Organization and management
POGON is managed jointly by Alliance Operation City (local network of youth and cultural associations / NGOs) and the City of Zagreb (local government). This hybrid model provides long-term sustainability as the result of a balance between public financing and supervision on one hand and independent programming and participatory decision-making on the other.
Principles of organizational openness
Participation in decision-making – Pogon’s structure ensures that the Alliance with its member organizations has an equal role in managing Pogon. Furthermore, Pogon regularly pursues consultations with stakeholders and organizes public discussions about the modalities of its operation.
Equality in access – Pogon’s resources are accessible to all the users and their programs on equal conditions; our users are: NGOs, informal groups, artists, art organizations, individuals organizing cultural and youth programs (contemporary arts and culture; related social, theoretical, and policy activities; various youth activities).
Transparency, simplicity, and flexibility in programming – programming rules and procedures are clear and accessible online. Anyone who needs to use Pogon’s resources may find all the details on our website, including the calendar, a standard contract, pricing etc. There are no privileged users, and every user must go through the same simple procedure of applying through an online form. No aesthetic criteria or programs are as such more important than others. This entire model was designed through a consultation process with the sector (youth and cultural organizations) and is modified based on experience.
Partnership and collaboration – The very core of our model is the cooperation of different groups and organizations. Alongside the founding civil-public partnership, Pogon is based on a partnership of two complementary civil society sub-sectors – culture and youth. This partnership is a result of joint values, shared interests, and complementary needs. Furthermore, we are building relations of trust with our users by trying to support their programs as much as possible
Decision-making
POGON is jointly managed by its co-founders and by the Director. Users are included in the decision-making process through the Program Council, a five-person coordinating body elected by member organizations of Alliance Operation City. Additionally, all interested organizations may participate in debates concerning the management model and major changes.
The founders monitor the Center’s work, make the important decisions about its main functions and general development, approve the Center’s statutory and other regulatory instruments, and appoint the director.
The primary role of the Alliance is to bring together organizations that work in the field and to organize programs in the center. In this way, it can secure program funding from a variety of domestic and foreign sources. By joining the Alliance, all organizations who wish to participate in the decision-making process may do so. However, Alliance membership is not a prerequisite for using the Center’s resources.
The role of the City of Zagreb is to provide the necessary spaces and financial resources for the Center’s basic functioning and the implementation of its program. The City also has control over the use of city property and monitors the work of the Center as a public institution.
This ensures that the overall functioning of the Center is jointly governed by both founders, while control over programming is in the hands of those who use its resources, i.e. those who carry out programs in the Center’s venues.
The two main internal governance bodies are the Director and the Program Council.
The Director is the head and the official representative of the center. Following a public tender, he or she is selected and appointed by the founders, who are also responsible for supervising his or her work. The Director is appointed for a term of 4 years. The Director is responsible for the overall work of the center, and manages the center in cooperation with the founders, Program Council, employees, and other associates.
The Program Council is an expert advisory body composed of representatives of civil society organizations in charge of defining rules and procedures for the use of resources (the model), program orientation, and long-term program plans. It also arbitrates in case of a complaint against the program coordinator’s decisions. The Programming Council has 5 members, who are elected by the members of the Alliance Operation City for a 2-year term.