Rationale

WHAT?

Building upon the achievements of its predecessors, the WeBER (2015 – 2018) and WeBER 2.0 (2019 – 2023) projects, the Western Balkan Enablers for Reforming Public Administrations – WeBER 3.0 project is the third consecutive EU-funded grant of the largest civil society-led initiative for monitoring public administration reform (PAR) in the Western Balkans. Its implementation period is February 2023 – July 2026. Guided by the SIGMA/OECD Principles, the first two phases of the initiative laid the foundation for WeBER 3.0’s ambition to further empower civil society organisations (CSOs) to contribute to more transparent, open, accountable, citizen-centric and thus more EU-compliant administrations in the WB region. This third project reinforces participatory democracy by enabling CSOs to actively engage and inclusively monitor PAR outcomes across the WB, advocating for the reforms’ consistency with EU requirements. By capitalising on the successes of our past endeavours, WeBER 3.0 continues to promote the pivotal role of CSOs in participatory democracy, advocates for inclusive citizens’ engagement and ensures that reforms yield tangible improvements in citizens’ lives.

By grounding actions in robust monitoring data and insights, WeBER 3.0 will empower civil society to influence more effective and resonant design and implementation of PAR. To foster collaborative policymaking and bridge the gap between aspirations and actionable solutions, the project will facilitate sustainable policy dialogue between governments and CSOs through the WeBER Platform and its National PAR Working Groups. Finally, by bolstering local-level PAR engagement, WeBER 3.0 will ensure that citizens’ voices resonate, fostering a more responsive approach that caters to local needs.

WHY

Think for Europe Network (TEN) is a network of Think Tanks and EU Policy Research Centres in South East Europe was established against the background of weak regional cooperation in EU related policy research, despite the common challenges pre-accession countries face on their road to EU membership.

Evidence based policy making and promotion of EU integration lie at heart of TEN. Its members are non-profit, independent think-tank or policy research organisations focusing on the EU integration process and committed to the evidence-based policy making and advocacy.

In addition to the horizontally driven emphasis on the overall policy making and policy implementation processes and efforts to render them more evidence based, the main areas for cooperation which have been jointly identified by the TEN members are:

  • Civil society involvement in policy making and decision making for EU accession (including EU negotiations);

  • Public administration reform and administrative capacities for EU integration;

  • Capacities for EU pre-accession funds management and IPA monitoring;

  • Regional dimension of the EU accession process and regional sectoral integration;

  • Western Balkans and integration into the EU internal market (including competition, consumers and other relevant policy areas);

  • Chapters 23 and 24 of the accession negotiation;

  • Good governance, government accountability, accountable public finances (Chapter 32)

WHERE?

WeBER is implemented in the Western Balkans in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia.

WHO?

As in the previous cycle, WeBER 3.0 will be implemented by six organisations from the Western Balkans (WB), members of the Think for Europe – TEN Network (including the European Policy Centre – CEP Belgrade, the Institute for Democracy and Mediation – IDM Tirana, the Institute Alternative – IA Podgorica, the Foreign Policy Initiative – FPI Sarajevo, the Group for Legal and Political Studies – GLPS Pristina, and the European Policy Institute – EPI Skopje) coordinated by the European Policy Centre – CEP. Moreover, the Centre for Public Administration Research (KDZ) Vienna is a EU-level based partner of the project.

WeBER has already established cooperation with PAR ministries and/or offices in each of the Western Balkan countries, as well as with the Regional School of Public Administration (ReSPA) and with the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), but also has close contact and regular consultations with the SIGMA programme of the OECD which performs regular assessments of the Western Balkans countries in the implementation of the Principles of Public Administration. Finally, WeBER staff has regular consultations with the DG NEAR of the European Commission, including the Centre of Thematic Expertise (COTE) on PAR.

HOW?

The WeBER methodology comprises a combination of activities aimed at improving the capacity of civil society organizations in the Western Balkans to participate in PAR, creating venues for their dialogue with the governments on PAR (WeBER Platform), as well as creating the evidence for meaningful dialogue – the PAR Monitor.

It also promotes regional peer pressure by benchmarking the countries through the regional PAR Scoreboard based on country-level monitoring.