The Digital War for Trust in Local Institutions Has Begun!
Imagine about 30 young people, mostly technical university students from Zrenjanin, Belgrade, Niš, and Novi Sad, who teamed up in seven groups and spent months developing digital solutions for something that sounds like boring bureaucracy – transparency of local institutions. But no, this is not just any project – this is a fight for the future of how we track and understand where and how our money is spent!
Who are the heroes of this digital saga?
The winning team, called relof3 development, consists of Luka Glišić, Miloš Mitrović, and Ilija Dončić, students from three different cities. Their solution is an MVP (minimum viable product) platform that promises local institutions such as kindergartens, sports and tourist organizations, libraries, and cultural centers will finally get functional, transparent, and customized web presentations.
The second place went to the Belgrade team altf4, and third to the Novi Sad team tmsd. All agreed this was one of the most complex competitions they have participated in, as they worked on developing the solution for almost a month, unlike typical hackathons that last a day or two.
Why does this matter?
Ana Jolović, director of the relof3 project, points out that ten municipalities and cities in Serbia have as many as 88 indirect budget users who together annually pull about 8 billion dinars, which is about 20% of local budgets! Yet many of these institutions do not even have a basic web presence, let alone a transparent display of spending.
Imagine an institution that employs dozens of people and manages millions in budgets but has no clear and accessible way for citizens to see how money is spent. It’s like someone holding your wallet, and you don’t know where your money goes. This is where this digital revolution steps in – to break down that wall of invisibility and bring the light of transparency.
What’s next?
The winning teams will, in the coming months, with the support of mentors, work on developing, testing, and implementing the final versions of the CMS platform. The goal is that by the end of the year, all these budget users will have a free digital tool that will enable them to meet all transparency standards.
But is this just another project or the real start of change?
Young participants say that through training, they gained not only technical skills but also knowledge about managerial responsibility and transparency, which is rare in these parts. This is not just a competition but an opportunity for young people to engage in solving real social problems.
Conclusion
While local authorities and institutions often remain closed and unaccountable, these young people show that there is hope. Digital transparency is not just a technical challenge but a social imperative. If you want to see what the fight for a fairer and more open society looks like, follow the development of this project.
And now, as you read this, ask yourself – how much do you really know about where your money goes? And if you have an idea on how to make this even better, feel free to drop a comment. Let the voice of the people be heard, because who knows, maybe you’ll be the next digital revolutionary!
Source: Blic – Winners of the Youth Competition Announced: Internet Solution for Greater Trust
