Stronger and target-oriented Bulluciems community for inclusive Jurmala

Description

In the frames of the project the capacity of the society will be strengthened and public recognition will be increased on its activities and achievements. Targeted public relations activities will be implemented, the content of social media accounts will be reviewed and website designed. Increase of inhabitants in the activities of the society will be achieved by organizing a participatory forum, improving the skills of the staff and volunteers in project management, finance skills, advocacy skills and design thinking to collect the needs of the citizens. The strategic framework and actions plans will be drafted, performance management process and scorecards will be implemented and management process improved. The society will create the initial platform for cooperation for Jurmala city communities with an aim to get a larger impact on cooperation with municipality structures, strengthening the identity and sense of belonging of Jurmala inhabitants to the local community and making citizens accountable for the processes in their city.

Summary of project results

The project aims to strengthen the association’s capacity and increase its public visibility by implementing targeted public relations activities, enhancing social media content, and creating a website. It also seeks to boost community engagement through organizing forums, improving members’ and volunteers’ skills in project management, financial literacy, legal knowledge for advocacy, and design thinking for identifying community needs.

A strategic plan and action plan for the association will be developed, incorporating goal mapping and performance management processes to improve management practices. Foundations will be laid for the creation of a collaboration platform for neighborhood associations in Jūrmala, aiming to activate other neighborhoods, achieve greater impact, and enhance responsiveness in working with Jūrmala municipal authorities. This will help strengthen Jūrmala residents'' sense of belonging to the city and increase their shared responsibility for the ongoing processes in Jūrmala.

1. A project website has been created. Information about the project activities is also posted on the association''s Facebook page. As part of the project, a neighborhood residents'' forum was held at the Jūrmala Open-Air Museum, lasting four hours, offering a variety of lectures, games, and workshops.

2. Within the project management seminar, four project ideas and drafts emerged:

   • Children of the neighborhood worked on a skatepark idea for Jūrmala, creating a space where each generation has a place to meet, where children are not reprimanded, safety rules are followed, skating skills can be developed, and physical activity is encouraged.
   • Parents of the neighborhood developed a project for a discussion space in Bulluciems where new parents could meet and discuss their challenges.
   • A project for developing neighborhood children''s talents.
   • An infrastructure development project for the Lielupe dune area and Lielupe coast, including benches for seniors by the Lielupe and sea coast and improved accessibility for people with disabilities.

Individual Mentoring Session Content:

1. Session: Goal formulation for work.
2. Session: Overview of the association’s financial affairs and practices.
3. Session: Inspiration, confidence, and inner strength.
4. Session: Positive cash flow and budget creation.
5. Session: Working with financial habits.
6. Session: Balancing essential areas of professional life (career, leisure, hobbies, relationships, financial well-being, etc.).
7. Session: Solutions for future issues using the 52-step methodology.
8. Session: Values-based financial well-being plan.
9. Session: Savings building.
10. Session: Changing thought patterns and actions. Habit change.

Advocacy Training Topics:

• Key collaboration platforms
• The role of residents in participation processes. Levels and types of public engagement
• Experiences from Riga’s neighborhoods
• Participatory budgeting as a tool for residents
• Identifying the needs and desires of Riga residents
• Public engagement processes in municipal institutions
• Participatory budgets: Communication with the municipality and involvement in municipal working groups
• Efficient management of administrative resources
• Administrative support for event organization and daily functioning
• Strategic partnerships
• Joint events with NGOs, the municipality, and others
• Project development
• Proposals for donors to promote neighborhood funding
• Building collaboration with neighborhood associations in Riga, the Riga region, the Baltic Sea region, and Scandinavia

Financial Literacy Training Topics:

• Creating positive cash flow and budgets
• Working with financial habits
• Values-based financial well-being plan
• Habits that either advance or hinder financial goals
• Opportunities for additional income
• Support for debt reduction and desired savings accumulation These trainings are particularly crucial during the pandemic, as neighborhood families have faced financial impacts such as unemployment and reduced income.

Design Thinking Seminar: The seminar covered methods for thinking, communication, and problem-solving applicable in various groups, teams, and individually, aiding in understanding resident needs. Active participation also came from educators of the Jūrmala Aspazija Primary School and extracurricular education teachers, aiming to integrate this approach into the educational process. A key insight was that such training provides opportunities for residents to meet and get to know each other, fostering trust for future projects and collaboration. The training also identified a need for more family-friendly environments, especially in the multi-story buildings on Meža Prospekts. The training helped identify a group of neighborhood residents for future projects and activities, though only a few are willing to invest their time significantly toward the association’s key goals.

3. The strategy was developed in an inclusive workshop involving residents from different generations. Goal and performance assessment will help the association:

• Implement a performance and development assessment process as part of the organization''s performance management system;
• Evaluate how each employee/volunteer contributes to achieving the strategic plan collectively;
• Define individual strengths and areas for development. The further use of goal cards and performance management systems will be linked to future project implementation and capacity building.

4. A study was conducted on Jūrmala city neighborhood associations, identifying associations and compiling contact information. A WhatsApp group for Jūrmala neighborhood activists was created, with the code published on the website and social networks. A Facebook group was also established for residents of the Bulduri, Bulluciems, and Lielupe neighborhoods.

Thanks to the project and public relations activities, the association has become more visible, and its social media accounts have gained more followers. The association has developed a strategy and action plan and established a clear goals and performance management process. The leadership of the association has also gained the trust of both formal and informal NGOs and activists in the Jūrmala area to consolidate them into a collaboration platform and activate a WhatsApp group for joint action.