Civil Society Organizations as a Framework for Positive Social Change in Croatia

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Civil Society Organizations as a Framework for
Positive Social Change in Croatia
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The results of research conducted in Croatia
from 2003 to 2005.The project was conducted by
CERANEO association in cooperation with a wide
circle of stakeholders from the entire country

• The purpose of this project was to strenghten
  civil society in order for it to be better
  prepared for its role in governance and
  developement
• Civil society was defined as an area around the
  familly, state and market where people work
  together in order to promote common interests
• 66,8 of citizens donated money to charity in
  the 2005.
• The realation between the state and NGOs has
  changed since 2000
• Dialogue between local authorities and NGOs has
  only just started

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General informations

• Croatia 56.594 km2
• Inhabitants 4.443,000
• Number of NGOs over the 30.000
• (35,4 sport associations)
• GDP National 4570 kn /634 euro Zagreb
  6400kn/850 Euro Osijek 2800 kn/390 Euro

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• Civil society is insufficiently dedicated to
  problems of reducing poverty
• Only a few associations deal with the issue of
  local developement
• Civil society still acts mostly in reactive and
  less proactive manner
• Civil engagement is more frequently exercised by
  younger, more educated generations

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Overview of NGO current situation in Croatia

• In media
• Present Speech of hate in newspaper, in TV and
  in public reaction
• Zagreb Major does not care about citizens
  opinion. Citizens have to wait another election
  procedure
• Parliament Too many NGOs

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In public government

• Announcements /tenders
• Lack of transparency
• Monitoring do not exist
• Employers are not well educated about project
  cycle management
• If NGOs are supported by local or national
  government resources, they are very obedient
• Lately Ministries have regular calls for
  proposals

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Legal framework

• Council of Civil Society (In public media was a
  lot of a scandals with security service).
  Also in Council NGOs and Ministries are equaly
  re-presentted
• Government Office for Civil Society Organizations
  
• National Foundation for Civil Society Development
  
• National Strategy for Civil Society Developement
  adopted
• Legal frame for work of CSO
• Law on Foundations in procedure

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Regional development and decentralization

• National foundation for Civil Society Development
  keeps the financial resources in Zagreb. Process
  of decentralization is very slow.
• Only few initiatives have started on local level
  (NGO Forums)- infrastructure for social
  developement and apsorbtion of pre-accesion funds
  
• In process of non formal education NGOs not
  included
• Croatia needs to build support infrastructure for
  partnership projects on local and regional levels
  for EU funds

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Other info

• Different Consortiums / Consulting companies are
  entering in Croatia and Croatian NGOs have no
  acess to information how to be included
• There is no monitoring about EU process (results
  of screening)
• No transparent procedures about selection of
  negotiation teams (skills and know-how within
  the team)
• Local governments are not ready for training on
  PCM
• Process of LLL is not yet recognized from public
  employers

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About EU Funds

• As part of the LIFE III Program, no NGO received
  a donation (fact that the preparatin of the
  project proposal required certain contribution)
• The civil society organizations need to be more
  active in getting information about regional
  cooperation networks
• Civil society organizations (CSO) must carefully
  monitor everything that happens on the European
  regional and domestic scene, and request from the
  government administration that they ensure
  administrative and other help for entering the
  programmes with grant sheme more easily.
• It seems to be easier to get funding for projects
  of regional importance than on the national level