National cultural development program of Montenegro 2023 - 2027:
 

The National Cultural Development Program of Montenegro for the period from 2023 to 2027 is the umbrella strategic document for the Department of Culture in Montenegro. This document lays the foundations for the systematic definition of the directions of action and methods of implementing cultural policy. Public interest in the domain of culture is regulated through the strategy, thoughtfully and planned, directing the key priorities of the development of the cultural sector in the five-year period specified in the plan.
 

This National Program has a deep-rooted legal framework, as stipulated by the provisions of Article 6 and Article 7 of the Law on Culture of Montenegro. According to those legal provisions, Montenegro assumes responsibility for the realization of public interest in the field of culture, while the method and measures for achieving that public interest are precisely determined through the National Cultural Development Program.
The National Program is not only a strategic document, but also a key instrument for achieving long-term goals and priorities in culture. It also determines the organizational, financial and administrative measures that are necessary for the achievement of these goals on the territory of Montenegro. The law specifically requires that this document include a number of key elements, including the goals of cultural development in a multicultural and multiconfessional context, standards of cultural needs, prerequisites for cultural development, and measures to support artists and experts in culture, international cooperation, budget funds and many other aspects.
 

The National Program is not the product of random decisions, but is the result of thorough research and study of previous cultural development programs in the period from 2011 to 2020, as well as relevant research and international experiences. During the process of drafting the National Program, the work was coordinated by the Ministry of Culture and Media, and numerous actors in the field of culture participated in it, including public cultural institutions, institutions at the local level, civil society organizations and the private sector in culture, as well as the cultural audience.
 

This National Program is positioned in the wider strategic framework of Montenegro, taking into account the general goals of the country's development. Accordingly, two key strategic goals were set:
1.    Establish a professional, efficient, networked and stable public sector in culture;
2.    Strengthen the non-institutional sector of culture, intersectoral, interdepartmental and international cooperation and audience development.
 

The goals set in this way guarantee compliance with the overall development strategy of Montenegro.
Along with the adopted National Cultural Development Program of Montenegro, the 2023-2024 Action Plan was also adopted. 
 

Program monitoring and evaluation:
 

The Ministry of Culture and Media, as a key actor in the creation and implementation of cultural policy, is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the National Cultural Development Program 2023-2027.
 

In addition to the Ministry, the body that will monitor the implementation of this strategic document will be the National Council for Culture, since, in accordance with the Law on Culture, the Council is established by the Government to monitor the situation in certain areas and activities of culture and propose measures for the improvement and development of culture.
 

By the Rulebook on the internal organization and systematization of the Ministry of Culture and Media, established on June 23, 2022, a special organizational unit was established - the Department for monitoring and proposing measures for the improvement and development of culture, which is responsible for tasks related, among other things, to: monitoring the implementation of the National Cultural Development Program and accompanying action plans, processing and systematizing data, preparing analyses, reports and information related to the cultural development program, but also providing expert and administrative technical support for the work of the National Council for Culture.
 

In addition, delegated representatives of national cultural institutions and administrative bodies in the field of culture will be responsible for monitoring the implementation of activities, goals and supporting indicators in individual institutions, as well as reporting to the Ministry.
 

In the same way, other holders of activities recognized by the strategy will be obliged to report to the Ministry on the activities carried out, while the Ministry's team will work on completing and systematizing data, that is, preparing annual and final reports.
 

As a last instance, before the final adoption of the report on the realization of the annual action plans of the National Cultural Development Program, as well as the final report, by the Government, the prepared reports will be considered by the National Council for Culture.
 

Youth Strategy 2023 - 2027 with Action Plan 2023 - 2024:
 

Strategy for youth 2023-2027. represents a strategic response to the current context in which young people find themselves in Montenegrin society. Although the process of drafting the Youth Strategy was formally started in 2022, the first consultations with youth policy actors were already carried out in 2021 in order to gather opinions on short-term and long-term priorities related to youth policy.
 

The goal of the analysis was to look at the problems and challenges faced by young people, as well as problems in the implementation of youth policy and youth development. The Ministry of Sports and Youth also conducted public consultations open to all interested citizens and actors, the results of which were analyzed by the Working Group. Research on young people and their needs was conducted on a representative sample, as well as additional focus groups with different groups of young people. During the preparation of the document itself, additional direct consultations of members of the working group were organized with actors in the field of youth policy, with the aim of including as many actors as possible in this important process.
This strategy aims to provide appropriate support and incentives to young people to be creators of a social environment in which they realize their rights and fulfill their full potential.
 

The strategy clearly recognizes youth as a significant resource and factor in Montenegrin society, and foresees the establishment of mechanisms and approaches to youth policy that will enable the exercise of their rights, respect for their experiences, views and voice, appreciation of their contribution and support for their initiatives.
In relation to the defined key problem, a strategic goal was set: By building a sustainable interdepartmental support system for young people, create opportunities for the development of their full capacities and an active contribution to the development of society.
 

Monitoring and evaluation:
 

Mechanism for monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the Youth Strategy 2023 - 2027 is primarily based on the work of the Operational Body for Monitoring the Implementation of the Strategic Document and the Coordination Body for Youth Policies at the level of the Government of Montenegro. The operative body is made up of representatives of the institutions that took part in the work of the Working Group for the development of the strategic plan documents, as well as representatives of all entities whose contribution is necessary and crucial for the successful implementation of youth policies in the period 2023-2027.
 

The operative body is composed of representatives:
 

Ministry of Sports and Youth, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Culture and Media, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, Ministry of Public Administration, Directorate of Statistics, Representative Union of Youth Organizations and Youth Organizations, Representative of Youth Services , Representative of the Youth Council and the Community of Municipalities
 

In particular, it is necessary to highlight the importance of the Coordinating Body for Youth Policies, which will be formed at the ministerial level by the Government of Montenegro and whose role will be reflected in the strengthening of interdepartmental cooperation between all state bodies in the implementation of youth policies, as well as the definition of short- and medium-term directions for the development of these politics in Montenegro. The Coordinating Body will have a controlling role in the process of monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the strategic document, which results in the obligation of the Operational Body to submit annual and final reports on the implementation of the strategic document to the Coordinating Body for consideration and approval. After approval by the Coordinating Body, the aforementioned reports will be submitted to the Government of Montenegro for adoption.
 

The Ministry of Sports and Youth is the institution responsible for coordinating the work of the operational body, drafting, implementing and reporting on the implementation of the strategic document.