In 2004, ICMA became a partner to the Urban Institute in the implementation of the second phase of the USAID/Croatia Local Government Reform Program (LGRP). The LGRP sought to support decentralization and build the managerial and administrative capacity of local governments in preparation for Croatia’s accession in the European Union. Croatia, which borders the Adriatic Sea, declared its independence from the former Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia in 1991, and then suffered through four years of often bitter conflict and fighting with neighboring Serbia. The physical, psychological, and economic impact of the war is still felt, particularly in the eastern part of the country that borders Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The LGRP Technical Twinning Program
As part of the LGRP, four "technical twinning" partnerships were established between Croatian and U.S. cities: Karlovac and Kansas City, Kansas; Rovinj and Umag and Port Townsend, Washington; Buzet, Labin, and Pazin with the Northeast Oregon Economic Development Coalition (comprised primarily of the cities of La Grande and Pendleton, and Union County); and Dubrovnik and Monterey, California. Through a series of technical exchanges between professional staff and elected leaders, the partner communities worked together to develop more strategic approaches to economic development and enhance urban planning, foster greater regional collaboration, and improve and increase citizen involvement in the local governance process.
Association Capacity Building
LGRP and ICMA also assistied the Croatian Association of Cities and Association of Municipalities (Savez Udruge gradova i Udruge općina, or SAVEZ) to become a national-level advocacy group for town and municipal interests either in legislation or interaction with national government ministries. SAVEZ has a voluntary membership of cities and municipalities in Croatia, and has great potential to better serve its members and to push for greater political and economic decentralization. With support from ICMA, SAVEZ developed a peer relationship with the Virginia Municipal League (VML) through which VML and ICMA staff began providing hands-on guidance to enhance SAVEZ’s approach to building a constructive public dialogue, collecting relevant information on local governance, advocating with policymakers, and maiantaining liaison with other local government stakeholders.