Description
This project focuses on diagnosing the quality of local government programmes for foreigners in Warsaw, broad public consultations both at the survey design stage (identifying real issues and best solutions), initial findings stage and at the end of the process leading to a report which will be the basis for the Warsaw local government Foreigners Integration Programme. The project will actively involve foreigners, immigrant community leaders, non-governmental organizations, city officials, condominiums and social services. An important contribution to the project is expected from the Warsaw Ombudsman for Foreigners and the Social Dialogue Committee on Foreigners in the Warsaw Social Communications Centre. The Vox Humana Association will help reach out to the community of foreigners and the Evaluation Centre will assess the quality of research tools.
Summary of project results
Warsaw lacks any coherent and continuously implemented policy towards foreigners. No effective methods to evaluate activities for their integration have been used, social consultations and activities to include in them the interested persons have had very limited scope. Most of activities have been limited to consultations with local government and NGOs. The aim of the project was to diagnose the quality of activities led by Warsaw local government for foreigners and to develop principles for the city program for foreigners. The project was supposed to improve the effectiveness of using resources for foreigners, enhance the effectiveness of implemented projects, raise competencies of workers of NGOs and city officers in the field of monitoring and evaluating of their activities. As a result of the project, we managed to convince the city authorities to start works on the program for foreigners together with representatives of foreigners and non-governmental organisations. Under the project, 16 meetings were organised where problems of foreigners were identified (11 group interviews and 5 deepened interviews), and evaluations of 16 projects directed to foreigners were conducted, as well as a survey of 9 NGOs acting for foreigners, consultation process (seven meetings) with participation of 5 foreign leaders, interviews with 20 city officers to learn what activities for foreigners are led by different offices. In the surveys 4 foreigners took part. The report "Foreigners in Warsaw, or how to face the inevitable" was prepared, containing recommendations for Warsaw city offices, a publication was prepared on participation and evaluation activities, and the results of the project were presented at a conference (70 participants). The project benefited representatives of non-governmental organisations active for foreigners, city officers, foreigners, leaders of foreign communities, city institutions. The partners of the project were: the Association Vox Humana (helping to reach foreigners, defining their needs, and helping in consultations), the Centre for Evaluations (coordinating part of the surveys, helping in preparing the publication and the report) and the Centre for Social Communication (helping in reaching city officers and documents and in organising consultations and the conference).
Summary of bilateral results