Citizens’ participation (OPC) 2020-2022 Citizens’ participation (OPC) 2020-2022 Olof Palme International Center (OPC) has applied to Sida for funding of 6,2 million SEK to carry out the "Citizens´ participation for accountable and transparent governance towards social justice in North Macedonia" during the period January 2020 - December 2021.

The intervention aims to strengthen the capacity and legitimacy of civil society organisations and support activities that ensure the participatory nature of political, social and economic processes and the accountability of duty bearers. Civil society organisations will mobilize citizens and increase participation in decision-making processes, improve transparency and accountability and ensure respect for socio-economic rights. 

Expected outcomes of the intervention:
1. The programme intends to see partner organisations strengthen their legitimacy, build alliances for joint actions to influence policy agendas and have capacities to monitor the implementation of political decisions. 
2. The programme intends to see empowered citizens and civil society organisations be organised and actively participate and influence decision-making processes, demanding transparency and accountability of duty bearers. 
3. The programme intends to see duty-bearers abide to regulations related to transparency and accountability, cooperate with relevant parts of civil society and include them in decision-making processes. 

OPC´s cooperation builds on support to individual Projects as well as to networks and Alliances gathered around common issues/components of the program. 

The direct target group is programme partner organisations. The indirect target groups, reached by the programme partners, are citizens/organized citizen groups and duty bearers. Olof Palme International Center (OPC) har inkommit med en ansökan till Sida om finansiering av 6,2 miljoner SEK för att genomföra "Medborgarnas deltagande för ansvarsfullt och öppet styre mot social rättvisa i Nord Makedonien" under perioden januari 2020 - december 2021. 

Insatsen syftar till att stärka det civila samhällets organisationers kapacitet och legitimitet och stödja aktiviteter som säkerställer deltagande i politiska, sociala och ekonomiska processer och ansvarsutkrävande av ansvarstagare. Organisationer i det civila samhället kommer att mobilisera medborgarna och öka deltagandet i beslutsprocesser, förbättra öppenheten och ansvarsutkrävande, samt säkerställa respekten för socioekonomiska rättigheter. 

Förväntade resultat av insatsen: 
1. Programmet avser att se partnerorganisationer stärka deras legitimitet, bygga allianser för gemensamma åtgärder för att påverka politiska dagordningar och ha kapacitet att övervaka genomförandet av politiska beslut.
2. Programmet har för avsikt att se stärkta medborgare och civilsamhällets organisationer som är organiserade, aktivt deltar i och påverkar beslutsprocesser, kräver öppenhet och ansvarutkrävande av ansvarstagare. 
3. Programmet har för avsikt att se arsvarstagare följa bestämmelser som rör transparens och ansvarsutkrävande, samarbeta med relevanta delar av det civila samhället och inkludera dem i beslutsprocesser. 

OPCs samarbete bygger på stöd till enskilda projekt såväl som till nätverk och allianser som samlas kring gemensamma frågor/komponenter i programmet. The overall objective of the intervention and the project objective, as described in the programme document and assessed in the initial appraisal, have not changed. OPC base their work in the region on their International strategy which is valid 2020-2025. 

The intervention aims to strengthen the capacity and legitimacy of civil society organisations and support activities that ensure the participatory nature of political, social and economic processes and the accountability of duty bearers. Civil society organisations will mobilize citizens and increase participation in decision-making processes, improve transparency and accountability and ensure respect for socio-economic rights.

Expected outcomes of the intervention:
1. The programme intended to see partner organisations strengthen their legitimacy, build alliances for joint actions to influence policy agendas and have capacities to monitor the implementation of political decisions.
2. The programme intended to see empowered citizens and civil society organisations be organised and actively participate and influence decision-making processes, demanding transparency and accountability of duty bearers.
3. The programme intended to see duty-bearers (state institutions) abide to regulations related to transparency and accountability, cooperate with relevant parts of civil society and include them in decision-making processes.

OPC´s cooperation builds on support to individual Projects as well as to networks and Alliances gathered around common issues/components of the program.

The direct target group is programme partner organisations. The indirect target groups, reached by the programme partners, are citizens/organized citizen groups and duty bearers.

However when it comes to the expected objectives/outcome challenges, OPC mentions that they consider most of their partners now are mature and internally consolidated organisations, and the focus of the work in the next phase is therefore on expected outcomes 2 and 3.