Pristina-based civil society organizations (CSOs) with a track record of monitoring public procurement extend their reach to more municipalities by supporting local CSOs to do the same.  CSOs have had a hard time tracking government procurements at the local level in the past.  To fill this gap, USAID’s Transparent, Effective and Accountable Municipalities (TEAM) activity partnered with CiviKos, a collaborative platform with over 240 CSO members active at the national and local levels.  

As part of this initiative, CiviKos has engaged procurement monitoring experts from its membership base to provide support to local-level CSOs throughout the seven regions of Kosovo.  In 2020, the activity has already supported 42 CSOs through its partnership with CiviKos.  The local CSOs are receiving practical skills and knowledge from their national-level counterparts through an innovative approach that combines workshop-style group work and individual coaching.  Together, the national and local CSOs are observing the construction of public parks and highway overpasses, the paving of roads, and the procurement of necessary medical supplies required as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Wearing masks and social distancing, the CSOs are meeting with municipal officials to assess whether the goods or services fulfill the obligations of the contract.  They are also on the lookout for any red flags that might indicate corruption.  In the event that the CSOs discover any evidence of mismanagement during their oversight activities, they send the information to the relevant authorities for remedial action.  The partnership created between the national and local CSOs will also extend to making their findings accessible to the general public through reports available on social media.