4-5th October 2022, Trogir

The third study visit of the Competence project took place in Trogir, Croatia, on October 4-5, 2022. During the 2-day visit, the representatives of the project partner organizations learned about the working methods of the city administration, the structure of public administration bodies and institutions, the forms of providing social services and the process of compiling the city’s budget.

At the presentations, it became clear that the City of Trogir – due to its size – is able to perform its municipal duties very efficiently, as it is able to maintain a close, often direct relationship between the Municipality, the local service providers and the residents. Among the report, the topic of the local participatory budget proved to be the most interesting for the participants. The representatives of the partner organizations listened with interest to see that the residents of Trogir actively participate in the planning, proposal, and decision-making process that concerns the use of the city’s budget – or, in fact, a part of the budget.

The ways of providing social services are also noteworthy. The local leaders of the TOMs – The Association of the Physically Disabled Person reported to the project team about a form of service provision. The location of the presentation was a restaurant where some of the employees are themselves disadvantaged. This allowed the participants to experience in practice how high-level market services can be provided, while the municipality supports the socially disadvantaged through a non-profit organization.

As part of the study visit, the project team participated in the “Kist & Pit!” workshop organized by the Trogir Art Association. There is a great interest in this creative program in the city, where those who want to recharge can usefully spend free time between canvas, brush and wine glasses, under the guidance of the Association’s professional artists. Despite its size, Trogir is a smaller cultural centre, where travellers visit not only for the sun, the sea and the beauty of the old town, but also for the diversity of social and cultural services.

“Although the city of Trogir is the smallest among the partner organizations, it has shown that it can keep up with developed big cities in the implementation of local policies, and the guests were able to take away valuable memories from their time here” said Dujo Odžak, the local manager of the project.

At the next stop in the series of visits, the participants get to know the institutions of the Municipalities of Prague 6.