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	What We Do Assessments Monitoring and Evaluation DCHA/DG Activities, October 2009 (862kb)
	Citizens Request Transparent Local Government (Romania) Local governments in Romania consult citizens on budget & decision-making process. The community of Varsag in Romania faced a persistent problem - local governments had no coherent or consistent approach to involving citizens in the decision-making process, regardless of the number of existing regulations requiring them to share information. This reality, combined with an overall lack of transparency of public administration activity, weakened citizens' trust in local government spending. USAID brought counties together to identify community-wide problems and goals. More...
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Governance

OUR STRATEGIC GOALS AND PROGRAMS

Governance programs include efforts to promote:

• Anti-corruption: Activities are designed to promote governance institutions, processes and policies that are transparent and accountable across all development sectors and may focus on civic education and advocacy for reform of laws and practices, or directly on improving accountability and transparency of governance processes.
  
  
• Democratic Governance of the Security Sector: Assistance in this area supports the development of effective, legitimate and democratically accountable security systems. Activities include: public sector reform and public management; strategic planning, policy, and budget formulation; civilian and civic capacity building; formal oversight (legislative, fiscal, human rights); and informal oversight (civil society watchdog groups).
  
  
• Decentralization and Democratic Local Governance: Decentralization and democratic local governance activities and strategies are designed to improve subnational public administration, emphasizing transparency, accountability and responsiveness; citizen participation; regional counterbalance to central authorities; fiscal performance and economic growth. Decentralization strategies in particular are designed to prioritize national stabilization, economic growth and/or democratization as a primary goal, consistent with country circumstances and U.S. foreign policy objectives.
  
  
• Strengthen Legislative Function and Processes: Assistance in this area seeks to improve the way legislatures and legislative processes and procedures work to uphold democratic practices, with a focus on the quality and effectiveness of laws and regulations. Programs are also designed to increase the legislature’s capacity to be responsive, enhance public participation, engage in policy-making, hold the legislative and the executive branch accountable, and oversee the implementation of government programs, budgets, and laws.
  
  
• Policy Reform through Strengthened Executive and Public Sector Performance: This component assists executive branch offices and citizens in incorporating democratic structures and principles into state building, and into their ongoing systems of governance and public administration services. Programs provide executive offices, ministries, and independent governmental bodies with policies, procedures, and skill sets (including leadership and strategic management) to guide operations, implementation and enforcement of laws, regulations and policies, linkages between and among branches, levels and functions of government, international relations, financial management systems, civil service reforms, public/private partnerships; and support working with citizens as customers of government.

Read more about our Strategic Focus
Read more about our Leadership Initiatives

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