One of the MLGA core objectives is to improve transparency and accountability in local governments in Macedonia in order to increase the quality of governance in the municipalities. In order to respond to these issues, MLGA has been supporting municipalities by implementing activities that range from training on the e-Procurement system, redesigning of municipal websites to make them more citizen-oriented, and designing new web applications, to introducing effective citizen feedback mechanisms but, also, providing assistance indirectly through programs implemented in collaboration with ZELS.

MLGA is working in the following areas:

1. Direct technical assistance to cooperating municipalities:

• E-Procurement training

MLGA delivered trainings on the use of the e-Procurement system whose main benefit is to reduce prices and eliminate any possibility for corruption. The trainings that were conducted in cooperation with the USAID e-Gov Project and the State Office for Public Procurement provide a thorough explanation of the system and the steps necessary to successfully conduct e-Procurement. The use of this system is expected to significantly save the time and money needed for processing public procurements, but, more importantly, reduce the opportunities for corruption.

• Improvement of municipal websites

MLGA has recognized that e-government can play an important role in making the local governments more efficient, expanding citizen access to government services and information, and improving relationships between government and business. To help municipalities in the efforts to improve their websites MLGA has been working with all cooperating municipalities in redesigning of the websites.

Also, MLGA has developed a web application for problem reporting to help municipalities introduce a tool that makes faster interaction between the citizens and the local government officials and administration possible. This system enables a citizen report a communal problem through the municipal website 24 hours a day, 7 days a week that the municipal staff will try to solve in a shortest period of time. The municipalities in turn can get significant results in improving the efficiency of their services, and also significantly increase citizen satisfaction. The application has been made available for all municipalities.

• Citizen Feedback Mechanisms

MLGA developed a Manual for Getting Citizen Feedback. This manual offers a wide range of effective citizen feedback mechanisms for Macedonian municipalities that will encourage genuine and continuous citizen inputs to the work of local elected officials and administration. This manual is used in training and technical assistance provided to cooperating municipalities to help them put in place specific citizen feedback mechanisms.