The Project

“Accountable Local Authorities, Strong Communities” is a project bringing together the Anti-Corruption Fund (ACF) ’s high expertise and the mobilization of local communities in 10 Bulgarian cities aiming to improve the transparency and accountability of public authorities.

With Norwegian experts’ help, the ACF team will create a Local Accountability and Integrity Standard (LAIS), applying the good governance principles. This Standard will later be implemented locally with the help of civic activists and non-governmental organizations.

We believe that engaging civic communities and networks is crucial for battling corruption, abuse of powers, and conflict of interests on a local level.

We expect the project to bring the following results:

• An accountability and integrity standard developed with the active participation of local NGOs, local media and representatives of different municipalities;
• Regular independent observation of local authorities’ compliance with the Standard;
• Preparing recommendations aimed at local authorities for improving the governance process and preventing corruption;
• Preparing a proposal for approving the Standard by the local authorities;
• Filing reports to the competent institutions in case of substantial irregularities in local governance.

The project “Accountable Local Authorities, Strong Communities, implementing a Local Government Accountability and Integrity Standard through Engagement of Local NGOs and Media” is implemented with the financial support of Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway under the EEA Financial Mechanism. The main objective of the project “Accountable Local Authorities, Strong Communities, implementing a Local Government Accountability and Integrity Standard through Engagement of Local NGOs and Media” is to improve the accountability and integrity system of local government and thus create conditions for countering corruption at the local level by mobilizing local civil society communities.

Monitoring Local Authorities on Anti-corruption and Conflict of Interest

The project monitors and analyzes the work of local anti-corruption bodies in charge of ascertaining conflicts of interest and combatting corruption in the local administration of 20 municipalities in Bulgaria.

It aims to provide a comprehensive overview of their work and their transparency and accountability level.

The project will also identify weak spots in the current legal framework for investigating local public officials.

The project complements ACF’s monitoring of the Anti-Corruption Commission (CAFIAP), the central body responsible for ascertaining conflicts of interest and combatting corruption, included in ACF’s Annual Monitoring of the Work of the Anti-Corruption Institutions.

Collecting information

Throughout the project, ACF experts will analyze the efficacy of the bodies’ work and the legal framework covering their activities in twenty municipalities.

Analysis

After gathering all the necessary information related to the work of the local anti-corruption bodies, ACF experts will analyze the cases examined by the relevant authorities, the uniformity of the practice and the transparency of the different anti-corruption bodies at the local level, and the deficiencies of the current legal framework.

Report

The experts will present their findings as a report on the activities of the local anti-corruption authorities, including recommendations for improvement related to investigating and ascertaining conflict of interests at the local level, to be included in the anticipated new legal framework for counteracting corruption.

Advocacy

The work on the project will form the basis of a more extended conversation on whether the anti-corruption system in Bulgaria should operate differently.

With advocacy efforts on national and local levels, ACF will seek to educate citizens on the matter and lobby for necessary legislative amendments in how local anti-corruption bodies work.

Through the project, ACF will also assist active citizens in acting as watchdogs by monitoring the work of anti-corruption bodies on the local level and alerting the authorities and CSOs of any misconduct.

The funds for this grant come from the ‘Protecting EU Values and Fundamental Rights through Public Participation and Civil Society Assistance in Central Europe—PROTEUS’ project,

implemented by the Transatlantic Foundation in cooperation with the Engaging Central Europe (ECE) program of The German Marshall Fund of the United States.

The PROTEUS project is co-financed by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) through the European Union’s Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme (CERV).

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them