BACKGROUND

The Government Accountability Initiative is a four-year, $8.5 million activity that works with key Serbian stakeholders to increase government accountability at the national and local levels.

ACTIVITIES

• Local Government Accountability – The Initiative supports local government efforts to increase public participation in decision making and oversight to boost transparency and accountability. It provides tailored technical assistance to local governments selected annually through open, nationwide calls. 
• Independent Oversight Institutions – The Initiative assists the State Audit Institution, Anti-Corruption Agency and Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection to:
  
  • increase their focus on risk-based detection of corruption,
  • improve oversight through policy and procedural reforms, and
  • facilitate cooperation among Independent Oversight Institutions, enforcement institutions, and with the National Assembly
• Adjudication of Corruption Cases – The Initiative works with specialized anti-corruption court units and public prosecutors’ offices to improve the adjudication of corruption cases. The Initiative supports the judiciary and enforcement institutions in building and implementing an electronic register of corruption cases.

RESULTS TO DATE

• Developed recommendations on regulating whistleblower protection systems and provided whistleblower training for 35 local governments
• Facilitated State Audit Institution training for local government finance administrators on budget planning and execution with the goal of implementing audit recommendations
• Developed model websites and Facebook pages for counterpart local governments to enhance public access to information
• Trained more than 850 oversight officials in managing organizational change and strategic planning to enhance independent risk-based oversight
• Facilitated development of the State Audit Institution’s and the Anti-Corruption Agency’s five-year strategic plans
• Trained State Audit Institution staff in performance auditing and use of risk criteria to select audits for 2019 and 2020 annual audit plans
• Assisted the Anti-Corruption Agency in drafting model acts for government institutions’ use in developing workplace codes of conduct
• Published a Practicum for Investigation and Adjudication of Corruption Offences to apply new procedural tools for prosecution of corruption
• Helped the Ministry of Justice and the Republic PPO to train over 240 Public Prosecutors Office staff on standardized corruption case data collection and exchange
• Organized expert roundtables for Serbian anti-corruption judges with their counterparts from the US, Croatia, Romania, and Slovakia on best practices
• Judiciary, PPO, Ministry of Justice and counterparts established a working group to develop an electronic register of corruption cases

Project funded by:

U.S. Agency for International Development; USAID/Serbia

Project implemented by:

Checchi and Company Consulting, Inc.

Key counterparts 

State Audit Institution, Anti-Corruption Agency, Commissioner for Information of Public importance and Personal Data Protection, Local Governments, Anti-corruption court units and public prosecutor's offices

Where we work:

Nationwide

Total amount:

$8,573,738

Project duration:

February 2018 – February 2022

Contact:

Checchi and Company Consulting, Inc.

Street: Makenzijeva 24/ 3

11 000 Belgrade

Phone: +381 11 4145880

Fax: + 381 11 4145880

E-mail:
GAI-Belgrade@checchiconsulting.com

Website:  https://www.odgovornavlast.rs/

PRINTABLE VERSION OF USAID GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY INITIATIVE FACT SHEET