Socio-economic policies and good governance on a local level

We talked with Timur Abaspahić, a researcher at the Center for Policy and Governance (CPG). The Center for Policy and Governance is a think tank established in 2009 in Sarajevo to support sustainable development processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina by creating and advocating progressive economic and social development policies, European integration and public administration reform.

CPG did several activities in the previous year regarding Local Elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They published an analysis based on the competencies and focus of the work of local self-governments in BiH. The survey aimed at the business community, professional and civil society organizations, and a set of priorities from a total of six areas was formulated. A total of 30 civil society organizations, business and professional communities assessed the importance of the previously mentioned areas. During the period of August-October 2020, in response to a questionnaire developed by the CPU, Citizen Association “Why not?”, in partnership with the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), gave their opinion on what should be on the priority list of local authorities in the coming period. These areas include the following: infrastructure and utilities; business environment; cooperation of local authorities with the civil sector; security; health care and education.

During the pre-election period, they also developed Glasometar (Vote-o-meter) in collaboration with “Why not.” 

Glasometar is a web application that enables citizens to compare their views with the views of candidates for mayoral and mayoral positions of 13 local self-government units in BiH, and with the views of political parties in the Brcko District, who participated in the 2020 local elections. This way, such an application aims to make their decision easier in the elections.

Glasometar contains a questionnaire composed of questions that have had the most public attention in the past or have been important in political discourse. These issues are from the domains of politics, economics, education, infrastructure, education, and other important spheres of political life in BiH.