Inclusion of civil society in decision-making processes at local level: the impact of transnational projects

Abstract

The aim of this article is to identify factors, that directly affect the level of inhabitants participation in the decision-making processes at the local level, and to develop proposals, that will ensure the regular using of these mechanisms. Ukraine is currently in the decentralization process, which aims to increase the level of government, as a consequence of which towns and village councils have been consolited. The international projects have a big influense at such processes, helping newly consolited communities (administrative units) to implement best management practices, especially through the involvement of inhabitants in the decision-making processes.

The problem is that, inhabitants don’t know, what kind of mechanisms exist for their participation in the decision-making processes at local level, and a local authorities don’t sufficiently inform inhabitants about them. At this work, two main research methods are used: interviews and questionnaires. The analysis was based on the example of consolited communities, that participated in the Decentralization zation Global Communities and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It was found, that inhabitants are don’t know, what kind of mechanisms exist at their communities, that allow them to participate in the decision-making processes at the local level, anf how to use them.

In addition, it was found, that there is a correlation: the higher is a level of inhabitants knowledge how to access information about services for which local authorities are responsible, a higher is a level of inhabitants satisfaction by their participation in the decision-making processes at local level. A potential threat after the completion of international projects may be a step back from the changes, that have been implemented in communities. This situation can be prevented by creating a special department in local town or village council responsible for implementing changes in community or reviewing the functions of existing departments, reforming them to monitor, analyze, collect data and create conditions for coordination of development directions and implementation a good governance practices in community.