Good Governance

Strengthening municipal performance, transparency and accountability; empowering citizens and CSOs to engage in decision-making and demand reforms.

Helvetas Bosnia and Herzegovina works with public institutions, civil society organizations and citizens to strengthen transparent, accountable and inclusive governance. Through civic engagement, policy dialogue and sustainable urban development, we support local actors in shaping reforms, improving public services and creating opportunities for meaningful citizen participation.

Our Edge 

Expertise
With decades of experience and a team of highly skilled professionals, Helvetas brings solid knowledge and extensive experience to every project. The Good Governance team consists of gender-balanced, highly professional, committed, and multilingual advisors with solid experience working in international development cooperation across the globe.

Innovation
We are at the forefront of inclusive and sustainable development with cutting-edge approaches and methodologies. Our innovative methods and development approaches are designed to address contemporary democratic challenges and drive institutional change, setting new standards for sustainability and efficiency.

Commitment
Helvetas nourishes long-term partnerships with development actors, which builds a strong track record in the on-system work, inclusion and sustainability. We are dedicated to equitable and impactful initiatives that benefit both people and their livelihoods

Participants build and test prototype structures during a hands-on urban design workshop.

Key Strengths and Value Propositions

Our Good Governance portfolio focuses on:

  • Governance & Civic Space: Our aim is to ensure that communities and civil society can claim their rights and meaningfully engage in development and policy processes. To achieve this, we develop the capacity of civil society to wield influence, and for local governments to manage resources and efficiently and transparently deliver public services.

  • Urban engagement: We encourage urbanization that is sustainable and inclusive by advancing the capacities of public institutions and facilitating citizen engagement in urban planning.

  • Conflict transformation: We build cohesive societies where people can live in dignity by fostering peaceful relationships and creating spaces to exchange ideas, prevent radicalization of youth, and constructively resolve conflicts by tackling their root causes and potential drivers.

Our cross-cutting topics:

  • Gender & Social Equity (GSE): GSE focuses on people centred approaches. It addresses inequality, discrimination, and exclusion based on gender and social factors. Good Governance projects focus on systemic and transformative change by addressing policies, governance systems, culture and values, with affirmative actions which promote women’s representation, leadership, decision-making and public and/or political participation.

  • Advocacy & Human Rights: Advocacy is a transversal theme in all our work, enabling systemic change by strengthening local partners and improving policy frameworks. We utilize our Advocacy toolbox broadly and consistently. We also follow a Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) aiming to protect, defend, and promote political, economic, social, environmental, and cultural rights. HRBA reinforces accountability, participation, transparency, and non-discrimination by aligning our work with international human rights frameworks and mechanisms. See our guidelines for using the UN and EU human rights mechanisms.

Interested to see how Helvetas works globally on Good Governance?
Visit our global website here