Local development

As opposed to approaches to development which dominated the period of industrialism, where central governments and national policies played a key role in planning, promoting and directing growth, contemporary approach pays particular attention to local development and the role of local communities. In line with this type of approach, which is especially relevant for Serbia, in view of its post-socialist transformation and decentralization of administration, SeConS is particularly focused on local development. SeConS bases its projects directed at research, monitoring and review of local growth, proposing policies for local development or capacity building of local development actors SeConS on the approach which gives special consideration to local, endogenous resources and potentials. SeConS conducted surveys aiming to shed light on certain aspects of local development or to examine regional inequalities. Rural development and the development of urban areas are special fields of SeConS research and analysis. SeConS experts have put a great deal of effort into investigating and improving social inclusion policies, gender equality, employment, education and social welfare in local communities. During the first decade of working with local development, SeConS teams conducted surveys on local development in 35 municipalities and towns, trained more than 200 representatives of local administration and public institutions in various areas of public development policies. They developed handbooks for developing social inclusion policies and gender equality policies at the local level. They played a part in the preparation of 30 local sector strategies important for local development. Partnering with UNICEF and the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, they contributed to improving the DevInfo database on the local level which enables monitoring of various aspects of local development.