According to the Law on the Planning System, the medium-term plan is a comprehensive planning document that connects public policies with the medium-term expenditure framework. The obligation to develop and adopt a medium-term plan rests with state administration bodies, budget and public funds users at all levels, and local self-government units (LSGUs).
For local self-government units, the medium-term plan is an important document that is prepared based on the development plan, development measures determined based on the competencies of LSGUs and the LSGUs obligations derived from national public policy documents. Based on key planning documents and their provisions harmonised with the corresponding budget, the medium-term plan is the essential management instrument of the LSGUs, determining which development measures and activities will be implemented in the next three-year period.
With the aim of providing officials employed in cities and municipalities with practical instructions and enabling more efficient preparation of medium-term plans, within the EU4PAR project, in cooperation with the Public Policy Secretariat, a Manual for the Preparation of the Medium-Term Plans for Local Self-Government Units was developed.
Relying on the experiences gained during the preparation of the first medium-term plans of local self-government units and examples of good practice, the Manual defines key documents with a detailed description of who, what, when and how should be done. It guides the readers through the structure and elements of the LSGU development plan and introduces them to the medium-term planning procedure that should be implemented at the LSGU level. Further on, the Manual explains how elements of other planning documents are taken over, points out the most important aspects of connecting the medium-term and programme budget, and provides guidelines for monitoring the implementation of the medium-term plan. All these areas have been addressed and adapted to the needs of local self-government units.
Guidelines related to the division of responsibilities in LSGUs at each stage of medium-term plan development and examples of documents should help LSGU officials to prepare and implement their medium-term plans efficiently and adequately.
This Manual is available on both the project’s website in the Downloads section and the website of the Public Policy Secretariat.