CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS INFLUENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES FORMULATION PROCESS AT THE MUNICIPAL LEVEL

Sa？etak This research is aimed at analyzing the rate and mode of Citizens Society Organizations’ (CSO) participation in the process of development strategies formulation in the Central Bosnia Canton (CBC), as well as to measure their impact on the actual substance of development strategies. To get a deeper insight into research topics, a questionnaire was developed and sent out to more than 300 CSOs from the CBC, yielding 117 valid responses. The research results show that 39.2% of the surveyed CSOs participated in the development strategies formulation process in the CBC, where the most common mode of participation was public consultations and debates. The research also revealed that the more proficient CSOs’ contribution to the process is, the greater influence on the development strategy substance they have. The main implication of this research is better understanding of the development strategies formulation process at the municipal level, and a deeper insight into the nature of relationships between municipalities and CSOs in regard to that process