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Description
The project is focused on deepening cooperation with the public at the level of municipalities and regions. The aim is to make it easier for citizens to participate in planning processes, and to improve know-how in the participation of politicians and public officers.
Czech municipalities have come a long way in the area of citizen involvement, but there is still room for improvement – esp. in working with specific groups of citizens. There is an interest in education and methodological support, especially among newly elected politicians or new public officers. This follows from the experience of the HCCZ as a municipal association operating in the Czech Republic for 30 years, but also from surveys among municipalities and from selected documents.
In response to the identified problems, we have prepared several groups of activities in the project:
a) work with children and youth (planning meetings, round tables, examples of good practice, etc.)
b) work with politicians (sharing of experiences in Nor. and Czech environment, education, etc.)
c) innovative participatory activities (emotional maps, work with more difficult groups, etc.)
d) methodological and educational support for municipalities (training, seminars, conferences, etc.)
We will cooperate with the Norwegian partner - the Healthy Cities Network in Norway in all activities. We will share best practices, and inspirations, and organize study trips or joint seminars.
5 other partners from the Czech Republic will be actively involved as a reference point for work with specific target groups: children and youth, women, disadvantaged, socially excluded, and the elderly.
The output will not only include several pieces of training, planning events, study tours, examples from practice, and therefore trained politicians and public officers. As a result, we expect improved opportunities for residents of cities and municipalities to actively and competently participate in the development of the place where they live.
Summary of project results
The project aimed at test innovations and engagement of new target groups using Norwegian approaches, applied in the Czech Republic and vice versa. Additionally, policymakers and public officers in relevant skills and innovations were trained. A key challenge was finding Norwegian examples of good practice that could be understood and applied in the Czech context, requiring us to bridge differences in processes, cultural backgrounds, opportunities, and public engagement methods.
- 20 planning events with the public - forums and round tables, on specific topics and sites to be prepared or improved, themes to be developed;
- 20 school or youth forums to get ideas to improve the school, but especially their town or community;
- 15 live or online emotional maps;
- 14 national events;
- 5 training programmes for public officers or politicians - to facilitate, conduct public hearings, communicate;
- 16 good practices from the Czech Republic and Norway, which are continuously presented at home and abroad;
- 2 study trips abroad - to Norway, where the Project Promoter was able to visit a number of places and discuss community centres, tools to involve the public, how strategic planning works at the level of Norwegian municipalities and cities and a study trip of the Norwegian delegation to the Czech Republic in December
- methodological materials and videos to use.
The Project Promoter considers it essential that both sides could inspire each other, check and compare their practices.
The project achieved the goal of involving citizens in planning and developing the skills of politicians and public officers. It held 55 consultations with active public participation and trained 40 municipalities in organizing such consultations. These activities fostered systematic public engagement, especially with hard-to-involve groups (young, elderly, disabled, etc.). Improvements included new inspiration from both countries, trained participants, event interest, and positive feedback.
The project boosted citizen engagement in cities by introducing innovative ways to involve them in decision-making. This helped cities understand the needs and opinions of diverse citizen groups, leading to better planning and project implementation. The project also facilitated sharing good practices between Czech and Norwegian cities, enriching experiences and strengthening European cooperation. These efforts will increase civic engagement and improve the quality of life in municipalities.
Summary of bilateral results
The project benefited significantly from the partnership between Czech and Norwegian cities. The cooperation enabled both parties to share and implement new participatory methods and innovative ways of citizen engagement.The Norwegian partner provided valuable examples of good practice and tools for strategic planning and engagement.Mutual inspiration and sharing experiences contributed to the enrichment of both sides and the strengthening of European cooperation. Training of officials and politicians, which increased their capacity for facilitation and communication, was considered as a key one.With the Norwegian partner the Project Promoter had the opportunity to draw practical inspiration from each other during two study trips and regular online consultations, together they identified, shared and developed 12 examples of good practices, developed 3 awareness raising materials for politicians