Representatives of Montenegrin municipalities, the Ministry of Social Welfare, Family Care and Demography, and the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro discussed the preparation of annual service plans for 2027 at a meeting of the Thematic Network for Social Protection, Demography and Family Care, held on 5 October in Podgorica within the framework of the project “Municipalities for EU – Empowering Local Communities in Montenegro’s EU Integration Process”.
The meeting included a presentation of the Rulebook on the Criteria for Financing Community-Based Support Services and Counselling Services, the Schedule for the Transfer of Funds, and the Content of the Annual Service Plan, as well as the template for the local annual service plan.
Municipal representatives highlighted the challenges they face in preparing high-quality and timely plans, particularly when it comes to conducting the required analyses and collecting the data to be included in the prescribed template.
It was also emphasised that the process requires considerable time and thorough preparation, given that, once drafted, the plans need to undergo a public consultation process and be adopted by local parliaments. In this context, the municipalities proposed postponing the implementation of this obligation for 12 months. This request will be formally submitted to the Ministry through the Union of Municipalities.
To provide municipalities with concrete support in this process, the “Municipalities for EU” project will make expert assistance available through the engagement of the project’s Capacity Building Expert, Goran Đurović. The support will focus on the preparation of local annual service plans, including assistance in understanding the requirements of the new template, structuring the necessary data and analyses, and preparing the planning documents.
The meeting was organised within the Thematic Network for Social Protection, Demography and Family Care, which serves as a mechanism for exchanging experiences, identifying common challenges, and strengthening the capacities of local governments in areas relevant to their responsibilities.
