Z-dialogues

In March 2014, the MOST Association launched the „Z-dialogowani” project, co-financed by the EEA Grants under the Citizens for Democracy programme, the aim of which is to improve the effectiveness of civic dialogue institutions and the quality of the solutions they develop. The project will also help to improve communication between members of various civic bodies in three local authorities in the Silesian Voivodeship.

The project activities are intended to lead to the development of an interdisciplinary approach to problem-solving in local government and to improve the coordination of the work of civil dialogue institutions.

The project, together with its participants – at least 45 members of civil dialogue organisations:

1. we will develop a method for tackling social problems through an interdisciplinary approach and implement it in collaboration with three local authorities;
2. we will improve communication between the above-mentioned institutions and develop an e-tool to standardise meeting minutes, which will then be available online and easily searchable via web browsers;
3. we will equip members of the above-mentioned institutions in the three local authorities to adopt a creative approach to problem-solving;
4. We will disseminate the solutions developed as part of the project, thereby improving the quality of cooperation in other municipalities and districts across the province.

Improving the quality of the IDO’s operations through cooperation will ultimately lead to an increase in the effectiveness and relevance of local solutions, and thus to an improvement in the quality of life of residents in the three local government units.

Project stages:

1. The recruitment process, which involves an in-depth analysis of the functioning of civic dialogue institutions across all counties and municipalities in the Silesian Voivodeship, including field visits.
2. The compiled data has been analysed and made available under a CC licence.
3. Developing solutions, carried out in collaboration with the project participants; this activity consists of:
   – three 3-day residential workshops – one per location – on the functioning of civic dialogue institutions within local authorities;
   – meetings at each location, with a view to drawing up a SWOT analysis for that location;
   – three 3-day workshops – one for each location – on fostering creativity;
   – developing tools for civil dialogue institutions in three areas:
   A) improving communication between institutions,
   B) ensuring that the activities of civil dialogue institutions are easily accessible and transparent,
   C) a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to solving local problems;
4. testing solutions at each of the three locations;
5. validation of the project’s products, followed by their modification in line with the evaluation results.
6. Implementation of solutions in local authorities.
7. Disseminating the project’s results, including through meetings at local government forums and presentations at conferences, as well as the publication of articles about the project and the proposed solutions on industry websites.