Snaga lokalnog is a five-year program of the American Agency for International Development ( USAID ) that works to empower local communities. Through assistance and support to communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we develop capacities that enable sustainable growth, increase civic engagement and mobilize available local resources. The Strength of the Snaga lokalnog web platform enables the exchange of information between all actors, and maps relationships and influences within civil society, public and local institutions, as well as the business sector for local initiatives in BiH. The partner organizations on the program are the Center for Civil Cooperation Livno (CGS Livno), the Network for Peace Building, the Institute for Youth Development KULT, the Tuzla Community Foundation and the Mozaik Foundation , they deal with development challenges in their own communities and the development of philanthropy in the community, and the American Agency for international development (USAID) invested a total of 12 million dollars in the Snaga lokalnog program.
Component 1:
The Peace Building Network makes a key contribution through the establishment and management of a web platform that enables the exchange of information between different actors, provides an overview of relations and influence within civil society, public and local institutions and the business sector, and enables the establishment of initiatives related to the development of local communities in BiH.
In the coming years, the priority in the work of Snaga lokalnog is to support local organizations through various forms of institutional strengthening so that they themselves can create sustainable “self-help mechanisms” throughout the country, especially in areas where such mechanisms are not easily available.
Component 2:
Peace Network is working to establish and strengthen cooperation between other components of the Snaga lokalnog program: Capacity Development Platform, Local Development Organizations (LDOs), Philanthropy and Legal Environment, Strengthening Public Awareness of Philanthropy, Networking Platform (NAP).
Through the Snaga lokalnog, we enable all interested individuals and groups to make their own contribution to their communities and join existing initiatives for their growth and progress.
Component 3:
The peace network remains dedicated to its members and their networking and building their capacities in terms of ensuring their sustainable development.
We want all members of the Peace Building Network, other NGOs in Bosnia and Herzegovina, formal and informal groups of citizens, citizens, institutions and businesses who want to become initiators of change in their communities to work on improving existing social processes to be included in the activities. and protection of the natural environment.
Project Support to local resource organizations (Strength of local LRO/A)
The Association Peacebuilding Network, in partnership with USAID, supports local resource organizations, mobilizes resources and improves cooperation with local authorities, businesses and the public in solving challenges in community development.
Local resource organizations (LROs) are organizations that work to solve community problems, in cooperation with citizens, non-governmental organizations, local authorities and the private sector. LROs already have sufficient material and human resources adequate to mobilize additional resources in local communities that will increase understanding and cooperation among local actors for the creation and implementation of successful initiatives to improve the quality of life.
The purpose of the LRO/A project is to strengthen the role of LRO in the development of local communities by increasing the efficiency of organizations, cooperation between LRO and philanthropy in local communities.
As part of this project, the Peacebuilding Network Association will distribute institutional and operational grants to LROs throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Partner organizations
“Snaga Lokalnog – Together for local development” is a USAID project implemented by the Center for Civic Cooperation from Livno as the project holder and the partner organization “Grahovo” Citizens Association from Bosanski Grahovo in the period from 2020 to 2025.
The goal of the project is to encourage and support locally led development by joining and strengthening local actors in ten municipalities/cities: Drvar, Bosansko Grahovo, Glamoč, Livno, Kupres, Tomislavgrad, Posušje, Široki Brijeg, Grude and Ljubuški, using local strengths and resources.
Through numerous activities, we include and gather all local actors who can contribute to the development of their communities in various ways, namely municipal/city administrations, local communities, local associations, i.e. civil society organizations or non-governmental organizations, local private and public companies and the diaspora where that possible.
By jointly solving the needs of citizens, we will encourage better cooperation and communication in identifying common problems and offer solutions through better work planning, by establishing Networks for local development in the area of each mentioned municipality/city.
It is extremely important to improve the local capacities, knowledge and skills of interested community members, through a series of trainings in accordance with their needs, so that they can be productive advocates of the community’s interests and bearers of social change.
Members of the Local Development Network each year have the opportunity to use the acquired knowledge and capacities to solve specific needs and problems of the community, by applying and obtaining support for projects and actions through the awarding of sub-grants. Small projects in communities focus on mobilizing all local actors with the aim of improving living conditions for all citizens.
Through the Strength of the Local, we also encourage individual entrepreneurship and social/social entrepreneurship of local associations as support for self-sustainability and employment, and with joint activities and efforts, we initiate the formation of funds for entrepreneurship at the county/canton and/or municipality/city level.
By encouraging and promoting social engagement in communities in the area of ŽZH/K8 and HBŽ/K10, we contribute to joint work on local development.
The Mozaik Foundation, together with the leading organizations working on the development of philanthropy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Hastor Foundation , the Peace Building Network and the Pomozi.ba Association , as well as with partner organizations from the Republic of Serbia – the Trag Foundation and the Katalist Foundation, implements the program “Legal framework for philanthropy”. The purpose of this joint project is to improve the legislative and fiscal framework and create a stimulating environment for the development of philanthropy in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The program is implemented in the period from August 12, 2020. until 11.08.2024. with the support of the American Agency for International Development (USAID) BiH.
- The objectives of the Project are.. Improvement of cooperation between the public, private and civil sectors through the Philanthropic Forum, which represents a platform for cooperation and development of the ecosystem of philanthropy in BiH;
- Improving the legal framework and creating a stimulating environment for the development of philanthropy in local communities by participatory creation of proposals for changes in legal and fiscal legislation. This process will support advocacy activities for the improvement of public policies in selected priority areas.
Initial and final analysis of the legal and fiscal framework for the development of philanthropy in BiH; Intersectoral Philanthropic Forum; Advocacy activities developed through the participatory work of intersectoral groups; Exchange of experiences between public officials inside and outside Bosnia and Herzegovina; Six proposals for changes to the legal framework for the development of philanthropy in BIH adopted at the appropriate levels of government; Promotion of results and achieved changes at the regional conference.
The project will identify and present good practices and models that will be translated into concrete recommendations for improving the legal framework, based on research, and in the direction of further development of the philanthropic environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Activities will be carried out through sectoral working groups that will bring together representatives of the business, civil and public sectors. Recommendations for changes to the law will be made by thematic intersectoral working groups, which will also implement innovative advocacy campaigns.
Within the framework of the USAID program Snaga Lokalnog, the Tuzla Community Foundation, as one of the partners, carries out an activity called “Our community is our responsibility”, which aims to improve the environment for supporting local communities in the Tuzla Canton and increase the visibility of philanthropic efforts and transparency among local resource organizations, civil society organizations and philanthropic organizations throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The goal of the project is to strengthen local organizations and support local initiatives that bring citizens together and encourage them to self-organize, participate and be inclusive in solving specific problems in their local communities, settlements, cities and the entire country. In this way, through the development of philanthropy in BiH, the program strengthens mechanisms that have the potential to encourage self-help, independence and self-sustainability of civic initiatives that contribute to local development.
In order to develop a culture of giving and public trust in the work of the civil sector, special attention was paid to the development of transparent and responsible work of civil society organizations, especially philanthropic organizations. Through the organization of promotional campaigns aimed at raising awareness of philanthropy, the goal is to bring the work of organizations and foundations dealing with philanthropy closer to the public in BiH and to show that there are resources and strength at the local level to solve local initiatives.
Strengthening organizational capacities
The Institute for Youth Development KULT, through the carefully designed mentoring support it provides to civil organizations with the support of USAID Bosnia and Herzegovina through the activity Strength of the Local, contributes to strengthening their internal organizational capacities. Strengthening organizational capacity refers to the process of increasing the organization’s ability to achieve its goals in an efficient manner. Support includes the active participation of the organization and long-term guidance by the Institute in the creation of strategic and development documents, policies, procedures and their application in practice. The Institute provides comprehensive advisory support to organizations using a carefully developed methodology that is continuously improved and adapted to trends and legislation, and for these needs, it has developed a specific methodology and tool used to assess organizational capacities called KULT/POK ® . KULT/POK ® is a certified program, accompanied by a three-year capacity development index.
Developmental methodological approach in working with organizations, in addition to capacity assessment, includes different types of training, individual and group mentoring, consulting in different areas, networking and connection, and other different elements of support. Mentoring support provided by the Institute includes several components such as: making recommendations based on the assessment of organizational capacities, making a plan for improving organizational capacities with annual action plans, organizing thematically different trainings adapted to the needs of civil society organizations, etc.
In addition, the Institute has created a separate mentoring program, in which five representatives of organizations involved in the Local Power program have participated so far. With the aim of networking and animating and activating civil society organizations, the Institute organizes a meeting of non-governmental organizations every month through NGO Meet Up events. Different topics, experienced speakers, active participants and space for discussion are key features of each of these meetings, and the added value is the networking of different sectors that offer a special opportunity for organizations to experience examples from practice and listen to useful advice from different fields of activity. As a well-rounded support system, the Institute also offers practical experience in strengthening organizational capacities through the concept of Job shadowing and a one-day visit to the Institute and learning in the field for all partner organizations from the Local Forces.
More information can be found on the page https://mladi.org/jacanje-organizacijskih-kapaciteta/