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Description
The Wielkopolska CSO Advocacy and Cooperation Academy project was devised based on experience of the PISOP Center Association. Working with local government authorities, social organizations, and people facing social exclusion, the Association has observed that there is little activity with respect to contracting services from social enterprises. The project aims to include vulnerable persons in advocacy for contracting public duties to CSOs and social enterprises in municipalities in Wielkopolska, with the support of a representative of a local government authority and a person representing a local CSO. In the project, we will organize training for advocates (people in vulnerable groups) on public consultation and the role of community organizations, and training for members of social organizations and government authorities, and residents of particular municipalities on trilateral cooperation, formal and legal contracting of duties, and negotiations. The project participants will take part in a webinar conducted by the Norway-based Partner on issues including local cooperation and advocacy activities, and also a study tour to learn best practices when CSOs cooperate with the municipal authority. We will also provide coaching support. Due to the project, people facing social exclusion will form, working with members of CSOs and local government authorities, a cooperation network to work together to increase the number of services performed for vulnerable groups by social organizations and social enterprises. 36 people in 12 Wielkopolska municipalities will be helped by the measures: 12 vulnerable persons, 12 members of CSOs working to help those persons, and 12 representatives of municipal authorities. The project is being implemented in partnership with the Norwegian Oslo-based Newschool, which provides support in the introduction of modern, innovative methods of working as a group and in involvement in creative types of education.
Summary of project results
The project addresses the problem of local governments'' reluctance to outsource public tasks to NGOs and social enterprises in Wielkopolska municipalities. Despite their potential and expertise, few social organisations are involved in activities for people at risk of exclusion. On the one hand, employees and workers of organisations do not have the resources to engage in dialogue with local government units, while on the other hand, local governments do not appreciate the importance or potential of NGOs in the provision of social services. This in turn has a negative impact on the sustainability of the organisations themselves. In addition, people at risk of exclusion are not themselves asked for their opinion - they are not involved in consultations or decisions about who should carry out public tasks.
The project organised the Wielkopolska Advocacy Academy, which consisted of training, study visits, webinars and coaching. The Academy was attended by 42 people from 14 municipalities in Wielkopolska: people at risk of exclusion (including the long-term sick, the elderly, the unemployed), people from social organisations and municipal offices. The trainings covered - depending on the group - social participation, the role of social organisations, tripartite cooperation, formal and legal commissioning of tasks, negotiations. Project participants took part in a webinar hosted by a Norwegian partner on local cooperation and advocacy, as well as study visits to community organisations working successfully with the municipality. They were also provided with coaching in the development of an activity plan, research into the needs of the local community and consultation on ideas for commissioning tasks to community organisations.
An important outcome of the project was the exchange of experience and dialogue made possible through networking. Groups of people participating in the academy improved their competences and skills in areas such as self-advocacy, cooperation with different actors or participation, and people at risk of exclusion regained their agency. As a result of the project, 10 municipalities commissioned 11 new tasks to NGOs, e.g. in the area of support for senior citizens, integration of residents, support for foreigners, children and young people. A handbook was also produced on how to involve people at risk of exclusion in advocacy and cooperation between social organisations and local authorities.
Summary of bilateral results
Our partner has a lot of experience in education, including for people at risk of exclusion, and in international cooperation, hence we invited him, among other things, to share his knowledge during content events organised for the participants of our joint project. These included - a webinar on How to transfer the experience of the Norwegian third sector to the home country? The meeting introduced the participants to the activities of the third sector in Norway in terms of supporting children and young people, people at risk of social exclusion and senior citizens. - We jointly organised a Social Economy Forum (during the Partner''s visit to Poland) on international cooperation - the Partner''s representative shared her knowledge on benefits, opportunities and challenges in international cooperation.- during a meeting summarising the project, both the project partner and organisations (from Switzerland, Moldova, Finland, Spain, Norway) met during the implementation of the "Institutional development" activity, and presented transnational inspirations to be used locally in Poland, e.g. in the field of cooperation between public authorities and inhabitants, or on transnational cooperation.An extremely valuable experience was a visit of our organisation''s representatives to Norway, which the partner literally tailored for us. We met extremely interesting organisations, learned about fresh and innovative good practices, and made new acquaintances, which resulted in new joint projects.The cooperation with the Project Partner, although very fruitful, has not continued. We encountered difficulties in formal matters, i.e. concerning settlements and a great misunderstanding on the part of the Partner as to the procedures in force in Poland, e.g. we had great difficulty in obtaining confirmations of expenditure under the accounting note.