Background

The idea of establishing an institution for citizen services at the municipality was born as a result of the municipality s desire to facilitate the method of delivering services for the citizens. A work team was formed to survey and analyze the reasons for the chaos in providing services and information to the citizens. Some successful practices were thoroughly studied.

Practice

The technology for the realization of the idea was connected with the deputy-mayor Ivan Perchinski as a leader of the project team. The development of the idea received consultant help and financing at a seminar, held as part of the Danube River Initiative Program by the Foundation for Local Government Reform in February 2000.

The Center for Information and Citizens Services provides a range of 76 different services classified by the following work places:
- General information
- General secretary office and complaints
- Civil status and ESGRAON
- Municipal property
- Health insurance and housing
- Agricultural activities and ecology
- Pay-desk
- Legal advising
- Technical secretary office

The project team, led by V. Sirachevska, a project consultant, established a technological system to control all documentation and terms of accomplishing particular services. The system connected 35 computer workstations and two servers for the Center database and maintenance of the computer net.

A maximum number of municipal employees received access to the system, depending on the possibilities of the control program. Raising additional finances allowed for the computer net to be built and expanded with no additional municipal expenses.

For the period from 26 October 2000 until 25 January 2001 the number of services, provided to citizens, reached 3127.

The project team produced a brochure with Municipality Regulations and general information about the local self-government authorities, as well as a brochure, containing information about the necessary documents and terms of providing each of the services offered.

The employees of the Center are interchangeable in their duties, which is a great advantage of the institution. Vidin s model for scheduling staff time for providing services in the Center is a well working local solution. A specialist from the General Information Department gives organizational and technical support by managing and directing the clients of the Center. The secretary of the Municipality of Vidin manages the Center.

The Municipality Administration has set up a noticeboard for citizens` opinions, suggestions, and inquiries. The project team prepared a schematic diagram representing the organizational structure of the Municipality of Vidin, displaying the hierarchy of the legislative and executive powers, and the subordinate departments in the municipal administration.

A survey with six questions was prepared and printed. Its main purpose was to call for citizens` evaluation of the reorganization of citizen services. People expressed their satisfaction of the service quality. Mostly positive opinions were received on the rest of the questions, too. Efforts towards improving citizen services continued with the program provision of the license issuing activities, as well as municipality property and rents.

Results

The project has made an entire reorganization of the local administration activities by creating a new system for providing citizens with services and information. Using this system, the municipal administration has improved the control of the terms for delivering services and has reduced the waiting period, ensuring transparency of the local self-government and services in the citizens and the law s best interest.