USAID Government Accountability Initiative and the City of Sombor have enabled the participation of high school students in public consultations on the 2020 budget. In 2019, an initiative was launched creating a first-time opportunity for students to define projects they consider important for improving the work and stay at school, to vote on proposals and select the projects they deem most needed. The results of the vote were sent to the City Government for consideration and inclusion of the projects in the budget.

Results of the survey that was conducted by CeSID doo, for the USAID funded Government Accountability Initiative, between November 8 and 22, 2019.

Opinion Poll Report – Citizens’ Perceptions of Anti-Corruption Efforts in Serbia 2019

USAID Government Accountability Initiative and web portal Pištaljka have published Guide for Persons Authorized for Receiving and Investigating Whistle-Blowers Reports in Local Self-Government. The guide contains necessary information and instructions on how to organize an efficient internal whistle-blowing system in municipalities, as well as how to proceed with reports that authorized persons receive from whistleblowers, taking into account their identity. The guide also contains several case studies, simulations and examples from the practice that should help authorized persons and local decision-makers to better understand the importance of whistleblower protections, but also the importance of investigating information that is disclosed by whistleblowers.

This document is available in Serbian language only.

USAID Governmental Accountability Initiative, web portal Pištaljka, together with international expert, Mr. Tomas Divine, have published Recommendations for improving internal rulebook for whistleblowing in local self-governments (LSG). The model relies on international best practices as well as concrete legal and organizational characteristics of local governments in Serbia.

In line with the Whistleblower Protection Law from December 2014, LSGs are obliged to establish systems for whistleblowing that will ensure secure receipt of reports and taking of appropriate follow up actions. Given that the regulatory framework relating to whistleblowing is relatively new, there is a significant need to support LSGs in implementation of the legal requirements as well as for educating local administration staff and management about the rules and procedures for whistleblowing. Besides developing recommendations for rulebooks on internal whistleblowing procedures, GAI also works on capacity building of local self-governments in Serbia and on providing direct technical assistance to LSGs in introducing functional model for whistleblower protection.