LPSA’s Expert Working Group (EWG) on Europe & Central Asia (ECA) aims to bring together government officials, policy practitioners, scholars, civil society organizations, and citizens who share an interest and expertise on decentralization, multilevel governance, intergovernmental relations, local governance and local development in ECA.
The next public meeting of the ECA Expert Working Group is scheduled to take place on June 11, 2025 (10:00 EDT/ 15:00 BST/ 16:00 CEST/19:00 UZT).
Registration is required for this meeting- Register here!
The focus of the upcoming meeting will be on: Civic Monitoring of Government Programs and Policies
Ensuring government accountability and the effective, transparent use of public resources are fundamental pillars of good governance and sustainable development across Europe & Central Asia (ECA). Citizen engagement in overseeing government actions is increasingly vital for strengthening democratic processes, improving public service delivery, and ensuring that policies truly benefit the communities they are intended to serve. Active civic monitoring plays a critical role in verifying that state programs achieve their objectives, public funds are spent wisely, and local development initiatives align with citizen priorities.
Citizens and civil society organizations across the ECA region are employing diverse strategies and innovative tools to participate in this oversight. They are key actors in tracking policy implementation, scrutinizing budget allocations and expenditures, and evaluating the impact of local projects.
This seminar, hosted by LPSA’s Expert Working Group on Europe & Central Asia, will delve into the practical dimensions of civic monitoring. It will focus specifically on concrete examples of citizen engagement in monitoring state programs, budget execution, and local development initiatives drawn from experiences within the ECA region. The session aims to explore the variety of mechanisms through which citizens and CSOs are holding governments accountable, from social audits to technology-driven monitoring platforms. By examining these real-world cases, the seminar will shed light on effective strategies, identify common obstacles, and foster discussion on best practices for meaningful citizen participation in governance processes, ultimately contributing to more responsive and effective public administration and development outcomes in the region.
| Agenda Item | Contributor |
| 1. Welcome and introduction | Gabor Peteri ECA Working Group Co-Chair Tengiz Sultanishvili Moderator/Citizen Engagement Specialist |
| 2. Participatory Monitoring of the State Rural Support Program in Georgia | Rabil Ismail Co-Founder & Board Member of Platform “Salam” – Local Civil Society Organization |
| 3. Discussant | Fisnik Shabani Project Specialist / Local Governance Coordinator Democratic Governance, United Nations Development Programme, North Macedonia |
| 4. Driving Transparency & Civic Engagement: The OpenCivitas Model from Italy | Francesco Porcelli Associate Professor of Economics, University of Rome “La Sapienza” |
| 5. Q&A & Discussant | Participants & Fisnik Shabani |
| 6. The Impact of Civil Society in Enhancing Policy-Making in Kosovo | Qerkin Berisha Assistant Professor, University of Prishtina, Faculty of Law |
| 7. Q&A & Discussant | Participants & Fisnik Shabani |
| 8. Closing remarks & Next steps for the working group | Gabor Peteri |
We need your help to make this meeting a success: If you have any updates about decentralization or local governance reforms in your country; updates about new research; or information about local government projects that you would like mentioned during the open meeting, please email the Working Group co-chairs at eca@decentralization.net so that a brief announcement can be made at the beginning of the meeting.
Reminder: You can join any LPSA Expert Working Group free of cost and receive reminders and updates by opting-in to one or more working groups as part of your LPSA Membership registration.
