December 13, 2012, final evaluation workshop held in Mostar, within the project related to Implementation of BiH Development Strategy and Social Inclusion Strategy - ISR / SSU BiH, lead by the Federal Institute for Development Programming, with the financial support of the Swiss Development Agency.
The impact of the activities on the establishment of the strategic development planning process in the cantons was discussed during the workshop in Mostar. According to Ljubiš Đapan, Director and Nijaz Avdukic, Deputy Director, the Federal Institute proved to be capable and a qualified core team for development programming of the Federation BiH while introducing the implementation of the BiH strategic development documents in the cantons and aligning the process with European requirements and practices, during the past year.
Aim of the project was to emphasize the importance of vertical and horizontal coordination of strategic planning process and harmonization of strategic plans, programs, projects and tasks in order to achieve more balanced and faster socio-economic development. The project established implementing units in the cantons of the Federation BiH (Sarajevo, Tuzla, Bosnian-Podrinje, Central Bosnia, Zenica-Doboj, Hercegovina-Neretva and Canton 10 - Livno). The units, in cooperation with Cantonal Governments, worked to establish a strategic development planning process and, in accordance with available capacities, implementation of BiH Development Strategy and Social Inclusion Strategy. Officers of the Federal Institute for Development Programming were directly involved in the process of strategic planning system establishment in the mentioned cantons, the preparation of action plans, and other segments of strategic planning.
Referring the work done at the end of the evaluation workshop, the participants agreed on key steps for the coming period 2013-2014:
- Establishing of political coordination of the process,
- Institutionalization of the function of strategic planning at cantonal level,
- Applying the action plans into the annual government work plans,
- Creating cantonal integral development strategies,
- Creation of sectoral strategic development documents,
- Developing a multi-annual framework for public expenditure (including out-of-budget funds) at cantonal level,
- Development of multi-annual operational programs and identification of key projects for the period 2014-2016,
- Establishment of the monitoring and evaluation system at canton level, and
- Preparation of the development reports for 2013.
- In order to continue activities, all workshop participants agreed that the cantons and the Federal Institute need assistance in:
- Technical assistance in formalisation of the strategic planning function,
- Financial assistance in recruiting skilled staff in the cantonal implementation units,
- Training of newcomers in cantonal implementation units,
- Financial assistance in providing minimum required equipment (furniture, IT),
- Training and expert assistance in developing strategies,
- Training and expert assistance in developing operational programs and key projects,
- Training and expert assistance in developing the financial frameworks,
- Professional assistance in developing a monitoring and evaluation plan and reporting.