Putting partnership into context Anna Koziel Forum of Non Governmental Organizations (FIP) Association European Project Brussels 2006

Poland – basic facts 38 million citizens 312,000 km2 16 regions

Poland – number of citizens

Poland – regions 16 regions one of the three levels of local self- government important for implementing EU structural funds

The Polish voluntary sector 1989 – a new era starts for voluntary sector: the right to associate introduced 2003 – the latest law: - introduces organisations of public benefit - allows to collect 1% of income tax 2004 – access to EU funding About NGOs

FIP Association European Project- all about partnership What do we do? we take steps aiming at increasing NGOs participation in the use of the Structural Funds we run support system to assist Polish NGOs in their participation in the consultation of programming documents which will constitute the expenditure of the Structural Funds in we monitor the use of the Structural Funds by NGOs. We cooperate with similar NGOs in other countries

European Projects (Polish NGO office in Brussels) Regional Liaison Experts project (with Batory Foundation) Euro-Ngo project (with SPLOT Network) Cooperate (with ECAS) Regional EFS training centers (with public administration body)

PROGRAMME OF REGIONAL LIAISON-EXPERTS Main tasks for liaison-experts 1. Elaborating of coherent strategy of communication and channels of information in the region between such actors as NGOs, public administration (local authorities) and business 2. Organizing consultations among NGOs on such documents as: National Development Plan, operational programmmes for SF, strategy of regional development, programming fiches, voivodship contracts and other important for region

Main tasks of the Liasion Experts 3. Elaborating stable co-operation and dialogue with Marshal Offices and with other levels of local government 4. Monitoring of the process of recruitment (elections) to the regional steering and monitoring committees to ensure NGO participation in it. Disseminating information among NGOs about the process of recruitment to these committees 5. Monitoring of terms of reference for tenders within pre-accession and Structural Funds in order to open these tenders also for non-profit activities and NGOs

Main tasks of the Liasion Experts 6. Advising on how to create consortia; giving examples of best practices from the EU Member States; mediating between different sectors 7. Informing all interested parties about the headway of programming of Structural Funds 8. Advising on how to prepare a project 9. Participating in relevant meetings, training, consultations etc.

PROGRAMME OF REGIONAL LIAISON-EXPERTS Technical aspects Batory Foundation supports programme by providing operational funds: not for awarding liaison-experts but for their operations FIP Association in Warsaw ensures good relations and support from ministries and local administration; organizes series of training for l.- experts; provides information materials and every-day support liaison-experts are employed in a regional organization/institution which agreed to delegate one or two of its employee(s) to this programme

MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS good relations with the public administration (national and local level) building up a knowledge base for NGOs involvement of NGOs to the regional work of programming of SF integration of NGOs in particular region and subject of EU founds NGO wider debate on cohesion policy and EU funds

Thank you