The Law on Development Planning and Management of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina – might – as it is foreseen – be adopted by the end of 2013. The draft theses of this law were reviewed in the fourth meeting of the FB&H Strategic Planning Harmonisation Working Group, which was held in Bugojno on May 9 of this year.
The working group includes representatives of the competent ministries of the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Association of Municipalities and Cities, Federal Development Programming Institute, cantons of the Federation and a certain number of municipalities of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the past three meetings of the working group, a situation analysis of strategic planning at the level of cantons in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina was presented, and the methodological framework for cantonal development planning as a basis for preparing a development planning methodology at cantons was also analysed and agreed upon. A draft theoretical part of the strategic planning methodology at the level of cantons was also presented, together with the key terminology in strategic planning and the suggested term definitions were agreed upon. Conclusions and recommendations were adopted during all meetings and future tasks of the working group were defined.
During the fourth meeting the working group dealt with the development of a standardised planning and management methodology and the concept of legal solutions for establishing a development planning and management system in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The basic theses for a discussion about these topics were presented by Nijaz Avdukić, Assistant Director of the Federal Development Programming Institute, Alma Kobašija, Advisor from the Federal Ministry of Justice, Aida Laković Hošo, ILDP Advisor for Policy Development/Deputy Head of Project, and Bećo Sarajlija, Secretary of the Federal Development Programming Institute. The meeting was moderated by Maida Fetahagić, Assistant Director of the Planning Institute of Sarajevo Canton, and Marina Dimova, ILDP/UNDP Project Manager, emphasized the importance of developing standardised methodology and adopting regulations in this field. The participants were greeted by the Mayor of Bugojno municipality, Hasan Ajkunić, who also spoke about the importance of development planning at the local level and presented personal experiences.
During this meeting of the working group it was emphasized that the focus in the consultations process lies on all issues related to a standardised planning and management methodology at the level of cantons and the concept or proposal of theses of the law dealing with these development issues in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was agreed that meetings with prime ministers of cantons would be held soon, or that discussions would be held on all this over the coming two or three months at different levels in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The purpose of this is to regulate development planning and management in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which implies that upon completion of the round of discussions within the working group, a draft law on planning and management system in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina will be defined and sent in the parliamentary procedure.