The aim of the program is to promote mechanisms of public scrutiny over public institutions and institutions of public trust to help increase the standards and transparency of their operations. In established democracies, public scrutiny of various forms of public life is ensured by watchdog organizations. In Poland, the range and scale of watchdog activities are still insufficient, therefore we support not only organizations experienced in carrying out such initiatives but also those which have just started. In addition to grants, we offer assistance to organizations in developing projects and provide them with opportunities to expand knowledge and skills in the domain of public scrutiny and monitoring.
In 2007, we offered grants to organizations that engage in public scrutiny over selected aspects of functioning of public institutions, such as: access to public information, use of public funds, transparency and ethics of public officers, procedures of public institutions in contacts with citizens. Out of the 66 letters of intent received, 33 qualified to the second stage of the grant competition. Their authors were invited to a meeting (March 22) to consult their projects and discuss issues concerning the legal and practical aspects of access to public information (the workshop was carried out by Krzysztof Izdebski and Szymon Osowski from Association of Leaders of Local Civic Groups). After the meeting, we received 32 project proposals. 13 of them were recommended for funding by the committee of experts. The majority of projects supported in this grant competition focused on monitoring the execution of public agencies’ obligations arising under the public information act, execution of statutory tasks by local governments and the functioning of particular public administration agencies. Outside the grant competition, we awarded a grant for the Social Education Monitor project implemented since 2006.
We also support Association of Leaders of Local Civic Groups which runs a specialized portal documenting Polish and foreign watchdog initiatives and organizes seminars that help to convey knowledge and share experience among organizations engaging in watchdog activities.
In 2007, the program was financed by funds from the Trust for Civil Society in Central in Eastern Europe (PLN 292,054.86) and the Open Society Institute.
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Prism Center for Social Activity
Suwałki |
Openness and Competence – monitoring Podlasie province local government’s compliance with the Law on Access to Public Information and Local Government Employees; checking the terms and conditions of tenancy contracts between the local government and local offices of Members of Parliament and clubs of city councilors. |
PLN 41 400 |
Charter 99 Lower Silesian Victims Assistance Association
Wrocław |
Friendly Court – monitoring the practice of court fee exemptions and ex officio proxy appointment at the District Court in Wrocław. |
PLN 14 800 |
Mazovia Federation of Serving Organizations
Warsaw |
Monitoring the procedures and practices of contracting and subsidizing NGOs as well as accessibility of public information in the Regional Government of the Mazovia Province and the Marshal Office (project continuation). |
PLN 30 000 |
Better World Foundation
Poznań |
Participatory Democracy Bureau – collecting and analyzing information on existing conflicts and disputes between the city authorities and citizens in Poznań, review of the city’s conflict resolution practices. |
PLN 38 440 |
Foundation for Specialized Transport Services to the Disabled
Warsaw |
Disabled Citizen – study aimed at identifying social conflict resolution strategies adopted by boroughs and counties in the Mazovia Province and whether the strategies, if at all, cover the needs of the disabled; development of recommendations to such strategies. |
PLN 31 500 |
Comenius Foundation for Child Development
Warsaw |
Monitoring implementation of the local Elementary Education Strategies – training 30 local education officials to perform monitoring in 10 boroughs. |
PLN 57 500 |
Civic Democratic Forum
Kraków |
Kraków Project – monitoring the performance of the Architecture and Urban Planning Department of the City Executive Office in Kraków: new investments, decision-making process, expenditure decisions, complaints handling. |
PLN 13 800 |
Polish Association for Legal Education
Warsaw |
Monitoring prisons – research on conditions of visits in prisons and their accordance with European Incarceration Regulations signed in 2006, and on the possibility of introducing education for prison inmates. |
PLN 30 000 |
Association of Educators
Warsaw |
Public Education Monitor – monitoring activity of educational authorities and the activity of Parliamentary Education Commission, administration of a special monitoring webpage www.monitor.edu.pl, undertaking interventions and public campaigns (continuation of a project launched in 2006) |
PLN 120 000 |
Future Association
Kraków |
Labor Office or Unemployment Office – assessing the efficiency of two selected County Labor Offices (in Kraków and in Nowy Sącz) in the area of active employment promotion practices; developing recommendations on changes in the offices. |
PLN 47 600 |
Association of Leaders of Local Civic Groups
Warsaw |
Creation and maintenance of an on-line portal offering information on non-governmental watchdog initiatives concerning public scrutiny of functioning of public institutions; organization of seminars on watchdog techniques. |
PLN 245 000 |
Workshop for All Beings Association, Podlasie Chapter
Białystok |
Public scrutiny of the Regional Operational Program implementation in the Podlasie Province with regard to compliance with sustainability, transparency and eligibility principles applicable to EU funded projects. |
PLN 30 000 |
Pro Aequo Association
Rzeszów |
Monitoring the quality and accessibility of services to mentally disturbed individuals in four selected public Mental Care Clinics in Rzeszów. |
PLN 37 300 |
Bona Fides Association
Katowice |
Friendly Public Information Bulletin – monitoring the availability and content of Public Information Bulletins in 166 boroughs of the Silesia Province; project implemented by a group of trained volunteers. |
PLN 30 100 |
Transparency International Poland
Warsaw |
Monitoring County Construction Oversight Inspectorates – review of practices adopted by 30 selected Inspectorates and identification of key irregularities. |
PLN 46 320 |
