Training Citizen Participation and Accountability

During this innovative two-week training course which will be held from 12 until 23 September 2011, the following key questions will be discussed:

• How can you increase social and financial accountability in your municipality or projects towards citizens?
• How can they benefit from involving citizens and organisations in a smart way?
• What are the different steps of communication and participation and when and how should these steps be used?
• How to deal with corruption and promote integrity?

You will discuss the accountability chain, the participation ladder and the do´s and don´ts of citizen participation. Furthermore, you will work on case studies from different parts of the world, experience different perspectives in role-play and go on study visits to municipalities, active citizen groups and participation projects in the field of urban planning, social cohesion and safety.

Learning objectives

This course will help you:

• define your own role and responsibilities in participation processes as well as the role of your partners;
• specify the conditionsfor successful participation projects;
• apply tools for communication with citizens, NGOs and other stakeholders;
• identify the do’s and don’ts of citizen participation and accountability processes;
• consider municipalities’ social and financial accountability to their citizens;
• understand and recognize structures behind corruption and get acquainted with possible counter-measures.

Learn from experts and other participants

Contributions come from professionals and practitioners in the field of citizen participation and social and financial accountability, for example, from mayors and deputy-mayors, municipal staff, experts from well-known institutes and residents. During the course there is also ample time to exchange experiences with the other participants.

Deadline for application is 15 July. There are only a few places left!

For more information, please see www.thehagueacademy.com or contact us at info@thehagueacademy.com.