Citizen Assistance Centers

ADF has assisted in the establishment of Citizens Assistance Centers (CAC) in fifteen municipalities in Vojvodina and Eastern Serbia. CACs now serve as “one-stop locations” where citizens can access modernized municipal services including business registration, birth and death certificates, social security services, issuance of building permits, etc. ADF’s support for establishment of citizens’ assistance centers has enabled municipalities to improve their services through the following:

• analysis and modernization of municipal administration operations;
• reorganization of government office spaces to make citizen assistance centers more customer friendly;
• procurement and installation of IT equipment and software to integrate the public services;
• establishment of village-based networks to extend availability of services into rural areas;
• Training of staff in new software and customer communication skills. Impact
• Establishing CACs improved the management and organization of municipal services.
• Computerized systems for service provision enabled quick communication with citizens and improved efficiency and functionality of municipal services.
• Services required by citizens such as issuing certificates from registry books became more efficient.
• The business community and investors benefited as the procedures for acquiring building and other type permits were streamlined.
• Electronic processing of requests at one-stop permit shops greatly shortened the processing time.
• Availability of services at branch-offices in villages saved money and time for local residents.
• Better rapport with citizens achieved by providing more efficient services by more customer-friendly communications with staff of municipalities.
• Simplified and integrated procedures resulted in the work more transparent municipal government.
• Establishment of CACs increased trust between citizens and local government authorities.
• Two-way communications enabled local governments to adjust their work according to citizens’ needs and increased their own responsiveness.
• Services at CACs became more easily accessible for people with special needs.
• More efficiently organized local administration became more cost-effective.