolneni |
Promoting citizens’ participation in decision-making processes |
2. |
Ohrid |
Information management system for record keeping, registration, accommodation capacity categorization, and monitoring tourism tax payment at basic and complementary accommodation capacities |
3. |
Strumica |
Reconstruction of the Town Mall superstructure |
4. |
Bosilovo, Vasilevo, and Novo Selo |
Establishing Joint Administrative Bodies |
5. |
Vevcani |
Reconstruction of the water supply system with a new water distribution and control system |
6. |
Veles |
Delegated authorities |
A recognition ceremony for ZELS Municipal BPP 2008 was held on October 31, 2008 in Skopje. A total of 240 attendees were invited including all mayors, presidents of municipal councils, representatives from the line ministries, ambassadors, donors, and other guests. The President of ZELS, Mr. Koce Trajanovski, the Ambassador, EU Special Representative, Head of Delegation, EU Mission, Mr. Erwan Fouéré, and the Head of the Centre of Expertise for Local Government Reform with the Council of Europe, Mr. Giovanni Di Stasi, delivered opening speeches.
The official BPP Web site (www.bestpractices.org.mk) was promoted at this event. In addition, a Municipal Best Practices 2008 publication will be developed in cooperation with ZELS and Council of Europe.
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Cross-cutting Activities
