In the context of current challenges to transparency and governance integrity within Kosovo’s local municipalities, the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) Kosovo will implement the project ‘Governing with Integrity: Promoting Accountable Leadership in Kosovo’ to promote a culture of accountability and integrity. This initiative targets key aspects of governance, from governmental operations to media coverage. Central to this initiative is the detailed examination of official reports, leveraging tools such as the Internal AuditMeter.
Summary:
Kosovo’s ongoing struggle against corruption remains a pressing concern. The European Commission’s 2020 report outlines that while the nation is still in its early stages of preparation to combat corruption, it isn’t devoid of a robust legal framework. The foundation, aligning with international standards, is firmly in place, leading to an intriguing paradox: why is the fight against corruption not making significant strides? At the heart of this dilemma is a gap in the integrity displayed by Kosovo’s municipalities and institutions. Despite the presence of appropriate legislative measures, there’s an evident discord in their practical implementation. Such a discrepancy raises questions about the commitment of these entities to the principles of transparency, accountability, and, most importantly, integrity. For any governance system to thrive, the unwavering integrity of its institutions is paramount. Without this cornerstone, the trust between the government and its citizens begins to erode.
BIRN Kosovo’s assessment has identified that the crux of this issue lies not in the absence of adequate legislation but surrounding the implementation of these laws. One evident gap in this implementation is the systemic oversight when it comes to the auditing processes. The National Audit Office (NAO) provided a stark revelation in this context. Their data from 2018 contrasts with that of 2017, indicating a decline in the number of recommendations made. Even more concerning is the realization that only about 40 percent of these recommendations have seen fruition. Delving deeper, local governance institutions received 586 recommendations in 2018. A mere 37 percent of these were acted upon, with a concerning 34 percent remaining untouched. However, the intricacy extends beyond mere numbers. There’s an evident absence of a structured process of monitoring, evaluating, or even reporting on the progress—or the lack thereof—of these recommendations by Kosovo’s institutions. This void underscores not only a lack of accountability but also illuminates the barriers in identifying and addressing bottlenecks to these implementations. The media landscape in Kosovo provides another facet to this multifaceted issue. While the media landscape is teeming with articles touching upon the challenges in the nation’s municipalities, its approach remains traditional. A significant proportion of the journalistic community in Kosovo adheres to “protocol journalism”, focusing more on event reporting rather than investigative reporting. To bring a fresh perspective it’s not just vital to pinpoint what is wrong, but also to highlight potential resolutions. Given the current state, there’s a compelling need to shift this narrative, equipping journalists with the tools and perspective to adopt this more holistic approach to reporting. Moreover, disciplinary commissions, institutions designed to uphold integrity, often find their actions swayed by external factors, such as political affiliations. This influence often leads to neglecting proper procedures and disregarding crucial recommendations.
In light of these challenges, BIRN Kosovo envisions a multi-pronged approach. By holistically monitoring and analyzing developments within municipal administrations, organizing town-hall debates, spotlighting violations, and broadcasting programs based on tangible findings, BIRN Kosovo seeks to magnify transparency and accountability. Over the course of 9 months, through these actions, the goal is to elicit a more robust response from municipalities and cultivate a more informed, engaged, and proactive civil society, media, and citizenry.
Donor: USAID KMI
Main objectives:
Overall Objective: Strengthen governance integrity in Kosovo’s local municipalities.
Specific Objectives:
- Contribute to increased transparency and accountability in executing audit recommendations.
- Contribute to the refinement of the operations and procedures of disciplinary commissions in targeted municipalities.
- Guide journalists towards investigative and solution-driven journalism.
Main activities:
Activity 1: Conducting a detailed examination of NAO’s Annual Audit Reports from 2022 and 2021, each corresponding to one of the 5 targeted municipalities and BIRN will send letters to the selected municipalities, clearly stating the violations, the parties responsible and requesting information on what measures the municipalities have taken or intend to take as a consequence.
Activity 2: Compiling and publishing comprehensive analysis for each of the 5 municipalities.
Activity 3: Conducting analysis and continuous monitoring of disciplinary commissions and procedures in a select subset of three municipalities.