1. MULTILEVEL GOVERNANCE UNDER ESF IN SPAIN
Brussels, may, 11th 2011

2. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ESF PROGRAMMING IN SPAIN
High level of decentralization.
Program design combines the existence of 19 regional Operational Programs with 3 multi-regional Programs.
A single Management Authority, and, in the case of Regional Programs, one Intermediate Body per region with broad delegated powers.
Multilevel governance is essential in the planning and preparation stage as well as during the implementation, management, monitoring and evaluation stages, especially through the promotion of administrative and institutional cooperation and the inclusion of the principle of partnership as a transversal principle of ESF Strategy in Spain.

3. TYPES OF MULTILEVEL GOVERNANCE
Vertical dimension: top-down approach (eg. National Public Employment Service´s ESF Territorial Group) and bottom-up approach (eg. Network on Fighting against Early School and Training Leaving).
Horizontal dimension:
Development of administrative and institutional capacities (eg. Network of ESF regional Intermediate bodies)
Improvement of the management of a specific Operational Programme (eg. Social Council under the Operational Programme of the autonomous city of Ceuta)
A more efficient delivery addressed to the specific needs of a target group (Network on the labour inclusion of offenders and ex offenders)
Transversal dimension (eg. Network on Equal Opportunities Policies and Network of persons responsible for Information and Communication issues). 3

4. MAIN ACTORS IN MULTILEVEL GOVERNANCE I
EU Authorities.
National Government, with the presence of government departments who have areas of responsability related to the ESF: Promoting entrepreneurship and improving the adaptability of workers, companies and entrepreneurs (Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade, Ministry of Development), Employability (Ministry of Labour and Immigration, Ministry of Health, Social Policy and Equality, Ministry of Territorial Policy and Public Administration, Ministry of Environment, Rural Development and Fisheries), Increasing and improving human capital (Ministry of Science and Innovation, Ministry of Education).
19 Regional Authorities of the Autonomous Communities and Autonomous Cities of Ceuta and Melilla.
Local Authorities. In Spain there are 8,114 municipalities that are represented in the Operational Programmes by the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) or other regional associations and federations of municipalities and provinces.

5. MAIN ACTORS IN MULTILEVEL GOVERNANCE II
The main NGOs (eg: Red Cross, Caritas, Fundación Secretariado Gitano) or organisations that represent them (eg: National Platform of NGOs, the European Anti-Poverty- EAPN).
Unions and Employers Associations.
Entities and bodies with a transversal character: Equal Opportunities bodies such as national and regional Women's Institutes and Environmental Organisations, such as the Network of Environmental Authorities 5

6. CONCLUSIONS I
Due to the high level of decentralization in Spain, there is a need to combine the particular interests of each region and the common interests.
It is essential to develop multilevel Governance in the programming design, as well as in the management, monitoring and evaluation, particularly through the fostering of the administrative and institutional cooperation and the inclusion of partnership as a transversal principle in the ESF Strategy for Spain. 6

7. CONCLUSIONS II
Multilevel Governance should include not only the different levels of the Administration (european, national, regional and local level) but also the entities and organisations which deal directly with the final beneficiaries within the framework of the ESF (NGOs, Unions and Employers associations ect.) and entities responsible for transversal issues.
Processes which develop multilevel governance can have a vertical dimension, including top-down and bottom-up approaches, a horizontal dimension or a transversal dimension, common to all of the Operational Programmes.
Multilevel Governance improves and innovates procedures, avoids overlapings and manages resources more efficiently.

8. Thank you ¡