The „Bieruń-Lędziny ”Real” Consultations’ project, co-funded by the European Union under the European Social Fund. Implemented between November 2013 and December 2014 by the Bieruń-Lędziny County Office and the MOST Association for the Support of Non-Governmental Organisations from Katowice.
The aim of the project was to improve the effectiveness of the public consultation process amongst residents of the Bieruń-Lędzia district by developing and implementing active consultation tools and procedures. Among other things, we launched a consultation tool: www.konsultacje.powiatbl.pl
During the project, support was provided to a team comprising 40 representatives from the County Council and 25 representatives from non-governmental organisations operating within the county.
At least 100 residents – the future beneficiaries of the project’s outcomes – took part in information and consultation activities (meetings, a conference, consultations)
They were designed to raise awareness of the consultations and, on that basis, to increase interest in taking part in them.
The project was divided into three implementation phases:
- Promoting public consultation tools and techniques, including through a programme of training sessions aimed at representatives of the County Office and non-governmental organisations.
- Advisory support on the implementation and operation of the consultation process for representatives of the County Council and non-governmental organisations.
- Planning and implementing a public consultation process, using active consultation techniques and tools.
As part of the project, we consulted local residents on two draft resolutions to be adopted. The consultations were based on the procedure and tools developed by the consultation team, comprising representatives of the County Office staff and representatives of local non-governmental organisations, in formats best suited to the needs of the residents. In each of the two consultation processes, two meetings were organised in each municipality: the first to identify needs and the second to gather feedback.
The final element of the project was the development of a well-functioning public consultation process in which every resident of the district will be able to take part.
Thanks to the development of a new consultation system, the following groups, amongst others, will be able to participate in raising their needs and comments: residents, local councillors, businesspeople, members of associations and foundations – in other words, various individuals and organisations connected with and working towards the development of the Bieruń-Lędziny district.
„Bieruńsko-Lędzińskie Consultations – For Real” is a project aimed at improving the effectiveness of the public consultation process amongst residents of the Bieruńsko-Lędziński district, as part of which we have carried out the following:
- 8 hours of training for the management of the County Office and its subordinate units
- 24 hours of training for representatives of the County Council
- 30 hours of training for representatives of non-governmental organisations
- A two-day residential workshop for representatives of the County Council and local non-governmental organisations
- 40 hours of IT consultancy for representatives of the County Council
- 60 hours of specialist consultancy for representatives of the County Office
- 60 hours of specialist consultancy for representatives of non-governmental organisations
- 12 moderated meetings of the advisory group
- 20 meetings with residents as part of two consultation processes carried out in each of the five municipalities in the district
- 1st conference as part of the consultation promotion campaign