NALAS Decentralisation Observatory: the data and information hub on local government issues in South-East Europe
The importance To be able to make informed decisions, develop good public policies and public services and efficiently manage scarce resources, policymakers at all levels of government have to rely on high quality data and information. But, all around South-East Europe such data is either missing or is difficult to access. To bridge this gap, NALAS and KDZ partnered to develop the NALAS Decentralisation Observatory for South-East Europe www.nalas-observatory.eu. The Observatory facilitates the access to and utilisation of timely, accurate, reliable and comparable data and information on local government finance in South-East Europe (SEE). www.nalas-observatory.eu
The objectives • • • •
Support policy advocacy efforts of NALAS member Local Government Associations, as stewards of local democracy and local governance in SEE; Help policymakers, experts, practitioners and researchers in their quest to improving local government policies and services; Support local government budget transparency; Serve as a model for national platforms to support evidence-based policymaking and local budget transparency.
What do I get from the Observatory?
NALAS Decentralisation Observatory provides for a tailor-made user friendly and dynamic visualisation of complex data and information. It allows a thorough analysis of the current status and developments of local government finance for 12 SEE economies, including regional comparisons across economies and indicators that can be customised, downloaded and reutilised depending on users’ needs and preferences. It also serves as a knowledge hub on local governments in SEE, by publishing state-of-the-art research on local government finance, waste management and the overall progress of decentralisation in South-East Europe.
*** The Regional Decentralisation Observatory builds on about a decade of NALAS work on Fiscal Decentralisation and consolidates the knowledge developed by the NALAS Fiscal Decentralisation Task Force representing 14 Local Government Associations from South-East Europe. The Observatory is developed by NALAS, in partnership with KDZ – Centre for Public Administration Research and with the support of the BACID Program - Building Administrative Capacity in the Danube Region and Western Balkans, co-funded by the Austrian Development Cooperation and implemented by the Austrian Association of Cities and Town.