Institutionalizing Diaspora Engagement in Local Development Planning – Veliko Gradište
Municipality of Veliko Gradište
Mayor
Dragan Milić
Start of Project
March 2025
End of Project
Ongoing
Overview
Approximately one third of Municipality of Veliko Gradište population, with nearly 20,000 inhabitants, resides abroad, either temporarily or on a long-term basis. The Municipality recognizes the diaspora as a key development actor and commits to strengthening their systematic involvement in evidence-based policymaking and local development processes, with particular attention to gender inclusivity.
Through inclusive public consultations, diaspora members, together with local women associations, participate as equal stakeholders in the preparation of the Municipality’s Mid-Term Development Plan, thereby embedding diaspora engagement within local development frameworks. Additionally, the Municipality has developed a “Guide for the Veliko Gradište Diaspora” as a centralized and accessible information resource on local development initiatives, municipal services, returnee support mechanisms, and opportunities for cooperation with civil society and the private sector, which also addresses topics relevant to gender equality.
The principal objectives of these activities are to:
Promote inclusive and participatory decision-making at the local level.
Strengthen institutional mechanisms for communication, consultation, and partnership with the diaspora.
Leverage diaspora knowledge, skills, and resources to support sustainable local development.
The Municipality pledges to further institutionalize these mechanisms and ensure the long-term inclusion of the diaspora as a strategic partner in fostering sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development.
Expected Impact
This action is expected to establish sustained and structured communication between the Municipality and its diaspora representatives, leading to more efficient collaboration and the long-term sustainability of diaspora-related initiatives. These efforts will support the integration of diaspora engagement mechanisms into local policies and planning frameworks, ensuring continuous and meaningful participation of diaspora members in municipal development processes. It is expected that women will be proactively involved in decision-making processes based on their inclusion in these concrete actions.
Improved access to information on local opportunities, strengthened ties with the local community, and increased diaspora involvement in planning and decision-making are expected to enhance trust, cooperation, and mutual accountability between the Municipality and diaspora members. Collectively, these outcomes will contribute to more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable socio-economic development at the local level. Through monitoring and counting of local services provided to the diaspora, the real impact of the described activities could also be evaluated.
In addition, the measures implemented in Veliko Gradište are expected to serve as a replicable model for neighbouring local self-government units with similarly large diaspora communities and established cross-border ties, thereby amplifying the broader development impact beyond the municipality.
Lessons Learned
The Municipality of Veliko Gradište recognizes the valuable role of its diaspora in local development and is committed to fostering their meaningful and sustained engagement. Early experiences demonstrate that involving diaspora members from the outset helps build trust, ownership, and legitimacy in local planning processes. Formal recognition of the diaspora as a key stakeholder and the establishment of structured participation channels, such as involvement in the Mid-Term Development Plan, have created clear opportunities for contribution. Centralized resources, including the Diaspora Guide that is expected to be published in the first half of 2026, will further facilitate access to information, enabling diaspora members to engage more effectively with local initiatives.
At the same time, the initiative has highlighted the need for dedicated institutional structures, tailored outreach to diverse diaspora groups, and ongoing support to translate participation into tangible socio-economic outcomes. Ensuring continuity and sustainability requires consolidating these early efforts and adapting them to different contexts where replication may be considered.
Looking forward, the Municipality pledges to formalize engagement mechanisms, combine digital and proactive outreach strategies, implement monitoring and feedback systems, and promote peer learning with other municipalities. By embedding gender considerations and defining measurable outcomes linked to local development priorities, the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 5, 16 and 17, and GCM Objectives 19 and 23, Veliko Gradište aims to ensure that diaspora contributions support inclusive, participatory, and sustainable local development, strengthening both the community at home and its connections abroad.
Priority Objectives
Improving migration governance and forced displacement protection
Providing access to urban infrastructure, social services and education regardless of status
Eliminating all forms of discrimination and promoting evidence-based public discourse
“Migration is a phenomenon that shapes community in Veliko Gradište for 4 decades. One of the key steps we have taken is the creation of a guide for cooperation with the diaspora, as a bridge between us and our fellow citizens living around the world...Cooperation with the diaspora is not only an opportunity for our municipality, but also an obligation to listen to and respect each of our fellow citizens, no matter where they are.”