Local Leaders Improved Skills for Good Governance Through New Training

The PRO – Local Governance for People and Nature programme continued enhancing the capacities of local governments through the second in a series of advanced training sessions intended for representatives of the Centres for Good Governance. This training, held from 12 to 14 March 2025 in Sokobanja, focused on project management, decision-making, and improving strategic planning processes at the local level.

During the first training, participants acquired practical skills for improving interpersonal communication, conflict resolution, negotiation, advocacy, and collaboratively formulating sustainable responses to development challenges. This time, over the course of three intensive days, participants enhanced their knowledge through lectures, interactive exercises, and group discussions in key areas, including project cycle management – from initiation and planning to implementation, evaluation, and project closure, as well as problem-solving and decision-making, through practical exercises and analytical tools for defining and implementing solutions.

Additional topics covered in the training included gender equality and social inclusion, integrating these principles into local development projects, as well as project risk management, focusing on identifying potential challenges and developing strategies to overcome them.

Special focus was placed on the application of the Logical Framework Matrix (LFM) as a key instrument for project planning and evaluation. Participants worked on developing concrete project concepts, analyzing scope, timelines, budgeting, and stakeholder communication, and the training experiences were positive.

"Every training session presents a new challenge and an opportunity to build upon existing knowledge. We learned about new tools and activities that we will be able to use in our work, as well as share with our colleagues in local governments," said Jasmina Štrbac, Head of the Local Economic Development Department of the Veliko Gradište Municipal Administration.

"The topics we covered today will be highly significant for my future work. I believe that the PRO programme effectively meets the needs of my local community, and what sets it apart from others is its focus on strengthening the capacities of employees in local government units, which is of great importance both for us as employees and for our communities," stated Mia Vukić Vitomirović, Advisor for Project Preparation and Implementation and Coordinator of the Youth Office in Zaječar.

This is the second of three planned training sessions within the advanced capacity-building programme for the Centres for Good Governance. The final training, scheduled for June 2025, will focus on public policy development and the enhancement of institutional mechanisms for sustainable local governance.

The Programme "PRO - Local Government for People and Nature" is jointly implemented by the United Nations agencies in Serbia - UNOPS, UNICEF, UNFPA and UNEP, in cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Serbia and with the financial support of the Government of Switzerland.