GEA is implementing the project LENS in partnership with two civil society organizations: Center for Investigative Reporting (lead partner) and Life Quality Improvement Association “Futura”. The implementation commenced in February 2024 and will last until January 2027.

This project will contribute to the fight against corruption in BiH by the monitoring of budget spending and use of public funds at local level (in cities and municipalities) through active involvement of civil society, particularly by enhancing grass-root level participation and dialogue with local government.

In its first phase, the project will provide in-depth policy analysis of gaps and needs within the process of use of public funds at local level, by looking into the following: procedures and conditions for budget planning, monitoring over budget adoption and execution, existing mechanisms for citizens participation in decision making process, gaps in the legal and institutional framework for increasing transparency of the budgeting process at local level, misuse of public funds, inappropriate practice of political control and other issue pertaining transparent use of budgets at local level.

One of the steps in this policy analysis is Mapping of main Obstacles in Public Budgeting procedures in BiH. The mapping, conducted by GEA, is envisaged as a research with the objective of identifying obstacles and formulating recommendations for improvement of the procedures. The main objective of the Mapping Report is to provide a clear outline of the available technical and programmatic skills, capacities and resources (at the local, regional and national level), including possible capacity gaps, to enable full deployment of the general budget transparency principles.

GEA and the expert team will also prepare a Budget TransparencyManual for CSOs in BiH which will allow interested CSOs in Bosnia and Herzegovina to monitor and/or to assess specific budget policy at local level. Once the draft of Mapping Report and Budget Transparency Manual are prepared a validationworkshop with the CSOs will be organized to finalize the previous findings into a comprehensive document.