The URBACT Local Support Group Toolkit
Bucharest 28th April 2009Philip Stein Pole Manager
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The URBACT Community
27 Projects
181 Cities
26 Member States
200 Managing Authorities
Around 3000 members of local support groups
A passive audience or a force for change?
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Local Support Groups – Guidelines but no single recipe
Nature of theme
City context
Who?
Size + composition
What?
Role + activities
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Anyone with a “stake”.
Allies required for implementation
Quality before quantity
Around 10 people (in fact 4-43)
Build on what exists
Core group + broader groups
End users?
MA’s
Animators
Local Support Groups – size and composition
Local Support Groups – objectives and tasks
Objectives• Identify needs• Identify + mobilise what the city has to offer • Project champion. From project to plan to action to project• Represent end-users• Communicate learning
Tasks• 2 way conveyor belt for project learning – exchanges….• Coproduction of outputs – LAP, case studies, reports……• Ownership + championship – decision makers, funders…• Dissemination – media, meetings……
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What happens in meetings is vital
Meetings of equals
Frequency + preparation
Draw on participative techniques - facilitation
Participation in exchanges, twinning, peer reviews, implementation labs
Phases:
trust + preparation, prioritisation + commitment, strategy, follow up
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Working together better
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Working apart better
What happens outside and between meetings is just as important.
Use the opportunities of IT and networking tools
• Online file + project management
• Skype
• Teleconferencing
• On-line training
• W2
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Local Action Plans
Concrete road map of solutions to tackle core problems identified
Local impact of transnational exchange. Transnational impact of local action.
Form depends on: nature of problem and context (what exists + what is possible)
Full blown independent plan or recommendations to an existing plan
National, regional, city, neighbourhood, sector, research…
Fundable projects, Implications for OP, for broader urban policy
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• Review evidence base
• Stakeholder analysis
• Problems analysis
• Goal to activities
• Logical framework
• Consultation on draft plan
• Launch
Making an action plan
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Review the evidence base
Review baseline and secondary sources
EAP comments
Policy mapping – what exists
Identify what is working and what is not
Make demands and draw on transnational exchange
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Stakeholder Analysis
Close to local support group
Primary stakeholders – those directly affected
Secondary – those with intermediary role – including delivery agencies
Interest v power to influence
Key (core) stakeholders - both
Presence of users, beneficiaries…
Absent friends
How far can one go – issue + context
Dealing with conflict. Building on success…
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Problem analysis
Brain storm all problems
Identify core problems (trunk) – can vote
Identify causes (roots) and effects (branches)
Visualise and validate.
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Goal to activities
Establish a goal related to the problem identified. Observable measurable end result at a deadline
Specific objectives
Outputs
Activities required for outputs
Who, when, with what?
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Logical Framework Analysis
Check of:
External consistency – relationship between problem and overall objectives (goal)
Internal consistency – do activities lead to outputs which fulfill specific objectives which meet the goal
Feasibility – financial and human resources
Assumptions. Risk. Political changes, economic crisis, etc.
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Consultation on draft plan
There is a world outside the local support group
Distinguish participation, consultation and communication
Peer review by stakeholders
Summary LAP
Allow time
Incorporate flexibility
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Launch
Identify target audience
Decide on timing – use other high profile events…
Communication strategy
Celebrate – make it fun.
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€7000 per LSG
Translations
Travel and accomodation
Meeting rooms
Resources
City of Venice
European Policies Directorate, Social Policies Directorate, Trade and Economic development Directorate
Veneto Region Public Security and Migration Flows Director
MILE First Presentation Workshop, Enterprise Development for Migrants and Ethnic MinoritiesBrussels, 16 June 2008
1. The reference context
2. Definition of the Local Action Plan Quantitative analysis Qualitative analysis Comparison and synthesis of the two phases
3. The local action plan for the promotion
of immigrant entrepreneurship
4.Planning of an experimental training course for entrepreneurs
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1.2 Problem Analysis
Project co-financed by ERDF within the URBACT Programme Brussels 16-17 June 2008
The quantitative analysis will be transferred in the territorial information system of the Venice City Council. The image of the distribution of the minorities in the community, can make easier the identification of public intervention areas.
Localisation of companies with a foreign owner in Mestre Localisation of companies with a foreign owner in Venice town centre
1. Venice: 2,318 enterprises with foreign owner (10.8% of the total enterprises) 2. In Venice 1,574 enterprises with foreign owner are individual entrepreneur or simple partnership (SAS and SNC) for a total of 1.737 locations 3. 92 % of these enterprises with foreign owner have been founded after 2005 4. Principal sectors: 31,3% commerce, 26,6% construction, 15,9% hotel & restaurant
MARGHERA
MESTRE
VENISE
LIDO
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2.0 Overall aim and Specific objectives
Project co-financed by ERDF within the URBACT Programme Brussels 16-17 June 2008
Overall aim:1. To develop an integrated business support system aiming to the social inclusion of disadvantaged and under represented people with specific regard to immigrants
Specific objectives:1. To promote business culture and self entrepreneurship as a resource for personal and social development2. To strengthen and to qualify non-financial support services for business start-up, growth and consolidation3. To extend financial-economic promotion measures for business development4. To foster networking of public and private resources for entrepreneurship promotion
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3.0 Main target groups
Project co-financed by ERDF within the URBACT Programme Brussels 16-17 June 2008
1. Italian and immigrant entrepreneurs and aspirant entrepreneurs2. Trainers, tutors, business advisors3. Chamber of Commerce, entrepreneurs associations, professional bodies, thirdsector organizations4. Middle and secondary schools students
"A me via Piave di più“ event, October 2007 "A me via Piave di più“ event, October 2007
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5.0 Main (governance) principles of the action plan and of its implementation
Project co-financed by ERDF within the URBACT Programme Brussels 16-17 June 2008
Entrepreneurship as an active tool for social inclusion of disadvantaged and under represented groups, with specific regard to immigrants
Equal opportunities for all citizens in the access to business support services; but:
1. Services and tools customization according to the specific needs of immigrant users
2. Integrated business support strategy: - it considers organically the different stages of enterprise support:
business culture promotion, support in the start-up phase, access to finance, consolidation and growth support;
- complementarities between financial and non-financial business support. 3. Inter-departmental coordination and inter-institutional cooperation with the Veneto Region and key stakeholders for business promotion: Chamber of Commerce, entrepreneurs associations, professional bodies, third sector organizations. Towards a “Local pact for inclusive entrepreneurship” funded on the participation in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation phases of local stakeholders 4. Municipality of Venice: in charge of the coordination and promotion of the local action plan and pact
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4.0 Activities to be undertaken
Six areas of intervention:
1. Business culture promotion2. Information and guidance3. Training4. Economic promotion5. Knowledge of the social-economic situation6. Coordination and networking
Project co-financed by ERDF within the URBACT Programme Brussels 16-17 June 2008
2. Information and guidance:a. Strengthening of the existing municipal information and advice service for entrepreneursb. Customization of existing services to the needs of immigrant users; processing and spread of:
• multi-language information tools • multi-media package for intercultural training and advice related to business support
c. Improvement of on-line information for business development: increasing of cooperation with existing portals (www.venetoimmigrazione.it “)
1. Business culture promotion:a. Introduction of TAKTIX, the board game that learns how to run a successful business, in middle and secondary schools b. Radio programmes for the promotion of self-entrepreneurship through a multimedia platform managed by immigrants associations (to be created within FIVE Project)
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4.1 Activities to be undertaken
Project co-financed by ERDF within the URBACT Programme Brussels 16-17 June 2008
3. Training:a. Training programme for business start up and consolidation, targeting Italian and immigrant entrepreneurs (experimental training course project application for recent call for proposals within ESF ROP)b. Training programme for practitioners (trainers and tutors) and business advisors on intercultural training and cultural mediation methods
4. Economic promotion:a. Restoration of some spaces located at Forte Rossarol and their conversion into a business incubator for immigrant enterprisesb. Agreement with foundations and financial institutions for the increase of subsidised financing for entrepreneurs and micro-credit for starter entrepreneurs c. Promoting and giving visibility to successful experiences, specifically related to equal opportunities, through the foundation and/or participation in prizes for successful entrepreneurs d. Regular multilingual information on local, national and European funding opportunities for business development
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4.2 Activities to be undertaken
Project co-financed by ERDF within the URBACT Programme Brussels 16-17 June 2008
5. Knowledge of the social-economic situation:
a. Community involvement and mediation project (« via Piave » project);
b. Research on immigrant entrepreneurial strategies;
c. Identification, analysis and diffusion of good practices at European level on “immigrant entrepreneurship”;
d. Geomapping of of Italian and foreign local enterprises in the Municipality of Venice website.
6. Coordination and networking:
a. (Possible) Setting up of a City inter-departmental technical long-lasting working group with the participation of the Veneto Region
b. Creation and signing of a “Local pact for inclusive entrepreneurship” where activities and all signers’ commitments will be detailed c. Setting up of a mixed commission between the City and local socio-economic stakeholders to monitor the implementation of the local action plan and local pact
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6.0 Complementarities with other interventions
Project co-financed by ERDF within the URBACT Programme Brussels 16-17 June 2008
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Questions for workshops
WORKSHOP 1Composition of the Local Support Group• Are you sure you have the relevant stakeholders
in your Urbact local Support Group?• How balanced is the group? Is it mostly
municipality departments? What about other public agencies? Are NGOs involved? Is the private sector on board (where appropriate)?
• Are there missing voices? Are users, or residents adequately involved?
• Will the group be able to work effectively? • What barriers is the group likely to face in working
effectively
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WORKSHOP 1How will the group link to the URBACT
network meetings• Is the group meeting before and/or after
network exchange meetings? • Is the group making demands on the network
to help to solve its problems? E.g. In terms of issues to be discussed
• Does someone from the group attend the network meetings?
• What challenges does the group face in doing its work
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WORKSHOP 2Local Action Plans
• What kind of local action plan is foreseen?• What is the anticipated involvement of the LSG in the
production of the LAP• What are the steps towards the production of the Local
Action Plan?• Are there existing plans that the LAP needs to build on?• How will you consult with other local stakeholders• Who will write the plan? (e.g. co-production) who will
help them to write it?• Is the plan going to require funding for projects?• How will the Managing Authority be involved
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