EU4countability aimed to foster social accountability and transparency within local communities in Moldova. Through the collaborative efforts between local public administrations (LPAs) and civil society organisations (CSOs), the project funded 59 local initiatives from 2022 to 2024.
There is a clear way to enhance citizen participation and social accountability through concrete actions, such as promoting participatory decision-making, facilitating access to information, investing in capacity development, and fostering inclusive dialogue around key policy issues at the appropriate level. By implementing these actions and promoting best practices, CSOs and LPAs can strengthen citizen engagement, promote transparency, and contribute to sustainable community development, ultimately advancing Moldova’s European agenda and consolidating democracy against a challenging geopolitical backdrop.
Lessons from the local level showcase achievements in participatory budgeting, capacity building, strategic development, citizen engagement, and more, underscoring the importance of active citizen engagement and comprehensive capacity development for sustainable success. Successful collaborative efforts between CSOs and LPAs highlight the importance of formal collaboration frameworks, such as Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), in establishing clear roles, responsibilities, and objectives.
Collaboration initiatives aimed to empower citizens,
improve budget literacy, and enhance decision making
processes at the grassroots level.
Joint efforts of LPAs and CSOs in planning and evaluating public policies are crucial for fostering social accountability and transparency throughout the policy cycle. To that end, multi-stakeholder platforms for participatory decision-making at the local level represent one of the most useful tools to address the lack of effective intermediary consultation mechanism that often impedes proper policy implementation.Furthermore, a supportive legal and policy environment is essential for effective accountability mechanisms.
EU4Accountability supported the participation of civil society in the development and oversight of the Law on Access to Public Information as the Republic of Moldova demonstrates a strong commitment to promoting transparency and accountability in Moldova in the EU accession path. Indeed, fostering an enabling environment for civil society as a key tenet of comprehensive and sustainable governance reforms becomes crucial for advancing democratic principles and European integration.
EU4Accountability is funded by the European Union and is implemented by a consortium comprising the European Association for Local Democracy (ALDA), the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD), and the Czech organisation People in Need.
