Description
The project addresses the need to raise public awareness and develop skills among the target groups (students, environmentalist NGOs and the public) to use GIS data. The project aims at providing fast and easy public access to GIS data via a single online platform and boosting the capacity of NGOs and students to use it. First, 20 students aged 18-29 will be trained in civil society monitoring and advocacy and use of GIS, GPS and spatial data. Second, 20 NGO members will be trained to use GIS, GPS systems and spatial data. Third, 7 people will be trained to develop and use a web-based GIS platform. Fourth, the online GIS platform will be developed. The project will benefit the two main target groups of students of life sciences and environmentalist NGOs, as well as the public in general. The partner will support the project with its expertise from Norway, consulting and taking part in the trainings organized.
Summary of project results
The project’s objectives were achieved with the development of a mechanism for provision of knowledge to youths, NGOs representatives and the society on monitoring and advocacy and how to use spatial data for the needs of monitoring and advocacy. As a result, the capacity for advocacy and monitoring of the targeted groups was increased. An important outcome of the project is the fact that the society has access to information produced by BBF and can use it for various needs including for the needs of exercising of monitoring and advocacy. The two main results of the project - the improved capacity of representatives of the target groups and the developed mechanism for information sharing - are self-sustainable, first because the knowledge acquired by the participants will be used by them in their daily activities and in their actions as active citizens and thus will be not only preserved but developed further. Second, the mechanism for Information sharing (web-based GIS platform) is constructed on the basis of utilization of free of charge software which eliminates the need of costly maintenance of the latter. The main outputs of the project are: a web-based GIS platform that provides free and easy access to public data of BBF that can be used for the needs of monitoring and advocacy; built capacity of 52 representatives of the target groups for monitoring and advocacy and for working with spatial data for the needs of monitoring and advocacy; provided information and materials that can be used for the purpose of monitoring and advocacy. The participation of the Norwegian experts – representatives of the project partner – the Norwegian Environment Agency (NEA) helped for the transfer of Norwegian know how and experience in the field of civic monitoring and advocacy and provision of spatial data for the needs of the society.
Summary of bilateral results
The participation of the Norwegian experts – representatives of the project partner – the Norwegian Environment Agency (NEA) helped for the transfer of Norwegian know how and experience in the field of civic monitoring and advocacy and provision of spatial data for the needs of the society. The expert experience in the field of development of systems for management and provision of spatial data contributed for the development of the most suitable structure of the web-based GIS platform and for finding solutions for various challenges that have arisen during the process of its development. The project implementation also helped for further development and deepening of the already existing partnership between BBF and NEA. The partnership also provided possibilities for development of new contacts with other Norwegian institutions and for discussion of potential possibilities for new partnerships with other Norwegian organizations. Both NEA and BBF will continue to keep close partnership relations even after the end of the project and will continue to look for possibilities for implementation of new joint projects. Despite the fact that there are considerable differences of the level of provided access to spatial data and its utilization of the society for monitoring and advocacy between Bulgaria and Norway the project partnership played important role for supporting the process of equalization of the existing inequality. This was achieved through transfer of Norwegian knowledge and approaches and their adjustment towards the Bulgarian conditions and integration within the content of the trainings and the development of the web-based GIS platform.