UOM

Memorandum of Understanding between Union of Municipalities of Montenegro and the GIZ in the Energy Efficiency Sector

Sanja Zivkovic — Wed, 09 May 2012 21:17:13 +0000

Podgorica, 9 May 2012 – The Memorandum of Understanding between the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro and the GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) is signed today. The Memorandum defines future activities which provide local governments to use mechanisms for strengthening their capacities, to find out relevant information related to energy efficiency and to implement projects related to performance of utility services in sense of quality of the public lightening, water supply, etc.

The Memorandum is signed by Secretary General Mr. Rajko Golubović, in the name of the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro, and Mr. Simon Bergmann, Team Leader, in the name of the GIZ.

First activities in the implementation of this document will start soon. They will be related to updating the Union’s web-page by promoting the energy efficiency using relevant information of interest to local governments which will be prepared by GIZ.

9th Edition of the Union’s Bulletin “Our Union”

Sanja Zivkovic — Mon, 07 May 2012 21:22:03 +0000

9^th edition of the Bulletin of the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro “Our Union” is published.

This issue presents some of the activities from the Union’s Working Plan for 2012, general information on the EU Committee of Regions, members of Joint Consultative Board between Montenegro and the EU Committee of Regions. The Bulletin also contains an interview with the Mayor of Podgorica and President of the Union’s Executive Board, Mr. Miomirom Mugoša and some activities from Montenegrin municipalities. This issue also informs our readers on activities related to the training needs analysis of local civil servants and employees, possible use of the EU founds by local governments, support to design local energy plans and some of activities from the project “Strengthening Mechanisms of Public Finance in Montenegro”.

Bulletin No.9 (.pdf, available in Montenegrin)

Statement of the President of the Union’s Assembly, Mr. Aleksandar Bogdanović regarding the assault at the Mayor of Plužine Mr. Mijuško Bajagić

Sanja Zivkovic — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 20:52:57 +0000

In the name of the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro, the President of the Assembly of the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro and Mayor of the Historical Capital of Cetinje, Mr. Aleksandar Bogdanović expressed his regrets regarding the yesterday assault at the Mayor of Plužine Mr. Mijuško Bajagić.

Mayor Bogdanović, among other things, emphasized the following:

- I wish to express deeply regrets regarding the assault at the Mayor of Plužine Mr. Mijuško Bajagić. The incident that happened to Mr. Bajagić deserves the deepest conviction of the general public and proper sanction of the competent authorities. I believe that this and similar cases caused with the irresponsible behavior of individuals will be left behind us – is stated in the reaction of Mr. Bogdanović.

Trainings in Bar and Bijelo Polje on topic “Audit of Local Budgets”

Sanja Zivkovic — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:03:09 +0000

Human Resource Management Authority, in cooperation with the Union of Municipalities, continues with the realization of training on topic “Audit of Local Budgets”.

Trainings were delivered in Bar on 6 April 2012 for municipalities of the Coastal Region and in Bijelo Polje on 11 April 2012 for municipalities of the Northern Region.

The training in Bar was attended by 13 persons from municipalities of Bar, Herceg Novi, Budva, Kotor and Tivat. The training in Bijelo Polje was attended by 9 persons from municipalities of Bijelo Polje, Kolašin, Pljevlja and Berane.

Lecturers were Mr. Dragiša Pešić, member of the Senate of the State Auditing Institution, and Mr. Nikola Vukićević, independent advisor in the State Auditing Institution. Main goals of the training were to familiarize local civil servants with Constitutional and legal position and competences of the State Auditing Institution and with auditing method and procedures in local self-government units. The trainings were attended by local civil servants in charge for tasks of budget drafting, planning and implementation. They express satisfaction with the expertise of lecturers. They found that the training on this topic was important to perform their duties and to resolve concrete problems encountered in their work.

Thematic Session of the Executive Board of the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro

Sanja Zivkovic — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:00:03 +0000

Thematic session of the Executive Board of the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro was held in Podgorica on 10 April 2012. The session was dedicated to “Possibilities of using the EU founds by local governments”. The session was chaired by Vice-President of the Executive Board, Mr. Aleksandar Žurić.

The Executive Board’s thematic session was organized in the cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integrations.

Mrs. Ratka Sekulović, Head of Department for CBC Programmes within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integrations, spoke about eligible components of the IPA Programme, with special highlight on Programmes of bilateral and transnational cross-boarder cooperation.

Recognizing that a higher number of employees in local governments need to be informed on this topic, besides mayors, the session was attended by local civil servants in charge for preparation of the EU projects financed by the IPA Programme.

Training Needs Analysis in Local Governments

Sanja Zivkovic — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:56:51 +0000

Union of Municipalities of Montenegro, in cooperation with the Human Resource Management Authority (HRMA), designed a questionnaire in order to determine training needs in local governments for 2012.

The Questionnaire will be an instrument for analyzing training needs of all categories of local governments’ employees. Trainings will be organized for local civil servants and employees, depending on the expressed needs.

Based on outcomes from the Questionnaires, the National Training Council for Local Government will adopt Trainings Plans that should be implemented until the end of current year.

Chief administrators should provide that Questionnaires be fulfilled by employees of local self-government units and be submitted to the HRMA not later than 18 April 2012.

Within the implementation of projects supported by international institutions and organizations (EU and UNDP), the HRMA and the Union of Municipalities will revised the National Training Strategy for Local Self-Government and prepare comprehensive Training Needs Analysis in Local Governments. Also, they will carry other tasks related to vocational training of local civil servants and employees. Local self-government units will be informed timely on these activities.

Presentation of activities related to support for design of Local Energy Plans

Sanja Zivkovic — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 20:31:12 +0000

Union of Municipalities of Montenegro, the Ministry of Economy and the UNDP, jointly organized a meeting dedicated to the technical support to local communities in the process of design of Local Energy Plans (LEPs). The meeting was held in Podgorica on 6 April 2012.

The meeting was attended by mayors and representatives of local governments in charge for the coordination of activities related to design of these documents. Secretary General, Mr. Rajko Golubović presented an interim review of activities preceding the joint meeting and activities related to design of the Model Local Energy Plan.

Representatives of the Ministry of Economy: Mr. Igor Kovačević, PhD, and Mrs. Lucija Rakočević, MA, presented the Model Local Energy Plan and introduced the future activities related to direct support for design of this document based on example of the Municipality of Andrijevica and exchange of experiences in design of the LEP with other local governments. The Model was delivered to local governments by the Union of Municipalities.

Regarding the design of LEPs, the UNDP’s representatives, Mrs. Snežana Marstijepović and Mrs. Jelena Janjušević presented possibilities of the attraction of donors’ and other founds via the Covenant of Mayors. The Covenant of Mayors has already been signed by municipalities of Kolašin, Žabljak, Bijelo Polje and the Capital City of Podgorica. Being a member of this movement is an issue of the prestige at global level in sense of the “green economy”. The meeting resulted with an appeal to other local governments to join this movement and to use available founds in the sector of energy and energy efficiency.

Training “Audit of Local Budgets”

Sanja Zivkovic — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 21:13:02 +0000

Training on topic “Audit of Local Budgets” was organized by the Human Resource Management Authority in Podgorica on 2 April 2012.

The training was organized as a part of the implementation of the Training Plan for Local Governments. The Plan was adopted by the National Training Council for Local Government for the period from February-April 2012.

The training was organized for the Capital City of Podgorica, the Historical Capital of Cetinje and municipalities of Nikšić, Danilovgrad, Plužine and Šavnik.

Lecturers were Mr. Dragiša Pešić, member of the Senate of the State Auditing Institution, and Mr. Nikola Vukićević, independent advisor in the State Auditing Institution.

Main goals of the training were to familiarize local civil servants with Constitutional and legal position and competences of the State Auditing Institution and with auditing method and procedures in local self-government units.

The training was attended by heads of municipal secretariats for finances and employees in charge for preparation, planning and implementation of local budgets and employees in charge for preparation and monitor of harmonization of municipal regulation with the higher ranked regulations.

The training was attended by 11 persons.

11th session of the Assembly of the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro

Sanja Zivkovic — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 20:38:10 +0000

11^th session of the Assembly of the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro was held on 30 March 2012 in Podgorica.

The session was chaired by Mr. Aleksandar Bogdanović, President of the Assembly of the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro and Mayor of the Historical Capital of Cetinje.

The session was attended by Assembly’s members and Ms. Svetlana Vuković, Director of the Human Resources Management Authority.

Assembly’s members adopted the Working Report and Financial Statement of the Union of Municipalities for 2011 and the Working Report and Financial Plan of the Union of Municipalities for 2012. The Report on Trainings for Local Government for 2011 was introduced to them, also.

At the end of the session, President Bogdanović presented some projects which would be implemented in the future, and which would be focused on the strengthening capacities of local governments.

XXI Session of the Executive Board of the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro

Sanja Zivkovic — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 20:02:38 +0000

21^st session of the Executive Board of the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro was held in Podgorica on 30 March 2012. EB members discussed following:

The Working Report and Financial Statement of the Union of Municipalities for 2011;
The Working Plan and Financial Plan of the Union of Municipalities for 2012.

The EB elected its President and Vice-President with 2-years mandate.

Mr. Miomir Mugoša, Mayor of the Capital City of Podgorica was elected for the EB’s President, whilst Mr. Aleksandar Žurić, Mayor of the Municipality of Bijelo Polje was elected for the EB’s Vice-President.

Besides that, the EB nominated members of following working bodies of the Union of Municipalities:

The Council for the EU Integrations and International Cooperation;
The Committee for Local Government Development;
The Committee for Urban Planning and Communal Affairs;
The Committee for Local Government Financing;
The Committee for Social Affairs.

At the end of the session, the EB members and representatives of the Union’s Secretariat thanked Mr. Žarko Pavićević, former EB President, for his performance and achieved results.

Mr. Žarko Pavićević expressed his satisfaction with achieved results of the Union of Municipalities during his mandate. He highlighted a good and quality cooperation of all organs and working bodies of the Union of Municipalities. He said that the cooperation achieved high level of quality thanks to the grate efforts of the staff of the Union’s Secretariat.