Village closer to cooperation
„Rural Areas Closer to Cooperation” is a project aimed at making cooperation between local government bodies, particularly in rural areas, with non-governmental organisations a widespread practice that will continue to develop and grow in significance in the field of activities promoting local socio-economic development.
Another aim of the project is to implement best practices in cooperation, which will help to improve the effectiveness of non-governmental organisations’ work with local government officials. The proposed project will involve activities aimed both at improving the substantive preparation of a group of local authority staff from rural areas to carry out tasks in partnership with the third sector, and at fostering their integration, as well as those aimed at creating favourable conditions for their active involvement in developing social initiatives and integrating non-governmental organisations into the process of local socio-economic development.
Since it was first established – almost 12 years ago – the „MOST” Association has been working with local government bodies. We collaborate on projects carried out by the Association and as part of our day-to-day activities, including advisory services and training on the development of social engagement and third sector issues. In the Silesian Voivodeship, around 15 representatives for cooperation with non-governmental organisations have so far been appointed within local authorities, meaning that this arrangement applies to fewer than 10% local authorities (the total number of municipalities and districts in the Silesian Voivodeship is 184). Furthermore, this role is virtually non-existent in rural municipalities and occurs only sporadically in rural districts. In these local government bodies, designated officials are assigned an additional remit relating to cooperation with organisations, or, as is the case in the majority of rural municipalities, no such remit is specifically defined. Our observations suggest that „managing” cooperation with organisations within a local government unit most often leads to an increase in the number of conferences, seminars and training sessions organised by local authorities for organisations, and this can be regarded as a positive development. It is, however, difficult to speak of building cooperation, developing a good model of communication or a consultation process – protracted grant procedures predominate, to which, practically every year, within the framework of (or without) a resolution on cooperation, minor changes are introduced. This is particularly evident in rural areas, where there are a small number of traditional organisations whose support from the local authority is regarded as ongoing and is usually allocated to carrying out the same tasks rather than to expanding cooperation.
It has been in force for 5 years The Act on Public Benefit Activities and Volunteering, which sets out the obligation for local government to cooperate with non-governmental organisations. For nearly four years now, there have been extensive opportunities to participate in various European programmes, including the ESF, which highlight the benefits that can be derived from cooperation between different partners, including the advantages of partnerships between local government and the third sector. The increased activity of Polish non-governmental organisations on the international stage, particularly within the EU, is helping to raise awareness of various new models of NGO operation and is gradually changing attitudes towards the functioning of the third sector. In March 2004, for the purposes of activities carried out by the „MOST” Association in several municipalities in the Silesian Voivodeship, concerning problems with compliance with the provisions The Acts on Public Benefit Activities and on Volunteering, we have prepared a study entitled „”Problems in cooperation between local government and non-governmental organisations’.”. At that time, it was difficult to assume that our assessment of the problems at the time, as well as the views expressed by organisations and local authority staff, would remain valid. This is confirmed by the information obtained as part of the „Closer Cooperation” project carried out with the FIO in 2007. In reality, cooperation between the administration and organisations rarely goes much beyond declarations of good intentions, whilst the development of a professional workforce and the recruitment of staff in the social sector remains a controversial issue that is often sidelined. Both government departments and organisations play a part in perpetuating this state of affairs. Instead of identifying areas for more advanced cooperation, time and energy are wasted on each side trying to find reasons why concrete contact has not been established to carry out joint tasks.
The current regulations require that „some form of reference” be made to cooperation with non-governmental organisations, but who within the local government administration deals directly with non-governmental organisations, and how, is a matter for the authorities to decide. Four models of „managing” cooperation with non-governmental organisations within local government offices can be identified:
- assigning additional responsibilities to designated officials (usually from the promotion or citizens’ affairs departments, though this is not always the case and the departments may vary),
- the handling of matters relating to the organisation by the relevant „thematic” departments,
- the appointment of a representative responsible for cooperation with non-governmental organisations (most commonly found in towns with town status),
- a mixed system – in different areas, cooperation is organised in different ways; for example, a representative is responsible for cooperation with organisations, such as by organising forums, seminars and training courses, whilst individual departments conduct competitive procedures to secure funding for the implementation of tasks,
Each of these models may be valid, as needs and capabilities vary. The problem is that the cooperation system should be tailored to the partners involved, yet public authorities rarely consult organisations on such important matters as the organisation of cooperation.
The specific nature of non-governmental organisations based in rural areas also has a huge impact on cooperation. These are most often Rural Women’s Clubs, sports clubs, the Volunteer Fire Brigade and breeders’ associations, which, despite possessing considerable social potential, are not often regarded by the local authority as useful partners in resolving local issues. Furthermore, in order to adapt to changing conditions, these organisations need institutional support within their immediate environment, which should be provided by the local authority. An official responsible for liaising with representatives of non-governmental organisations in rural areas should acquire specific skills enabling them to take active steps to foster sectoral and cross-sectoral cooperation, including motivating and encouraging the local community to become active within the third sector.
An even more significant problem is the level of preparation of the designated local authority staff for working with organisations. Matters relating to cooperation with non-governmental organisations are often handled by staff members chosen at random, for whom working with organisations is frequently an additional duty alongside promotion or fundraising. It is practically the norm that designated staff and appointed representatives begin their work with little knowledge of how civil society organisations operate. Staff changes in government offices, resulting from elections, lead to changes in posts considered to carry little responsibility and requiring no specialist knowledge, which are therefore treated as sinecures. Our experience shows that those appointed to liaise with organisations should not expect to hold their posts permanently. All too often, before they have acquired the necessary knowledge to work with organisations, their post is taken by the next employee, who is „new to the subject”. Moreover, the staff members themselves often make no secret of the fact that their aim is to secure a different post within the office, one regarded as better. It is also all too common for them to adopt the attitude of a decision-maker towards organisations and to ignore the expertise of the people working within them.
Officials responsible for liaising with non-governmental organisations – who are well-prepared, committed to their work and see career prospects in it – are essential for the development of local partnerships and the non-governmental sector. Relying on support from third sector infrastructure organisations and occasional training courses cannot replace a programme specifically tailored to this group. This is evident from the results of the „Closer Cooperation” project carried out by the Association in 2007, which was aimed directly at civil servants. It is also essential to initiate mutual contacts amongst civil servants aimed at integrating them with organisations or preparing them to utilise the potential of the third sector. Both the representatives for people with disabilities and those responsible for tackling alcohol-related problems are in a better position, as they take part in relevant programmes and maintain contact with one another. The „Closer Cooperation” project has delivered the intended results, both in terms of enhancing participants’ skills and in mobilising local NGOs. We now wish to focus our efforts on rural and rural-urban areas, where there is a greater need to initiate activities with organisations.
The project contributes to the achievement of the FIO’s objective by strengthening cooperation between organisations and local authorities in the performance of public tasks, through measures aimed at levelling the playing field for organisations in rural areas.
The target group consists of local government officials – staff responsible for liaising with NGOs. The group will comprise up to 15 participants (from 11 municipalities), seven of whom have previously worked with the „MOST” Association. The project’s geographical scope covers the central, western and northern sub-regions of the Silesian Voivodeship (the former Katowice and Częstochowa Voivodeships).
To carry out this task, it is essential to include a group of representatives from non-governmental organisations in the implementation team. The aim is to convince members of the target group of the competence of those working in the third sector, to incorporate into the workshop programme elements that mirror real-life interactions between local government officials and representatives of the third sector, to promote integration, and to ensure that the monitoring of activities and the evaluation of results are conducted objectively. Five people have provisionally confirmed their participation in the project. We will invite a further 6–10 people to take part in the project, selected from amongst those collaborating with the Association on the following projects: „Bez okólnika”, „Let’s Work Together”, the ESF Regional Operational Programme, the Partnership for the Professionalisation of the Third Sector under the EQUAL Initiative, and „Closer Cooperation”.