The project Establishing neighborhood councils and their interactions with local bodies was implemented under World Learning Small Grants Programme, funded by the US Agency for International Development .

The neighborhood councils are civil organizations established voluntarily in specific territorial districts of specific appearance and living environment .

A variety of problems exist in different districts and villages of Vratsa. Therefore the idea to establish neighborhood councils emerged. Establishing those councils citizen participation in local self - government will be activated, thus identifying , prioritizing and finding solutions to concrete problems jointly with the municipal administration referring to one or another district in the region .

The steps in implementing the practice Establishing Neighborhood Councils namely enhancing citizen participation in Vratsa Municipality are as follows :

Step 1 : Forming a working group , comprising of managing figures like the Secretary of the municipality and specialists from the municipal administration to implement the project .

The working group includes totally 6 persons from the municipal administration on the base of an ordinance issued by the Mayor of Vratsa .

Step 2 : Preparation and printing drafts of the following :

1. Sample of By - Laws of the neighborhood councils in Vratsa Municipality , including the following information :

- concept of neighborhood councils , purpose and activities ;

- Establishing neighborhood council and election of governing bodies ;

- Allocating and expending funding sources for the activities of neighborhood councils ;

The By - Laws is an exemplary document , where amendments and complements could be made under the decision of the assembly , aiming at better enhancement and organization of civil initiatives to solve neighborhood issues in partnership with local governmental bodies .

2. Regulations on the register of neighborhood councils and their interaction with the Municipal Council and the Municipal Administration .

Step 3: Elaboration of schedule by the working group referring to meetings between its members and citizens from the neighborhoods and villages to clarify the idea of establishing neighborhood councils and coordinating the drafts of the Regulations and the By - Laws .

Publishing information materials about scheduled meetings .

Step 4: The working group developed simultaneously with the activities under the previous step a programme to implement a campaign in the media aiming at activating citizen participation in the process of establishing neighborhood councils .

Step 5 : Submitting the Regulations on registry of neighborhood councils and their interactions with the municipal council and municipal administration to be approved by the Municipal Council .

Step 6: Carrying out general assemblies of citizens in the separate districts to elect their neighborhood councils .

Step 7 : Registering neighborhood councils in the Municipal administration .

Step 8: Issuing ordinance of mayor referring to assigning officials from the municipal administration , who will establish contacts with the neighborhood councils after the project expiration .

At the present moment this project is in the process of implementation and we have already completed its fist four steps .

Two neighborhood councils have already been established in the village of Chelopek and Mramoren as a result of carrying out four meetings with citizens form three villages and one neighborhood in the city of Vratsa .

This is a pilot project for the country it has not been yet implemented in any other municipality .

The idea to establish neighborhood councils was initiated by the municipal managerial body and was based on the experience of successfully functioning civil organizations in the city of Towson , USA, where representatives of Bulgarian municipalities were trained on the topic .

Undoubtedly the results of the project implementation are obvious having in mind that in a period of six months , when it will expire ( end of May 2004) new structures of civil society will be established neighborhood councils to interact effectively with the municipal administration and the municipal council .