VNG International

Public utilities

Local economic development

Public investment

Institutional development

EPTISA Regional Office for South East Europe

VHP, Royal Haskoning

The wider objective of the project is to contribute to the decentralization process and to preparing Serbian municipalities for EU accession.

The specific objectives of the project are to:

- Accelerate building of the project pipeline to EU standards and to further the capacity-building of municipalities;

- Support implementation of selected infrastructure projects.

The project encompasses two components:

- Component I: Accelerate building of the project pipeline to EU standards and further the capacity-building of municipalities;

- Component II: Support implementation of selected infrastructure projects.

The main target groups are:

- Relevant line ministries will benefit from improved municipal infrastructure project planning and project pipeline preparation;

- Regional Development Agencies and local-self government units will all benefit from improved co-ordination in municipal infrastructure planning and from opportunities to participate in training and dissemination events;

- Local-self government units where the infrastructure investments are made should significantly increase their capacity to design and deliver feasible and effective projects;

- In addition to the above, the SCTM (Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities) should benefit from increased capacity to manage SLAP (System of Long-listed Advanced Infrastructure Projects) and to design and deliver training packages to all Serbian municipalities and these municipalities in turn will benefit from pilot training activities during the project and from participation in such training in the longer term;

- The public in the longer term, the people, businesses and communities receiving improved services as a result of the investments will have a higher quality of life.

The expected results of the project are:

Result 1.1: Expanded SLAP project pipeline with mature projects, prepared in line with EU requirements, as well as with local, regional and national needs and priorities and with future IPA 3 component requirements;

Result 1.2: Enhanced capacities of municipal departments and employees for project preparation;

Result 1.3: Technical, financial and personnel management of municipal departments and PUCs (Public Utility Companies) is enhanced through the introduction of modern management systems and procedures;

Result 1.4: Supported SLAP management in developing and extending the SLAP information system to other appropriate project areas and needs of relevant stakeholders at national, regional, local level and potential investors;

Result 2.1: Projects selected for financing successfully contracted and implemented;

Result 2.2: Carried out supervision of the works contracts;

Result 2.3: Selected projects' beneficiaries supported in EIA (Environmental Impact Assessments).