Budget Advocacy and Monitoring in countries of South East Europe

The Drug Policy Network South East Europe (DPNSEE) launched the project “Budget Advocacy and Monitoring in countries of South East Europe”. The Open Society Foundations and the Eurasian Harm Reduction Association provided support to the project implementation.

Since 2017, the Drug Policy Network South East Europe works with its member organisations from Bosnia Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia on budget advocacy and monitoring. In December 2017, a training on the issue was organised for 11 participants coming from six harm reduction civil society organisations from the three countries.

The aim of the project is to support civil society advocacy for domestic investments in harm reduction in Bosnia Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia. Objectives include:

  • Capacity building of NGOs active in Harm reduction programs through the technical assistance in field of budget advocacy.
  • Budget analysis, monitoring and advocacy of budget implementation and allocation for harm reduction.

The civil society organisations from the three countries, engaged on harm reduction, public finances and public policies on local, regional and national level will benefit from the project. Indirect beneficiaries are communities of people who use drugs in the three countries who will have a sustained access to harm reduction services.

The project will be implemented in the period June 2018 – April 2019. We expect to achieve following outcomes:

  • Three country budget analysis with identified sources for harm reduction produced and used in advocacy / distributed.
  • A regional summary of the country analysis produced and distributed/used in advocacy.
  • Three national trainings and one regional workshop conducted.
  • Mapping of national stakeholders with diverse skills and interests in harm reduction budget monitoring and advocacy in the three countries done.
  • Selection of three national consultancy teams.
  • Three national plans of action for budget analysis, monitoring and advocacy including terms of reference for budget analysis developed.
  • Budget advocacy conducted in the three countries in line with the national plans of action.
  • Regional support is tailored to country needs, proactive and timely to country monitoring and advocacy wor.k

Partner organisations in countries will include leading DPNSEE member organisations in the area of harm reduction in the countries: Margina in Bosnia Herzegovina, Juventas in Montenegro and Prevent in Serbia.

The training were delivered by HOPS – Healthy Options and The Association for Emancipation and ESE – Solidarity and Equality of Women, the two experienced organisations from Skopje, Republic of Northern Macedonia.

The success of this project would be transferred to other countries in the region in the future and serve as the basis for a larger regional project.

Project work plan

The project work plan is available following this link>>>

News about the project