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Description
In this project, we are changing the climate around public consultations. Our aim is to increase the presence of NGOs, informal groups and residents (including young people) in public life, and we are spreading civic dialogue on environmental and climate protection. Public consultations are still an underestimated tool of public participation in Poland. They are often treated by offices as ''a necessary evil'', e.g. their role is limited to publishing the documents on the offices'' websites. In the 2018 Europolis ''Civic Cities'' survey examining, among other things, the residents'' participation in public consultations in 65 Polish cities, the Podlaskie Province cities took distant places (Łomża: 21, Białystok: 45, and Suwałki: 53). This survey reveils that the problem of low public participation is very serious in our region. Our experience shows that public consultations are an opportunity, not a hindrance. They allow optimal decision-making, and help defuse or even prevent social conflicts. In addition, they build a sense of shared responsibility for decisions and integrate the community around important issues. As part of the project, we want to develop and disseminate innovative forms of conducting dialogue with citizens. We are carrying out a series of training sessions for people representing 10 municipalities who, supported by mentors, will carry out one of the innovative forms of consultation on important issues, including environmental protection. We organise meetings for local governments and NGOs on methods of conducting public consultations and on formal and legal issues related to them. We are preparing a handbook ''Consult for CLIMATE change, or how to do it step by step in your municipality'', in which we describe model consultations. In the project, at least 20 NGOs, 10 local authorities and 300 residents (including about 50 young people) are involved.
Summary of project results
The project was to respond to two key challenges: LOW SOCIAL ACTIVITY AND PARTICIPATION IN CONSULTATIONS The analysis of citizens'' involvement in public life showed that in the three largest cities of Podlasie there were many challenges in this area. Evidence of this was the low use by residents of tools enabling co-decision-making on city or estate matters. This was also shown, among others, by the Klon/Jawor research conducted among Podlasie non-governmental organizations. Only 37% of the surveyed organizations participate in consultations on local resolutions, strategies, etc. The biggest barrier to involvement in the consultation process was the lack of information about it - as many as 39% of NGOs that declared regular contact with the local government did not know about the consultations, and 10% claimed that they had not been invited to them in any way. This could indicate ineffective communication activities of the local government or an unattractive form of dialogue. NEED TO STRENGTHEN THE SPACE FOR DIALOGUE AND COMPETENCE OF BOTH SIDES. Strong, locally rooted NGOs play a key role in developing citizen engagement. Competent and strengthened ones have a greater potential to engage residents in decision-making processes. They are also a reliable partner for local government. Unfortunately, the Podlasie NGO sector is mainly made up of small organizations, most of which do not employ staff and have low financial capital. They constitute only approx. 4% (3400) of the Polish NGO sector (Klon/Jawor Report). Organizations are unable/could not, and therefore were afraid to initiate consultation processes or cooperate with local governments in this area. Local governments most often delegated NGO plenipotentiaries to cooperate with NGOs and residents. Despite the importance of this role in local governments, in most cases these are not independent positions, and tasks are often added to the scope. Officials reported to us a lack of proper preparation, knowledge gaps and skills in animating the environment in this area.
The aim of the project was to increase the presence of social organizations, informal groups and residents (including youth) in public life and to strengthen the forum for public debate in the area of environmental protection. During 19 months, we engaged 10 local government environments to conduct an active civic dialogue, conducted using innovative, attractive methods. Over 300 residents of the region, including over 50 young people, took part in the participatory processes. We prepared recommendations for various public policies and legal acts, including those concerning environmental protection. The project had two main activities: EDUCATION about various forms of social dialogue that can serve the protection of the environment and other key community dilemmas during the implementation of the project, and practical IMPLEMENTATION and evaluation of selected consultation models. Several educational meetings were held, the Academy of Dialogue, both stationary and online, and the Regional Social Forum with the participation of experts from Poland. A guidebook has been prepared "How to organize public consultations on environmental protection" - or how to do it step by step, which will allow the developed and tested scenarios to be popularized in the region and in Poland and will increase the participation of the community, including young people, in decision-making processes. The tasks in the project have been planned in such a way as to strengthen the competences and build relations of the three parties to the dialogue - the local government side, i.e. officials, the social side, i.e. representatives of organizations, and directly residents - and this was successful. The evaluation report emphasizes that the effectiveness of the actions taken.
Achieved results: Educational meetings for officials and social organizations and informal groups - 17 Number of officials and representatives of social organizations and informal groups whose knowledge of civic dialogue and engaging organizations and residents in participatory processes increased - 207 Number of officials and representatives of organizations trained as part of the Academy - 23 Number of people participating in consultation processes - 367 Number of participatory processes in municipalities conducted using various methods of consultation processes - 10 The project aimed to increase the presence of social organizations, informal groups and residents in public life, IT WAS TO CHANGE THE CLIMATE for civic dialogue, strengthen the forum for public debate in the area of environmental protection, and increase the sense of influence. What is important, i.e. the dissemination of knowledge of consultation tools, their active forms and the ability to use them in practice among officials and social activists, has been achieved one hundred percent. All training participants positively assessed the increase in knowledge and awareness of civic dialogue. Planned participatory processes were also carried out. There is therefore a real chance that in local governments where consultations were carried out, they will be used more often and more consciously. Project activities, including evaluation, also served to prepare the guide "Consult for CLIMATE change - or how to do it step by step in your commune", which allowed for the development and testing of scenarios to be disseminated in the region (conference) and in Poland (e-book) and to increase the participation of the community, including young people, in decision-making processes. The guide was prepared in the form of an e-book, was made available on the project website and also through social media.