Македонски центар за меѓународна соработка - МЦМС

The Development of rural communities and institutions of the rural sector emerge that beside all activities for stimulation, there is not still achieved needed level of development. Progress of organize communities and institutions first of all depends from their own development, which is facing insufficient of strategic capability and organizational capacity, as well as underdeveloped ambient for action. Significant part of the problem is absence of sustainability of development projects especially evident in rural and others small municipalities where sensitisation of undeveloped segments is necessary.

General goal of the program is to promote the communities’ sustainable development. The stimulated local development of rural and marginalized communities through increased participation and organizational strengthening is the program’s goal that leads to realization of the general goal.

The program is striving to reach 5 specific results that lead to realization of its goal: Improved capacity (modernization) of rural and other small communities for development initiatives; Established participation approaches in the communities; Improved transparency in the communities’ operation; Built (improved) public support for rural and other small communities; and Stimulated innovations and activities for solving problems in the communities. These results complement each other.

The program will be implemented by the Macedonian Center for International Cooperation (MCIC), development department. For the training courses support will be provided by the training group in the civil society department and for the information part there will be support by a specialized team (information group). For certain products and services MCIC will provide support by specialized institutions.

In the period between 2001-2005, MCIC carried out the Program for Enabling the Communities and Institutions (OZI), that integrated the part which meant providing organizational and managing capacity for the communities. This program enabled better following and more quality influence for building the local communities’ capacity. Now, such proposed Program for Local Development of the Communities – LRZ is subsequent to the Program OZI and adjusted on the bases of experiences gained in the past period.

Involvement of the target group in implementation of the activities is of special importance for the success of this program. The role of the Program for Local Development of the Communities (LRZ) is to provide complete involvement of the citizens in development initiatives from their beginning (idea) to their completion. Special accent is on capacities building of the local communities, transparency and reporting in the municipalities’ operation, increased participation in the process of decision making and sensitation of problems in the rural communities.

The Program for Local Development of the Communities in the following period of three years is necessary to develop as one of the key factors that will contribute to communities’ sustainable development.

The total budget necessary for realization of the three-year program is 30.600.000 MKD or 500,000 EUR.

The duration of the program is from 2006-2008.

Projects:

• Technical Documentation for Sanitation in Municipality of Dolneni
  
• Capacity Building of the Local Government
• Modernization of the Rural Municipalities
• Community Forums
• Systematically Evaluation of JKP and Capacity Building for ADKOM
• Capacity Building of ZELS
• Initiatives in Rural Communities in Prilep
• Transparent Local Government
• Strategy for Communal Sector Reforms
• Knowledge Acquisition from Positive Initiative and Projects in the Rural Areas