Olovo: Long-standing problems now resolved

Public lighting, paved streets, replaced water supply systems, new local offices...

The project “Strengthening the Role of MZs in BiH” records multiple positive changes in the Municipality of Olovo, where citizens of MZs have succeeded in solving some of the long-standing infrastructural problems.

In Olovo, activities worth half a million BAM were carried out in six partner MZs from Phase One of the Project. Citizens got new local offices, public lighting, paved streets, replaced water supply and the like. In Phase Two of the MZ Project, in cooperation with the Municipality of Olovo, work will be done on improving the quality of life of citizens in five new MZs.

Adnan Klempić, expert associate for MZs in the Municipality of Olovo, notes that in cooperation with the MZ Project, an effective form of local community action has been put in place through citizen forums and online forums where citizens genuinely express their views and daily needs. Consequently, as Klempić says, the initiatives that MZs submit to the Municipality of Olovo today reflect the actual situation and opinion of the majority of citizens from a certain local area.

“Citizens’ engagement has been improved with the great efforts of the local government and the MZ Project. Citizens have become aware that they cannot and must not be silent observers, but must take an active part in tackling real problems. A testament to this are forums and assemblies of citizens where it is not only a handful of those who take part in public discussions, but several hundred citizens,” says Klempić.

As all MZs have organised online forums due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Klempić notes that there is an obvious lack of interaction between participants in this format, especially the elderly population who are not sufficiently digitally skilled. However, online forums motivate younger generations to take more active part in community life.

Assistance to those in need

At the onset of the pandemic, the Municipality of Olovo formed a Crisis Staff that had daily sessions. Soon after, it was decided to form Local Crisis Staffs in cooperation with the bodies of 15 MZs from the territory of Olovo, all done in a nick of time. The local Crisis Staffs had daily communication with the Crisis Staff of the Municipality of Olovo, the Mayor and the Expert Associate for MZs. A Facebook group was formed to solve the problems of citizens during the pandemic.

The presidents of the MZs were field operatives who provided daily information to the municipal services on the needs of the citizens. Based on this information, the Municipality of Olovo helped the most vulnerable categories by distributing financial assistance, as well as packages with food and hygiene supplies. Protective masks were also distributed to all citizens through local crisis staffs.

Adnan Klempić says that the municipal authorities in Olovo are continuously working to improve the quality of work of MZs. On this note, the Municipality of Olovo has foreseen a post in its classification of posts with exclusive competence for work with MZs. Then, the development of key regulations that are important for the proper functioning and work of MZs began. The most important document in this regard was the drafting and adoption of the statute of each MZ.

The Municipality of Olovo also financially assists MZs for their uninterrupted and adequate functioning, while MZs are required to submit reports on their work and spending to municipal services. The manner of electing the governing bodies of MZs in Olovo has also changed, and as of the next elections, the leadership of MZs will be elected by direct and secret ballot, as is done in the general elections in BiH.

"Strengthening the Role of Local Communities – MZ in BiH" is a joint project of the Government of Switzerland and Sweden worth 14 million BAM. Implementing partner is United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in BiH in partnership with the BiH Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees, Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government of Republika Srpska, Ministry of Justice of Federation BiH, the Government of Brcko District and both entity associations of municipalities and cities.