📋 Tender Overview
ACT-2 improves citizens’ participation in decision making at the local and national level through and with the support of civil society organizations (CSOs). Selected mission-driven CSOs are supported to strengthen constituency, diversify funding and effectively engage in advocacy. They jointly advocate with complementary CSOs and informal groups to increase impact and legitimacy. CSOs initiate dialogue and collaboration with local authorities, private sector and media to achieve development results.
Country/region Topic Period Budget
Serbia
Governance
Gender
nothemedefined
Democratic participation and civil society
Women’s equality organisations and institutions
01.11.2023 - 31.10.2027
CHF 5’996’000
The project in brief
Background Civil society in Serbia continues to face challenges in playing its democratic role as pressure on civil society organizations (CSOs), independent media and activists is continuing. Despite a certain degree of increase in civic activism around environmental issues and their influence on some public decisions, citizen engagement is still low, with 20% citizens participating in local initiatives. However, an encouraging trend is the growing citizens’ trust in CSOs. Most small and medium-sized CSOs remain poorly capacitated, struggling to strengthen constituency and mobilise diverse funding sources. The Government strategy on civil society enabling environment was adopted in 2022 and the Civil Society Council to serve as its dialogue platform was established in 2023. Yet, there remains a strong need for an open government, creating an enabling environment on the ground; as well as a need to further strengthen the legitimacy of CSOs to play their advocacy, citizens’ engagement and watch-dog roles.
Objectives Citizens influence public policies and hold authorities to account by engaging in public dialogue, participatory decision making and advocacy processes at local and national level, through and with support of strengthened, constituency – based, missiondriven and mutually connected CSOs, informal groups and other stakeholders.
Target groups ACT 2 will work with three groups of civic actors: a) partner CSOs - mission driven CSOs, willing to strengthen constituency, improve financial diversification and engage citizens in advocacy initiatives b) associated CSOs , participating in the joint advocacy initiatives led by the partner CSOs and c) informal groups/movements, capable to mobilize citizens, working in complementarity with the partner CSOs to increase impact. ACT will also foster collaboration with other actors including public institutions, businesses, academia and media. Around 60,000 people are expected to participate in and influence public local decision making.
Medium-term outcomes Outcome 1: Partner CSOs and informal groups are effective in pursuing their mission and engaging in advocacy, gradually increase and strengthen their constituency, diversify funding sources and are responsive an
