Background

The project Information Resources Environment was intended to increase the informational provision of local self-government. It provides further development of the ongoing project for building an information network, which would connect all Black Sea municipalities to Internet, as well as present the Union of Bulgarian Black Sea Local Authorities (UBBSLA) through a web site.

Practice

The project envisages the creation of a database accessible in the Internet, with possibilities for easy update of the information and convenient user interface. The project is directed towards the needs of mayors, municipality councilors, and municipal employees heads of departments, specialists and technical assistants. Different target groups would be able to access the respective information and communication resources.

Different modules covered the following areas:

1. Module Legislative Framework summary of practices in the field of legislative reforms. This module provides information about legal regulations, municipal council resolutions, and legislation reform in local self-government as a whole. It requires accumulation of documentation and information in electronic form, which the Association will summarize and classify, then issue on the Internet, so that the associated municipalities would be able to use it.

2. Module Partners information support of partners` cooperation for establishment of effective local self-government. This module aims at accumulation and distribution of information among local authorities partners; real time access to the information by municipality employees, as well as partners inside and outside the region. On one hand, users generate information, and on the other they search for potential partners and suitable ways to establish cooperation.

3. Module Projects support seeking and managing grants. Ensured access to information regarding projects in a broad range of topics related to municipalities. Interested employees could search under several criteria such as topic, author, collaborators, municipality, etc. Employees have at their disposal printed materials, specific explanations and peculiarities in project developing, as well as description of basic aspects and best practices in the area of effective project management and implementation.

4. Module Technical Assistance information and communication provision for the respective specific project. This module aims to respond adequately to the technical help needs of UBBSLA members. It provides information about the candidate, the specific difficulties, their successful solutions, and best practices. Beside search under a variety of criteria, the module offers possibilities for database update, comments and suggestions for improving the work process.

5. Further development of the forms of electronic communication and building them where they have not existed. This activity is directed towards the associated municipalities and aims to equalize the information, communicative and operational capabilities of municipalities. It integrates the existing forms of discussion, as well as their applications.

Results

Representatives of all associated municipalities and experts from UBBSLA have participated in developing the system for operational management. Representatives of the Informational Technologies Committee of the Union have also taken an active part in the project. They provided the primary preparation and initiated information and documentation, regarding resolutions, local laws, regulations, initiated projects, as well as current use of the modules and discussion. Most of the associated municipalities were provided with access to the UBBSLA information system. After the end of the project, creating forms of electronic communication in all municipalities became a priority.