SeeNet I – Local Governments engine development
2003 – 2006: First Phase
The first step of Seenet Programme – Local governments as development engines, from 2003 to 2006, was promoted by the Tuscany Region and Istria Region and co-funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The goal of the Programme, carried out in collaboration with the Italian NGOs Ucodep-Cospe, was to promote the development of a network of local governments aimed at the institutional strengthening and the improvement of managing competences in two fields of work: economic development and offer and management of public services.
THE PARTNERS INVOLVED
The South-East European authorities involved have been 21 coming from Albania (Municipality of Shkoder), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Canton of Sarajevo, Canton of Herzegovina-Neretva, Cities of Mostar and Sarajevo, Municipalities of Livno, Trebinje, Nevesinje, Sanski Most, Prijedor, Tuzla), Croatia (Region of Istria, Cities of Pisino, Rovinj, Varaždin and Municipality of Verteneglio), Kosovo (Municipality of Peć/Peja), Macedonia (City of Skopje) and Serbia (City of Kraguievac, Niš, Municipality of Voždovac).
In Italy 22 public authorities have joined the network, among which the Tuscany Region, the Province of Arezzo and the Municipalities of Florence, Arezzo, Carrara, Montale, Quarrata, Pistoia.
ACTIONS
The Programme has been developed into three stages:
Stage I: “Knowledge and sharing” promoted the knowledge among partners through the activities of analysis and exchange of experiences;
Stage II: “Work in Partnership” promoted the joint work among the partners and favoured the drafting of short and medium term planning documents and the performance of priority initiatives;
Stage III: “Capitalisation of the Experience” led to the creation of a website for the network communication and to the final publication in which the initiative was evaluated.
RESULTS
The most significant element of the first stage of Seenet is maybe the promotion of dialogue among local authorities, such as administrations and the different associations involved. This, on the one hand, created ways of active participation and collaboration among local citizens, on the other promoted work opportunities on the governance of local development processes.
As far as the first working field is concerned, local economic development, the Programme has promoted interventions for the support to small and medium enterprises, for rural development and for the enhancement of typical products and tourism and cultural heritage.
In particular, some interventions in support of small and medium enterprises through technical assistance and the elaboration of local development plans have been carried out in Tuzla, Prijedor, Sanski Most and Sarajevo. In Trebinje the Programme supported the creation of the cooperative of beekeepers Žalfija, which gathers more than 200 partners and allowed the growth of the honey production, a typical local high-quality product. In Mostar, Sarajevo, Sanski Most and in the Hutovo Blato Park the Programme supported some interventions of tourism enhancement, as well as in the inner city of At Mejdan in Sarajevo, in the Old Town of Mostar and in the thermal centre of Sanska Ilidža of Sanski Most.
In the field of public services, it promoted the planning and creation of innovative plants and the introduction of modern systems of business management. In Livno, Nevesinje, Trebinje and Prijedor it supported some interventions aimed at the improvement of the water and waste management, among which the completion of the sewage system, the purchase of equipment, the awareness on the separate collection of rubbish, the realization of feasibility studies for a dump and the training of the staff involved.
download the Publication "The Seenet Network and the Programme: Appraisal of an Experience"
by: UCODEP and Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna di Pisa
