Decentralisation and Enhancing the Local Government Capacity in Serbia

Ovaj članak se bavi prikazom procesa decentralizacije u Srbiji od 2000. do 2011. godine imajući u vidu da bi ovaj proces ujedno morao biti i proces podizanja kapaciteta lokalnih vlasti. U radu se prati transformacija svakog od bitnih činilaca autonomije lokalne vlasti i njenih menadžerijalnih potencijala: ustavni i zakonski status, izbori i model organizacije vlasti, nadležnosti, finansiranje, pružanje usluga, participacija građana, te odnos države i lokalne samouprave. Ovaj kompleksan proces zahteva vreme, podizanje znanja i veština svih nivoa vlasti (posebno lokalne), posvećenost političke elite demokratskim vrednostima i tesno je vezan sa podizanjem stepena demokratske političke kulture.This paper provides a review of the process of decentralisation in Serbia from 2000 to 2011, bearing in mind that this process should at the same time be a process of enhancing the local government capacity. The paper traces the transformation of each of the essential factors of the autonomy of local government and its managerial potentials: its constitutional and legal status, elections and the model of the organisation of government, competences, funding, provision of services, citizen participation, and the relationship between the state and local self-government. This complex process is time-consuming, requires upgrading knowledge and skills at all levels of government (local government in particular), a commitment of the political elite to democratic values, and is closely tied to increasing the level of democratic political culture