Project title: BG-RO E-GoverNet - Development of an information network to ease the cooperation between public authorities, NGOs, business and citizens in the cross-border region Bulgaria-Romania

Project e-MS code: ROBG-168

The project is implemented within Interreg V-A Romania - Bulgaria 2014-2020 Programme

Priority axis 5: An efficient region

Priority Axis Specific objective: To increase cooperation capacity and the efficiency of public institutions in a CBC context

Period: 20 April 2017 until 19 April 2019 (24 months)

Lead Beneficiary: Business Support Centre for Small and Medium Enterprises - Ruse, Bulgaria

Partner: Eastern Danube Convention &Visitors Bureau Association from Giurgiu, Romania

Project budget: EUR 366 816,47

Financing from EU (ERDF): EUR 311 793,99

Project context
• Both Romanian and Bulgarian public authorities are widely considered to be bureaucratic, incompetent and reluctant to do their tasks.
• National operational programmes have provided institutional capacity trainings, which are not enough to fill in the gaps in communication/ coordination between authorities and NGOs/ businesses.
• Bulgaria and Romania were ranked as the last two countries in the EU for use of e-government by individuals in 2014, which calls for immediate action to develop new models of governance.
The current situation could be changed only by joint initiatives between all players involved and by implementing innovative tools. The project proposes the establishment of a cross-border public-private network, which will be the working mechanism for better communication and interaction between all relevant stakeholders in the whole CBA.

Project objectives
Main objective - to foster long-term cooperation between public authorities by establishing an efficient and effective innovative tool for better coordination among public and private stakeholders at cross-border level, an adequate means of communication and encourage e-governance.

Target groups
- Public sector - municipalities and regional administrations
- Representatives of all kinds of NGOs in the CBA
- Private companies
- Local communities

Main project activities
- Study and analysis of the current situation of e-government services of local administrations in the cross-border region
- Development of an online platform in three languages - Bulgarian, Romanian and English - for exchange of information among regional and local public authorities in the CBA Bulgaria - Romania, which will be in favor of businesses and citizens
- Establishment of the BG-RO E-GoverNet
- Development of a strategy for improving the coordination among public authorities in the cross-border region - the strategy will be elaborated on a cross-border level and will promote specific cross-border initiatives, thus removing the existing obstacles to cross-border mobility of people and businesses. A special focus is put on the digital services or the lack thereof and what could be done to improve them
- Information and publicity on project activities and results

Project main outputs
- Specific cooperation agreements drafted and signed between district administrations, municipalities, county councils and NGOs in the CBA - at least 5
- Establishment of BG-RO E-GoverNet - a network of public and non-public entities in order to ensure closer cooperation and better coordination - 1
- A detailed study within the public authorities, their services and the attitude to them to identify the needs and problems, to look for the opportunities and the measures that might be taken to solve existing problems or prevent new ones - 1
- Strategy - presenting the options and potential which could be used to develop and improve existing public services and the attitude of the non-public sector - 1
- Information exchange platform - easy to navigate and quickly reachable innovative information and communication tool for public-public and public-private stakeholders communication that presents the important information in a concise and structured way - 1

Research and analysis of public information and services in the Bulgarian part of the cross-border region of Bulgaria-Romania*

Strategy to improve the public services environment in the Romania-Bulgaria cross-border region*

BG-RO E-GoverNet web platform - A practical user guide*

*The file is in pdf format and you need Adobe® Reader, you can download it from here