Background
The project is a joint initiative of the S.E.G.A. Foundation, the Foundation for Local Government Reform and NOVIB Association, the Netherlands. The project encourages the dialogue between all interested parties in solving the local problems in two Bulgarian Municipalities - Devin and Madan. The implementation of the project objectives shows how it is possible to achieve optimal results with minimum funds and time available. The project`s local working teams help the formation of citizens small groups in the two municipalities. The members of these groups are well-known citizens who have positive attitude towards the existing local problems. They help in the realization of numerous beneficial initiatives.

Practice
The Partners for Local Development Project starts in 1997. The methods implemented in its realization aim to activate local civic participation and to provide useful and timely training of both citizens and local authority representatives. These steps are taken in order to achieve a successful dialogue between different social sectors, to successfully realize common projects and ideas and to obtain transparency at every single level of society.

Several training courses and seminars, discussions and meetings with informal citizen groups are held in Madan. After that a Citizen Consultant Committee is established.

The possibilities for solving local problems and generating ideas for the improvement of some of the existing public sites in Madan, are proposed by the Citizen Committee. The citizens are actively participating in the realization of their ideas. In the framework of the project are organized training seminars, during which local group leaders are trained and taught.

The results achieved are the following:
- restoration of an old fountain in the center of Madan;
- building of two public fountains in the villages of Srednogortsi and Vurbina;
- building of three children`s playing grounds;
- repair of an old church staircase in the town of Madan;
- painting of fences, yard constructions and school equipment; - building of a monument of the great Bulgarian writer - Ivan Vazov.

All ideas proposed by the citizens of the municipality are precise, with strictly described activities and time schedule. The names of the people who will be responsible for the accomplishment of the sub-projects and will manage the whole process are also specified. The initiatives in the villages of Srednogortsi and Bukovo are realized with the assistance of the mayoralities; in the village of Varbina the Structural Development and Employment Association is attracted as an active partner.

Results
The small projects unite a considerable part of the community in the Municipality of Madan round the idea of creating opportunities for civic initiative, interest towards the existing problems and their adequate solutions. The accomplishment of the small projects changes the public point of view; the citizens more often ask for municipal support. At the closing report meeting of the Partners for Local Development Project the participants conclude that the final results are successful and positive. Several public sites have been repaired or restored:
- a fountain in the center of the town;
- two public fountains in the villages of Srednogortsi and Varbina;
- three sports and recreation grounds for the chidren;
- repair of the staircase of the church in the town of Madan;
- building of a monument of the Bulgarian writer Ivan Vazov.