Results from the implementation of the Project „Effective engagement of stakeholders in the decision-making process in emergency situations“
Of the instruments of better regulation, established at the EU level and in our country, consultations with interested parties are the one with the most dynamic nature. This is largely due to the fact that in our time society and its processes are developing so rapidly that both the state and its administration, as well as society and its structures, must constantly improve their consulting processes in order to remain „in keep up with current challenges. When at the end of 2019 we completed a project dedicated to the improvement of the mandatory public consultation process in Bulgaria and the presentation of a proactive approach to engaging stakeholders in the rule-making process, we never imagined that only 2 years later, in in which the state and society should dialogue to find the best solutions to key problems will be so dramatically changed. After the initial shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an unprecedented crisis of citizens’ confidence in the Bulgarian state and the solutions it offers to deal with the challenges that have arisen.
With the implementation of the project, it was established how and to what extent the environment for citizen participation in management and decision-making in our country has changed, especially in light of the emergency situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The project explores the extent to which it has hindered dialogue between the administration and citizens and proposed practices and tools to mitigate the effects of such crises. Stakeholder engagement in decision-making processes is an ever-evolving process that helps authorities get feedback on what the state is doing and what it needs to change or stop. In line with recent trends in the EU, common problems such as low turnout and participation or insufficient representation of the stakeholders involved in the consultations were addressed by mobilizing citizens at the local level.
All this was done in the last 14 months, within the framework of project No. BG05SFOP001-2.025-0175-С01 entitled „Effective engagement of stakeholders in the decision-making process in emergency situations“, financed under the Operational Program „Good Governance“, implemented by the Foundation for Cultural and Economic Development in partnership with the Foundation for the Development of Justice.
Activities carried out under the project are as follows:
Activity 1. Analysis of the effectiveness of the public consultation system in our country, including in the conditions of a pandemic;
Activity 2. Sociological research dedicated to civil participation in public decision-making;
Activity 3. Recommendations, Algorithm and Adapted procedure for engaging citizens in decision-making in emergency situations;
Activity 4: Online piloting of the Algorithm;
Activity 5. Public presentation of project results.
The Project „Effective engagement of stakeholders in the decision-making process in emergency situations“, funded by Operational Program „Good Governance“, co-funded by the European Union through the European Social Fund