Within the framework of the SUTRA initiative, the central level is assisted to support government structures to utilize more effective and efficient mechanisms of policy setting, strategy design, definition of criteria and prioritization in the return sector.
The main objective of work at the central level is to strengthen the capacities of the government to effectively coordinate, strategically plan and efficiently manage the process of return and reintegration in BiH. This will help reduce the dependency on international bodies for funding and implementation and create the institutional framework for long term development activities by the state. It will also help the government to access considerable technical and managerial expertise built up by years of international donor and implementation activities.
SUTRA is not a project of fixed duration, but a process of streamlining donor assistance with an ultimate objective to support the establishment of systems and procedures that will in due course result in the BiH Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees (MHRR), State Commission for Refugees and Displaced Persons (SCRDP) and the BiH Return Fund to be perceived as reliable partners to whom donors could entrust management of their funds.
Within SUTRA framework, technical assistance was provided towards creating improved policy settings, which resulted in the MHRR developing the following documents:
Methodology for Prioritization of Municipalities in BiH
The Methodology is a vastly comprehensive document on how the selection of priority municipalities is completed in order to provide municipalities with thorough knowledge of decision making at the policy implementation level. The Methodology consists of criteria for prioritization based on two indicators - the number of people that applied for the registration and the number of remaining damaged houses per municipality. The objective is to identify locations with the highest interest for return and/or the biggest number of damaged houses. The MHRR took an initiative to update all available information so that the needs snapshot produced is as accurate as limited resources allow.
Guidelines for Beneficiary Selection
The document holds the status of a bylaw of the BiH Law on Refugees and DPs, and is a product of comprehensive joint effort of the BiH Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees and relevant entity ministries for refugees and DPs. The Guidelines clearly specifies roles and responsibilities of municipalities/local communities with regards to beneficiary selection; limiting central level ministries to advisory and support functions. The concept draws from the European model of decentralized cooperation at the local level while the role of civil society is embedded as mandatory members in the local commission for beneficiary selection. SUTRA not only facilitates the return of beneficiaries to their rightful pre-war homes, but also helps establish an institutional framework for the BiH authorities to engage in longer-term, community-driven development, and for the State administration to conduct effective policy formulation, coordination, and monitoring. Overall, the project enables local government to contribute to the mobilization of BiH’s social capital for participation in the Stabilization and Association Process (overall objective, European Commission BiH Country Strategy Paper 2002-2006) and for the fulfilment of the requirements of the European Partnership. It will do so by contributing to specific objective 2. of the EC Country Strategy 2002-2006, to “support the development of functioning State institutions capable of acting as reliable counterparts for the international community and representing the entire country’s interests effectively,” but also, at both State and local level, by contributing to specific objective 1., to “help consolidate the State of BiH as a democratic country in which the rule of law and good governance apply.”
As far as concern a direct day to day support to the Ministry of the Human rights and refugees, it will continue to be given on the ad hoc basis in terms of provision of various documents, analytical research, promotion of the MHRRR’s work at the local level, help in organisation and carrying out workshops, meetings and other events (co)organised by the Ministry.
Documents available upon request:
Methodology for Prioritization of Municipalities in BiH
Guidelines for Beneficiary Selection