Regional Development Agency Srem hosted a consultative workshop dedicated to the preparatory activities of the program of rural and regional development, which will in the next six years in Serbia implemented by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The program, worth 6.9 million Swiss Francs will go to regional and rural initiatives and besides the support to the specific projects, program includes a component of technical assistance in strengthening the capacity for preparation, application and implementation of projects. The consultation process has been implemented by a consortium NIRAS whose consultant moderated the workshop.
The workshop was attended by representatives of municipalities of Srem – Bogatic, Agency for Rural Development, NGOs, LAGs and private sector as well as representatives of RDA Srem and Podrinje, Podgorevina and Rađevina. This structure of the workshop was complied with the program objectives. That program, in the case of two selected regions in Serbia, should identify and analyze key socio – economic similarities and differences, the involvement of citizens in policy-rural/regional development, the necessary knowledge and skills, methods of communication and cooperation from the aspect of opportunities to improve their performance in the direction of more efficient rural/regional development.
The workshop is presented and the model of regional development in Srem, as a good organizational basis for cooperation with SDC, primarily through the institutional framework established by the RDA Srem – functioning Inter-municipal working groups (IMWG), Project Implementation Unit (PIU) The expert committee, etc. This model has already been recognized through a series of previous projects by domestic and foreign donors and proved as very efficient and effective.
According to the information provided by the NIRAS consultant, the result of the workshops should be a list of recommendations intended for decision makers and policy-makers at national and local level in the design of the means by which it will be easier to identify priorities, guidelines and run the project initiatives toward a policy of rural/regional development. For this first phase of the program will be allocated 1.5 million Swiss Francs which should be realized in concrete and visible project activities.
The workshop was organized with the help of Sremska Mitrovica, which provided adequate space for participants.