The index of civic participation in Plovdiv Municipality is 3.36.
The assessment was given by 14 members of civil organizations during a focus group, organized by National Alliance for Voluntary Action /NAVA/ as a part of Forum Civic Participation /FCP/ network.
The assessment is made for the first time and it shows what are the regulatory environment, m
anifestations and the effect of the civic participation on the territory of Plovdiv Municipality. The evaluation was based on a special methodology, which FCP in partnership with the Bulgarian Center for Non-for-Profit Law developed earlier this year. According to the methodology, a grade between 3 and 4 means that the state of civic participation is developing, i.e. legislation and local normative regulations, which regulate the forms of civic participation, as well as particular well-meaning practices in this field exist. But still the effect of the citizen’s participation is not evident and the benefits are not clearly understood. The index of civic participation is applied for the first time in Bulgaria and it measures the 3 aspects of the process – the environment, the manifestations, and the effect of the participation of citizens in cultivation of politics and making decisions on socially significant problems – on a national and local level.
Assessments of Plovdiv:
- Legislative environment – 3,25
- Institutional environment – 2,28
- Campaigns of civic participation – 3,89
In the focus group conducted in Plovdiv, representatives appeared of Bauersachs Foundation, DCTV, Media Café, Sustainable Community Association, CI “I love Plovdiv”, BRC Plovdiv, Open Arts Foundation, BG Be Active Association, Youth Society for Peace and Development of the Balkans, “Pisalka & pero” Association, Green Balkans, NAVA, and active citizens.
The national research which evaluated Bulgaria’s civic participation has already been conducted by FCP and members and partners of the network in the summer of 2015. The general assessment of the country is 3,39. You can find and download all of the assessments of Bulgaria, Plovdiv and other cities as well as the complete reports HERE.
The index of civic participation is developed as a part of the “Za da ima uchastie” Project financed by the NGO Programme in Bulgaria under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area 2009-2014. (www.ngogrants.bg).
The activities are co-funded by Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. (http://www.mott.org/).
