During 2024 and 2025, the Klubtura Association and the Network of Socio-Cultural Centers conducted an analysis of the implementation of the provisions of the Act on Cultural Councils and Financing of Public Needs in Culture, which entered into force in July 2022, and which regulates the allocation of public spaces to natural and legal persons operating in the field of culture at the national level and the level of local and regional self-government units.

The aim of the research was to examine how the new Act is being implemented in five Croatian cities - Dubrovnik, Rijeka, Osijek, Split and Zagreb - and how the allocation of space affects the work of cultural organizations.

The research combined an analysis of the national public policy framework and a comparison of local practices in five cities, including document analysis and interviews with 30 representatives of JLRS, civil society organizations in the field of culture, members of space allocation committees and public policy experts.

The analysis sought to obtain a clearer picture of the capacities of local governments and other involved actors to implement the space allocation process and to identify key challenges and opportunities for improving the system.

One of the important aspects of the research is the question of how national and local authorities interpret and implement legal provisions, in what ways they coordinate and to what extent they apply the principles of transparency and inclusiveness in decision-making. Given that work spaces are crucial for the stability and development of organizations and actors operating in the field of culture, their allocation affects not only individual users, but also the wider cultural community and citizens participating in programs.

The intention of the research is to contribute to the improvement of the decision-making system in culture, to empower civil society organizations to monitor public policies and to propose recommendations for improving transparency and fairness in the management of public resources. In this way, the research not only provides concrete data on the implementation of the Act, but also opens up space for future dialogue and advocacy for systemic changes in cultural policy, at the national and local levels.