Over four months, citizens participated intensively in trainings, field visits, community consultations, meetings with municipal leaders and in the drafting of recommendations that will inform future public investments.
The Social Audit project engaged local NGOs, municipal mayors, officials and directorates, contract managers, and up to 120 community members, culminating in the preparation of six Social Audit reports, 30 journalistic articles (five per municipality), a TV documentary and six short videos – one for each municipality. These audiovisual products will document the entire Social Audit process. The selected municipalities were Istog, Drenas, Kaçanik, Dragash, Lipjan and Mamusha.
Following an extensive field-screening process, the project formed six Social Audit Teams, one per audited project, with a diverse membership, including teachers, activists, farmers, engineers, persons with disabilities, youth leaders, journalists, business owners and pensioners. More than 70 men and 40 women monitored 12 different infrastructure projects, with the aid of BIRN Kosovo, Democracy Plus (D+), and local partner NGOs in each of the six municipalities: HANDIKOS Istog, HANDIKOS Kaçanik, HANDIKOS Drenas, NGO Avoko, YAHR, and Mamuşa Emekçi Kadınlar Derneği.
These teams acted as independent community monitors, ensuring that public investments funded by the Municipal Performance Grant comply with standards, meet community needs, and follow proper procedures.
Before field monitoring began, the project delivered one training for the six local NGOs involved in facilitation and six full-day trainings for each of the Social Audit Teams. Topics included civic activism and citizen engagement, Municipal Performance Grants, access to public documents, identifying indicators and drafting findings, technical and environmental monitoring and reporting, communication, and community outreach. These trainings built the teams’ capacities to analyse project documentation, conduct field inspections, and formulate evidence-based recommendations.
The project began with the signing of Memorandums of Understanding with all six municipal mayors, formalizing cooperation for the 2025 Social Audit cycle. Mayors and municipal directors committed to close collaboration, transparency, and the provision of documents, facilitating citizen participation throughout the process.
Throughout September, October, and the first half of November, the Social Audit teams carried out field visits to construction sites, public spaces, roads, riverbeds, water systems, and sports facilities; met contract managers and municipal departments; consulted residents about local needs; and reviewed procurement documents, designs, contracts and plans.
Key findings included concerns related to accessibility, environmental impacts, construction quality, safety risks, delays, and non-standardized infrastructure. Teams drafted detailed recommendations, which were formally submitted to the municipalities. All the municipalities responded with written feedback, many confirming that several recommendations were already being addressed.
From November 5 to 13, all six Social Audit teams met with their respective mayors or deputy mayors to present preliminary findings. In each municipality, local leaders expressed appreciation for the citizen-driven approach and acknowledged its role in improving service delivery and strengthening decision-making. Some municipalities committed to increasing accessibility measures, adjusting road safety infrastructures, prioritizing citizen requests in future budgeting, and piloting participatory budgeting mechanisms.
To enhance visibility and public engagement, the project has also produced rich multimedia content. In total, 30 articles will be published on KALLXO.com and partner platforms – five per municipality– covering every stage of the Social Audit process, from the signing of MoUs to trainings, findings, and meetings. In addition, an upcoming feature documentary will showcase the entire four-month cycle of community monitoring. The project will also produce six short videos, one for each municipality, highlighting project-specific challenges, stories, and citizen voices. Filming included interviews with mayors, team members, residents, engineers, and NGO partners, along with extensive footage from all monitored project sites.
This project will culminate in the publication of six Social Audit reports, one for each municipality. These will present the key findings derived from the fieldwork conducted by the Social Audit teams, along with the recommendations developed based on their assessments. The reports will also highlight systemic issues identified during the process, good practices, lessons learned, and actionable steps for local institutions to improve transparency, service delivery and accountability. Each report will include community feedback, documented evidence and a set of priority measures designed to support long-term, citizen-driven oversight at the municipal level.
The Social Audit Project has proven to be one of Kosovo’s most comprehensive citizen-engagement models, combining capacity-building, institutional cooperation, field monitoring and civic participation in decision-making. With up to 120 trained citizens, partnerships with six municipalities, and a full body of public reports and audiovisual storytelling, the initiative sets a new standard for local governance oversight.
The 2025 Social Audit cycle began in August and will be completed in December. It is supported by the Ministry of Local Government Administration and the Decentralisation and Municipal Support Project (DEMOS), a project co-financed by the EU, the Swiss and Swedish government, and implemented by HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation–Kosovo.
In 2024 BIRN Kosovo and D+ facilitated the Social Audit process in six municipalities of Gjakova, Peja, Lipjan, Obiliq, Klina and Malisheva. In 2023, BIRN Kosovo facilitated the same process in Drenas, Kaçanik, Hani i Elezit, Suharekë, and Viti.