Piliečių į(si)traukimo galimybės tvarkant vietos reikalus Klaipėdos miesto savivaldybėje

LTPiliečių dalyvavimo problematiką tiriantys mokslininkai akcentuoja, kad demokratiniuose procesuose pasigendama aktyvaus piliečių įsitraukimo į viešųjų klausimų sprendimą, eilinis pilietis paprastai yra apatiškas ir tingus veikti. Drauge pažymima, kad vietos savivalda yra arčiausiai gyventojų veikianti valdžia, kuri gali parinkti tinkamiausius bendravimo su gyventojais būdus ir priemones, atsižvelgdama į vietos sąlygas ir gyventojų poreikius. Straipsnyje siekiama įvertinti, kokias piliečių įtraukimo galimybes siūlo Klaipėdos miesto savivaldybės administracija. Straipsnyje nagrinėjamos piliečių dalyvavimo ir įtraukimo sampratų skirtys, teisės aktuose reglamentuojamos gyventojų dalyvavimo galimybės. Atlikus empirinį kokybinį tyrimą, gautų rezultatų pagrindu, taikant turinio analizės metodą, įvertinta, kaip dažnai 2023 metais Klaipėdos miesto savivaldybės gyventojai buvo kviečiami įsitraukti į įvairias su viešaisiais reikalais susijusias veiklas, kokiose srityse ir kokiais būdais gyventojų dalyvavimo buvo tikimasi tvarkant vietos reikalus. Piliečių įtraukimo galimybės vertinamos tiesioginio individualaus dalyvavimo aspektu, plačiau nedetalizuojant organizuoto (grupinio) įtraukimo galimybių. PAGRINDINIAI ŽODŽIAI: piliečių dalyvavimo / įtraukimo galimybės, vietos reikalų tvarkymas, gyventojų dalyvavimo / įtraukimo būdai.

ENBoth citizen engagement and citizen participation seek to encourage citizens to get involved in the democratic governance process, but the concept of participation is primarily associated with the actions of the population in certain activities or tasks, and engagement with the search for dialogue and consultation in solving relevant public policy issues. In this way, it is argued that the concept of engagement is more appropriate to be used in the context of deliberative democracy, and the concept of participation is more in line with the goals of participatory democracy. The results of the empirical study show that the participation opportunities offered by the municipality of Klaipėda, based on the selection of participants and the type (purpose) of participation, are closer to the concept of participatory democracy, although certain methods of activity, such as consultation, discussion, surveys and participatory budgeting, show efforts to respond to the tasks of deliberative democracy. The main methods of residents’ participation in local government are regulated by the Local Government Law of the Republic of Lithuania. In terms of ensuring opportunities for citizens’ participation, the legal provisions oblige the municipality to take the initiative and create conditions for local residents to participate and use the methods of participation provided by the law. In this way, the opportunities for residents’ participation in local government are more closely related to the concept of engagement and the development of deliberative democracy.The results of the empirical qualitative research revealed that Klaipėda City Municipality is quite active in trying to involve residents in various local activities by publishing information in newsletters. Most opportunities for participation/engagement in 2023 are identified in the areas of project proposals and public deliberation with the public and territorial planning, as the requirements for the involvement of the interested public are clearly regulated in legal acts. Residents are increasingly actively using legally established opportunities for participation/engagement in this area. After evaluating the possibilities for the individual involvement of residents, it was found that residents are usually invited to participate in environmental protection, the administration of apartment buildings, city management and planning activities. Young people stand out from the general group of society, because the municipality offers specific opportunities for participation/ engagement to residents belonging to this group. Klaipėda city municipality makes limited use of the newsletter as a method of information dissemination, encouraging residents to be more active in the field of the promotion of elders (seniūnaičių), participatory budgeting, culture and especially volunteering.The results of the research revealed that, in accordance with the Local Government Law of the Republic of Lithuania, Klaipėda city municipality is most active in the use of information and consultation tools. An analysis of the frequency of the use of significant words in the newsletter showed that residents are directly involved in decision- making to a limited extent, and two areas dominate, the administration of apartment buildings and the activities of elders (seniūnaičių). Meanwhile, the opportunities for participation in the implementation of decisions are almost exclusively associated with voluntary activities, and the means of promotion of participation/engagement are focused on the target group of society, youth, with little or no attention being paid to other groups. KEY WORDS: opportunities for citizens’ participation/engagement, management of local affairs, ways of involving residents.

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