Modern Skills Center conducted a survey of all municipalities in Serbia on the existence of service information. Results at the outset clearly the situation in this area: 76 municipalities (46 percent) have either an office or person responsible for informing citizens. In 91 municipalities there is no service of any officer whose task would be.

And in those municipalities that have systematic information in 26 quadrants (34 percent) exists for service information, while 50 municipalities have only one person in that position (66 percent). The data we have collected, which are devastating to say the least, show that municipalities in Serbia do not address the essential quality and informing its citizens and to create the necessary capacity. The practice is that this important work "ad hoc" confides one of zapolenih, and the criteria are different: the "geographical proximity" (someone from the office or offices of the Mayor who is "at hand"), to personal preferences, to hiring those who otherwise there is no other job and have been employed in the municipal administration. It is clear that one of the biggest problems right institutional positioning of these services in the municipalities.

Municipalities and cities of the new Constitution (Article 190, paragraph 3) agrees to take care of public information to citizens, which formally appointed public relations the most important affairs of each municipality. Because of this data, it is easy to conclude that this constitutional obligation and not very seriously and that in most municipalities in Serbia informing citizens no one does.

Promoting the rights of citizens to information and public information, we suggest that the new Law on Local Self-Government defines the obligation to determine the position of municipal manager for public relations.

Time to first field of public relations were institutionalized, codified and supported in every municipality in Serbia. Often local authorities to forget (at least until the election) to the municipality without the support of the public have no sense or justification, and that the public deserves more and better. Finally, local governments must have not only goodwill but also an obligation to communicate with the public. Citizens have a right to know and evaluate the work of local authorities, problem solving, plans and reports done. Awareness of government on how to develop, but, as in other cases, it appears that this affects the development of good support and obligations arising from the law.

Only when citizens become informed continuing obligations, which itself is subject to verification and reporting, and local governments, and citizens themselves will be able to see that public relations are not merely a novelty and formality that draws additional budgets. On the contrary, good relations with the public in the practice showed that contribute to community development and understanding of government and citizens. After all, if anyone tries to remember that the most talked municipalities in the public and the media (ie who is najintenzvnije developed public relations).

Text: Opstina Sokobanja