State authorities should pay more attention when creating and implementing social policies with civil society and local institutions, public policy researcher of the Alternative Institute Dragana Radović assessed.
The research report of the Institute of Alternatives, which deals with the roles of various social actors in the development of a combined social policy, was presented today in Podgorica.
According to Radović, the Alternative Institute recognized social policy as an important and relevant area of research, given the Government's strategic commitment to develop the concept of a combined social policy.
"Combined social policy is based on the mutual cooperation of all relevant and social actors at the national and local level," explained Radović.
"176 questionnaires were distributed and 104 were returned to us. They were specially created for all social actors, and we had the greatest cooperation with the centers for social work", pointed out Radović, stating that the weakest cooperation was with the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.
The intention was, she said, to measure the level of intersectoral cooperation and to influence the development of that model of social policy. It is a quantitative research.
"176 questionnaires were distributed and 104 were returned to us. They were specially created for all social actors, and we had the greatest cooperation with centers for social work," Radović pointed out, stating that the weakest cooperation was with the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.
She stated that some of the recommendations for the development of social policy are the strengthening of the role of local social actors, a greater degree of information and the establishment of working bodies at local self-governments such as social centers.
The research showed, she added, that the best cooperation between non-governmental organizations is with local social actors and the weakest is with the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.
"The European Commission also noted this in its progress report, that there must be greater cooperation between that department and civil society organizations," reminded Radović.
Professor Gojko Bežovan said that the goal of the project is to encourage the development of a combined social policy, with an emphasis on the development of social society, as an important actor of social reforms and decentralization of social policy in Montenegro.
He said that 12 local governments have social programs and that only Plužine has no programs.
The research showed that the problems cited by the municipalities are the lack of a single database on persons and precise records on beneficiaries and the use of social rights.
Among the problems are the lack of adequate space, technical equipment and lack of institutions for the vulnerable, as well as the absence of clear standards for the provision of services.
When asked what are the problems that prevent the cooperation of local self-governments with the centers, the respondents said that the biggest reason is the lack of money, the problem of jurisdiction and the unclear division of tasks.
"The problem of cooperation is the lack of a strategy for the implementation of the local social program," said Bežovan.
According to him, the cooperation of local self-governments with public institutions is generally good, while a smaller number of local self-governments cooperate with private institutions because, he explained, the distribution of such institutions is low.
"There is a need for the establishment of local councils in 11 competent secretariats. Most local governments state that there would be a lot of work to establish efficient and effective work of the social council," said Bežovan.
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