Questions and Answers on the label


What is the added value or benefit of the Label?

The Label for Good Democratic Governance is both an acknowledgement of achievement and a powerful learning and improving tool. Obtaining the Label should be a reason for a celebration for the entire community: it acknowledges the fact that the municipality in question has achieved a level of governance quality if which it can be proud.

 

It can also be very helpful for those municipalities which were not successful in their application for the Label. It can help them understand their shortcomings; they can thus take corrective action, evaluate this process and monitor the distance they still need to cover before achieving the status of European excellence.

 

How important is the Label for Democratic Governance for citizens?

Citizens have a vested interest in the quality of local governance. They expect and deserve that the quality of public services they receive is good, that the local authority listens to them and takes their needs and legitimate expectations to heart.

 

They have the right to know whether the quality of local governance delivered to them is up to European standards. They also have a direct interest in the continual improvement of this governance and the Label for Democratic Governance is a practical tool for this process.

 

Upon which criteria is the Label awarded?

If a local authority wants to receive the Label, it must apply to its regional or national stakeholders’ platform. It will be asked to fulfil the criteria of the evaluation tools:

-          a matrix evaluating the action of the local authority (link)

-          a questionnaire addressed to citizens (link)

-          a questionnaire addressed to local elected representatives (link)

 

For how long is the Label valid?

The dodecahedron symbolising the Label for Democratic Governance will be engraved with the date of awarding.. Since the local authority is also a learning authority, it will, after receiving the Label, continue to work on improvement and contribute to the exchange of information with other local authorities. The local authority can therefore best decide for themselves when they would like to re-apply for the Label. A specific time limit is therefore not foreseen.