RS TRAINING NEEDS ASSESSMENT REPORT

MUNICIPAL TRAINING SYSTEM PROJECT

Bosnia and Herzegovina Republika Srpska

LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT TRAINING NEEDS ASSESSMENT REPORT Prepared by the Municipal Training System Project

July 2009

Bosnia and Herzegovina Republika Srpska

LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT TRAINING NEEDS ASSESSMENT REPORT Prepared by the Municipal Training System Project

July 2009

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report

Team Leader: Christian Hainzl, Project Manager/Portfolio Manager Principle Authors: Edis Arifagić, Deputy Project Manager Adela Pozder, Local Governance Programme Analyst Muamer Obarčanin, Training Specialist Christian Hainzl, Project Manager/Portfolio Manager Acknowledgments: The authors gratefully acknowledge the following members of the Editorial Board for their significant contributions in the administration of the assessment and the subsequent drafting of the report: Milanka Šopin, Assistant Minister, RS Ministry of Administration and Local Self-Government, Dragomir Kutlija, Director, RS Civil Service Agency, Dalibor Ćopić, Advisor, RS Civil Service Agency, Dijana Mršić, Senior Associate, RS Ministry of Administration and Local Self-Government, Sanja Krunić, Project Manager, RS Association of Municipalities and Cities, Slavica Stanišić, Associate, RS Association of Municipalities and Cities, Igor Kurtuma, Associate, RS Association of Municipalities and Cities.

In addition to the many domestic institutions, at both entity and local level, the project team consulted a wide array of donor organisations and international agencies involved in local governance in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The following are acknowledged for taking the time to read the many drafts and for providing their valuable comments (in alphabetical order): Damir Ahmetović UNDP, Šemsa Alić SNV, Guy Dionne UNDP – UDRDP, Marina Dimova UNDP, Amela Gačanović-Tutnjević UNDP, Esma Kreso World Bank, Julia Mager OSCE, Emina Pašić Eu-Tac, Denisa Sarajlić-Maglić USAID - Sida -EKN GAP, Arlett Stojanović UNDP and Slaviša Šućur USAID - Sida - EKN GAP. The project staff, Sead Azemi, Zana Karkin and Emel Karaman, all merit special mention for providing support throughout the preparation and administration of the assessment exercise, as well as for the development of the report.

Publication Design: Kurt&Plasto

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report FOREWORD As part of the Municipal Training System Project, a comprehensive local government Training Needs Assessment was carried out by partners in both Entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The publication before you is the result of this process in Republika Srpska.

While providing an abundance of data and accompanying analysis on the current capacity gaps in local government, it is our hope that the report will also instigate a major shift in how city and municipal administrations perceive training and professional development.

Donor-induced training fatigue on one hand and the absence of adequate internal training resources on the other have, for some time now, undermined the importance of training for local government managers and employees alike. As a result, locally-driven training exercises are few and far between and municipal and city governments seldom plan or budget for training to address their capacity shortfalls.

This report is aimed at initiating a broad discussion on the importance and modalities of training for local government employees that will ultimately result in a comprehensive training system to help local governments manage their services in a more effective and efficient manner.

We hope that you find this publication both informative and useful in your work.

BiH Ministry of Justice

RS Ministry of Administration and Local Self-Government

Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency

RS Civil Service Agency RS Association of Municipalities and Cities

United Nations Development Programme

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report PROJECT BACKGROUND In 2007, UNDP commissioned a feasibility study to examine the institutional and operational arrangements for local government training in BiH. This was motivated by the apparent absence of a comprehensive system for local government capacity development and the desire to enhance local administrations' capabilities in a structured and systematic fashion.

Starting with the quality of training on offer, which remains largely supply-driven and as such does not necessarily address the actual capacity gaps of municipal administrations, the findings painted a gloomy picture.

Coordination between key actors involved in the provision of training requires strengthening, while the domestic training market remains unregulated and unchecked. At the same time, the role of human resource management (HRM) professionals in municipalities and cities requires enhancing, along with their capacity to independently plan and manage training processes within their local governments. The study thus concluded that trainingrelated deficiencies have clearly and seriously compromised effective and efficient service delivery.

Against this background, UNDP and Sida launched the Municipal Training System (MTS) Project in early 2008, jointly with institutional partners representing State, entity and local levels.

MTS envisages the following key deliverables: 1. Development of entity training strategies; 2. Establishment of a training system for local governments in both entities; 3. Delivery of priority training; 4. Strengthening of municipal human resource management; 5. Strengthening of domestic training market.

MTS directly contributes to the development of professional local public administrations and the sustainability of local capacity development through the establishment of entity-level training mechanisms, development of training strategies, fostering of municipal human resource management and the strengthening of the domestic training market.

The MTS framework highlights inclusiveness and emphasises the need to incorporate all relevant stakeholders within the planning, programming and implementation of key project activities.

Presently there are seven domestic institutions, representing all levels of government, that serve on the project's principal structures, at both the Project Steering Board and operational working group levels. The partners are the BiH Ministry of Justice, the Federal Ministry of Justice, the RS Ministry of Administration and Local SelfGovernment, the entity civil service agencies and both local government associations.

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report is a summary of the findings of the comprehensive Training Needs Assessment that was carried out over a period of six months within 18 units of local self-government in the RS; some 600 respondents participated in the various stages of the process. On a parallel track, a near-identical exercise was carried out in the FBiH, which covered 22 units of local self-government and some 800 respondents. Given the differences in the respective legal frameworks and the principal considerations of partners, it was decided to publish the ensuing results in two separate reports.

Three principle data collection tools were utilised in order to ensure the integrity of the assessment and to maximise data accuracy. Structured interviews conducted with local government leaders resulted in a snapshot analysis of the current situation regarding local government training, while also providing the leadership's assessment of the current levels of employee knowledge, skills and abilities. The interviews were followed by specialist focus groups that were organised to collect vital information on training gaps in all areas of municipal operation, ranging from spatial planning and utilities to local economic development and European integration. On the quantitative side, a comprehensive survey was designed and administered jointly with local government partners; questionnaires were distributed to 528 local government employees in RS (775 in the FBiH) in order to ascertain current staff competency levels through self-assessment.

Detailed competency profiles were developed for each area of municipal operation and utilised as the benchmark against which the current levels of staff competency were assessed.

Finally, statistical sampling was implemented in order to ensure that representative data was available from which to draw relevant conclusions and formulate final recommendations.

The following is a review of the critical process findings by assessment area.

General Information The overall gender structure of RS local government slightly favours female employees, while the age structure indicates the RS local government is aging rapidly: over half of the employees are over the age of 46, whereas only 2% of employees are 25 or under.

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The educational structure of the surveyed population is dominated by bachelor degree holders (58.3%) , while high school diploma holders make up the second largest group and there are still 11.7% of staff members with 2 year university degrees. Only a very small percentage of staff, however, hold master’s degrees and they are generally to be found in the larger urban environments.

The fact that most BA holders can be found in the 46-55 age bracket calls for the introduction of adequate and timely staff succession planning, in particular in smaller municipalities currently struggling to attract young and educated applicants.

A cross-section of gender and employment status shows that while women make up the majority of employees in local government most managerial and other senior positions are held by men, which indicates a significant imbalance in this regard. Data shows that male managers outnumber female at both departmental and section levels, while the ratio of male to female employees per bracket drops proportionally to the decrease in employee status.

As for the cross-section of employment status and education, there appears to be a lack of uniform academic criteria across the local government landscape. Departmental heads, for instance, come from a variety of 1

Percentages pertain to the target population only. Auxiliary personnel as well as elected officials were excluded from the assessment.

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report educational backgrounds ranging from high school diplomas and 2 year degrees to bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

The survey results in the area of foreign languages indicate that some 10% of the total number of employees feel that they are proficient in the use of a foreign language. As expected, English dominates with German coming in a distant second.

The situation is significantly better in the realm of information technology where the vast majority of local government employees use computers in their work, with MS Office applications for text processing as the most utilised.

Training Attitudes and Experiences The research findings indicate that only a small minority of local governments have training and development plans for their staff and, even in these few instances, employees seem to be largely unaware of the existence of such plans.

Overall, the majority of local government employees are not satisfied with the training opportunities on offer, which can be attributed to a number of reasons ranging from access to training, the type of training on offer to the general quality of available training opportunities. However, it is noteworthy that managers appear to be more satisfied with the training opportunities provided than the administrative officers they supervise.

This indicates that either managers do not communicate training opportunities to their staff or are provided with better general access to training.

As for participation in training, some 42% of local government employees have not attended a single training exercise over the past two years. Naturally, some areas of municipal operations were targeted more heavily with training than others: general administration, budget and finance firmly in the lead in this regard.

When discussing principle obstacles to quality training delivery the cost of training was most frequently quoted by respondents, along with an absence of practical training on offer and a lack of a training needs assessment mechanism to ensure that supply effectively meets demand in the training market. The mayors that were interviewed expressed similar concerns and additionally highlighted the absence of a coherent division of responsibility between the various levels of government: to include the co-financing of relevant training events.

As for training duration and format, the majority of local government employees prefer three to five day training delivered via seminar. On the other hand, the mayors' view is that workshops and case studies should be the preferred training format and that training should take no longer than two days.

Crosscutting Training Needs Crosscutting training needs pertain to capacity gaps felt across the administrative structure, i.e. in generic areas of local government operations, ranging from human resource management through to quality control and activities traditionally grouped under the general administration portfolio.

BiH's international ambitions and ongoing efforts aimed at accession and stabilisation were reflected at the local level: the majority of the target population highlighted EU integration and international cooperation as areas of particular interest, yet limited expertise.

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report EU integration is closely followed by Information Technology, which attests to the awareness of local governments of the need to modernise service delivery and administrative operations.

Another priority training area that was highlighted relate to service provision management and quality control, reflecting a growing interest by local governments to improve services at the local level.

The bottom of the priority list somewhat reflects the results of training fatigue in the areas of public procurement and general administration, which have been saturated with training over the past couple of years. The low ranking of local democracy represents a cause of some concern, considering that the relative importance of this area is not matched by respondent interest.

The EU integration section, in particular, is dominated by regional and rural development as well as the management of EU funds and programmes, indicating a high level of awareness by local governments of the opportunities within the Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA) framework. EU funds and programmes figure largely in discussions with the mayors, as well as specialist focus groups; this reaffirms the importance of building EU related skills and capacities for local government employees.

The information technology section highlights the need to modernize local government administration through electronic document management as well as through further capacity building in e-service provision, to include the introduction of e-signatures, in particular. Electronic document management has also been repeatedly flagged as a priority by mid-level management through the focus group process.

The ranking of public service management reflects a growing awareness by local governments of their role as servants to the community and notes the need to accompany the introduction of quality management systems with appropriate training and skill building. The development of service quality standards and indicators as well as monitoring mechanisms as key priority topics in this area, identified through both the survey and focus group processes, further attests to the desire of local governments to improve the level of service delivery at the local level.

In addition to those noted above, the capacity of local government employees was also assessed in the following areas: project cycle management; human resources management; work planning and organisational management; public relations; and local democracy.

Training Needs within Core Local Self-Government Competencies A cursory review of priority areas reveals a growing interest in municipal development, which reflects a shift away from basic service provision toward fostering local growth.

With planning and implementation of local development policies as a key priority area the focus is clearly on initiating and fostering development at the local level.

Local development is also a highlight of the second-ranked priority, business enabling environment and local development, displaying a desire by local government to generate employment and augment local revenues.

The third-ranked priority was environmental protection, an area of municipal operation that has growing importance for local government in RS. With regard to the planning and implementation of local development policies, local development strategy implementation was highlighted as the principle priority topic by the target population, largely as a result of the desire by local governments to finally translate existing strategic documents into action. These findings are augmented by the results of the focus group process and senior local government leadership interviews.

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report This is closely followed by situational analysis that helps set the groundwork for the planning process and the participatory development of local government strategies, which highlights the inclusion of the general public in the planning process. Municipal and city mayors, on the other hand, highlighted general strategic planning and operational management as key topics in this regard.

When discussing the business enabling environment most respondents noted access to finance as a topic of particular relevance; municipal infrastructure in support of municipal development came a close second and partnership for local development was the third-ranked priority training topic. These priorities were closely mirrored by the focus group findings, while the mayors felt that further generic training is needed to foster a business friendly environment.

Environmental protection priorities include awareness raising activities to ensure public support and participation, environmental monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, and the legal framework in the area of environmental protection. Development and implementation of Local Environmental Action Plans were repeatedly noted by mid-level management as key areas for future capacity building.

In addition to those noted above, the capacity of local government employees was also assessed in the following areas: budget and finance; spatial planning; public utilities; housing affairs; disabled war veteran protection; social protection and healthcare; returnees, displaced persons and refugees; civilian protection; education; and culture and sports.

Recommendations The process of strengthening capacities for municipal training and development in Republika Srpska should be based on a series of strategic documents to include the Government's training policy, multi-annual strategy and short-term plans and programmes for training and development.

As for format and training delivery, survey assessment findings indicate that the preferred training duration is 3-5 days. However, the opinions obtained during the senior leadership interview process suggested that training on average should not exceed 2 days. Although this will ultimately depend on the complexity of the training subject matter, it can be assumed that well tailored and relevant training, with duration of 2-3 days, should be acceptable for all.

Training should be regionalised rather than centralised in order to cut costs for local governments and improve participation. Classroom type passive learning should gradually be replaced by progressive and practical training methodologies that include workshops, on-the-job training and case studies, delivered by expert practitioners. Furthermore, on-line learning opportunities should be further explored as they represent a cost-effective and accessible learning format for most LG employees.

Training should focus on LSGs employees: managers and administrative officers engaged with principle competencies of local government. Considering the size of the overall target group, when identifying specific target groups for priority trainings, job descriptions of particular employee groups (by organisational unit/occupation) in LSGs, as well as training timeliness, relevance and distribution and available funds, should be taken into account. Training of elected officials should also be institutionalised in order to ensure the smooth functioning of all branches of local government.

In order to ensure quality of training, and training materials, in the long run there is a need for standardisation through the creation of a training quality framework, managed by an independent accreditation/assessment panel.

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report Continuous training needs assessment should be introduced as a requirement and anchored at the local level, once the local governments are equipped to administer local assessments independently. This will ensure the highest quality and needs-based training information and allow local government leadership and training providers to acquire an accurate idea of local administrations knowledge and skills gaps.

For the training system to succeed, strengthening local HRM will be required through the introduction of relevant and binding policies and procedures to ensure that training needs are regularly appraised, training plans developed and training exercises implemented by the local governments themselves.

A number of specific recommendations regarding training priorities by all areas of municipal operations are also provided, based on a triangulation of results collected via the three assessment levels utilised in the TNA, along with extensive stakeholder consultations encompassing all layers of government as well as local and international agencies actively involved in local government.

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report TABLE OF CONTENTS ACRONYMS .....................................................................................................................................11 INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................12 I. ASSESSMENT PROCESS SUMMARY................................................................................................. 13 1.1. Assessment Objectives ..........................................................................................................14 1.2. Target Group ..........................................................................................................................14 1.3. Approach ...............................................................................................................................14 1.4. Size and Structure of Sample.................................................................................................15 1.5. Methodology .........................................................................................................................15 1.6. Implementation Structures ...................................................................................................16 1.7. Assessment Limitations .........................................................................................................16 II. OVERVIEW OF FINDINGS ...............................................................................................................19 2.1. General Information ..............................................................................................................20 2.2. Training Attitudes and Experiences .......................................................................................25 2.3. Crosscutting Training Needs ..................................................................................................29 2.4. Training Needs within Core Local Self-Government Competencies .......................................39 III. RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................................................................55 3.1. Recommendations for Future Training .................................................................................56 3.2. Recommendations for Priority Training .................................................................................59 IV. ANNEXES ......................................................................................................................................63 4.1. Detailed Assessment Process Overview ................................................................................64 4.2. Survey Questionnaire ............................................................................................................71 4.3. Focus Group Guide .................................................................................................................84 4.4. Senior Leadership Interview Questions ................................................................................85

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report ACRONYMS BiH

Bosnia and Herzegovina

CSA

Civil Service Agency

EU

European Union

FBiH

Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

GIS

Geographic Information System

HRM

Human Resources Management

IPA

Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance

ISO

International Standardisation Organisation

IT

Information Technology

KSA

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

LEAP

Local Environmental Protection Action Plan

LG/LSG

Local Government / Local Self-Government

MA

Municipal Assembly

MTS

Municipal Training System

MZ

Mjesna zajednica (local community)

NGO

Non-Governmental Organisation

RS

Republika Srpska

Sida

Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency

SME

Small and Medium Size Enterprises

TNA

Training Needs Assessment

UNDP

United Nations Development Programme

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report INTRODUCTION Local governments in BiH face many challenges ranging from fiscal to administrative and operational, and naturally not all of them can be addressed by capacity development and training.

Nonetheless, there is little doubt that training - if designed and delivered in a tailored and structured fashion - can have an immediate and positive effect by increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of local government.

As the country edges closer to European accession building absorption capacities to facilitate integration is quickly becoming a key priority for public administrations in Bosnia and Herzegovina at all levels. While the capacities of government agencies have been steadily improving at all levels, there is a growing feeling that the country remains ill-equipped to attract and effectively use EU funds.

The capacity of municipal and city administrations is of particular importance, because it is at this level that government performance is most readily scrutinised and its weaknesses most acutely felt. It is also a layer of government that will require substantial intervention if BiH is to meet the demands and challenges of EU integration.

To develop competent and professional local administrations, capable of managing public services effectively, it is thus crucial to establish a sustainable local government training system, which rests on a mechanism for regular and systematic training needs identification.

The TNA results presented in this report signify the first comprehensive attempt to establish a common baseline for government, training providers and donors regarding the most pressing capacity development needs of local government staff in BiH. The TNA process and its results can be taken as the departure point for the development of needs-based and demand-driven training for local government in BiH. The ultimate purpose of this process is to increase the understanding of stakeholders of the current training landscape, as well as the capacity needs of local government.

This will ensure that future training programmes, designed by interested actors, both national and international, will be effective, sustainable and thus enhance the impact of training.

This initial TNA also aims to lay the foundation for a process of continued self-assessment of BiH local governments and for a systemic approach to training in the long run.

Finally, the Training Needs Assessment process will inform the development of a training and development strategy for local government that will map future training for years to come.

MTS Project Team

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report

I. ASSESSMENT PROCESS SUMMARY Objectives Target Group Approach Size and Structure of Sample Methodology Implementing Structures Assessment Limitations

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report This section provides a summary of the Training Needs Assessment process. For a more detailed description of the methodology applied, please see Annex 4.1.

1.1. ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVES The process of the Training Needs Assessment, implemented within the MTS project framework, had the following objectives: 1. To identify the current knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA) gaps of LSG employees and provide detailed information on training needs of select LSG employee groups; 2. To outline recommendations to address training needs within priority areas; 3. To provide guidance on curricula content, inform the development of entity training strategies and, finally, map out the scope of a future training system.

Taking into account the different legal and constitutional frameworks that regulate the employment status of local government staff in the FBiH and RS, and the differences in the two local government systems, the TNA exercise was carried out on parallel tracks in the two entities.

While the findings in this report only cover the results in RS, the described assessment objectives and methodology are deemed representative of both entity processes.

1.2. TARGET GROUP The assessment targeted local government employees from both entities, focusing in particular on staff members who discharge the principal competencies of municipal and city government in BiH. In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the target group consisted of mayors, civil servants (senior and other) and employees2 engaged in core municipal tasks. Excluded from the assessment were elected officials (other than the Mayor), employees with supporting/auxiliary roles3 and appointed officials. Estimates by the project team, developed in cooperation with the Federal Civil Service Agency and other relevant organisations, placed the target group number at 5,000 local government staff members: 2,000 civil servants and 3,000 employees engaged in core municipal tasks.

In the RS, local administrative officers were the employee category principally targeted by the assessment. As in the Federation, technical/support personnel were exempt from the assessment along with elected and appointed officials. Informed estimates place the number of the RS target group at around 4,000 employees.

1.3. APPROACH The TNA approach described here represents the combination of a top-down methodology, where training information is derived from the strategic priorities and goals of RS and its local self-government, and a bottomup approach, where training needs are identified from an individual performance perspective. This allows individual and organisational training needs to be balanced with priorities identified at the entity level.

2

Staff employed by the local government who are not members of the civil service.

Category of employees not directly tasked with the discharge of principal municipal competencies. This includes secretarial and custodial staff, drivers, etc.

3

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report 1.4. SIZE AND STRUCTURE OF SAMPLE In order to reflect the rather diverse local government landscape in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with its major variations in size and circumstance, it was deemed pertinent to include a significant representative number of local governments in the final sample.

Accordingly, 40 municipalities and cities were established as a sample reflective of local self-government in both BiH entities, amounting to 29% of the entire number of LSGs in BiH: 18 LSGs were included from RS, based on their geographic location, population level as well as the size of their administration.

The second stage of the sampling exercise entails the selection of the total employee sample to be targeted by the assessment.

This refers to the number and structure of respondents that would take part in one of the assessment stages. In order to ensure the accuracy of the assessment and representation, the total BiH sample was set at some 1,400 local government employees from all levels and areas of local government operation, based on the following sampling scheme: Bosnia and Herzegovina, TNA sample LSGs

40 municipalities (18 in RS) were selected for the sample based on: Geographic location Entity/canton distribution Size of population/administrative service.

20 mayors (9 from the RS); 148 middle managers by subject area (74 in the RS); 1,300 employees (528 in the RS).

The total RS sample was thus set at some 600 employees from all levels and areas of local government operations.

As for statistical processing of the survey findings, weighting was used to enable the projection of key sample characteristics onto the entire population targeted by the assessment.

1.5. METHODOLOGY The assessment process was carried out in four principle stages: Preparation: The TNA groundwork is laid in this stage to include the conceptualization of the assessment exercise; the selection and development of assessment tools; the identification of the sample, and the development of detailed competency profiles that form the basis for the knowledge and skills assessment.

Competency profiles are based on a thorough analysis and review of applicable legal and administrative documents, job descriptions within LSG competencies, established local practices and interviews with practitioners and other subject matter experts and represent a detailed mapping exercise for all the essential functions that make up a local government competency. 13 specialized and 10 generic competency profiles were developed throughout the preparation stage, ranging from spatial planning to human resource management and establishing a number of baselines to facilitate the evaluation of the current level of knowledge, skills and abilities in LSGs.

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report Roll-out: At this phase of the process data collection tools are deployed in targeted local governments over three principle assessment stages: 20 on-site interviews with senior local government leaders (9 from the RS) to establish the mayors' views, experiences and attitudes with/towards training; 16 subject-based focus groups (eight per entity) with midlevel managers from the local governments to identify general capacity gaps and issues by KSA profile of supervised staff; Self-assessment via survey covering some 1,300 local government employees at all levels (including 528 in the RS).

Data analysis: A comprehensive “gap analysis� is carried out at this point where the findings of the assessment (current knowledge levels) are compared against the competency profiles used as the baseline (desired knowledge levels). This allows for accurate mapping of current KSA deficiencies for targeted local government employees and the training needs identification. Once finalized, the results of the assessment process are pre-shared with key counterparts through a series of consultations targeting line ministries and other local and international stakeholders.

Outreach and publicity: Key assessment findings are shared with key stakeholders, for comments and suggestions, and the final report is publicised to a wide audience in order to ensure that the critical findings were disseminated as widely as possible.

1.6. IMPLEMENTATION STRUCTURES The assessment was implemented by the MTS project team and in close cooperation with entity level Training Committees, bringing together representatives of the partner agencies at an operational level, including the RS Ministry of Administration and Local Self-Government, the RS Civil Service Agency and the RS Association of Municipalities and Cities and the FBiH Ministry of Justice, the FBiH Civil Service Agency and the FBiH Association of Municipalities and Cities.

1.7. ASSESSMENT LIMITATIONS Throughout the TNA process certain limitations were encountered by the project team. Whenever possible, targeted measures were taken to minimise and alleviate their impact on the validity of the research and its results.

Random sampling was used to select local government employees to participate in the TNA. This type of selection of respondents can be expected to produce samples that are reasonably representative of the target population. However, as there were some refusals by selected individuals or annulments of completed questionnaire, this may serve to bias the sample in ways that are not readily evident.

Information collected in the survey was largely a result of self-assessment which, depending on the subject areas being queried, may be prone to some inaccuracy as a result of less than accurate evaluation, lack of information, or discomfort with self-disclosure (in some instances leading to knowledge inflation due to fears of management reprisals). As means of mitigating these assessment risks, the survey was anonymous, while its findings were complemented by focus groups and senior leadership interviews with municipal and city mayors.

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report The study was conducted over a six month period producing a snapshot of the target population's training needs during that particular period. Thus, there is a possibility that needs may have changed in the meantime, as well as that additional needs of the local government employees might have arisen related to the ongoing reform processes or changes in the legislation, particularly in the light of the preaccession process. However, and as a means of mitigation, a reassessment of overall trends and developments within public administration reform at the local level will be part of the upcoming training strategy development process.

Exact and current population data was not available to facilitate the sample selection process and information on municipal/city administrations was not always complete.

The approach by respondents did not always accurately reflect the importance of the Training Needs Assessment exercise for the future development of local government in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This was in part mitigated through detailed guidance and training for local survey administrators and focus group moderators. Promotional material was also used to encourage participation in the survey.

The structure of local government in both entities is not uniform and follows no discernible pattern in terms of structure or staffing. This caused severe structural challenges to the establishment of baselines for the competency assessment along organisational lines. A mitigation measure consisted of discussing and agreeing competency profiles with respective focus group members representing the individual portfolios.

As auxiliary staff were excluded from the assessment, along with political appointees and elected officials, as explained in the methodology, the assessment findings cannot be applied to all the municipal/city employees, but rather only to those categories explicitly targeted by the assessment.

Citizens were not included in the assessment process itself, as a means of external evaluation, but satisfaction surveys were consulted when and if available.

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report

II. OVERVIEW OF FINDINGS General Information Training Attitudes and Experiences Training Priorities in Crosscutting Areas Training Priorities by Core Local Self-Government Competencies

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report The findings were divided into four sub-sections and each dealt with a set of research findings to include general respondent information, training attitudes and experiences, crosscutting training needs and training needs within the core competency areas of local governments.

The General Information subsection provides detailed data on the assessment sample and conversely on the survey population, which includes analysis regarding the intersection of gender, age, education and employment status, as well as language and computer proficiency. This provides core data on the structure of local human resources.

The subsection Training Attitudes and Experiences discusses respondent satisfaction with training opportunities and presents training arrangements and preferences in training delivery, amongst others.

The third subsection deals with crosscutting training needs and maps capacity gaps that are felt across the administrative structure, including human resource management, project management and information technology, to name but a few.

The fourth and final part of the chapter discusses the training needs for core competencies of local selfgovernment. Every aspect of municipal operations, ranging from spatial planning through to education and civil protection, is examined here in light of knowledge and skills gaps and the resulting priority training needs.

2.1. GENERAL INFORMATION 2.1.1. Overview of Survey Respondents According to Age and Gender Age group

All employees4

Male

Female

2.2% 20.8% 26.5% 42.7% 7.8% 100%

54.9% 49.9% 41.7% 42.9% 73.6% 46.7%

45.1% 50.1% 58.3% 57.1% 26.4% 53.3%

from 18 to 25 from 26 to 35 from 36 to 45 from 46 to 55 56 and over Total

The overall gender structure of RS local government slightly favours female employees (53.3%), which is clearly evidenced by the two major age groups (36 to 45 and 45 to 55) that make up almost 70% of the total number of employees.

Gender and age range 26.4%

56 and over from 46 to 55

26.5%

from 26 to 35

20.8%

Female - within age range

57.1%

42.9% 42.7%

from 36 to 45

from 18 to 25

73.6%

7.8%

58.3%

41.7%

Male - within age range

50.1% 49.9% 45.1%

All - per age range

54.9%

2.2%

4

Bearing in mind that auxiliary staff were not included in the target group and sample.

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The category with the most senior local government employees (56+), however, strongly favours male staff members. The 18 to 25 age group is also dominated by male staff members, indicating that the trend of recent employment in local government has been tilted toward male employees.

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report A significant feature of the RS local government age structure is the prevalence of the 46-55 age group: some 42.7% of the overall number of employees stem from this age bracket. At the same time, there have been limited attempts to rejuvenate the administration as only 2% of employees are in the “recent graduate” bracket (18 to 25).

The current situation necessitates proper succession planning on behalf of RS institutions and the municipalities themselves in order to avoid large staffing gaps that may occur once this group reaches retirement age (particularly considering that over half of the employees are over 46).

2.1.2. Overview of Survey Respondents According to Education and Gender Education

All employees5

Male

Female

28.5% 11.7% 58.3% 1.5% 100.0%

27.9% 52.1% 55.1% 33.4% 46.7%

72.1% 47.9% 44.9% 66.6% 53.3%

Secondary school 2 year Degree Bachelor’s Degree Master’s Degree / PhD Total

The educational structure of the survey population in the RS is dominated by bachelor degree holders (58.3%).

However, the survey population excludes clerical and support positions, as noted earlier.

High school graduates made up the second largest educational category, while 11.7% of the staff hold a 2 year university degree, a remnant of the pre-war public administration where a two-year administrative law degree was considered the norm for civil service employment. This percentage is thus expected to be further reduced over the coming years as the employees in the senior age bracket retire.

1.5%

Education Secondary school

58.3%

28.5%

Bachelors 2 year

11.7%

MA/PhD

Only 1.5 % of staff hold master’s degrees, which defies the general trend at higher levels of government where there is an increasing number of civil servants with advanced degrees. As a rule, staff with advanced degrees can be found in the larger and more urban local self-government units.

When looking at the cross-section of education and age it is visible that the age bracket 46-55 also contains the highest number of university educated employees. This raises a particular concern over whether they will be adequately replaced by qualified incumbents in the smaller rural areas, as there is a tendency within the younger more educated population to drift more toward the larger urban centres. Again, bringing in junior employees to all educational brackets in order to offset the effects of the aging administration, when and where possible, emerges as a key issue.

Education and age structure (as % of overall LSGUs staff) MA/PhD

0.6% 17.0%

Bachelors 0.6% 2 year 0.1% 0.6% Secondary school 0.8% 3.0%

from 18 to 25

5

0.3%

0.6%

12.7% 3.5%

23.3% 5.3% 14.0%

9.7% from 26 to 35

from 36 to 45

Bearing in mind that auxiliary staff were not included in the target group and sample.

21

from 46 to 55

4.6% 2.2%

56 and over

0.6%

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report The cross-sectional analysis of gender and education shows that male employees make up the majority of the two higher educated categories, despite being in a relative minority overall. The high-school educated bracket is, however, heavily dominated by female employees. This shows a substantial gender imbalance when it comes to the education levels within local self-government administration.

Education structure and gender in LSGUs MA/PhD

33.4%

66.6%

Bachelors

55.1%

44.9%

2 year

52.1%

47.9%

27.9%

Secondary school

Male - within education level

72.1% Female - within education level

2.1.3. Overview of Survey Respondents According to Employment Status and Gender Employment structure

All employees

6

1.6% 9.4% 5.1% 2.1% 44.0% 8.8% 29.1% 100.0%

MA Secretary Head of Department Head of Internal Organisational Unit Expert Advisor Independent Expert Associate Senior Expert Associate Expert Associate Total

Male

Female

57.8% 65.4% 56.8% 61.6% 52.7% 35.2% 31.7% 46.7%

42.2% 34.6% 43.2% 38.4% 47.3% 64.8% 68.3% 53.3%

Independent Expert Associates (IEAs) emerged, by far, as the largest employment category in the survey population, comprising 44% of the total number of employees. This can be explained by the fact that IEAs independently manage administrative procedures, the bread and butter of public administration at all government levels, and are the most common category of government employee.

IEAs are provided with close support by Expert Associates and the two combine to make up more than two-thirds of the total number of employees (73%).

The number of managerial staff is high, with almost 15% of employees managing either departments or independent sections.

Senior Expert Associates and Expert Advisors make up a further 10% of the survey population, which indicates a rather top heavy local administration when combined with the total numbers of municipal management.

Employment status and gender structure Expert Associate Senior Expert Associate Indepen. Expert Associate Expert Advisor Head of Internal Org. Unit Head of Department MA Secretary

32% 35% 53% 62% 57% 65% 58% Male

68% 65% 47% 38% 43% 35% 42% Female

6

Bearing in mind that auxiliary staff were not included in the target group and sample.

22

Employment structure MA Secretary Expert 1.6% Associate 29.1%

Senior Expert Associate 8.8%

Head of Department Head of 9.4% Internal Org. Unit 5.1% Expert Advisor 2.1% Independent Expert Associate 44.0%

On the gender front, male managers outnumber female at both departmental and section level, while the ratio of male to female employees per bracket drops proportionately to the decrease in employment/organisational status. Accordingly, the bottom rung of the municipal organisational ladder is overwhelmingly tilted toward female employees.

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report The chart below indicates that there are no uniform educational qualifications across local government for particular employee brackets (or rather that they are not being applied in practice). Accordingly, for all of the listed categories there are between two and four different educational backgrounds. This highlights a lack of uniformity in educational requirements set before local self-government employees. While this can be explained in most instances through a shortage of qualified applicants in the job market, a detailed review of the current qualification structure for local government may be needed in order to ensure that available human resources within the labour market are utilised to the maximum and in accordance with relevant laws and municipal regulations.

Employment status and education 87% 71%

Expert Associate Senior Expert Associate 7% Indepen. Expert Associate 4% 6% 27% Expert Advisor Head of Internal Org. Unit 2% 10% Head of Department 2% 11% MA Secretary

7% 22%

6%

88%

2%

4%

69% 86%

2% 6%

92% 89%

Secondary school

2 year

Bachelors

MA/PhD

The following chart illustrates that the 46-55 age group dominates virtually all of the listed employee categories and in particular the senior positions, which can be attributed largely to the fact that experience is a precondition for promotion.

Employment status and age Expert Associate 4% 11% 18% Senior Expert Associate 31% Indepen. Expert Associate 3% 38% Expert Advisor 15% 17% Head of Internal Org. Unit 31% Head of Department 8% 27% MA Secretary from 18 to 25

from 26 to 35

34% 25%

48% 43% 22%

35% 23%

35% 61% 50%

51%

from 36 to 45

from 46 to 55

3% 14% 9% 4% 7% 11% 22%

56 and over

2.1.4. Overview of Survey Respondents According to Language Literacy 7

Language literacy in LSG English Russian German French Other languages

Proficient

Passive knowledge

No knowledge

8%

39% 22% 11% 3%

53% 78% 88% 97% 99%

1% 1%

In this regard the survey results show an obvious capacity gap in the area of foreign languages; only 10.4% can use a foreign language effectively (allowing for knowledge inflation, which is particularly prevalent in this subject area). English is the dominant foreign language, as expected.

Foreign language proficiency seems to be the near exclusive domain of junior employees: almost 80% of those that speak a foreign language come for the otherwise underrepresented 18-36 categories, as illustrated by the graph. The 10.4% stands for the total percentage of employees proficient in a foreign language. This poses 7

Bearing in mind that auxiliary staff were not included in the target group and sample.

23

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report certain questions with regard to Language proficiency within age range the ability of municipal leadership 10.4% All employees t o u n d e rsta n d I PA - re l a te d 33% 56 and over documents in their original 4.3% from 46 to 55 language and to keep up to date 1.7% from 36 to 45 with the latest developments in 32.8% from 26 to 35 EU local government. Considering 46.8% from 18 to 25 the nature of local government, not all employees should be expected to speak a foreign language but a certain number should be equipped to manage contacts with international agencies and the EU in particular.

2.1.5. Overview of Survey Respondents According to Computer Literacy The survey findings indicate that the overwhelming majority of the survey population (92%) use computers in their work. While this shows an advanced level of modernisation in local government, as compared to a decade ago, it should be noted that computer use is mainly reduced to basic Word document processing.

Computer use in work Managers Admnistrative officers

95%

5%

92%

8%

Yes

No

However, the level of IT literacy is not absolute as some 8% of administrative officers do not utilise computers in their work. This means that a number of municipal employees are either not proficient in the use of information technology or that they do not have the necessary equipment available. However, as clerical/support personnel were left out of the survey it remains unclear how the employees in question do not have access to computers. The RS Local Self-Government Development Strategy puts the IT literacy rate at 54.6%. However, that number includes auxiliary and custodial staff as well as elected officials not covered by the TNA. The breakdown of computer literacy by age group is highly indicative as it confirms an increase in computer use accompanied to a decrease in age. This illustrates the relative inability and/or unwillingness of more senior employees to adapt to the changing technological demands of the modern workplace.

Computer use in work by age from 18 to 25 from 26 to 35 from 36 to 45 from 46 to 55 56 and over

100.0% 97.4% 96.7% 86.9% 87.0%

2.6% 3.3% 13.1% 13.0%

Yes

Among the computer programmes used by the survey population, the standard Microsoft Office package, with Word, Excel and PowerPoint, is used the most, along with Internet browsing software. However, the survey also indicates the use of a number of specialised computer programmes in a number of areas ranging from finance, spatial planning to document tracking and management.

No

Overall computer literacy by programme Word Excel PowerPoint Internet Other programmes

90% 22%

53% 78%

50% 21% Yes

24

10%

47%

50% 79%

No

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report 2.2. TRAINING ATTITUDES AND EXPERIENCES 2.2.1. Local Government Training Plans This survey section inquired with respondents whether local governments have annual training plans, as well as examined employee awareness of such training documents.

Is there an annual training plan in your municipality?

No or not aware 71%

The assessment process established that only a select few municipalities indeed have training plans. Remarkably, staff of only four out of the eighteen municipalities surveyed provided a uniform answer when asked whether their municipality had a training plan, which indicates a low level of awareness of the municipal training framework. The rest were drastically divided in their perception.

Yes 29%

In Trebinje, which has developed a training plan, 44.7% of employees indicated that the municipality either did not have a training plan or that they were not aware of its existence.

In Banja Luka, the largest and best organised local government unit in RS, almost a quarter of the surveyed employees were unaware of any such document. Again, Banja Luka is one of the few LSGs in Republika Srpska that produces an annual training plan.

For instance, in Srebrenica, nearly 80% of employees are unaware of the of the 2008 municipal training plan, mandated by the ISO certification procedures.

Likewise, surveys of a number of municipalities that do not have training plans, such as Ribnik and Rogatica, produced a number of positive responses when asked about the existence of a municipal training plan.

Is there an annual training plan in your municipality?

LSG

No or not aware

Yes

100.0% 100.0% 68.2% 94.1% 85.1% 100.0% 87.5% 98.3% 100.0% 92.7% 87.2% 85.4% 79.4% 95.9% 91.9% 44.7% 84.4% 22.8%

0.0% 0.0% 31.8% 5.9% 14.9% 0.0% 12.5% 1.7% 0.0% 7.3% 12.8% 14.6% 20.6% 4.1% 8.1% 55.3% 15.6% 77.2%

Berkovići B. Kostajnica Čajniče Kalinovik Ribnik Trnovo RS Vukosavlje Kotor Varoš Lopare Milići Rogatica Srbac Srebrenica Ugljevik Foča Trebinje Zvornik Banja Luka

Actual ¸ training plan No No No No No No No No No No No No Yes No Yes Yes No Yes

The low level of awareness, when it comes to local government training documents, demonstrated by the above examples may be the result of (a) low visibility of training-related activities within RS local government, (b) poor vertical communication and (c) a lack of interest by both managers and employees.

Therefore, the introduction of mandatory training plans for all LSGs, proposed here to ensure a systematic and responsible approach to training by all LSGs, must be accompanied by a concerted drive to ensure that not only training is planned and executed, but that it is made available to all employees through inclusive planning and proper communication and transparency.

25

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report 2.2.2. Respondent Satisfaction with Training Opportunities on Offer When asked to rate their level of satisfaction with available training opportunities, the majority of respondents indicated that they were unhappy with the training events on offer. They cited a number of reasons ranging from access to training, the type of training offered as well as the general quality of available training opportunities.

However, the level of satisfaction with available training opportunities, differs for administrative officers and supervisors, whether they are departmental managers or section heads. This seems to indicate that supervisors are provided with better training opportunities than the employees they manage, which can be explained by the fact that they often provide the filter between the training provider and the prospective trainees: deciding who attends what training.

Are you satisfied with training opportunities in your LSGU?

No 55%

Yes 45%

There are other notable differences in this regard that are mainly brought about by the amount of attention paid by both the Government and the donor community, in particular, to individual areas of municipal operation. As indicated by the assessment, budget and finance professionals are, by far, the most satisfied with the training opportunities provided. This highlights both the focus of much of the international community's work with local self-government and the relevant dynamics that require regular training for budgeting specialist, as well as accountants. The culture and sport cluster of municipal competencies is at the other end of the spectrum, as the recipient of least attention by both the Government and the international community.

This indicates its relatively low level of importance for both these groups.

2.2.3. Respondent Participation in Training Participated in a training in last two years

The survey reveals that more than half of the survey population participated in a training event over the past two years. This relatively high percentage can be attributed largely to the continuous presence of donor organisations in local government, offering various training programmes and coaching services.

Participation in training is also heavily biased toward managerial level staff, indicating that senior staff are significantly more likely to participate in training than the administrative officers they supervise. Again, this can be attributed to easier access to training opportunities for local government management and often a lack of vertical communication.

A cross-section of training attendance and age shows that the vast majority of training attendees fall within the 46-55 category, closely mirroring the overall age structure of local government in RS.

No 42%

Participation in trainings per age range 56 and over 8.2%

66%

34%

Admnistrative officers

43% Yes

18 to 25 2.5% 26 to 35 22.1%

Participated in trainings Managers

Yes 58%

57%

No

26

46 to 55 40.1%

36 to 45 27.1%

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report 2.2.4. Major Obstacles to Training Delivery Major obstacles to quality training 43.1% 41.3%

Training costs Absence of practical relevance of training Absence of TNA mechanism The lack of quality training programmes The lack of information of training The lack of time for tng participation Insufficient staff motivation for training An inadequate manner of training delivery Absence of quality training providers Others

31.0% 29.3% 26.5% 24.6% 22.9% 9.5% 7.3% 2.8%

According to the survey findings, supported by the results of the senior leadership interview process, the key obstacle to quality training in RS local government is the cost involved.

Considering the minimum financial allocation of training funds by most local governments surveyed, the one conclusion that can be drawn is that training is far from a priority function for an average RS municipality and funds are often missing when important training opportunities emerge.

The second most cited obstacle is dissatisfaction with the type of training on offer, i.e. a lack of practice-based and on-the-job development that would help LSG employees better meet the demands of their positions. This is an issue as much of the training currently offered follows theoretical and classroom learning models that have little bearing on the day to day operations of an LG administration. It is often carried out by academics and not by practitioners whose experiences would be of most value to the local government employees.

The absence of a comprehensive training needs assessment mechanism was also cited as one of the key barriers to quality training, as most of what is on offer is supply rather than demand driven and thus does not meet the pressing needs of local government employees. This represents the key feature of training over the past 10 years and needs to be addressed if training is to have a meaningful impact on the quality of municipal service delivery.

When reviewed by employment status (management versus administrative officers), the issue of access to training was yet again highlighted as an obstacle. It shows that managers are much more concerned about the quality of training, as they attend it more regularly, as opposed to the lack of information on training and a lack of relevant training tailored to their proper needs, which was highlighted by some 28% and 42% of administrative officers respectively.

2.2.5. Training Duration Preferred training duration Up to 5 days 48%

Up to 2 days 22%

More than 5 days 26%

Up to 1 day 4%

The overwhelming majority of the targeted population clearly prefers training duration of up to five days (3-5), demonstrating a firmly held belief that shorter training programmes are not productive. Only 26% of the total population feel that two days or less is sufficient for effective training delivery. Finally, 26% also feel that training should be longer than five days if it is to result in a significant improvement in skills and or behaviour in the workplace.

The breakdown by employment status is also interesting, indicating that a higher number of managers feel that training should be no longer than two days as opposed to those who feel it should last longer than five. The majority of managers, however, follow the general trend of preferring training of up to five days.

27

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report Nevertheless, it should be noted that the common view held by mayors is that the average duration of training should be two days, which was supported by some 25% of all managers and illustrates the management's concern over lengthy absences of employees from the workplace.

Preferred training duration More than 5 days

25.6% 33.0% 49.0%

Up to 5 days

35.6% 21.1% 25.6%

Up to 2 days Up to 1 days

4.3% 5.7%

Administrative officiers

Managers

2.2.6. Training Format The majority of respondents ranked seminars as the top form of training delivery, an approach Counselling/Seminar 69% firmly rooted in the traditional apoproach to Workshop 42% training as a troubleshooting exercise that aims to On-the-job training 41% address immediate knowledge gaps, mainly Lectures 31% created by new legislation, rather than build capacities in a sustained and systematic manner.

Case study 12% However, preference shown to both workshop Others 2% format and on-the-job training illustrates that new methods are slowly emerging as major forms of training, largely as a legacy of the international community's involvement with capacity building. Case studies are only favoured in 12% of the cases, while lectures, another conventional vehicle for knowledge delivery, are at a respectable 31%, again highlighting the long held defference to traditional classroom-based learning.

Preferred training format

A s i n d i cate d by t h e g ra p h , administrative officers showed a preference toward on-the-job training, which can be explained by the rather technical and detailed nature of their work, as opposed to the softer skills needed by managers.

Preferred training format - Managers and staff members Managers

61%

11% 41%

Workshop

37%

Lectures

74%

Case study Administrative 40% 12% officiers 30% 68%

Counselling/Seminar

42% 2%

On-the-job training Others

28

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report 2.3. CROSSCUTTING TRAINING NEEDS8 Crosscutting training needs pertain to knowledge and skills gaps that are felt across the administrative structure, i.e. in generic areas of LG operation: ranging from human resource management through quality control to activities traditionally grouped under the general administration portfolio.

BiH's international ambitions and ongoing efforts at accession and stabilization are reflected at the local level where the majority of the target population highlights EU integration and international cooperation as areas of particular interest but limited expertise. This is closely followed by Information Technology, attesting to the awareness of local governments of the need to modernize service delivery and administrative operations.

Priority cross-cutting areas EU Integrations and International Cooperation Information Technologies and E-Municipality Service Provision Management and Quality Control Project Cycle Management Human Resources Management Work Planing and Organisational Management

1,343 1,274 1,234 937 898 873 756 704 647 527

Public Relations Local Democracy Public Procurement General Administration

The bottom of the priority list largely reflects the results of training fatigue in areas of public procurement and general administration, which have been saturated with training over the past couple of years.

Priority training needs are established at a cross-section of areas identified as priority by the majority target population and those identified as lacking knowledge/expertise. While below findings represent summary results of the survey carried out in the sample LSGs, final recommendations on priority training needs take into account results of focus group discussions and LSG senior leadership interviews.

2.3.1. European Integration and International Cooperation9 Regional and rural development programmes lead the list of priority topics in the EU portfolio along with EU funds and programmes (IPA and community programmes), which indicates a high level of awareness within the target population of the importance of these funds for the development of local government (39.6% and 38.2%). At the same time, there is little information and knowledge available to prepare local government employees to adequately utilise the benefits that these programmes may yield for both cities and municipalities in RS. Basics of EU functioning related to institutions, decision-making processes, EU legislation and procedures are at the bottom of the list, along with the EU enlargement process. This indicates that there is not much interest in generic topics that do not necessarily improve the KSA levels of municipal staff within the realm of European integration.

8 Crosscutting training needs refer to those areas identified as priority by most respondents from the target group, keeping in mind the current knowledge, skills and abilities levels. The vertical prioritisation of crosscutting issues has been determined by comparing the weighted choices made by the respondents for each of the areas listed. For example, the number 527 that is shown for the general administration portfolio refers to the average number of respondents that have marked this area as a priority among other listed portfolios.

9 The horizontal prioritisation of training topics within individual portfolios has been determined by comparing the weighted number of respondents that marked this topic relevant to their work, as well as those that rated their KSA levels in this regard as insufficient. For example, 39.6% represents the number of respondents that marked regional development as being important to their work, while at the same time rated their KSA levels in this regard as insufficient.

29

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report EU INTEGRATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION 39.6% 38.2% 36.2% 36.0% 35.8% 34.1% 32.7% 31.3% 31.2%

Regional development Rural development EU funds and programmes Partnership Cooperation and programmes of other donors Administering and financial management of EU projects Preparing project proposals and PCM Cross-border cooperation Tender procedures for EU-funded projects The EU enlargement process and SAA Basics of the EU functioning

27.5% 26.3%

Insufficient knowledge

The breakdown of the targeted population by employment status does highlight certain differences in the competency requirements by managers and staff in RS municipalities. While rural and regional development programmes largely dominate employee self-assessments, tender procedures for EU funded projects as well as cooperation with other donors are key priorities for departmental and section heads. This can largely be attributed to more frequent contact with international donor organisations by departmental and section heads.

EU INTEGRATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION-MANAGERS

EU INTEGRATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION-STAFF

Tender procedures for EU-funded projects

47%

Regional development

39%

Cooperation and programmes of other donors

45%

Rural development

38%

EU funds and programmes

EU funds and programmes

44%

Insufficient knowledge

35%

Insufficient knowledge

EU funds and programme curriculums are shared by both groups as the third priority, which displays a level of desire to learn more about EU funding in general in order to supplement the often inadequate municipal budgets.

2.3.2. Information Technology and E-Local Government Although information technology has been one of the areas most heavily targeted by training since 1996, the initial knowledge gap has proven to be substantial and further capacity building in this area is necessary, as attested by the results of the assessment where IT came in second in the list of priorities for cross-cutting issues.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND E-MUNICIPALITY 37.4% 36.8% 35.4% 34.8% 34.0% 32.8% 31.8%

Electronic document management E-mail and internet E-services - issuing certificates and other documents MS Office advanced modules (Access, PM) MS Office basic modules (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) E-communication with citizens Developing and maintaining a municipal website 27.7%

Human resources management - software and databases Material/financial operations- software and databases

22.8%

Insufficient knowledge

30

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report Mirroring recent trends in the modernisation of local government administration, the respondents highlighted the importance of electronic document management that allows for speedier processing of citizen's claims as well as better process tracking by municipal management. Nonetheless, any training in this area must be matched by investments in infrastructure and hardware.

Introduction of electronic document management has closely followed the adoption of ISO standards in many local governments throughout RS and is one of the leading innovations aimed at ensuring better service delivery.

Furthermore, 36.8% of the targeted population consider E-mail and the Internet important for their work but assess their knowledge of these subjects as insufficient.

Some 35.4 % of respondents assessed their knowledge of E-services as insufficient, thus ranking it as the third priority area in the portfolio. E-service provision is very much on the horizon of local government in RS and the results of the Training Needs Assessment show a laudable degree of vision displayed by the municipal employees in identifying their future training needs.

Some 34% of respondents describe their knowledge levels of MS Office (basic and advanced) as inadequate, ranking it overall as fourth and fifth, respectively, on the list of training priorities in the IT portfolio, although this particular subject has been given attention by both donor organisations and the Government.

Specialist software (HRM and financial software), although of critical importance to the functioning of a municipal administration, are at the bottom of the list due to their highly specialised nature and the small number of local government employees that use them.

Also noteworthy is the fact that the introduction of E-government has been listed as one of the key priorities in the RS Local Government Development Strategy.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND E-MUNICIPALITY - MANAGERS MS Office advanced modules E-services (issuing certificates documents) E-mail and internet

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND E-MUNICIPALITY - STAFF 41% 36%

Electronic document management

38%

E-mail and internet

37%

E-services - issuing documents

33%

Insufficient knowledge

35%

Insufficient knowledge

The breakdown by employment status illustrates again the different needs as well as access to training opportunities by the two groups; management does not seem to require further training on electronic data management while administrative officers rank it as the ultimate priority. At the same time, both group ranked E-services as well as E-mail and Internet use as important in their work and insufficient in current knowledge levels.

2.3.3. Service Provision Management and Quality Control The fact that quality service provision was ranked as a top three priority by the majority of respondents shows a growing awareness by local governments of their role as servants to the community. This has largely come about as a result of concerted efforts by both the Government and the donor community to make local administrations more user-friendly through the introduction of a number of quality assurance systems (to include ISO and CAF).

31

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report This shift is reflected in the review of priority topics for service provision and quality control, where quality management systems came in top of the list with 35.2% of respondents assessing their KSA levels as inadequate and in need of further strengthening.

Developing service quality standards and indicators was the second-ranked topic, displaying a desire by the local government employees to move toward setting and achieving tangible results, which will help them better assess the quality of their performance.

Monitoring and evaluation of service provision is the third-ranked priority further highlighting the new local government focus on ensuring that service delivery meets certain quality standards through continuous performance evaluation. This is closely linked to both the previous priority topics.

SERVICE PROVISION MANAGEMENT AND QUALITY CONTROL 35.2% 34.1% 33.4% 31.8% 28.6% 26.4%

Quality management system (ISO, CAF, etc.)

Developing service quality standards and indicators Monitoring and evaluation of service provision Internal controls (COSO, etc.)

Assessing community needs for service provision Assessing resources required for service provision Insufficient knowledge

The breakdown by employment status brings up the same three priorities for both groups with a slightly different sequencing, likely brought about by different perspectives, with managers more interested in service quality standards that will enable them to effectively assess employee and organization performance against a set of tangible benchmarks.

SERVICE PROVISION MANAGEMENT AND QUALITY CONTROL - MANAGERS Developing service quality standards and indicators Monitoring and evaluation of service provision Quality management system (ISO, CAF, etc.)

SERVICE PROVISION MANAGEMENT AND QUALITY CONTROL - STAFF Quality management system (ISO, CAF, etc.)

27%

Developing service quality standards and indicators Monitoring and evaluation of service provision

26% 23%

Insufficient knowledge

37% 35% 34%

Insufficient knowledge

2.3.4. Project Cycle Management Municipal management is under constant pressure to do more with less, with growing demands for service provision rarely supported by the often dwindling municipal budgets. Organization and coordination of labour and resources under the umbrella of projects, as practical sub-segments of municipal service programs, represents an answer to this challenge as it ensures maximum results with minimum investment.

With modern investments in municipal infrastructure and service provision largely taking the shape of projects, their management is becoming an increasing priority for both administrative officers and managers alike.

Preparing project documents, as the initial stage of the project management cycle, requires the most attention, according to the results of the Training Needs Assessment in this area.

This includes a wide array of activities ranging from pre-project preparations and consultations through to the drafting of technical documentation to cost benefit analysis and the development of a feasibility study. All of

32

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report these activities are aimed at ensuring that the foundations for the project are sound and that all the risks and or opportunities have been effectively mitigated and or exploited.

General project cycle management was cited as the second-ranked priority by the target population, aimed at improving the overall knowledge base of municipal employees in this area. This process includes project definition, project planning, implementation as well monitoring, evaluation and adjustment where needed.

The third-ranked priority was project monitoring and evaluation, displaying a great deal of awareness by the municipal employees in regard to the importance of tracking project progress and ensuring its effectiveness against a set of implementation benchmarks.

PROJECT CYCLE MANAGEMENT 26.9%

Preparing project documents Project cycle management Project efficacy monitoring and analysis Finances for non-financial employees

25.5% 24.4% 19.1% Insufficient knowledge

Once again, managers have shown a greater degree of interest in project evaluation and monitoring, considering their role as quality controllers for their municipality. Finance for non-financial employees was also ranked as important by management, while being somewhat ignored by the administrative officers. This shows that managers feel that they should have at least a basic understanding of all the concepts and subjects related to project cycle management.

PROJECT CYCLE MANAGEMENT - MANAGERS Project efficacy monitoring and analysis

26%

Preparing project documents Finances for non-financial employees

PROJECT CYCLE MANAGEMENT - STAFF Preparing project documents

23% 19%

Insufficient knowledge

27%

Project cycle management

26%

Project efficacy monitoring and analysis

24%

Insufficient knowledge

2.3.5. Human Resource Management The terms "human resource management" and "human resources" (HR) have largely replaced the term "personnel management" when describing the processes involved in managing people, largely as a result of the recent modernization trends in local government.

The importance of training and development planning, as key components of human resource management, is highlighted by their status as the premiere training priorities in this area of municipal operations.

While research undertaken at both senior and middle management levels indicates training is a key concern for municipal leaders, a small number of municipalities actually have a training plan on the books while even fewer take active steps in its implementation.

Considering that training needs assessment, a key prerequisite for quality planning in the realm of training and development, is ranked second, there is a growing feeling that municipal employees are embracing the benefits of training to their performance as well as career progression. Furthermore, with much of the training in the past being driven by international agencies as well as higher levels of government, municipal governments in the RS want to become better equipped to identify the training needs of their staff and to communicate them effectively to the training market.

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report Performance appraisal is ranked third as the realization grows that performance management is at the core of all HRM processes, ranging from job analysis, performance assessment, career advancement, disciplinary procedures as well as employment termination.

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT 39.2% 37.7%

Preparation and implementation of annual training plan Training needs assessment Performance appraisal Discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment Relevant legal framework Remuneration and non-salary benefits Redundancy and separation Task systematization and division of labour Disciplinary measures Plaining and job advertisement Recruitment of interns and volunteers Selection, interview, employment and probation period

27.2% 26.8% 23.9% 21.7% 21.6% 20.9% 19.8% 12.8% 12.1% 12.0%

Insufficient knowledge

The top two training priorities are identical for both managers and administrative officers, while systemization is clearly still a priority for managers as the organization of local government in the RS continues to be tweaked and adjusted to serve best the interests of its local communities.

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT - MANAGERS 22%

Annual training plan preparation Training needs assessment Task systematization and division of labour

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT - STAFF

19%

Annual training plan preparation

41%

Training needs assessment

40%

Performance appraisal

13%

Insufficient knowledge

29%

Insufficient knowledge

2.3.6. Work Planning and Organisational Management This area of municipal operations covers a wide array of activities that are aimed at improving productivity and efficiency of local government administrations. Some, such as teamwork and efficient time management, represent recent additions to the administrative landscape, while others, such as strategic planning, have been in place for decades.

In fact, the TNA has identified strategic planning as the training activity most urgently required to ensure that the local governments approach their programmes with a realistic, multi-year outlook.

Employee motivation comes second, with an increasing number of both managers and employees recognizing the need to maintain a satisfactory level of motivation in the workforce, considering the relatively low salaries as well as the virtual guarantee of employment in the public sector (in particular, the reluctance to dismiss employees regardless of their performance or disciplinary infringements).

Developing annual, semi-annual and monthly plans is also frequently cited as an area that requires urgent improvements in order to build on the multi-year perspective noted above.

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report WORK PLANING AND ORGANISATIONAL MANAGEMENT 27.7% 26.8% 26.8%

Developing strategic plans Employee motivation Developing annual, semi annual and monthly plans Internal communication Task planning, delegation and distribution Efficient time management Conflict resolution in the workplace Team work Development of organizational policies and procedures Managing employees

22.6% 22.5% 20.8% 20.6% 20.3% 20.2% 15.1%

Insufficient knowledge

Once again, the managers' priorities differ somewhat from those identified by the administrative officers – while the officers tend to focus on strategic planning as their principle priority, managers place more of a focus on the development of organizational policies and procedures needed to manage the municipal organization in a more structured and predictable fashion.

WORK PLANING AND ORGANISATIONAL MANAGEMENT - MANAGERS Development of organizational policies and procedures

21%

Developing strategic plans Developing annual, semi annual and monthly plans

WORK PLANING AND ORGANISATIONAL MANAGEMENT - STAFF

17% 15%

Insufficient knowledge

Developing strategic plans

26%

Employee motivation

25%

Developing annual, semi annual and monthly plans

25%

Insufficient knowledge

2.3.7. Public Relations With demands for more transparency at the local level growing both in volume and support, public relations are becoming an increasingly important consideration in how local governments conduct their business.

The importance of public perception of local government performance is also evident in the results of the Training Needs Assessment; the highest number of local government employees cited surveys as an area that requires substantial investment in skills development. This indicates a desire by local government to assess the level of citizen satisfaction and react accordingly, which reflects a degree of awareness of the customeroriented outlook of modern local government in RS. Promotion of municipal policies, strategies and activities is another major priority for capacity building in this regard as municipal employees are ill-equipped to bring key municipal documents closer to the citizens in a meaningful fashion.

Presentation preparation comes in third, to accommodate the increasing need for structured presentation of information, both internally and externally.

It is also worth noting the fact that while free access to information is the most important aspect of public relations for the majority of municipal employees current knowledge levels rank it at the bottom of the training needs priority list. This illustrates the good work that has been done in this regard with adequate training provided to accompany the roll-out of the Freedom of Information Act.

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report PUBLIC RELATIONS 21.9% 21.6% 21.2% 20.1% 19.2% 17.9% 17.5% 15.4%

Surveys Promotion of municipal policies, strategies and activities Presentation preparation Lobbying and advocacy Transparency of decision-making process Free access to information Public relation strategy Organization and management of media relations Insufficient knowledge

Lobbying and advocacy are the notable differences between the two employment categories in this regard.

This comes as little surprise considering the different outlook managers and administrative officers have when approaching the public. With the latter often merely conveying decisions to the citizens, the former are frequently asked to garner public support for a particular initiative or plan, requiring the development of their lobbying capacities.

PUBLIC RELATIONS - MANAGERS

PUBLIC RELATIONS - STAFF 24%

Lobbying and advocacy

Promotion of policies, strategies and activities

20%

Surveys

18%

Surveys

20%

Presentation preparation

17%

Presentation preparation

19%

Insufficient knowledge

Insufficient knowledge

2.3.8. Local Democracy For the purposes of the Training Needs Assessment process, local democracy is defined as a process that ensures people are involved in the business of government, with activities ranging from promoting social inclusion to ensuring direct participation by citizens in decision-making processes.

This segment of the survey has largely been dominated by community and target group priority assessment, stressing the local governments' focus on needs-based planning and programming. Further investments in this area would ensure local buy-in for the local governments' activities and meet the community's needs in a structured and cost-effective fashion.

Instruments for ensuring human rights protection, to include conventions and framework documents that govern human rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina, were cited by the majority of local government employees as a key area of interest as well as a major learning topic.

LOCAL DEMOCRACY 25.3% 21.2% 20.0% 17.7% 16.9% 14.6% 14.4% 14.0%

Community and target group priorities’ assessment Instruments for ensuring human rights protection Promoting social inclusion and equality Direct citizens’ participation Work with non-governmental organisations Youth policy Citizens’ participation through elected representatives Work with local communities Insufficient knowledge

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report Promoting social inclusion and equity was also ranked highly as a segment of local democracy where capacities must be further developed in order to guarantee the involvement of minority and endangered groups in the resource allocation processes managed by local government.

The priorities of both employee groups are almost identical, while the only difference is the managers' insistence on direct participation mechanisms and instruments as avenues to ensure better access to decisionmaking for citizens. This can be tied in with the managers' role as lobbyists and advocates for local government programmes with the public, whereby ownership is more easily obtained following an exhaustive process of direct public participation.

LOCAL DEMOCRACY - MANAGERS Community and target group priorities’ assessment Instruments for ensuring human rights protection Direct citizens’ participation

LOCAL DEMOCRACY - STAFF 20%

16% 14%

Community and target group priorities’ assessment Instruments for ensuring human rights protection

22%

Promoting social inclusion and equality

21%

Insufficient knowledge

26%

Insufficient knowledge

2.3.9. Public Procurement Since the adoption of relevant legislation in 2004 public procurement has been one of the principal target areas for capacity building at all levels of governments. Extensive training activities have been implemented both by the Public Procurement Agency as well as by those international organisations that support its work.

This largely accounts for the findings of the Training Needs Assessment process where many local government employees found public procurement to be important but only a relative minority assessed their skills in this area as insufficient.

Internal controls and conflict of interest were two areas highlighted in the findings of the assessment. This indicates the desire of local government administrations to expand on the procedural basics already in place, thanks to the aforementioned training.

General legal framework for public procurement was also identified as a priority area, largely by those segments of local government administration that have either not been exposed to public procurement at all or require additional clarification of some legal provisions contained in the legislation.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT 18.9% 18.3% 17.6% 17.1% 15.6% 15.2% 13.3%

Internal controls in public procurement Conflict of interest in public procurement Public procurement legal framework Public procurement planning Public procurement models Tender documentation and tender evaluation Public procurement contracting Insufficient knowledge

When broken down by employment status, the capacity assessment data indicates that managers are also interested in tender documentation and tender evaluation as they are largely tasked with this part of the tender process. This also reflects the problems experienced by contracting authorities when their procurement decisions are challenged and evaluation criteria questioned by prospective contractors.

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report PUBLIC PROCUREMENT - MANAGERS Tender documentation and tender evaluation Conflict of interest in public procurement

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT - STAFF Internal controls in public procurement

21%

Conflict of interest in public procurement Public procurement legal framework

20%

Public procurement planning

19%

20%

Insufficient knowledge

18% 18%

Insufficient knowledge

2.3.10. General Administration10 Along with public procurement, general administration is one of the most frequently targeted areas of LG operations when it comes to training and other forms of capacity building.

The legal framework for local self-government was cited as a key priority in this area indicating that municipal and city employees want to know more about the general principles of local self-government in the RS. The second and third priorities were the public administration system in RS, not necessarily a topic of much practical value to local government employees, and legal aid, which is an emerging item designed to provide additional services to citizens.

Although vital for the day-to-day running of local government, crosscutting topics such as office management and administrative procedure have received ample attention in the past and do not merit further training, according to the findings of the assessment.

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION 23.2%

Local self-governance legal framework Public administration system in RS Legal assistance Implementation of Ma’s and commissions’ decisions Citizen service centre and branch offices Citizen affairs and voter records Basic on the constitutional arrangements Mail management, record keeping and filing offices Administrative procedures Office operations Administering MA sessions and commissions MA session procedure and preparation

19.5% 16.4% 14.1% 12.2% 11.7% 11.6% 11.5% 11.5% 11.0% 10.1% 9.0% Insufficient knowledge

As with most emerging areas, managers seem to show a greater degree of interest in enhancing their skills to account for the differing priorities between the two employment groups. Municipal Assembly session preparation and procedure were also ranked highly by managers, which can in part be explained by the participation of MA secretaries in the assessment sample under the management category.

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION - MANAGERS

Local self-governance legal framework Public administration system in RS

16%

Legal assistance Local self-governance legal framework MA session procedure and preparation

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION - STAFF

13%

Legal assistance

11%

Insufficient knowledge

25% 21% 16%

Insufficient knowledge

10 “General administration” is taken to denote the crosscutting functions as performed by all local government employees rather than the Department of General Administration.

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report 11

2.4. TRAINING NEEDS WITHIN CORE LOCAL SELF-GOVERNANCE COMPETENCIES

A cursory review of priority areas reveals a growing interest in municipal development and reflects a shift away from basic service provision toward local growth.

With planning and implementation of local development policies a key priority area, the focus is clearly on initiating and fostering development at the local level.

Priorities within LSGU competencies 437 408 382 311 253 236 196 184 172 167 143 125 114

Planning and Implementation of Local Development Policies Business Enabling Environment and Local Development Environmental protection Budget and Finance Spatial Planning Public Utilities Housing Affairs Disabled War Veteran Protection Social Protection and Health Care Returnees, Displaced Persons and Refugees Civil Protection Education Culture and Sport

Local development is also a highlight of the second ranked priority, business enabling environment and local development, displaying a desire by local government to generate employment and income locally.

The third ranked priority is environmental protection, an area of municipal operations with growing importance for the local governments in the RS. Priority training needs are established at a cross-section of areas identified as priority by the majority target population and those identified as lacking knowledge/expertise. While below findings represent summary results of the survey carried out in the sample LSGs, final recommendations on priority training needs take into account results of focus group discussions and LSG senior leadership interviews.

2.4.1. Planning and Implementation of Local Development Policies The competency of the local government employees in this area was assessed against the following: Legal framework in the area of local development; Situational analysis (to include setting up of a local development database); Participatory definition of local development policies and strategies; Local development strategy implementation (project cycle management and organisational models for project preparation and implementation); Monitoring and evaluation of local development strategy implementation.

11 Training needs within core LSG competencies refer to those areas identified as priority by most respondents from the target group, with the established KSA gaps.

The vertical prioritisation of issues within core LSG competencies has been determined by comparing the weighted average choices made by the respondents for each of the areas listed. For example, the number 437 that is shown for the planning and implementation of local development policies refers to the average number of respondents that have marked this area as a priority among other listed portfolios.

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report 2.4.1.1. General Issues Focus group findings highlight a number of concerns with regards to local development planning both external and internal by nature, with an inadequate rate of strategy implementation deemed a crucial shortcoming in this regard.

The group further noted a lack of support and coordination by higher levels of government both in terms of developing and implementing local government strategy documents and displaying an absence of an integrated system to synchronise planning at all levels.

Inadequate analysis capability was also noted as a barrier to local development planning as the needed data is both scarce and difficult to analyse without building new skill sets within local government administrations.

Lacking infrastructure was cited as a further obstacle to local development while focus group participants noted that the practice of participatory planning and policy development is underdeveloped and underutilized, thus not providing the public with adequate means to take a more active part in planning processes that directly affect the quality of life in their local communities.

2.4.1.2. Training-related Issues12 Local development strategy implementation was highlighted as the principle priority topic by the target population, largely as a result of the desire by local governments to finally translate existing strategic documents into action.

While most local governments have received extensive assistance from international organisations in developing strategic plans that are both inclusive and based on individual circumstance, there has been relatively little assistance with the translation of said documents into concrete action plans that would yield direct benefits for the local community.

PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF LOCAL DEVELOPMENT POLICIES 30.5% 30.4% 29.8% 29.6%

Local development strategy implementation Situation analysis Participatory definition of LD policies and strategies LD strategy monitoring and evaluation Legal framework in the area of Local development

26.4% Insufficient knowledge

Situational analysis is the second most rated topic by the target population, focusing on building skill sets of municipal employees to help them identify vital considerations for local development in the community. This includes collecting statistics on business demographics, mapping out key stakeholders, identifying strengths, weaknesses as well as opportunities, and storing the information in a database, among others.

This is a necessary prerequisite for proper and regular strategic planning and an area that was not the focus of much attention by previous training providers. One of the most serious problems faced by municipal administration in this regard is the absence of relevant data, as highlighted by the findings of local development focus group held as part of the Training Needs Assessment. There are no accurate population or employment figures and most plans are based on educated guesses, with one focus group participant noting that he gets three different sets of information from three different sources from within government. In any case, it is necessary to build capacities for relevant data collection and analysis and management of data relevant for local development processes in general.

12 The horizontal prioritisation of training topics within the LSG core competencies has been determined by comparing the weighted number of respondents that marked this topic relevant to their work, also rating their KSA levels in this regard insufficient. For example, 30.5% represents the number of respondents that marked local development strategy implementation as important to their work, while at the same time rating their KSA levels in this regard insufficient.

40

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report The third priority topic requested by the target population is the participatory definition of local development policies and strategies. This relates to enabling participation in development planning by all stakeholders in the local community, ranging from the public at large through business interest to non-governmental organizations. As the new generation of strategic planning requires an unprecedented degree of involvement by non-traditional planning actors, local governments must be provided with the skills and tools to facilitate said involvement with the best possible outcomes.

PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF LOCAL DEVELOPMENT POLICIES - MANAGERS Local development strategy monitoring and implementation Local development strategy implementation Participatory definition of LD policies and strategies

PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF LOCAL DEVELOPMENT POLICIES - STAFF

44% 41% 32%

Insufficient knowledge

Situation analysis (including LD database establishment)

30%

Participatory definition of LD policies and strategies Local development strategy implementation

29% 29%

Insufficient knowledge

The breakdown by employment status indicates that managers are more concerned with evaluating the success of the strategy implementation, focusing on performance assessment as the follow-up step to strategy implementation, while administrative officers are more concerned with capacity building for situational analysis, as the preparatory step in the development of strategy documents.

2.4.2. Business Enabling Environment and Local Development The competency of the local government employees in this area was assessed against the following: Municipal administrative environment (one-stop shops, local taxation policy, urban development and construction regulations, registration and permit regimes); Municipal promotional activities (public relations, communications, business fairs, web promotion, lobbying, training, etc.); Municipal infrastructure (energy infrastructure, road and communal infrastructure, business zones and incubators); Support to access to finance (loan guarantee funds, development funds, subsidies, concessions, etc).

Partnership development for the purpose of local development (public/private partnership, intermunicipal cooperation / regional cooperation, etc.).

2.4.2.1. General Issues Partnership development has been repeatedly noted as most problematic in regards to building cooperative arrangements with other interested stakeholders.

The legal framework governing this area was also cited as too complex and at times a barrier to business development. Administrative environment in relation to private sector development has also been noted as obstructive, while access to finance remains a key external challenge. Current promotional activities are also considered inadequate.

2.4.2.2. Training Related Issues Excessive regulation and licensing regimes, at all levels of government, have frequently represented the largest barriers to business development in BiH. The importance of locally generated income and its beneficial effect upon employment has made business development one of the priorities for local governments around the

41

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report country. However, administrations are often ill-equipped to deal with the challenges of creating a business friendly environment and this is reflected in the findings of the assessment.

BUSINESS ENABLING ENVIRONMENT AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT 32.6% 31.7% 30.6% 29.3% 28.0%

Support to access to finance in function of local development Municipal infrastructure in function of local development Partnership in function of local development Municipal administrative environment in relation to LD Municipal promotional activities in function of local development Insufficient knowledge

The priority highlighted by the target population in this portfolio is centred on the creation of transparent and effective access to public and commercial finance for local businesses, including small and medium size enterprises (SME). This is meant to directly spur local development and promote private sector growth, areas that have been lagging in most local communities.

Municipal infrastructure in function of local development has been highlighted as the second-ranked priority for capacity building, where infrastructure is viewed as means of promoting the appeal of the local community to potential investors.

The third-ranked priority was partnership within the function of local development, which highlights the importance of cooperative arrangements for developing a business-friendly environment and spurring private sector growth. Measures include public-private partnerships, partnerships with NGOs, partnerships with other local governments and or other layers of government.

BUSINESS ENABLING ENVIRONMENT AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT - MANAGERS Municipal administrative environment and LD Partnership in function of local development Municipal infrastructure in function of local development

BUSINESS ENABLING ENVIRONMENT AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT - STAFF Support to access to finance in function of local development Municipal infrastructure in function of local development Partnership in function of local development

31% 31% 29%

Insufficient knowledge

33% 32% 31%

Insufficient knowledge

The breakdown by employment status indicates that managers prioritise the municipal administrative environment as a key target area for training, while this does not show up at all on the administrative officers' radar. Managers, on the other hand, fail to mention access to finance at all, which indicates that they do not, necessarily, see a niche for the municipal administration in this area.

2.4.3. Environmental Protection The competency of the local government employees in this area was assessed against the following: Legal framework in the area of environmental protection; Local Environmental Action Plans (preparation and implementation); Environmental protection monitoring and enforcement (record keeping, analysis and reporting); Promotional activities; Energy efficiency; Inspection and supervision.

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report 2.4.3.1. General Issues The most crucial problem highlighted by the focus group is the low level of awareness of the need to safeguard the environment by the general public. Further, monitoring mechanisms for the enforcement of environmental legislation are cumbersome, ineffective and bear little in terms of practical results. Finally, the legal framework in general should be overhauled and modernised, to ensure its compliance with relevant EU standards.

2.4.3.2. Training Related Issues Results of the Training Needs Assessment attest to the growing influence of environment for government in general and local governments in particular.

Awareness-raising activities are tied with environmental monitoring and enforcement mechanisms as priority training topics and this confirms, in full, the findings of the focus group that preceded the survey.

The legal framework in the area of environmental protection has also been noted as a training priority, due to its complexity and the rigid requirements placed on local government units.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 45.4% 45.1%

Environmental protection monitoring and enforcement Awareness-raising activities related to environmental protection Legal framework in the area of environmental protection Local environmental action plan (LEAP) Energy efficiency Inspection and supervision of environmental protection

38.6% 36.8% 30.8% 30.5%

Insufficient knowledge

The development and implementation of Local Environmental Action Plans (LEAPs) was noted as a key training priority by more than a third of local government employees, who also consider their knowledge of the topic to be inadequate.

When broken down by employment status, managers are overall more concerned with developing their, and the skills of their staff, in the area of environmental protection monitoring and enforcement, while employees rank awareness-raising activities as the training priority. This may in part be attributed to a desire by managers to plan the local government's involvement with the environment in a structured and coordinated manner, while administrative staff highlight the necessity for upgrading skills for implementation of environmental protection awareness-raising activities in LSGs. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION - MANAGERS Environmental protection monitoring and enforcement Local environmental action plan (LEAP) Awareness-raising activities

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION - STAFF Awareness-raising activities

46%

Environmental protection monitoring and enforcement Legal framework in the area of environmental protection

41% 39%

Insufficient knowledge

Insufficient knowledge

43

47% 45% 43%

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report 2.4.4. Budget and Finance The competency of the local government employees in this area was assessed against the following: Legal framework in the field of LSG financing; LSG revenue sources (legal basis and allocation, revenue types and purpose); Collection and administration of local taxes and fees; Other financial instruments (loans, public debt, bonds); Preparation of budgets/rebalance and budget programmes execution and reporting; Citizens' role in budget preparation and execution processes; Accounting system, internal financial procedures, internal and external audits; Management of financial resources and expenditures; Capital investment management and planning; LSG asset management; Treasury operation.

2.4.4.1. General Issues A number of issues were highlighted in the budget and finance focus group, to include: inadequate internal control system, lack of inter-departmental coordination in budget planning, no training in preparation for treasury system introduction, non-compliance with the budget calendar and instructions by associated budget users (no legal sanctions available), lack of efficiency in collecting local taxes and levies (no adequate procedures for calculating, recording and tracking collection), problems with the planning of capital projects and serious deficiencies of the financial software.

In addition to the above internal issues, the municipal heads of finance that participated in the focus groups exercise also noted a number of external challenges in their work to include, but not restricted to, problematic deadlines for budget development (arising from the Law on Budget System), the lack of a chart of accounts for budget users, and conflicting regulations in this area.

2.4.4.2. Training Related Issues Treasury operations seem to dominate the budget and finance agenda, reflecting the policy shift to be implemented by the Government in this regard. While the five pilot municipalities, selected by the RS government to first implement the treasury system in, have already received training and implementing instructions by the RS Ministry of Finance, the vast majority of local governments in the RS still needs both coaching and training in order to ensure a smooth transition from the traditional budgetary accounting system.

Municipal asset management is the second-ranked area for priority training. This reflects the desire of local governments to minimise expenditure and maximise their revenue base, in this respect, through properly managing their assets and thus heavily augmenting their annual income.

The third ranked priority for budget and finance practitioners in local governments are the accounting system, internal financial procedures and internal and external audit. A special emphasis was placed on the lack of know-how regarding the establishment of an efficient internal control system (risk assessment and management, preparation of internal control procedures, etc.). This broad area is largely focused on ensuring full compliance with both regulations as well as relevant accounting standards to safeguard municipal finances from any mismanagement.

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report BUDGET AND FINANCE 33.0%

Treasury operation Municipal asset management Accounting, procedures, internal and external audit Legal framework for local self-government units financing Management of financial resources and expenditures Other financial instruments (loan, public debt, bonds) Capital investment management and planning Collection and administration of local taxes and fees Citizens’ role in the process of budget preparation/execution LSGU revenue sources Preparation of budget/rebalance, its execution and reporting

27.1% 26.5% 24.6% 23.4% 22.9% 19.7% 19.0% 16.8% 15.7% 13.9%

Insufficient knowledge

Departmental and section managers seem to focus more on the overall legal framework and revenue management, somewhat ignoring the general training needs trends dictated by the employees. This shows that supervisors are less inclined to get involved with the details of budget planning and financial management, leaving those largely to their subordinates. On the other hand, the major areas stressed by administrative staff as priority for training are treasury operations and municipal property management.

BUDGET AND FINANCE - MANAGERS Legal framework for local self-government units financing Collection and administration of local taxes and fees Accounting, procedures, internal and external audit

BUDGET AND FINANCE - STAFF 23%

36%

Treasury operation

21%

Municipal asset management

28%

21%

Accounting, financial procedures, int./ext. audit

28%

Insufficient knowledge

Insufficient knowledge

2.4.5. Spatial Planning The competency of the local government employees in this area was assessed against the following: Legal framework in the field of spatial planning; Spatial and urban development plans (development and implementation); Regulatory plans and urban development projects; Geographic information system; Construction land management (determination, arrangement and management); Public surface management; Construction regulation; (urban permits, construction permits, usage permits and removal decisions); Urban/construction inspection.

2.4.5.1. General Issues A number of both external and internal issues inhibit the work of spatial planning practitioners in the RS local government. A lack of adequate training by the line ministry regarding the application of the laws on spatial management and construction land was repeatedly cited in the focus group. Deficiencies in record keeping of spatial planning documentation are another serious concern, while local governments continue to struggle without adequate support from the line ministries in interpreting the relevant regulations. The general legal framework for the area was also cited as problematic while construction procedures were deemed too complex and inaccessible. Serious abuses of public surfaces were as well noted.

45

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report Political pressure and interference were widely quoted by spatial planning professionals as hindrances in their work and the work of the inspectors in particular. There is an absence of qualified professionals in this area, due to the better working conditions offered in the private sector and the poor distribution of qualified personnel across the municipal administration. Due to the age structure of most municipal governments, there is a degree of reluctance to adopt and use new technology. Current spatial plans should also be reviewed, while their compliance with higher level planning should be ensured through an integrated approach.

An apparent lack of equipment further hinders the work of the municipal spatial planning departments and there is no Geographic Information System (GIS) in most LSGs. Finally, Municipal Assembly members display a very low level of awareness regarding relevant legislation, which further complicates the development and implementation of spatial plans.

2.4.5.2. Training Related Issues The GIS is ranked as one of the key priorities for training in this area, a survey finding backed by both the focus group and the results of interviews conducted with the municipal mayors that participated in the TNA. The GIS is seen as the next step in the evolution of spatial planning and management, and an integral tool for professionals in this area. While there has been some movement, the assessment findings indicate that more investment is needed in this area, both in terms of equipment and staff training.

Finally, the management of so-called public surfaces is cited as the third-ranked priority; this highlights one of the areas that municipal administrations have struggled to manage and regulate for years.

The legal framework is another area that seems to get substantial attention from the survey population. A multitude of laws and regulations require closer follow-up by the line ministries in order to bring the inner workings of the legislation closer to the practitioners on the ground.

SPATIAL PLANNING 32.2%

Geographic information system (GIS) Public surfaces (determining, arranging and management) Legal framework in the area of spatial planning Construction land Spatial and urbanistic plans (developmnet and implementation) Regulatory plans and urban development projects Construction regulation Urbanistic/construction inspections

19.7% 18.2% 16.9% 15.8% 15.4% 9.5% 6.0%

Insufficient knowledge

With the exception of the second-ranked priority, both employment categories, managers and employees, share the same concerns regarding their capacity levels in the area of the Geographic Information System (GIS) and public surface management. This illustrates the pressing need for the roll-out of assistance to the municipalities in these areas.

SPATIAL PLANNING - MANAGERS Geographic information system (GIS) Construction land Public surfaces (determining, arranging and management)

SPATIAL PLANNING - STAFF Geographic information system (GIS) Legal framework in the area of spatial planning Public surfaces (determining, arranging and management)

31% 26% 23%

Insufficient knowledge

Insufficient knowledge

46

32% 20% 19%

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report 2.4.6. Public Utilities The competency of the local government employees in this area was assessed against the following: Legal framework in the area of public utilities; Communal infrastructure (management, maintenance, monitoring and financing); Communal services (management, maintenance, monitoring and financing); Public utility companies (establishment, management, financing, outsourcing of services and reorganisation); Inspection of communal infrastructure and services.

2.4.6.1. General Issues One of the principal issues highlighted by subject matter specialists in this area has been the local government cooperation with public utility companies, which has been overwhelmingly evaluated as negative. This can, in part, be attributed to the fact that company management is appointed by higher levels of government whereas the services are provided at the local level and for municipal governments. Another key issue that was highlighted was local government inability to recruit and retain qualified staff needed to manage the public utilities effectively.

2.4.6.2. Training Related Issues Public utility companies came up once again, but this time in the context of lacking capacities to manage and finance their services as part of an integrated set of local government deliverables. This is obviously a pressing area of concern as it has been brought up repeatedly throughout both the focus groups and the survey. It was also flagged by a number of mayors that were interviewed for the purposes of this assessment. This indicates that legislative changes and training on how to manage, finance and, if needed, outsource public utility services are long overdue.

PUBLIC UTILITIES 20.0% 19.5% 16.0% 15.8% 13.7%

Communal infrastructure Public utility companies Communal services Legal framework in the area of public utilities Utility inspection of communal infrastructure and services Insufficient knowledge

Among priority areas stressed were management, maintenance, monitoring as well as financing of communal infrastructure. It should be noted that focus groups emphasised the need for continuous training in the field of public utility inspection; the survey did not have the same result, since there was a relatively small number of public utility inspectors within the total number of respondents.

There were no major differences in training needs between managers and administrative staff, with the exception that staff highlighted the legal framework in the field of public utilities as a priority.

PUBLIC UTILITIES - MANAGERS 21%

Communal infrastructure Communal services Public utility companies

PUBLIC UTILITIES - STAFF

20%

Public utility companies

20%

Communal infrastructure

20%

Legal framework in the area of public utilities

17%

Insufficient knowledge

Insufficient knowledge

47

16%

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report 2.4.7. Housing Affairs The competency of the local government employees in this area was assessed against the following: Legal framework in the area of housing affairs; Municipal housing policy (preparation, implementation and monitoring); Management of municipal housing, business premises and garage space.

2.4.7.1. General Issues The focus group findings repeatedly highlighted the ambiguity of the relevant legal framework and, in particular, the provisions concerning the management of the housing fund; they further noted the need to create resident associations that would in turn manage the apartment buildings themselves.

A lack of qualified staff was also noted as a major obstacle for small and medium size local communities, while the inadequate record-keeping of business-premises owned by local government was further highlighted as a key problem.

2.4.7.2. Training Related Issues Management of municipal real-property was identified as a key priority due to its importance in generating own revenues for the local government.

HOUSING AFFAIRS 25.8%

Management of municipal housing stock, business premises and garages Municipal housing policy (preparation, implementation and monitoring) Legal framework in the area of housing affairs Insufficient knowledge

19.4% 15.3%

Municipal housing policy came in second and the legal framework was highlighted as the third-ranked priority.

This illustrates the need for further involvement by the relevant line ministry as well as other training providers that may be of assistance in this regard.

There are no major differences in training needs between managers and staff.

HOUSING AFFAIRS - MANAGERS Management of LSGU housing stock, business premises, etc.

Management of LSGU housing stock, business premises, etc.

Legal framework in the area of housing affairs

37%

Municipal housing policy Legal framework in the area of housing affairs

HOUSING AFFAIRS - STAFF

30% 9%

Municipal housing policy

Insufficient knowledge

Insufficient knowledge

48

23% 17% 17%

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report 2.4.8. Disabled War Veteran Protection The competency of the local government employees in this area was assessed against the following: Legal framework in the area of disabled war veterans; Programmes and plans to improve disabled war veteran protection (preparation, implementation and monitoring); Disabled war veterans' rights (acknowledgment of rights, administration of beneficiaries and entitlements); Alternative mechanisms of support to beneficiaries (training, professional retraining and socialisation).

2.4.8.1. General Issues Focus group findings largely highlighted a lack of funding as a key concern while a shortage of qualified staff was also noted along with a low priority level assigned to this area by municipal management.

The legal framework was also identified as problematic while there was a prevalent shortage of information on the beneficiaries.

2.4.8.2. Training Related Issues Alternative mechanisms of support to beneficiaries are the key priority in this area, indicating that new approaches are needed, while programmes to improve the protection of disabled war veterans come in a distant second, indicating a need to improve the planning and implementation capacities of the staff in this regard.

DISABLED WAR VETERAN PROTECTION Alternative mechanism of support to beneficiaries of disabled war veteran protection Programmes and plan to improve disabled war veteran protection Disabled war veteran rights Legal framework in the area of disabled war veteran protection Insufficient knowledge

32.2% 16.2% 16.0% 13.9%

Disabled war veterans rights were third and this indicates that certain ambiguities persist regarding the status of disabled war veterans.

Managers and staff had the same attitude regarding training priorities in this particular area.

DISABLED WAR VETERAN PROTECTION - MANAGERS

DISABLED WAR VETERAN PROTECTION - STAFF

31%

Alternative mechanism of support

32%

Alternative mechanism of support

Programmes to improve protection

11%

Programmes to improve protection

17%

Disabled war veteran rights

11%

Disabled war veteran rights

17%

Insufficient knowledge

Insufficient knowledge

49

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report 2.4.9. Social Protection and Healthcare The competency of the local government employees in this area was assessed against the following: Legal framework in social protection, child protection, civilian war victim protection and health protection; Municipal social protection policy (preparation, implementation and monitoring); Social protection rights (acknowledgment of rights, administration of beneficiaries and entitlements); Social welfare centres (establishment, management, financing, monitoring and outsourcing of services); Alternative mechanisms of support to social protection beneficiaries; Programmes and plans for improving health protection (preparation, realisation and monitoring); Management of healthcare centres.

2.4.9.1. General Issues Focus group findings highlighted the concerns faced by local governments, which included broad and complex legislation, disproportionate competences and financial resources, as well as restricted autonomy and the inadequate attitude of LSG management toward issues in this area. All of this has an impact on service provision to beneficiaries and the improvement of social and health protection.

Other challenges highlighted in this field include a rapidly aging population, absence of birth stimulation measures and a lack of systematic and reliable information on beneficiaries and vulnerable categories.

2.4.9.2. Training Related Issues Plans and programes for improving healthcare have been most frequently quoted as areas where capacities need to be built within RS local governments. This indicates that assistance is needed to ensure that municipal staff are equipped to plan, implement and monitor key activities from this portfolio.

Alternative mechanisms of support to social protection beneficiaries is the second highest ranked training priority, as local government staff continue to struggle to meet the needs of their beneficiaries through conventional means and methods.

SOCIAL PROTECTION AND HEALTH CARE Programmes and plans for improving health protection Health Care Centre (establishment, management, monitoring) Alternative mechanisms of support to beneficiaries Relevant legal framework Social welfare centres Municipal social protection policy Social protection rights Insufficient knowledge

38.3% 30.1% 27.8% 24.2% 21.8% 20.7% 14.5%

Healthcare centre management was also noted as a key priority, which reflects the LSGs' need to upgrade their knowledge of primary health protection implementation through establishment of local healthcare institutions, management and monitoring of their work.

SOCIAL PROTECTION AND HEALTH CARE - MANAGERS Programmes and plans for improving health protection Legal framework in the area of social protection Alternative mechanisms of support to beneficiaries

SOCIAL PROTECTION AND HEALTH CARE - STAFF Programmes and plans for improving health protection Alternative mechanisms of support to beneficiaries

39% 28%

Health Care Centre

24%

Insufficient knowledge

38% 33% 31%

Insufficient knowledge

In view of expected legislative changes, managers also stressed the significance of training on the legal framework in the area of social and health protection, especially regarding the roles and competences of LSGs.

50

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report 2.4.10. Returnees, Displaced Persons and Refugees The competency of the local government employees in this area was assessed against the following: Municipal policy in the area of returnees, displaced persons and refugees (preparation, realisation and monitoring); Returnees, displaced persons and refugee rights (administration of benefits and assistance); Alternative mechanisms of support to returnees, displaced persons and refugees.

2.4.10.1. General Issues In general, there is limited financial support to facilitate reintegration of returnees and the general awareness among management regarding returnee issues is low. Furthermore, as with many other areas of municipal operations, there is no comprehensive database that would provide local government staff with the information they need on the beneficiaries of their services.

Finally, the legal framework has been deemed inadequate to meet the challenges posed by the returnees, displaced persons and refugees.

2.4.10.2. Training Related Issues Alternative mechanisms of support are yet again among the top training priorities as local governments struggle to meet growing service demands with shrinking finances. This includes retraining to increase the chances of employment for these categories (as unemployment most severely affects returnees, DPs and refugees) as well as fundraising.

RETURNEES, DISPLACED PERSONS AND REFUGEES 20.4%

Alternative mechanisms of support to returnees, displaced persons and refugees Municipal policy in the area of returnees, displaced persons and refugees Returnees, displaced persons and refugees rights Insufficient knowledge

14.3% 10.0%

Planning, implementation and monitoring of municipal policy in the area of returnees, DPs, and refugees comes in second with the need to reinforce the planning and implementation capacities of municipal staff in this regard aparent. This largely mirrors the trend in the entire cluster that is concerned with the most vulnerable groups where these project and program management capacities seem to be missing.

Managers and staff expressed the same views regarding training priorities in this area.

RETURNEES, DISPLACED PERSONS AND REFUGEES - MANAGERS 41%

Alternative support mechanisms Municipal policy in the area of return related issues Returnees, displaced persons and refugees rights

RETURNEES, DISPLACED PERSONS AND REFUGEES - STAFF 14%

Alternative support mechanisms Municipal policy in the area of return related issues Returnees, displaced persons and refugees rights

33% 21%

Insufficient knowledge

Insufficient knowledge

51

8% 6%

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report 2.4.11. Civil Protection The competency of the local government employees in this area was assessed against the following: Legal framework in the area of civil protection; Management of civil protection (establishment, organisation, planning and reporting); Assessment of vulnerability, damage and municipal resources for rescue and protection; Preparation of operational plans for rescue and protection in the event of natural and other disasters; Planning and organisation of training for the civil protection HQ and its members; Equipping of civil protection structures with material/technical resources; Establishment and operation of the municipal control/alarm department or operational centre; Establishment and operation of the municipal fire department; Planning and prioritisation of demining and mine danger awareness measures.

2.4.11.1. General Issues The legal framework governing civil protection has been repeatedly described by focus group members as being too complex. The lack of demining capacity is a cause of major concern considering the threat posed to the general population. The competencies regarding civil protection are unclear with regard to the employment of its resources and the roles of the entity level agencies; therefore, local governments need further clarification. At present, a number of amendments to the current Law are expected to be passed by the RS Assembly.

Staffing and funding shortages are prevalent and this has led to undertrained and underequipped units, while Civil Protection is often at the bottom of the priority list for municipal leadership. Training plans are often drafted to satisfy form, yet little is done to actually implement them in practice. There also seems to be a great deal of inequality in available resources, which allows municipalities with bigger budgets to do much more to protect their citizens, compared to those with smaller budgets.

2.4.11.2. Training-related Issues Establishment and management of the municipal control/alarm department is the top capacity building priority for civil protection professionals in RS local government, as it represent a relative novelty and a key prerequisite for an operational protection system at the local level.

CIVIL PROTECTION Municipal Control/Alarm Department or Operational Centre Assessment of vulnerability, damage and resources Planning and organisation of training for civil protection Planning and prioritisation of demining and mine danger warning Municipal Fire Department Management of civil protection Preparation of operational plans for rescue and protection Equipping civil protection structures with mat./tech. resources Legal framework in the area of civil protection Insufficient knowledge

27.4% 21.7% 21.7% 21.6% 20.5% 15.9% 15.9% 15.9% 12.1%

Planning and organisation of training, assessment of vulnerability, damage and municipal resources are tied for second, as both represent key activities in ensuring that a local community is well prepared for any event that may threaten its citizens and/or property. Both are mandated by law but their implementation has been hampered by a lack of training and resources.

52

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report CIVIL PROTECTION - MANAGERS Municipal Warning Operational Centre Planning of demining and mine danger warning Management of civil protection

CIVIL PROTECTION - STAFF 23%

Municipal Warning Operational Centre

23%

Municipal Fire Department

29% 25%

Assessment of vulnerability, damage and resources

16%

Insufficient knowledge

23%

Insufficient knowledge

2.4.12. Education The competency of the local government employees in this area was assessed against the following: Legal framework in the area of education; LSG policy in the area of pre-school education and management of pre-school institutions (establishment, financing, support and monitoring); LSG policy in the area of primary and secondary education (co-financing, support and monitoring).

2.4.12.1. General Issues There is a general lack of funds to finance local education activities, especially those regarding pre-school education, and there appears to be a chronic lack of communication with the line ministry, as in other areas.

2.4.12.2. Training-related Issues Training is required on the legal framework in order to clarify any ambiguities, especially regarding the division of competencies between the local and entity levels of government.

EDUCATION 25.3%

Legal framework in the area of education Municipal policy in the area of primary education and management of primary school Municipal policy in the area of pre-scholl education and management of pre-school istitutions Insufficient knowledge

20.7% 19.3%

Municipal policy in the area of primary and secondary education, and pre-school education, come in as second and third among training priorities, with little between the two.

EDUCATION - MANAGERS Legal framework in the area of education Municipal policy in the area of primary education Municipal policy in the area of pre-shool education

EDUCATION - STAFF Legal framework in the area of education Municipal policy in the area of primary education Municipal policy in the area of pre-shool education

34% 30% 30%

Insufficient knowledge

Insufficient knowledge

53

21% 16% 14%

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report 2.4.13. Culture and Sports The competency of the local government employees in this area was assessed against the following: Legal framework in the field of culture and sport; Municipal policy in the area of culture, sport and the management of cultural and sports institutions (establishment, financing, support and monitoring).

2.4.13.1. General Issues Focus group participants highlighted communication and coordination with the relevant line ministry as a key obstacle in their work, along with the legal framework that appears out of touch with reality at the local level.

The division of competencies between the two levels of government is unclear and this has led to uncertainty in the work of local government staff charged with this portfolio. The focus group expressed concern regarding limited opportunities to comment on relevant laws before they are passed by the RS Assembly.

Staffing is also a problem as one employee is often tasked with several different municipal portfolios, which leads to only limited involvement in the “low-priority� activities of managing culture and sport. Finance is also an issue.

Finally, there is consensus that there is no municipal policy on culture and or sport, and that all the activities in this regard are done mainly on an ad-hoc basis.

2.4.13.2. Training-related Issues Due to the interest in pursuing a coherent and structured course in regards to developing municipal sport and culture, the respondents feel that training is needed in the area of municipal policy while the legal framework is also an object of some interest.

CULTURE AND SPORT Municipal policy in the area of culture and sport and management of culture and sport intitutions Legal framework in the area of culture and sport Insufficient knowledge

CULTURE AND SPORT - MANAGERS Municipal policy in the area of culture and sport Legal framework in the area of culture and sport Insufficient knowledge

12.9% 11.5%

CULTURE AND SPORT - STAFF Legal framework in the area of culture and sport Municipal policy in the area of culture and sport Insufficient knowledge

22% 16%

54

9% 8%

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report

III. RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendations for Future Training Recommendations for Priority Training Areas

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report 3. 1. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE TRAINING 3.1.1. Training Environment The approach of key stakeholders toward training and development of local government employees in Republika Srpska, to include the establishment of a comprehensive training system, needs to be anchored in, and implemented through, a set of cornerstone documents that represent, in generic terms, an agreement on training policy, a multi-annual training strategy and, ultimately, annual training plans for strategy implementation.

From a policy perspective, the wider parameters of the training system need to be defined and described in principle terms. This will encompass, amongst others: The overall objectives of local government training in RS (in line with strategic priorities and immediate, medium and long-term objectives of entity and local administrations); The existing legal framework and legal provisions that need to be put into place; The type of training system/model that will be created; The principal stakeholders and their roles for policy formulation, strategy development and training delivery; Formal commitment of stakeholders to training as a pre-requisite and tool for better service delivery at the local level, along with a shared understanding of what training entails; The approach to quality assurance; A set of funding mechanisms.

A detailed training and professional development strategy should be developed and adopted by all relevant stakeholders, describing, among others, the following components: Principles of training; Training & development goals, objectives, activities (with timelines and indicators); Types of training programmes; Priority training programmes and priority target groups; Institutional role sharing and cooperation arrangements; Financing of strategy implementation; The selected quality assurance mechanism and criteria for contractors; The monitoring and evaluation mechanism.

The strategy will also contain a detailed action plan.

The results of this TNA together with the identified priority training areas map the overall substantive scope of the training system and provide specific input for the development of the entity training strategy, as well as training plans and programme curricula.

56

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report 3.1.2. Training Delivery 3.1.2.1. Duration of Training While previous experience with local government training shows that most events took place in under two days, TNA findings from the survey and the focus group meetings indicate that the preferred training duration is 3-5 days. This may be delivered all in one go or via multiple instalments. Taking into account the views obtained during the senior leadership interview process, where it was felt that training on average should not exceed 2 days, there is no clear preference to guide curriculum development. However, it can be assumed that well tailored and relevant training with duration of 2-3 days should be acceptable to all.

3.1.2.2 Venues for Training Delivery Training delivery has largely been centralised, i.e. focused in or around Banja Luka, while few attempts have been made to bring training closer to its recipients. While this made the process of planning and delivery considerably less complicated for training providers, in the process it generated unnecessary expenditure in both time and resources for seconding local governments.

This has, in turn, created a certain degree of reservation towards available training opportunities by senior local government leadership, who mandate that at least selected training opportunities should be regionalised and brought closer to the end user. For instance, local government clusters may be created within the largest or best equipped municipality to act as the training focal point and host. This would reduce the cost of training for participating municipalities and generate a sense of ownership for the local governments themselves.

3.1.2.3. Training Formats and Methodology With the onslaught of training provided by international donor organisations post-1996, the conventional class-room type training formats are increasingly augmented by more progressive training methodologies that include workshops, on-the-job training and case studies.

TNA results indicate that local government employees see the absence of practical training as one of the principal obstacles to quality capacity building, necessitating a re-think of the training methodologies currently in use.

On-line learning opportunities should be further explored as they represent an accessible learning format for most LSG employees. This includes virtual on-site and classroom learning as well as self-paced programmes.

3.1.2.4. Training Providers and Trainers The findings of the Training Needs Assessment indicate that the training market is currently saturated with theoretical, instructor-led training that provides few practical benefits to the end-users.

Furthermore, there appear to be ample training opportunities in generic crosscutting areas to include project management and European Integration; however, there is a shortage of training in core local government 13 competencies, such as spatial planning and social services . Along similar lines, a lack of tailor made, needsbased training was stressed, through the senior leadership interviews, as one of the key challenges for effective training.

13

A more detailed assessment of the local government training market in BiH will be published by the Municipal Training System Project in July 2009.

57

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report Local government employees have also repeatedly highlighted the practical value of training provided by subject matter experts from line ministries or professional associations, as opposed to those provided on the open market. There is a strong push to see experienced practitioners or peers engaged as trainers rather than members of the academic community, unless the latter possess strong firsthand experience of local government. This shows the need to invest in the training of trainers and the further development of the training skills of experienced local practitioners and subject-matter specialists.

3.1.3. Target Groups The TNA mainly targets two principle groups of LSG employees: managers and administrative officers. Thus most of the information on training priorities and delivery compiled through focus groups and the survey is chiefly relevant to these groups; auxiliary staff and elected officials were excluded from the assessment for reasons of focus and prioritisation.

While having in mind the need of all administrative officers to benefit from training and the establishment of a training system, further prioritisation within these groups will have to be made during the process of drafting of the training strategy. This will take into account job descriptions of individual employees (by organisational unit/occupation), timelines, relevance, the sequencing of training as well as available funding.

With a view toward the institutionalisation of a comprehensive training system, the training needs of elected officials should also be taken into account; this was underlined during the senior leadership interviews.

While new mayors emphasised the need to improve management skills via training and peer mechanisms, municipal councillors should undergo inception and refresher training. In this regard, a specific organisational role should be taken up by the Association of Municipalities and Cities. After attending training, efforts should be made to ensure the transfer of knowledge to subordinates and other co-workers who could benefit from the KSA development.

3.1.4. Training Quality Assurance There is a need for standardisation in order to ensure the quality of training and training material in the long run. The training provided to local governments thus far has been governed by few, if any, uniform quality requirements. This has led to a proliferation of training providers that at times have offered sub-standard training services. The establishment of a training quality framework should be viewed as one of the core functions of the future training system. Therefore an assessment and certification process, which recognises quality training programmes as well as training providers, should be envisaged. The process should be managed and the criteria enforced by an independent accreditation assessment panel. The panel should be loosely attached to an independent training support facility (TSF) or a government institution and composed of senior training practitioners and civil servants that will act as assessors. This would ensure the best value for money for the local governments paying for the training and would introduce a uniform standard of training quality across the board.

3.1.5. Training Needs Assessment by Local Governments The TNA preceding this report created a baseline for assessing gaps in knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA) and provided recommendations for addressing priority gaps through training. It also provided information on the scope of priority training to be covered by a training system and will be used to inform the entity training strategies as well as training curricula.

58

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report However, taking the long-term view, in order to produce relevant and effective results any training must continuously and closely mirror demand, as identified by the prospective trainees. In practice, this means that training design must follow a periodic comprehensive training needs assessment process, which will identify capacity gaps and establish training priorities.

Training needs assessment should thus in the long run, be anchored at the local level and the local governments themselves should thus be equipped to administer local assessments independently. This will ensure the highest quality and needs based training information and allow local government leadership to acquire an accurate idea of their administrations' capacity gaps.

A training catalogue should thus be developed, emerging from the priority training areas, and a coordination mechanism at the entity level should be established, to collect the TNA information and related training plans from the local level and then feed them into annual entity training plans.

The coordination mechanism should be placed within the RS training support facility (TSF) that will also link “demand” with “supply”, as it will also manage a central database on training providers and training material, and assist providers to synchronise their portfolios. Based on these functions the TSF should also take over the role of becoming the key platform for information on training and development at the municipal level in RS, where other relevant training related information can be published.

3.1.6. Training and Human Resource Development The sustainability of a municipal training system will ultimately depend upon good human resource management (HRM) by local governments. This link is also reflected as a priority within the recently developed RS Local Self-Governance Development Strategy. Strengthening local HRM would entail the introduction of relevant and standardised policies and procedures, as well as a review and adjustment of organisational structures at the local level; thus ensuring that training needs are regularly appraised, programmes developed and training exercises implemented by the local governments themselves.

3.2. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRIORITY TRAINING The recommendations presented in the following section are a result of a triangulation process that brought together the results of the three assessment levels utilised in the TNA. This was combined with the findings of a consultative process that involved the relevant government agencies and other local government stakeholders, both domestic and international. The recommendations also take into consideration the findings of Citizen Satisfaction Surveys, where available, and other reports assessing the performance levels of RS local government.

Eventually, training priorities were also ranked against a set of criteria including relevance to immediate local government needs, timelines, training formats and target groups.

3.2.1. Common Training and Development Needs The specific target groups designated for priority training exercises listed below should be selected from among RS local government employees based on a set of criteria that takes into account job descriptions of prospective trainees, their anticipated involvement in the subject of the training and their previous training record.

59

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report Furthermore, training providers should be required to carry out a survey of the target group prior to the development of the training curriculum in order to tailor the learning tools and methodology to the actual level of KSA gaps of the employee group, as targeted by the training exercise.

Eventually, their ability to transfer knowledge upon completion of the training should also be taken into consideration.

EU Integration - The analysis of thematic priorities under the EU portfolio highlights two principle training subjects: (1) an overview of EU funds and programmes (IPA and relevant community programmes) and (2) administration and financial management of EU projects. Considering that funding for rural and regional development, as well as other major priorities listed under EU integration, will not become available until BiH is awarded candidate status training on these topics should be envisaged for a later stage.

Information Technology and E-Local Government - The review of TNA results, coupled with emerging trends in the area, and the overall reform environment in Republika Srpska mandates that the following three priority topics be targeted by training: (1) electronic document management, (2) MS Office (basic and advanced, including E-mail and Internet use) and (3) developing and maintaining a municipal website.

Service Provision Management and Quality Control - Quality control management training needs can be summed up in one comprehensive module that consists of the establishment and enhancement of a quality management system with particular focus on assessing community needs for services and monitoring and evaluation of service provision (including the development of service quality indicators).

Project Cycle Management - Training in this area should focus on the planning and development of project documents as well as the monitoring and evaluation of project outcomes. In view of the current context and the country's international aspirations, the project cycle management approach should comply with EU guidelines.

As part of this training programme, links to planning and implementation of local development policies, budget and finance functions as well as EU integration should be further explored.

Human Resource Management - An analysis of current HRM capacity gaps highlights: (1) performance 14 appraisal as a key knowledge deficiency, (2) the management of training and (3) the development of staffing plans.

Work Planning and Organisational Management - Organisational management training priorities, based on the findings of the assessment, include: (1) development of organisational policies and procedures, (2) general strategic planning and management, including development of annual, semi-annual and monthly plans, and (3) staff management (e.g. task planning, delegation, teamwork, time management, internal communication and employee motivation).

Public Relations - A review of public relations priority training areas identifies the need for training in the public promotion of local government policies, strategies and activities, including presentation preparation.

Local Democracy - Direct citizens' participation in determining priority needs and decision-making (principles, mechanisms and processes, with focus on MZ and NGO cooperation) has been identified as the principle training priority in this area; this highlights the need for improved skills for promoting inclusion of the general public in decision-making.

Public Procurement - The review of training priorities in this area highlights public procurement with a focus on planning, tender documentation and evaluation, contracting and internal controls in the field of public procurement.

General Administration - The assessment of training priorities in general administration highlights: (1) citizens' affairs (vital records, citizenship), (2) office management and archiving, (3) administrative procedure, (4) an 14

The management of training includes training needs assessment, the planning and implementation of training activities as well as monitoring and evaluation.

60

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report overview of the legal framework in the field of LSG and (5) MA session procedures and preparation, administration of MA sessions and commissions.

3.2.2. Training Needs within Core LSG Competencies Planning and Implementation of Local Development Policies - The two priorities identified in this area are: (1) local development strategy implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and (2) local strategy-building with a focus on situation analysis and realistic planning.

Training should target managers and relevant administrative staff either engaged or expected to be engaged in local development strategy preparation and implementation.

Business Enabling Environment and Local Development - An overall business enabling environment and local development is a topic that requires further training; particular focus should be placed on the relevant municipal administrative framework and infrastructure within the function of local development, municipal support to access funding sources and partnership development.

Training should target both managers and relevant administrative staff.

Environmental Protection: The two key priorities in this area are (1) Environmental protection monitoring and enforcement (records, analysis, reporting and permits) and (2) LEAP preparation and implementation with focus on awareness raising activities in the community.

Training should be organised for both relevant managers and administrative staff.

Budget and Finance: The following have been flagged as priority areas for training: (1) treasury operation, (2) municipal asset management, (3) planning, collection and administration of local taxes and fees, (4) internal controls/audit, (5) preparation of budget and budget programmes, its execution and reporting (focus on programme-based budgeting with involvement of all relevant budget process participants at interdepartmental level and local communities).

Training for the first four topics should be provided to managers and relevant administrative officers from finance departments, while the last topic should also target managers and relevant staff from other departments, as well as other budget users.

Spatial Planning - The following have been flagged as priority areas for training: (1) Geographic Information System, (2) construction land and public surface management, (3) regulatory plans and urban development projects, (4) an overview of the relevant legal framework (e.g. Law on Construction Land and the procedures for regulatory plans) and (5) urbanism/construction inspection.

Both managers and relevant administrative officers should be targeted by the first four topics, while the last topic is of interest to relevant managers and inspectors in this field.

Public Utilities - The following have been flagged as priority areas for training: (1) utility infrastructure (management, maintenance, monitoring and financing), (2) utility services (management, maintenance, monitoring and financing) and (3) public utility companies (establishment, management, financing, outsourcing of public utility services and reorganisation of public utility companies).

Relevant employees dealing with public utilities should be targeted by the same types of priority training as those listed above.

61

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report Housing Affairs - The assessment in this area highlighted two principle training priorities: (1) management of municipal housing stock, business premises and garages, and (2) municipal housing policy (preparation, implementation and monitoring).

Both managers and officers from the Housing Affairs portfolio should be targeted by the same two training modules, as listed above.

Disabled and War Veteran Protection - The results in this area highlight the need for priority training in the area of programmes and plans to improve disabled war veteran protection (preparation, implementation and monitoring).

All the employees that deal with disabled and war veteran protection should be targeted by the same types of priority training, as listed above.

Social Welfare and Healthcare - The results in this area highlight the need for priority training in the area of the LSG competencies and programmes and plans for improving social protection and health care.

All the municipal employees that deal with social welfare should be targeted by the same types of priority training, as listed above. In addition, the staff of municipal centres for social welfare could also participate in this training, as it would improve the overall operation of the municipal social welfare system and ensure a uniform approach.

Support to Returnees, Displaced and Refugees - Assessment results in this area highlight the need for priority training to help create alternative mechanisms of support to returnees, displaced persons and refugees (training, professional retraining, fundraising).

All the municipal employees that deal with these issues should be targeted by the same types of priority training, as listed above.

Civil Protection - The following have been flagged as priority areas for training: (1) management of Civil Protection, (2) assessment of vulnerability, damage and resources for rescue and protection, and preparation of operational plans for rescue and protection against natural and other disasters, and (3) municipal fire departments.

In the upcoming period, it is necessary to further assess the need for training on the establishment and improvement of surveillance and alarm centres at the local level.

Management of Civil Protection is of greater importance to senior staff, while administrative officers should focus more on the assessment of vulnerability, damage and resources for rescue and protection.

Education - The assessment in this area highlighted LSG competencies and policy in the area of pre-school and primary education (establishment, support and monitoring) as the principal training topic.

LSG employees that deal with education issues should be targeted by the same types of priority training, as listed above.

Culture and Sport - The assessment in this area highlighted LSG competencies and policy in the area of culture and sport, and the management of cultural and sports institutions (establishment, financing, support and monitoring).

LSG employees that deal with culture and sport issues should be targeted by the same types of priority training, as listed above.

62

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report

IV. ANNEXES Detailed Assessment Process Overview Training Needs Assessment Survey Focus Group Guide Senior Leadership Interview Guide

63

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report 4.1. DETAILED ASSESSMENT PROCESS OVERVIEW Assessment Objectives15 The process of Training Needs Assessment within the MTS project had the following objectives: To identify current knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA) gaps of LSG employees and provide detailed information on the training needs of the selected LSG employee groups; To outline recommendations for addressing training needs within priority areas; To provide curricula content guidance, inform the development of entity training strategies and the scope of the future training system.

Taking into consideration the different legal and constitutional frameworks that regulate the employment status of local government staff in the FBiH and RS, as well as the differences in the two LSG systems, it was decided to conduct the TNA exercise on parallel tracks in both entities.

The process of the Training Needs Assessment, within the BiH context, will further ensure that training, provided by various local and international organisations, corresponds to the full range of municipal responsibilities and their needs, the basic and priority capacities of all local employees are continuously upgraded and that a systematic approach towards learning and capacity improvement for local government officials is always pursued.

Target Groups The assessment targeted local government employees from both entities and focused in particular on staff members who discharge the principal competencies of municipal and city government in BiH. 16

In the FBiH, the target group consisted of mayors, civil servants (senior and others) and employees engaged in 17 core municipal tasks. Elected officials (other than the Mayor), employees with supporting/auxiliary roles and appointed officials18 were excluded from the assessment. Estimates by the project team, developed in cooperation with the FBiH CSA and other relevant organisations, placed the target group number at 5,000 local government staff members: 2,000 civil servants and 3,000 employees engaged in core LSG tasks.

19

In the RS, the local administrative officers were the employee category targeted by the assessment. As in the Federation, technical/support personnel along with elected and appointed officials were exempt from the assessment. An informed estimate placed the number of the RS target group at around 4,000 employees.

Assessment Levels and Approach The need for training can be derived from the top – i.e. for training designed to accompany reforms, new laws and regulations, or procedures – and from the bottom – i.e. training geared towards local circumstances and immediate LSG performance needs.

15

The contents of the following section, detailing the TNA methodology as applied by the MTS project, forms part of the initial TNA concept note, which was discussed and approved by the project partners and the MTS Project Steering Board.

Members of staff, employed by the local government, that are not civil servants.

17 Category of employees not directly tasked with the discharge of principal municipal competencies. This includes secretarial and custodial staff, drivers, etc 18 Non-civil servant advisors appointed by the mayor for the duration of his/her term in office 19 Local self-government staff in RS do not have the status of civil servants.

16

64

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report The TNA approach in BiH represented a combination of the needs identified at the two levels. The top-down approach provides the information on the training needs in terms of strategic direction, priorities and goals of BiH and its local self-government. The bottom-up approach, on the other hand, identifies training needs from the individual performance point of view as well as expectations of LSG organizations. The combination of the two approaches aimed to balance the individual and organizational training needs with priorities identified at the state and entity levels.

Four principle levels were explored in the TNA process in BiH: Public administration: TNA focused on identifying the strategic development needs of LSG employees in order to achieve the strategic objectives of the state and successfully implement needed reforms and changes; Groups of employees: TNA focused on identifying the KSAs necessary for particular target group of LSG employees to fulfil their functions and perform assigned (new) tasks; Organization: TNA focused on discovering how to improve the overall effectiveness of a local selfgovernment organization to meet its goals; Individual employee level: TNA focused on discovering KSAs needed by individuals in the LSG organization to perform their jobs.

Methods and Instruments The TNA process was implemented through four critical stages summarised in this section.

The preparatory phase laid the groundwork for the assessment process. This included the conceptualization of the TNA, to include the discussion and adoption of the methodology with partner agencies, as well as the selection of appropriate assessment tools, target groups and the sample. Extensive preparations have included preliminary interviews with key informants, literature and document review, as well as an elaborate analysis of relevant legislation with a view to grasp the status of public administration reform at the local level and to identify upcoming trends.

More specifically, the research resulted in the development of 23 competency profiles covering 10 generic as well as 13 specific clusters of municipal operations, ranging from spatial planning to EU integration. The task was to establish a number of baselines to facilitate the evaluation of the current level of knowledge, skills and abilities in LSGs with regards to all core municipal portfolios. Competency profiles are based on a thorough analysis and review of applicable legal and administrative documents, job descriptions within LSG competencies, established local practices and interviews with practitioners and other subject matter experts and represent a detailed mapping exercise for all the essential functions that make up a local government competency.

Based on the conceptual framework for the assessment exercise, two sets of tools were designed, quantitative and qualitative, to match different segments of the sample.

As the qualitative aspect of the assessment called for structured interviews and focus groups, elaborate guides and assessment tools were devised by the project team, in cooperation with domestic partners represented in 20 the project structures, and tested in pilot municipalities for further adjustments and fine-tuning .

The main focus of work at this stage was then placed on the development of standard assessment questionnaires that were used in the quantitative segment of the TNA exercise. Đ?s in the case of focus group and senior leadership interview tools, the standard assessment questionnaires were tested in a couple of pilot LSGs in both entities.

20

Copies of the Senior Leadership Interview Guide along with questions, the Focus Groups Guide and other qualitative assessment tools are provided in Annex.

65

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report In this phase, a representative sample was also selected.

The roll-out phase included the deployment of data collection tools in the targeted municipalities and cities over three principle assessment phases: 20 on-site interviews with senior local government leaders to establish the mayors' views, experiences and attitudes with/towards training; 16 subject-based focus groups (eight per entity) with midlevel managers from the local governments to identify general capacity gaps and issues by KSA profile of supervised staff; Self-assessment via survey covering some 1,300 local government employees at all levels (775 in the FBiH and 528 in the RS).

Within the deployment of the assessment tools, the project approach called for anchoring of the TNA process to the highest degree possible at the local level. Experienced local practitioners in relevant subject matters were thus selected and entrusted with the conduct of focus groups, following a brief preparatory training. The same methodology was applied in the self-assessment process, implemented in close cooperation with survey administrators selected from within the participating LSGs. Data analysis phase entailed a comprehensive “gap analysis� where the findings of the assessment (current knowledge levels) were compared against the competency profiles that were used as the baseline (desired knowledge levels). This allowed for accurate mapping of current KSA deficiencies of targeted local government employees and the training needs prioritization in terms of importance and urgency. Under the chosen approach, this phase also involved analyzing and combining different quantitative and qualitative data sets generated through the three assessment phases (interviews, focus groups and survey).

Outreach and publicity phase included sharing assessment findings with key stakeholders for comments and suggestions and publicizing the final report to a wide audience to ensure that critical findings are disseminated as widely as possible.

Size and Structure of Sample21 This stage of the TNA exercise involved the selection of a primary assessment sample out of a group of 141 cities and municipalities, with the FBiH represented by 79 and the RS with 62 LSGs (excluding the cities of Sarajevo and East Sarajevo due to their rather unique legal and administrative status).

In order to reflect the rather diverse local government landscape in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with its major variations in size and circumstance, it was pertinent to include a significant representative number of local governments in the final sample. Accordingly, 40 municipalities and cities were established as a sample reflective of local self-government in both BiH entities, amounting to 29% of the entire number of municipalities and cities in BiH, with 22 LSGs participating in the assessment from the FBiH and 18 from the RS. Next up were the selection criteria, established in cooperation with the relevant statistical authorities, to include geographic location, entity/canton distribution, and size of population/administrative service.

Given a lack of up-to-date information on the size of local administrative apparatuses, population numbers were used as the principle indicator for both entities and available estimates by the two entity Institutes of Statistics were utilized as sources of information (available data for 2007). All the local self-government units were classed into five categories, based on population size: 0-10,000, 10,000-25,000, 25,000-50,000, 50,000100,000, and 100,000+. Based on this categorization, a representative sample was determined for each of the five categories within the overall sample size of 40 LSGs. 21

The TNA sampling was done under the guidance of an international training expert and a local statistical expert.

66

Population No. per category % of total No. of LSG units No. to be included in the sample LSG units

0-10,000 15 18.98 4 Bosanski Petrovac (1) Bosansko Grahovo (10) Doboj Jug (4) Dobretići (06) Domaljevac/Šamac (2) Foča/Ustikolina (5) Glamoč (10) Kreševo (6) Kupres (10) Neum (7) Pale/Prača (5) Ravno (7) Teočak (3) Trnovo (9) Usora (4)

Federation BiH - 79 LSG units (+ City of Sarajevo) 10,000-25,000 31 39.24 9 Breza (4) Busovača (6) Bužim (1) Čapljina (7) Čelić (3) Čitluk (7) Doboj Istok(3) Donji Vakuf (6) Drvar (10) Fojnica (6) G. Vakuf / Uskoplje (6) Grude (8) Hadžići (9) Ilijaš (09) Jablanica (7) Jajce (6) Kiseljak (6) Kladanj (3) Ključ (1) Ljubuški (8) Maglaj (4) Novi Travnik (6) Odžak (2) Olovo (4) Orašje (2) Posušje (8) Prozor / Rama (7) Sapna (3) Stolac (7) Vareš (4) Vogošća (9)

25,000-50,000 20 25.31 6 Banovići (3) Bosanska Krupa (1) Bugojno (6) Goražde (5) Gradačac (3) Kakanj (4) Kalesija (3) Konjic (7) Livno (10) Sanski Most (1) Široki Brijeg (8) Srebrenik (3) Stari Grad (9) Tešanj (4) Tomislavgrad (10) Velika Kladuša (1) Visoko (4) Vitez (6) Zavidovići (4) Žepče (4)

67

Canton 1 (8 total) Canton 2 (3 total) Canton 3 (13 total) Canton 4 (12 total) Canton 5 (3 total) Canton 6 (12 total) Canton 7 (9 total) Canton 8 (4 total) Canton 9 (9 total) Canton 10 (6 total)

Sample 2 1 3 3 1 3 3 1 3 2

100,000 + 4 5.063 1 Mostar (7) Novi Grad (9) Tuzla (3) Zenica (4)

Cantonal distribution of LSG units

50,000-100,000 9 11.39 2 Bihać (1) Cazin (1) Centar (9) Gračanica (3) Ilidža (9) Lukavac (3) Novo Sarajevo (9) Travnik (6) Živinice (3

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report

Bosanski Novi / Novi Grad Derventa Foča Kozarska Dubica Laktaši Modriča Pale Teslić Trebinje

Bileća Bosanski Brod Bratunac Čelinac Gacko Kasindo Kneževo / Skender Vakuf Kotor Varoš Lopare Milići Mrkonjić Grad Nevesinje Petrovo Rogatica Šamac Šekovići Šipovo Sokolac Srbac Srebrenica Ugljevik Višegrad Vlasenica

37.09

7

Berkovići

Bosanska Kostajnica

Čajniče

Donji Žabari

Han Pijesak

Istočni Drvar

Istočni Mostar

Istočni Stari Grad

Istočno Novo Sarajevo

Jezero

Kalinovik

Krupa na Uni

Kupres RS

Ljubinje

Osmaci

Oštra Luka

Pelagićevo

Petrovac

Ribnik

Rudo

Trnovo RS

Ustiprača

Vukosavlje

No. to be included in the sample

LSG

7

37.09 2

14.51

9

% of total No. of LSG units

23

23

25,000-50,000

No. per category

10,000-25,000

0-10,000

Population

Republika Srpska - 62 LSG units (+ City of East Sarajevo)

Bijeljina

Doboj

Zvornik

Prnjavor

Prijedor

Banja Luka

1

3.22

2

100,000 +

Bosanska Gradiška

1

8.06

5

50,000-100,000

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report The second stage of the sampling exercise entailed the selection of the total employee sample to be targeted by the TNA. This referred to the number and structure of respondents that would take part in one of the assessment stages. In order to ensure assessment accuracy and representation, the total sample was set at some 1,400 LSG employees from all levels and areas of municipal operations, based on the following sampling scheme: 20 mayors (11 from the FBiH, 9 from the RS); 148 middle managers by subject area (74 in the Federation and 74 in the RS); 1,300 specialists (some 700 in the Federation, 600 in the RS).

With a view to ensure both statistical credibility and representation, the sample selected for the assessment exercise needed to represent no less that 10% of the target population. Considering the overall size of the assessment population, estimated at 9,000 (5,000 in the FBiH and 4,000 in the RS), the minimum number of local government employees to participate in the assessment was set at 1,300, so as to allow for an approximate 30% withdrawal/annulment rate and still obtain the necessary volume of data22.

Based on the additional information collected from sample LSGs, the final sample distribution between the two entities and individual LSGs was adjusted prior to the survey administration. Based on the participation 23 of each of the two entities in the target population, the total number of 1,303 survey participants was divided between the FBiH and the RS, where 528 employees were targeted in the RS and 775 in the FBiH. As for statistical processing of the survey findings, weighting was used to enable reflection of characteristics of the sample drawn onto the entire population targeted by the assessment. Weights were calculated in two principle stages, according to the sample design. In the first stage, primary sample units were selected (40 local government units), broken down by entity and categorized in five primary groups by population size. In the second stage, secondary sample units were selected (employees) from the employee structure records and available data (to a total sample size of 1,303), from the total number of 9,000.

After corrections were made to the initial sample (via post-stratification) based on the legal-employment status of the sampled employees (managers vs. administrative officers in the RS and managerial civil servants vs. civil servants vs. employees in the FBiH), the final weights were calculated from the Initial weights24.

Implementation Structures The assessment was implemented under the lead of the MTS project team in close cooperation with the two entity-level Training Committees, bringing together representatives of the partner agencies at an operational level, including, respectively, the RS Ministry of Administration and Local Self-Government, the Federal Ministry of Justice, the two entity civil service agencies and both local government associations active in BiH. A number of both, local and international experts were also actively involved in the assessment process at various stages, providing substantive input when needed. Sampling was done with the assistance of a statistical expert.

22

The average return rate for surveys of this type is estimated at 70%. Therefore, in order to ensure 900 questionnaires are returned and filled out a total number of 1300 needed to be sent out.

23 The number 3 was added to 1,300 so as to ensure full compliance with the necessary ration between the two entities.

24 Using the correction with non-response, where the initial weights represent the inverse of the units inclusion probabilities in separate stages

69

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report With regards to establishing direct contacts with local governments and for organising and setting up interviews, focus groups, selection of focus group moderators and the local survey administration within municipalities, the MTS project team worked in close cooperation with designated focal points within both associations of local governments.

The process was supported and guided by senior representatives of the partner agencies through the Project Steering Board.

Project Steering Board

UNDP Project Team

RS Training Committee - RS Ministry of ALSG - RS CSA - RS AMC

FBiH Training Committee - FBiH Ministry of Justice - FBiH CSA - FBiH AMC

70

71

Bachelor's Degree Master's Degree PhD

What is your job title?

7.

Independent Expert Associate

Expert Advisor

Expert Associate

Head of Department

Senior Expert Associate

Head of Internal Organisational Unit

Your employment status:

8.

MA Secretary

......................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................... .........................................................................................................

(1) (2) (3)

The three major tasks you are responsible for:

.........................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................

For how long have you been in the current position?...................................

.........................................................................................................

For how long have you worked in the municipal/city administration?

Primary School Secondary School 2yr Degree

Education:

from 26 to 35 more than 56

6.

5.

4.

from 18 to 25 from 46 to 55

from 36 to 45

Age:

3.

Male

Gender:

2.

Female

Municipality/City: ............................................................................................

1.

12.

11.

10.

9.

Internet Other (please specify) …………...

I do not use a computer

Yes

No

Not familiar

Is there an annual training plan for staff members in your municipal/city administration?

Word Excel Power Point

Mark computer programmes you are able to use:

Foreign languages you can speak: I do not speak any foreign language English ( fluently limited proficiency) German ( fluently limited proficiency) French ( fluently limited proficiency) Other (please specify)......................................…....................

For which of following areas of municipal / city operation is your job related?

Spatial Planning Public Utilities Housing Affairs Environmental Protection Civil Protection Social Protection and Health Care Disabled War Veteran Protection Support to Returnees, Displaced Persons and Refugees Education Culture and Sport Budget and Finances Economy and Local Development General Administration / Joint Operations

PART 1 – GENERAL INFORMATION

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report

4.2. SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE

15.

14.

13.

No

What do you see as major obstacles to quality training at the local level?

(You can mark more than one option.) training costs the lack of quality training programmes absence of quality training providers absence of practical relevance of training an inadequate manner of training delivery absence of a training needs assessment mechanism the lack of time for training attendance insufficient staff motivation for training the lack of information on training other ……………………………………………………………………………...

NO

Have you participated in any training in the last two years?

If yes, what were the trainings related to?

YES (please specify the kind of training) (1)……………………………………………………………………………….……

(2)……………………………………………………………………………….……

(3)………………………………………………………………….…………………

If NO, please elaborate ……………………………………………………….........................……

Yes

Are you satisfied with available training opportunities?

72 19.

18.

up to 2 days more than 5 days

…………………………………………………………………………………...........................

What would be your preferred training format?

(You can mark more than one option.)

Counselling/Seminar Workshop On-the-job training Lectures Other (please specify) ………………

Case Study

up to 1 day up to 5 days

What would be proper training duration in your opinion?

Please specify three priority areas for training which would contribute to improved performance of your department/unit?

(1)…………………………………………………………………………………........................... …………………………………………………………………………………...........................

(2)…………………………………………………………………………………........................... …………………………………………………………………………………...........................

(3)…………………………………………………………………………………........................... …………………………………………………………………………………...........................

17.

If you attended particularly useful training, please specify the topic and the training provider.

(1)…………………………………………………………………………………...........................

(2)…………………………………………………………………………………...........................

(3)…………………………………………………………………………………...........................

If you had any sort of particularly negative experience with training, please give a specific example.

(1)…………………………………………………………………………………….........................

(2)…………………………………………………………………………………….........................

(3)…………………………………………………………………………………….........................

16.

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report

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2.8. Needs assessment and identification of the community and target groups' priorities (process and instruments)

2.7. Youth Policy (preparation, implementation and monitoring)

2.6. Work with non-governmental organisations

2.5. Work with local communities

2.4. Citizens' participation through elected representatives

2.3. Direct citizens' participation (public debates, referendums, civic initiatives, etc.)

2.2. Promoting and supporting citizens' social inclusion and equality

2.1. Instruments for ensuring human rights protection

2. LOCAL DEMOCRACY

1.12. Implementation of MA's and commissions' decisions

1.11. Organisation and administration of MA sessions and commissions

1.10. MA session procedure and preparation

1.9. Legal assistance

1.8. Citizens' affairs (records and certificates) and voter records

1.7. Citizen service centre and branch offices (organisation, administration)

1.6. Mail management, record keeping and filing offices

1.5. Office operations (document management, reporting, correspondence)

1.4. Administrative procedures

1.3. Local self-governance legal framework

1.2 Public administration system in RS

1.1. Basics of the constitutional arrangements

1. GENERAL ADMINISTRATION Priority

Partially Not Important important important

Priority

Importance for your work

Partially Not Important important important

Importance for your work

PART 2 - CROSSCUTTING ISSUES

Partially Sufficient Advanced sufficient

Insufficient

Partially Sufficient Advanced sufficient

Level of your skills and knowledge

Insufficient

Level of your skills and knowledge

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report

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4.10. Internal communication

4.9. Conflict resolution in the workplace

4.8. Employee motivation

4.7. Team work

4.6. Efficient time management

4.5. Managing employees

4.4. Development of organizational policies and procedures

4.3. Task planning, delegation and distribution

4.2. Developing annual, semi-annual and monthly plans

4.1. Developing strategic (multi-annual) plans

4. WORK PLANNING AND ORGANISATIONAL MANAGEMENT

3.8. Presentation preparation

3.7. Public opinion surveys

3.6. Lobbying and advocacy (e.g. for changes of higher-level policies and practices)

strategies and activities

3.5. Information of the public and promotion of municipal policies,

3.4. Organization and management of work with the media

3.3. Preparation and implementation of public relations strategies

3.2. Free access to information

3.1. Transparency of decision-making process (work publicly exposed)

3. PUBLIC RELATIONS Priority

Partially Not Important important important

Priority

Importance for your work

Partially Not Important important important

Importance for your work Partially Sufficient Advanced sufficient

Insufficient

Partially Sufficient Advanced sufficient

Level of your skills and knowledge

Insufficient

Level of your skills and knowledge

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report

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7.7. Conflict of interest in the area of public procurement

7.6. Internal controls in the area of public procurement

7.5. Public procurement contracting

7.4. Tender documentation and tender evaluation

7.3. Public procurement planning

7.2. Public procurement model definition

7.1. Legal framework and principles of public procurement

7. PUBLIC PROCUREMENT

6.6. Internal controls (COSO, etc.)

6.5. Quality management system (ISO, CAF, etc.)

improve service provision

6.4. Monitoring and evaluation of service provision and use of information to

6.3. Developing service quality standards and indicators

financial) required for organisation of service provision

6.2. Process and instruments for assessing resources (human, material and

6.1. Process and instruments for assessing community needs for service provision

6. SERVICE PROVISION MANAGEMENT AND QUALITY CONTROL

5.4. Finance and budget basics for non-financial managers and officers

5.3. Project monitoring and evaluation

documentation, cost and profit analysis, feasibility studies, etc.)

5.2. Preparing project documents (pre-project preparation, technical

5.1. Project cycle management

5. PROJECT CYCLE MANAGEMENT Priority

Priority

Partially Not Important important important

Priority

Importance for your work

Partially Not Important important important

Importance for your work

Partially Not Important important important

Importance for your work Partially Sufficient Advanced sufficient

Partially Sufficient Advanced sufficient

Insufficient

Partially Sufficient Advanced sufficient

Level of your skills and knowledge

Insufficient

Level of your skills and knowledge

Insufficient

Level of your skills and knowledge

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report

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9.8. E-communication with citizens (information sharing; municipal website as a tool for citizens' access to LSG documents, procedures and templates; tracking of claims; collection of citizens' proposals) 9.9. E–services – issuing certificates and other documents through the municipal website

9.7. Developing and maintaining a municipal website

9.6. Human resources management - software and databases

9.5. Material/financial operations - software and databases

9.4. Electronic document management

9.3. MS Office advanced modules (Access, Project management)

9.2. MS Office basic modules (Word, Excel, Power Point)

9.1. E-mail and the Internet

9. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND E-LOCAL GOVERNMENT

8.12. Preparation and implementation of the annual training plan

8.11. Training needs assessment

8.10. Preparation, planning and implementation of performance appraisal

8.9. Discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment

8.8. Disciplinary measures

8.7. Redundancy and separation

8.6. Remuneration and non-salary benefits

8.5. Recruitment of interns and volunteers

8.4. Selection, interview, employment and probation period

8.3. Planning and job advertisement

and organisational units

8.2. Task systematisation and division of labour within local governance

employees and general legal framework for labour relations

8.1. Laws, decrees, rulebooks and instructions regulating the status of

8. HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT Priority

Partially Not Important important important

Priority

Importance for your work

Partially Not Important important important

Importance for your work Partially Sufficient Advanced sufficient

Insufficient

Partially Sufficient Advanced sufficient

Level of your skills and knowledge

Insufficient

Level of your skills and knowledge

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report

10.10. Tender procedures for EU-funded projects 10.11. Cooperation and programmes of other donors 10.12. Knowledge of foreign languages (English, French and German)

10.9. Administering and financial management of EU projects

10.8. Preparing project proposals and project cycle management

10.7. Partnership development

10.6. Cross-border cooperation

10.5. Rural development

10.4. Regional development

10.3. EU funds and programmes (IPA and community programmes)

10.2. The EU enlargement process, SAA process

10.1. Basics of the EU functioning (institutions, the decision-making process, laws and procedures)

10. EU INTEGRATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION Partially Not Important important important Priority

Importance for your work Insufficient

Partially Sufficient Advanced sufficient

Level of your skills and knowledge

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report

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78

2.5. Utility inspection of communal infrastructure and services

2.4. Public utility companies (establishment, management, financing, outsourcing of public utility services and reorganization of public utility companies)

2.3. Communal services (management, maintenance, monitoring and financing)

2.2. Communal infrastructure (management, maintenance, monitoring and financing)

2.1. Legal framework in the area of public utilities

2. PUBLIC UTILITIES

1.8. Urbanistic/construction inspections

1.7. Construction regulation (urbanistic permit, construction permit, usability permit, removal decision)

1.6. Public surfaces (determination, arrangement and management)

1.5. Construction land (determination, arrangement and management)

1.4. Geographic information system (GIS)

1.3. Regulatory plans and urban development projects

1.2. Spatial and urbanistic plans (development and implementation)

1.1. Legal framework in the area of spatial planning

1. SPATIAL PLANNING Priority

Partially Not Important important important

Priority

Importance for your work

Partially Not Important important important

Importance for your work

P A R T 3 - LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT COMPETENCIES

Partially Sufficient Advanced sufficient

Insufficient

Partially Sufficient Advanced sufficient

Level of your skills and knowledge

Insufficient

Level of your skills and knowledge

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report

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4.5. Energy efficiency 4.6. Inspection and supervision of environmental protection

4.4. Awareness-raising activities related to environmental protection

4.3. Environmental protection monitoring and enforcement (record keeping, analysis and reporting)

4.1. Legal framework in the area of environmental protection 4.2. Local environmental action plan (LEAP) preparation and implementation

4. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

3.3. Management of municipal housing stock, business premises and garages

3.2. Municipal housing policy (preparation, implementation and monitoring)

3.1. Legal framework in the area of housing affairs

3. HOUSING AFFAIRS Priority

Partially Not Important important important Priority

Importance for your work

Partially Not Important important important

Importance for your work Partially Sufficient Advanced sufficient

Insufficient

Partially Sufficient Advanced sufficient

Level of your skills and knowledge

Insufficient

Level of your skills and knowledge

Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report

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6.7. Health care centre (establishment, management, monitoring)

6.6. Programmes and plans for improving health protection (preparation, realization and monitoring)

6.5. Alternative mechanisms of support to social protection beneficiaries (training, socialization)

6.4. Social welfare centres (establishment, mgt, financing, monitoring, outsourcing of services)

6.3. Social protection rights (acknowledgment of rights, administration of beneficiaries and entitlements)

6.2. Municipal social protection policy (preparation, implementation and monitoring)

6.1. Legal framework in the area of social protection, protection of families with children and protection of civil victims of war

6. SOCIAL PROTECTION AND HEALTH CARE

5.9. Planning and prioritisation of demining and mine danger warning

5.8. Establishment and improvement of the municipal fire department

5.7. Establishment and improvement of the municipal observation and alarm centre

5.6. Civil protection equipment provision

5.5. Planning and organisation of training for civil protection headquarters and its members

5.4. Preparation of operational plans for rescue and protection against natural and other disasters

5.3. Assessment of vulnerability, damages and municipal resources for rescue and protection

5.2. Management of civil protection (establishment, organization, planning and reporting)

5.1. Legal framework in the area of civil protection

5. CIVIL PROTECTION Priority

Partially Not Important important important

Priority

Importance for your work

Partially Not Important important important

Importance for your work Partially Sufficient Advanced sufficient

Insufficient

Partially Sufficient Advanced sufficient

Level of your skills and knowledge

Insufficient

Level of your skills and knowledge

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9.3. Municipal policy in the area of primary and secondary education (co-financing, support and monitoring)

9.2. Municipal policy in the area of pre-school education and management of pre-school institutions (establishment, financing, support and monitoring)

9.1. Legal framework in the area of education

9. EDUCATION

8.3. Alternative mechanisms of support to returnees, displaced persons and refugees (training, professional retraining, fund raising)

8.2. Returnees, displaced persons and refugees' rights (administration of beneficiaries and assistance)

8.1. Municipal policy in the area of returnees, displaced persons and refugees (preparation, realization and monitoring)

8. RETURNEES, DISPLACED PERSONS AND REFUGEES

7.4. Alternative mechanisms of support to beneficiaries of disabled war veteran protection (training, professional retraining, socialization)

7.3. Disabled war veterans' rights (acknowledgment of rights, administration of beneficiaries and entitlements)

7.2. Programmes and plans to improve disabled war veteran protection (preparation, implementation and monitoring)

7.1. Legal framework in the area of disabled war veteran protection

7. DISABLED WAR VETERAN PROTECTION Priority

Priority

Partially Not Important important important

Priority

Importance for your work

Partially Not Important important important

Importance for your work

Partially Not Important important important

Importance for your work Partially Sufficient Advanced sufficient

Partially Sufficient Advanced sufficient

Insufficient

Partially Sufficient Advanced sufficient

Level of your skills and knowledge

Insufficient

Level of your skills and knowledge

Insufficient

Level of your skills and knowledge

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11.11. Treasury operations

11.10. Municipal asset management

11.9. Capital investment management and planning

11.8. Management of financial resources and expenditures

11.7. Accounting system, internal financial procedures, internal and external audit

11.6. Citizens' role of in the process of budget preparation and execution

11.5. Preparation of budget/rebalance and budget programmes, its execution and reporting

11.4. Other financing instruments (loans, public debt, bonds)

11.3. Collection and administration of local taxes and fees

11.2. LSG revenue sources (legal basis and allocation, revenue types, purpose)

11.1. Legal framework for local self-government units (LSG) financing

11. BUDGET AND FINANCE

10.2. Municipal policy in the area of culture and sport and management of culture and sports institutions (establishment, financing, support and monitoring)

10.1. Legal framework in the area of culture and sport

10. CULTURE AND SPORT Priority

Partially Not Important important important Priority

Importance for your work

Partially Not Important important important

Importance for your work Partially Sufficient Advanced sufficient

Insufficient

Partially Sufficient Advanced sufficient

Level of your skills and knowledge

Insufficient

Level of your skills and knowledge

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13.5. Partnership in function of local development (public/private partnership; inter-municipal / regional cooperation, etc.)

13.4. Support to access to finance in function of local development (loan/guarantee funds, development funds, subsidies, concessions, etc)

13.3. Municipal infrastructure in function of local development (energy, road and communal infrastructure, business zone, business incubators, etc.)

13.2. Municipal promotional activities in function of local development (public relations and communication, fairs, web promotion, lobbying, trainings, etc.)

13.1. Municipal administrative environment in relation to local development (one-stop-shop, local taxes policy, land and urban planning policy and regulation, statistics, business regulation, etc.)

13. BUSINESS ENABLING ENVIRONMENT AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT

12.5. Local development strategy monitoring and evaluation

12.4. Local development strategy implementation (project cycle management, organizational models for project preparation and implementation)

12.3. Participatory definition of local development policies and strategies

12.2. Situation analysis (including establishment of a local development management database)

12.1. Legal framework in the area of local development

12. PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF LOCAL DEVELOPMENT POLICIES Priority

Partially Not Important important important

Priority

Importance for your work

Partially Not Important important important

Importance for your work Partially Sufficient Advanced sufficient

Insufficient

Partially Sufficient Advanced sufficient

Level of your skills and knowledge

Insufficient

Level of your skills and knowledge

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report 4.3. FOCUS GROUP GUIDE 1.

What are the core functions presently carried out by your respective portfolios/ departments?

Focus 1 - Ask to verify core functions and add additional functions.

Focus 2 - Ask to identify 3 most important challenges/issues.

- Ask to distinguish between external / internal challenges.

- Ask to distinguish between portfolio / department specific challenges and challenges common for all.

Outputs: a) listing of agreed core portfolio functions; b) listing of core (external/ internal) challenges; c) listing of specific portfolio challenges.

2.

Given the core functions of your portfolio(s), and considering the level of knowledge and skills of your staff, the performance of which of the functions/ areas could be improved through quality training.

Focus 1 - Ask to assess functions (most/ least) in need for training.

Focus 2 - Ask to list functions that have so far received the most/ least training.

Outputs: a) Reach consensus on ranking of functions that can be improved by training; b) Identify current training responses, if any.

3.

Given the core functions of your portfolio(s), what priority training topics would you suggest for your staff?

Focus 1 - Formulate training topics that are directly linked to key capacity gaps, as previously identified.

- Rank mentioned training topics on basic / advanced - Ask for whom among their staff the training should be organized as matter of priority Focus 2 - Identify and distinguish between groups eligible for training Focus 3 - Get the views of the participants on training needs of municipal employees supervised by them

Outputs: a) Identification of priority topics within portfolio(s) and assessment about basic or advanced nature of training topics; b) Target groups for priority trainings; c) Training needs of employees vs. civil servants (only for FG in FBiH).

4.

Are there some other emerging topics in your subject area - in particular related to legislative changes and policy reform, organizational changes or the EU accession process - that you would highlight for immediate training support?

Focus 1 - Identify expected changes / emerging topics in the subject area and link to training and capacity building needs.

Outputs: a) List of emerging areas and topics within portfolio that need training attention; b) Some indication about present flow of information on emerging areas / topics within the portfolios.

5.

Given generic and crosscutting areas of municipal cooperation (e.g. human resource management, IT, local democracy, and office management, public relations…) which of them do you find most relevant for the smooth performance of your portfolio(s)?

Focus 1 – Review generic areas to identify generic or crosscutting relevance for the specific portfolio(s).

Focus 2 – Try to identify areas outside of the specific portfolios relevant for training of staff and portfolio performance.

Focus 3 - Try to identify target groups for priority trainings.

Outputs: a) Portfolio view on generic and cross-cutting topics and ranking of priorities; b) Specific topics for staff training within generic and crosscutting areas; c) Target groups for priority trainings.

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report 4.4. SENIOR LEADERSHIP INTERVIEW QUESTIONS I)

Municipal leadership attitudes and practice towards training

1. Do you think training is important for improving municipal service delivery? (WHY?) 2. Do you think that the present training opportunities available/ offered to municipal staff are sufficient? (WHY?) 3. Do you feel training opportunities do improve employee motivation? (WHY?) 4. What type of obligatory training is presently offered to municipal staff?

5. Has your municipality ever initiated non-obligatory training for staff internally?

If yes, which types of training and for whom?

6. Have you ever requested training support from higher levels of government or an alternative training provider (private or international)?

7. Have you ever paid for training in the past?

8. Do you have a budget reserved for training of staff on an annual basis?

9. How should training for municipal staff be financed in future and by whom?

Municipality Ministries / government agencies Donors Staff themselves Combination of one or more above-mentioned sources or other options (Others) 10. What do you see as major present barriers to make quality training available at the local level?

Costs of training Lack of quality training (offered by market / donors‌) Lack of good training providers Lack of practical relevance of training / Non-fitting formats of training Lacking capacity to define proper training needs Time needed for training attendance Lacking motivation of staff for training Lack of information on training Other

II)

Priority focus areas related to i) performance gaps of key municipal service areas and ii) gaps in KSA of municipal staff

1. How satisfied are you in general with the current performance of municipal staff (employees/ civil servants)?

2. What are the three areas of municipal operations that could be most improved by quality training?

Can you, in this regard, mention 2-3 priority subject areas for training?

Which particular target group within the municipal staff should be made a priority target for such training/ training topics?

3. Do you think that training should also be provided to municipal assembly/council members?

Which areas of training would you highlight for this group?

(By whom should they be trained?)

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Local Self-Government Training Needs Assessment Report 4. What is about training for mayors? Do you think this would be beneficial?

Which areas of training would you highlight for this group?

(By whom should they be trained?)

5. Name three priority training areas for heads of municipal departments?

III) Best/worst practices and experiences in past training of local government employees 1. How do you/ the municipality learn about training opportunities?

Are you routinely informed about upcoming training opportunities by any institutions (donors, ministries or government agencies, AMCs, private providers, other)?

2. Please give some examples of seminars and trainings your staff has (or you have) attended?

Is there a list or some record kept on training attendance by staff?

Who were the training providers (donors, private individuals/ companies, other)?

3. How would you assess in general the quality of training opportunities so far available to municipal staff?

Has there been any training that was particularly useful to improve performance of the municipality/ the delivery of services in certain fields? (Can you give concrete examples?)

Anything / any training experience that was particularly negative that you could describe?

Any particular training provider you would like to mention? (positively / negatively) 4. What is your preferred training format?

(Workshop, seminar, lectures, on-the-job training, case study, role-play‌ other?)

5. What is your preferred training location?

(Within municipality, in close vicinity, regional centre, Sarajevo, abroad‌other?)

6. What is a proper duration for training?

Do you prefer shorter (one day) training events or two to three day trainings?

IV) Present status of human resource development functions 1. How do you identify participants for training from your municipality?

2. Do you have a human resource or a training focal point in your municipality?

(If no) who is the responsible staff member for sharing information on, assigning and approving training?

3. Do you have a system for performance appraisal in place?

(If yes) how is it structured (written assessment/ discussion based?)

(If yes) is assessment of the individual training needs part of your performance appraisal system?

4. Have you ever assessed the training needs of your staff on an individual basis?

5. Does your municipality have a training plan for (key) staff members (on an annual basis)?

6. What would be ways to improve human resource development functions at the municipal level?

What type of specific support would be beneficial in this regard (by higher governments, donors‌?)

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MUNICIPAL TRAINING SYSTEM PROJECT

United Nations Development Programme Bosnia and Herzegovina Maršala Tita Street 48, 71000 Sarajevo Tel: +387 33 563 800, Fax: +387 33 552 330 Web site: www.undp.ba