End of Commitment Report – Civic Academy

Name of Evaluator

Hana Salihagić

Email

[email protected]

Member Name

Novi Pazar, Serbia

Action PlanAction plans are at the core of a government’s participation in OGP. They are the product of a co-creation process in which government and civil society jointly develop commitments to open governmen... Title

Action plan – Novi Pazar, Serbia, 2022 – 2023

CommitmentOGP commitments are promises for reform co-created by governments and civil society and submitted as part of an action plan. Commitments typically include a description of the problem, concrete action...

Civic Academy

Title

Civic Academy

Action

Youths at Novi Pazar are not sufficiently familiar with the structure and competences of the local self-government, with the services it provides, as well as with the rights they can exercise. Insufficient information about the competences of local self-government affects the exercise of rights and the provision of services to youthRecognizing that investing in youth means investing in a better future, OGP participating governments are creating meaningful opportunities for youth to participate in government processes. Technical ... More citizens. The civic academy should provide counter-intuitive, modern educationAccountability within the public education system is key to improving outcomes and attainment, and accountability is nearly impossible without transparent policies and opportunities for participation ... about rights and obligations within the scope of local self-government. A modern approach, multimedia content, but direct contact with young people who are preparing for academic life, are a good basis for ongoing education.The civic academy contains two units. The first part refers to the organization of the Open Day. High school graduates, together with their teachers, will spend one day in the City Administration building, where they will learn about the work of all city authorities. An interview with a representative of one of the city authorities will be organized at the end of the visit. Participants of the academy will have the opportunity to fill out a survey in which they can indicate what they would like to improve in the work of local-self government. Also, they will be given the opportunity to fill out surveys online and anonymously. The second part refers to the production of multimedia contents  (video tutorials) that educate about the competences of local self-government and distributed through various communication channels.

Problem

In 2010, the city of Novi Pazar was declared the youngest city in Serbia with an average age of 33 years, i.e. with 49% of the population under 35 years of age. Out of 170 municipalities in Serbia, Novi Pazar is at the very top of those that during 2020 had a positive natural increase in relation to the number of deaths. Namely, for more than a decade, Novi Pazar has recorded a higher percentage of live births than deaths, so the birth rate, according to the number of inhabitants, is almost always twice as high as the mortality rate. The number of registered live births at Novi Pazar exceeds 2,200, and 1,898 babies were born in the Novi Pazar Maternity Hospital in 2020. At City of Novi Pazar exists 2 universities, 7 secondary schools and 15 primary schools in the area of ​​the city of Novi Pazar. In Novi Pazar, between 1,900 and 2,200 students in first grade of primary school are enrolled every year, which ranks this city among the top cities not only in Serbia, but also in the entire Western Balkan region in terms of the ratio of the number of inhabitants toward number of newly enrolled children in the first grade of primary school.Primary, secondary school and university students do not have the opportunity to become familiar with the organization and functioning of local self-government as part of their formal education. That is why they have an insufficient level of knowledge in this area.

1.1 What was the overall level of progress in the commitment implementation at the time of this assessment?

not started

Provide a brief explanation of your answer:

The school subject through which the Civic Academy was to be implemented was removed from the national high school curriculum. As a result, the commitment could not be carried out as originally planned. This unforeseen change in the education policy significantly impacted the feasibility of the activity, as it eliminated the institutional framework and allocated time within the school system necessary for implementing the Academy. Despite initial interest and preliminary coordination with schools, the local government was unable to proceed without official curricular support. The absence of an alternative educational channel or flexibility in school programming further limited the ability to adapt or redesign the activity during the action plan cycle.

1.2 Describe the main external or internal factors that impacted implementation of this commitment and how they were addressed (or not).

The main external factor that impacted the implementation of this commitment was a change in national education policy. Specifically, the school subject through which the Civic Academy was planned to be delivered was removed from the official high school curriculum shortly before the implementation phase. This change left no available time or institutional framework within schools to carry out the planned activities, such as the “Open Doors” days and student participation in municipal workshops.

This development was beyond the control of the local government and occurred after the action plan had already been finalized. As such, the commitment could not be modified or replaced within the action plan cycle. Attempts to identify alternative formats or collaborate with schools informally were not successful, primarily due to scheduling limitations and the lack of capacity within the school system to accommodate additional extracurricular programming.

The issue was not fully resolved during the cycle, and the commitment remains unimplemented. However, the City of Novi Pazar is considering the development of similar activities outside the school curriculum, possibly in partnership with youth organizations or community centers, in future cycles.

1.3 Was the commitment implemented as originally planned?

the commitment implemented was completely different from the plan

Provide a brief explanation of your answer:

No, the commitment was not implemented as originally planned. Although the initial design was well-developed and there was interest from local stakeholders, the removal of the relevant school subject from the national high school curriculum made it impossible to carry out the planned activities within the school system. As a result, the City of Novi Pazar was unable to proceed with implementation during the action plan period.

2.1.1. – Did the government disclose more information; improve the quality of the information (new or existing); improve the value of the information; improve the channels to disclose or request information or improve accessibility to information?

Not Applicable

Degree of result:

Did not change

2.1.2. – Did the government create new opportunities to seek feedback from citizens/enable participation inform or influence decisions; improve existing channels or spaces to seek feedback from citizens/enable participation/ inform or influence decisions; create or improve capabilities in the government or the public aimed to improve how the government seeks feedback from citizens/enables participation/ or allows for the public to inform or influence decisions?

Not Applicable

Degree of result:

Did not change

2.1.3 Did the government create or improve channels, opportunities or capabilities to hold officials answerable to their actions?

Not Applicable

Degree of result:

Did not change

2.1.4 Other Results

Not Applicable

Degree of result:

Did not change

2.2 Did the commitment address the public policy problem that it intended to address as described in the action plan?

Unclear

3. Provide at least one lesson or reflection relating to the implementation of this commitment. It can be the identification of key barriers to implementation, an unexpected help/hindrance, recommendations for future commitments, or if the commitment should be taken forward to the next action plan.

Design commitments with built‑in flexibility and parallel delivery channels.
Relying on a single institutional avenue (in‑class delivery) left no fallback when that avenue disappeared. A dual‑track model—classroom sessions and extracurricular workshops delivered through youth centres, libraries, or CSOs—would have allowed at least partial fulfilment despite curriculum changes. When drafting the next action plan, list at least one alternative implementation path for each commitment that depends on external institutions.

Deepen partnerships with non‑formal education actors.

Local NGOs and community centres already run youth programmes after school hours; involving them from day one could have provided venues, trainers and momentum even after the curriculum shift. For the next cycle, Novi Pazar should formally map and onboard such actors as co‑implementers, reducing sole dependency on schools.

Carry the idea forward—adjusted, not abandoned.
The need to familiarise young people with local‑government processes remains valid and aligns with OGP principles. The commitment should be re‑introduced in the next action plan, but reframed as a “Youth Civic Lab” that:

• operates outside the fixed school timetable,
• uses digital micro‑learning modules plus occasional in‑person events, and
• awards micro‑certificates or volunteer credits recognised by schools.

This keeps the spirit of the original commitment while making it resilient to future curriculum reforms.