Social development design & local development BHC – Building Healthy Communities Use of Structural Funds in developing "Health Gains” Bacău, September 29 – October 1, 2010 The Quality of Life Research Institute Romanian Academy Mihnea Preotesi Iulian Stănescu

The concept of social development the origin: Mise en valeur (Wallerstein, 2004) 1960s: the development decade (Huntington, 1968) 1970s: sustainable development (Club of Rome Report, 1972) 1980s: human development 1990s: social development World Summit for Social Development - Copenhagen 1995 The ultimate goal of social development is to improve and enhance the quality of life of all people poverty eradication employment social integration

The need of social development in Romania transition – first 10 years –18% decline in GDP –3.3 million jobs lots out of 8.1 million in 1990 –35.9% absolute poverty lack of social & development policies institutional and social policy development –CASPIS: EU, World Bank, UK Government

Social development design development design “by crisis”, under the pressure of negative factors (Zamfir, 2007) more than crisis solving, a process of medium or long term planning structural components –desirable status, defined as goal by the community –set of actions framed in time – strategies, plans, programmes

Phases of social development Part I – Social problems analysis 1. Social problems identification & diagnostics 2. Priorities and objectives 3. Solutions and strategic variable Part II – Project cycle management 4. Action plan 5. Implementation 6. Monitoring 7. Evaluation 8. Feed-back & correction

Social problem categories types of issues/problems –central –manifest –latent –potential systemic view: status and causal problems

Social problem dynamics Theorem: emptiness beckons filling (Zamfir, 2005)

Local and urban development 2000s: the new localism –understanding of the limitations of centrally-driven policy implementation Urban development (Vîrdol, 2007) –associated with industrialization –growth process through qualitative changes Policies, strategies, programs –challenges: complex, interactive, time-consuming

Urban development trends in Romania Overgrowth in Bucharest Relative decline of large cities (including Bacău) Medium-sized cities maintained level of inhabitants (100,000) Decline of small cities and towns

Financial empowerment for local government in Romania