GDL Seminar in Sinaia

DISCOVER REGHIN'S HEART

These days I’ve been taking part at a three-day seminar on the topic of why and how local authorities should include communities in the strategy development process. Besides the theoretical aspects discussed, I have left from this seminar with the following take-outs or better said observations:

About Reghin’s development potential:
- There is limited will to bring significant, beneficial changes to the town and the ones who are committed to it, namely young, motivated individuals, are being suppressed.
- High ranked local authorities are half willing to bring a significant change and are concerned only about political games.

About local public authorities in Romania, in general:
- As the salary for the ones working in a public authority is uncompetitive with the one in the private sector, the most motivated and knowledgeable people avoid taking a public job and leave for another job in the private sector as soon as an opportunity comes along.
- Generally, people working in the public local authorities lack the will to drive a significant long-term change for the city they administer.

As such, a city can significantly change only when:

- There’s a strong will coming from high ranked local authorities, which are committed to bring about a change
- Motivated individuals are rewarded accordingly based on performance and merit and not on hierarchy
- Public authorities should collaborate with NGOs and other representatives of the civil society in order to receive more feedback from the town’s residents and consult them in important matters concerning the town’s development.
- NGOs could play the role of the intermediary between the local authorities and the citizens, could educate the citizens regarding issues such as how to preserve historical areas. Furthermore, NGOs could be used to consult citizens and to explain to the citizens in plain language the development proposals coming from the authorities.