BACKGROUND TO THEMATIC ACTIVITIES

At the end of 1997, the Commission and the European Social Fund Heads of Mission from all Member States agreed a Common Strategy for Thematic Activities and Visibility which would apply to the final phase of ADAPT and EMPLOYMENT. This strategy was intended to strengthen the role of the two Initiatives in having a policy impact at European and Member State level. One major target for impact is the European Employment Strategy (EES) which was launched at the Luxembourg summit, in 1997. Broad priorities for the EES are established annually in the form of European Employment Guidelines. Then, these Guidelines are incorporated into National Action Plans for Employment (NAPs) that set out what each country intends to do to create more and better quality jobs, during the year in question.

A quick overview of the Initiatives shows that they have much to offer in terms of new approaches that have proved to be effective and successful in stimulating or retaining employment. It is easy to find a direct relationship between these approaches and most of the current 22 Employment Guidelines. Also, similar links exist with many of the policy orientations established in the NAPs of the various Member States. So, it was not surprising that the Commission and the Member Sates were anxious to explore the rich mine of good practice represented by the 3,846 ADAPT and the 6,230 EMPLOYMENT projects that have been supported through the Union. Nine broad priority areas were chosen and on each of these a Thematic Focus Group (TFG) was established. Each TFG involves those Member States which attach a priority to its theme and are committed to exploring and disseminating good practice in that field. The Commission is also represented on each group, which is chaired by a lead Member State, in some cases assisted by other Member States wishing to share this responsibility.

TFG	Theme	Bnl	Bfr	DK	D	GR	ESP	F	IRL	IT	L	NL	P	A	FIN	S	UKgb	Ukni	
1	Territorial approaches																		
2	Integrated approaches for training																		
3	New jobs																		
4	Crossing the job threshold																		
5	New forms of work organisation																		
6	Desegregation of the labour market																		
7	Employers and people with disabilities																		
8	Empowerment of excluded people																		
9	Active involvement of young people																		
Lead Member State	Assisting Member State Other participating Member States

The TFGs have met on a number of occasions during 1998-1999. They have taken account of the views and experience of project promoters and also those local people who have benefited directly from the new services and facilities that the projects have introduced. They have also consulted employers including SME managers, trade unionists and experts in the fields of guidance, employment, training, work organisation and local development. Many TFGs have promoted or organised national or European conferences and events. The results of their work have also been reflected in a series of publications of which this is one, and in information contained on a variety of European and national web sites (see list of useful addresses at the end of this publication).

Reproduction is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged.

The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of the European Commission, Employment and Social Affairs Directorate-General.

THE adapt and employment COMMUNITY INITIATIVES

ADAPT and EMPLOYMENT are two Human Resource Initiatives led by the European Social Fund. Both Initiatives started in 1995 and some projects will continue until the end of the year 2000. Projects were selected following calls for proposals in 1995 and 1997. Member States manage these Initiatives in partnership with the European Commission. National Support Structures and EUROPS, the Commission’s technical assistance office, assist in their implementation.

The principles underpinning both Initiatives are:
•	transnationality: projects must be partnered with projects in other Member States which are focused on similar or complementary priorities;
•	innovation: projects must experiment with new ideas or methods, or with new combinations of existing ideas, methods or collaborators;
•	local involvement: projects should involve a range of local individuals and organisations and focus this combined resource and experience on developing their innovative ideas;
•	multiplier effect: the experiences should be recorded, evaluated and widely disseminated through expert and professional networks, and to the public.

ADAPT aims to transform the way in which companies, especially small firms, the organisations which support them, and workers themselves, respond to industrial change. In terms of the methods used, the 1997 projects have placed a greater emphasis on the use of new information and communication technologies and the building of the information society. Almost 4000 projects have been or are supported under ADAPT, financed jointly by the European Social Fund and public and private sources in their Member State. The total ESF contribution for the five years of the ADAPT Initiative is over 1.6 billion euros.

EMPLOYMENT targets groups of people who face special difficulties in the labour market. It has four inter-related strands: NOW for women; HORIZON for people with disabilities; INTEGRA for socially excluded people; and YOUTHSTART for young people. EMPLOYMENT aims to identity new solutions to the problem of unemployment in the European Union by funding pilot projects: to contribute to the development of human resources; to improve the working of the labour market; and to promote social solidarity and equal opportunities. More than 6000 projects have been selected under EMPLOYMENT, with a total contribution from the European Union of more than 1.8 billion euros.

THE PEACE PROGRAMME
The Programme for Peace and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland provides funding for a range of developmental activities, including employment and job creation for the most marginalised. It has an innovative structure with much local input encouraging all sides and interests to work together, and it relies on NGOs and local partnerships for its effective implementation. Already, more than 11000 projects have been funded, and by the end of 1999 the Programme had allocated 832 million euros.

TERRITORIAL APPROACHES: THE KEY PRINCIPLES

What Are Territorial Approaches?

The term territorial approaches refers to an emerging system of local governance. This system enables regions, and areas within regions, to respond flexibly and innovatively to the challenges of an increasingly open global economy, while simultaneously encouraging participation and stakeholding by citizens. It seeks to mobilise all the assets of a particular area by recognising the interdependence of market, state and civic sectors and bringing them together via collaborative strategies. It aims to enhance competitiveness, promote social cohesion, embed standards of equity and, in regions characterised by division or conflict, foster reconciliation.

In general, the area referred to is geographical although a territorial approach may be undertaken by communities of interest, such as networks of small businesses or of community projects. It may also be applied in ‘virtual territories’ with spatially dispersed groups engaging in collaboration through IT and communication technologies on the World Wide Web.

A territorial approach is characterised by:
•	Strategic collaboration;
•	The involvement of many stakeholders;
•	The development of shared visions;
•	The encouragement of many initiatives;
•	The combination of technical and local knowledge;
•	The encouragement of innovative learning;
•	The building of multiple relationships.

Why Are They Needed?

The European Union faces a serious challenge in restoring the global competitiveness of its economies and in reducing social exclusion and regional underdevelopment. This challenge is exemplified by comparison with the United States. In the 1960s, Europe had low unemployment while that of the United States was high. By the 1990s, that position had been reversed. Thirty years ago, productivity in the European economies matched that of the US. Today, annual productivity growth in the US is nearly twice that of the European Union. Europe has to bridge the competitiveness gap with the US but without incurring similar social costs, particularly in the form of increasing inequality. Thus, there is a need for a genuinely European model of development, capable of adapting to both economic and social change.

The challenge is not just for macro-economic management. It is also for the public sector and civil society. Traditionally organised services and traditional methods of operation are showing decreasing returns in a complex and more interdependent world:
•	Problems do not come neatly packaged. They overlap and interact. They are spatially and socially concentrated. Accordingly, the distinctions between, for example, tackling deprivation and achieving competitiveness are increasingly blurred;
•	The debate on social exclusion focuses on those so marginalised economically, socially and personally that they fall between the safety nets of services, which operate independently. The minimum criterion of success in tackling social exclusion is a co-ordinated, multi-strand approach that can be used to plug these gaps;
•	Moreover, simply delivering services to those in need assumes the absolute legitimacy of ‘professional knowledge’ and encourages dependency. This is why critics of traditional welfare refer to both its care and control dimensions. Modernising welfare means ensuring that intended beneficiaries participate in the design and implementation of welfare programmes, and have a stake in, and a responsibility for, their success;
•	Lessons from the private sector point to competitive gains that can be achieved through clustering and co-operation. The public sector also has to make a similar transition;
•	Economic orthodoxy prevents any radical restructuring of direct taxation towards redistribution. So, real gains in tackling key problems will have to come from new approaches and their associated economies.

A New European Approach To Development

As the European Union approaches the end of the 20th Century, a consensus about the shape of a new development model is emerging. This defines the European mission as competitiveness, sustainable development and social/spatial cohesion and sees the mechanisms to accomplish these as being:
•	Full economic and monetary union;
•	Investment in new technologies and new production systems including achieving maximum gains from collaborative advantage;
•	Investment in people, and;
•	Active solidarity between the affluent and the excluded, the young and old, and those in the developed core and those in the underdeveloped periphery.

One implication of this new approach is that people can no longer be the passive beneficiaries of jobs provided by business or of services provided by government. Development has become everyone’s responsibility. People, as stakeholders, are expected to participate in the design and implementation of new strategies, as well as benefit from their outcomes. This not only liberates new energies for development but taps into unused or undiscovered wells of creativity. Equally, the barriers between government, business and civil society have to be broken down. New institutions constructed around inter-sectoral relationships through the mechanism of partnership are more capable of adapting flexibly to a rapidly changing world. Moreover, the development process cannot succeed if it is exclusively directed from the ‘top-down’. Only a combination of top-down and bottom-up processes can generate the synergies necessary to increase the pace of development. Finally, there is a need for social capital reflected in a preparedness to trust and co-operate amongst and within the sectors.

Such changes also require a shift in culture. Government has to reinvent itself as an ‘enabling state’ in which the pursuit of equality of opportunity and social justice is no longer counter-posed to an environment favouring competition and excellence. The new paradigm is characterised by slimmed down bureaucracy, with devolution of power to regions and revitalised local government and much ‘governance’ taking place through networks that include civil society. Business has to rethink its relationships within the market sector, including the valuing of employees as the most single significant production asset in economies that are increasingly knowledge, rather than resource, driven. The community has to see itself as being responsible not just for the care of its weaker members, but also for its own development.

What Are The Implications For Local Actors?

At the same time, any pan-European model has to be translated to the local context. Local actors accept that they will always work within significant resource constraints, but can widen the scope and effectiveness of their actions by developing a territorial approach. Certainly, these approaches are experimental and, like any leading edge strategies, carry risk. However, they also offer the best possibility to enable local areas to ‘reach a higher destiny’ in development without marginalising key sections of the population.

New approaches are not achieved easily. Inertia, vested interests and the fear of risk-taking are all significant barriers to change. However, traditional systems of thinking and traditional ways of doing things can no longer produce the desired results. The pressure of global competition will enforce adaptation and change. The challenge will be to respond to this pressure in ways that permit the accomplishment of the goals that Europe as a whole wishes to achieve.

Building On The Experience Of The ADAPT, EMPLOYMENT And PEACE Initiatives

As macro-economic management is increasingly elevated to the transnational level with the integration of the European economies, real competitive advantage will be determined at regional and local level. The responsibility for responding to economic change and for embracing new models of development is thus devolved more and more to local actors. The Thematic Focus Group on Territorial Approaches has been studying the ways in which local projects in the ADAPT, EMPLOYMENT and PEACE Initiatives have been responding to such challenges and developing new forms of practice. The analysis of these project points to some general lessons that can be derived. These can be grouped under three categories which focus respectively on how processes get started, what kind of institutions and strategies facilitate their operation and what kind of long-term goals should be prioritised.

(1)	Putting the Right Conditions in Place
A key proposition of the territorial approach is that the active involvement of local people, together with bringing all local assets into play, generates new energies and resources for development. The basic conditions seem to be twofold:
•	First, developing a culture of active rather than passive citizenship so that large numbers of local people actually become engaged in the development process thus increasing the energy, local knowledge and creativity that is available. Problem solving is best tackled by a combination of technical expertise and local knowledge. Both are combined when local people become actively involved in addressing the problems that affect them. Development has to be ‘with people’ rather than ‘for people’ and citizenship is not just about rights, but also about responsibility;
•	Second, mobilising all the economic, social and human assets around an agreed development agenda so that every available resource is committed. ‘All territories are a rich blend of physical, social and economic assets’. Drawing these assets into the development process requires not only the right kind of cultural environment that promotes active citizenship, but also the development of new institutions, particularly partnership arrangements amongst the different sectors.

Both of these are necessary to maximise the impact of a given, and therefore limited, set of resources. Equally, the framework for getting both in place has to be an agreed territory as otherwise the process has no focus. In general, the territory has to be large enough to have impact on economic and social processes, but small enough in population terms to permit local ownership and local identification with the project - hence the generic term ‘territorial approaches’.

(2)	Developing Appropriate Institutional Frameworks and Strategies
If liberating local assets is the beginning of the territorial approach, creating the structures and strategies that make best use of them is the next step. The experience of local projects emphasises the need for:
•	The establishment of development frameworks, primarily through the mechanism of partnership, not merely to create an institutional environment capable of flexible response and adaptation, but to combine technical and local knowledge in a new understanding of problems and their solution.  Building such partnership relations overcomes two major barriers to development– the fact that individual sectors pursue different, even contradictory, agendas and the problem that there is no development gain when the institutions of civil society are excluded. Evidence from the most successful European regions points to different sectors finding key advantages in collaboration and relationships that cross the boundaries of government, the market and civil society. Such frameworks and relationships must develop flexibly rather than just becoming additional tiers of bureaucracy. This suggests that they have to find new ways of communicating and collaborating that, in turn, depend on taking advantage of the opportunities presented by the falling costs of the new information and communication technologies;
•	Such relationships enable the construction of integrated strategies that recognise the interdependence of economic, social and environmental issues.  Integration is the ‘holy grail’ of economic and social policy. The inability of individual programmes to tackle problems that have many causes and dimensions has long been recognised. There is a clear need to bring such programmes together to maximise their impact! Implementing integration in the face of bureaucratic inertia and public expenditure constraints is always a difficult task. One approach is to look at the idea of ‘area-based strategies’. These provide a common framework within which individual agencies can work. They begin by assessing both the problems and assets of an area to define the opportunities for development. Flexible divisions of labour and resources can then be put in place to ensure that each agency or organisation is making the maximum contribution possible. Such strategies have to be flexible and capable of change in response to a developing situation.

(3)	Devising Suitable Long-Term Goals
The experiences of the projects from all three initiatives point to the long-term character of the process of change. Accordingly, it is crucial that particular strategies and actions be developed within the framework of consistent long-term goals. These might be said to constitute the vision of the territorial approach. In nearly all the projects, this vision combines sustainable development with social cohesion:
•	Development is more than just economic growth, it is also about the conditions that enable growth and the ways in which the benefits of growth are equitably distributed. Local people are rarely energised by the idea of economic growth alone since they recognise that all too frequently its benefits do not ‘trickle down’ to those most in need. Development is a different agenda where people are recognised as the single most important asset and are appropriately valued in terms of investment in education and training, in co-operative systems of industrial relations and through participation in the design and implementation of programmes. Sustainable development refers to a process that, on one hand, is not dependent on permanent subsidy and, on the other, works with, rather than against, the local environment. Permanent subsidy creates a ‘soft-budget culture’ that ultimately undermines enterprise. Local projects must therefore consider how they can be ultimately self-sustaining. At the same time, the costs of economic growth on the environment are becoming increasingly clear. If the environment is to be husbanded for future generations then key elements of the green agenda have to be embedded in the development process.
•	Social cohesion is a necessary goal not merely because a society that ignores the plight of those on its periphery is morally deficient, but also because inequality and social exclusion are barriers to sustained development. Inclusion is thus not just about improving the quality of life of the most disadvantaged, but is also about enabling a society to function better and to make use of all its human resources. In this way, inclusion contributes to, rather than just being a by-product of, development.

The six development principles elaborated above define the essence of the diverse approaches taken by  ADAPT, EMPLOYMENT and PEACE projects. These are important models for mainstream programmes. European initiatives are relatively small-scale in terms of the resources they provide, but have enormous significance. They enable innovation and risk-taking and pioneer new organisational approaches and search for new understandings of complex problems. Most important, by providing resources at local level, they are a vital source of empowerment and participation for those who are supposed to be the beneficiaries of mainstream programmes. In all of these dimensions, European initiatives make a crucial contribution to the policy debate. Across a range of European programmes, and particularly in ADAPT, EMPLOYMENT and PEACE, they have provided practical examples of a capacity to integrate efforts and have signalled the key role that territorial approaches can play in resolving economic and social problems.

The Basic Components of a Territorial Approach

Mobilising the Totality of Local Resources 
(Hard & Soft Infrastructure)
(Human Capital, Physical Capital, Economic Capital, Social Capital)

Active Citizenship in the planning, development and delivery of local services

Overcoming Barriers to Development
Promoting the Local Area 
Developing an Entrepreneurial Culture
Facilitating Self Help & Community Responsibility
Lobbying Mainstream Agencies
Developing New Incentive Packages

Key Development Principles
Equity
Equality
Cultural Diversity
Competitiveness
Social Cohesion
Quality of Life
Community Development

Partnership Formation
Trust
Co-operation
Transparency
Accountability
Participation
Networking
Innovation
Flexibility
Building External Relationships

Development Goals
Competitive Local Economy
Skilled/Educated Population
Social Inclusion
Cultural Diversity
Health & Social Well Being
Support for Vulnerable Groups
Integration with EU Wide Development

Final Thou

KEY PRINCIPLE: PROMOTING ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP

What Do We Mean By Active Citizenship?

The concept of active citizenship has different connotations in different Member States. The aim of this document, however, is not to examine the different elements or concepts of active citizenship, but to understand how strategies for territorial development can enable individuals or groups of people who are residents of a given area to make a contribution. So, in this context active citizenship refers to any form of productive contribution to society, notably through participation in social or economic activities. This includes the capacity and right to "take an active role in public affairs, whether through formal democratic structures (the media, associations, trade unions, …) or through informal networks (mutual aid …) and through participation in strategies for the development of the local community".

Why Do We Need Active Citizenship?

If the above definition is accepted, active citizenship implies that all residents in a particular area, including the most marginalised, are considered as real partners in the launching of initiatives and in taking decisions on local development. This goes beyond the traditional relationships between providers and their clients, beneficiaries or consumers and is, in fact, a situation in which residents and key institutional, political and economic actors assume a joint responsibility for their area.

The participation of local citizens in territorial approaches brings advantages both to the residents themselves and to the territory.

On the one hand, because of their local knowledge residents can ensure that the real problems of their community are addressed and that the solutions will actually benefit them. The whole process happens with the participation and agreement of local people, which lends credibility to new initiatives and ensures that they have local support.

On the other hand, participation in territorial partnerships provides an opportunity for local residents or groups of residents to take charge of their own situation and to have a direct input into the decisions and processes that concern them. This stimulates the feeling of community amongst residents and it may also encourage groups or individuals to become protagonists in the political or economic life of the area.

The Policy Context

"There is a need to mobilise people. Dialogue is essential and nothing can be done without grassroots involvement. We must set out on a road towards a more active participatory society." This was the opinion of Jacques Santer at the first European Social Policy Forum, held in March 1996. This approach has been reflected in the Poverty 3, Ergo and Urban programmes and also the White Papers on Growth, Competitiveness and Employment (1993) and Social Policy (1993) recognised the need to encourage active citizenship in order to produce more solidarity and cohesion in our society.

The European Employment Strategy acknowledges the need for innovative approaches that enable employment policies to be improved and refined. Active citizenship is one element of these new approaches and Member States' National Action Plans for Employment (NAPs) reflect this. Although the term itself does not appear, a number of the NAPs make implicit reference to active citizenship in mentioning the participation of different groups in the development of services related to employment, enterprises or occupational sectors. Others aim for the participation of representatives of these groups in the formulation and implementation of employment programmes. The Austrian NAP talks about channelling the active forces to implement territorial pacts so that employment measures can better take account of the needs of the unemployed. In Denmark, the policy of decentralisation of both decision making and the administration seeks to reinforce local democracy and to improve the efficiency of public services.

Reinforcing participation or "the bottom-up approach" is one of the fundamental principles of the new Community Initiatives (2000 - 2006). This new emphasis calls for a much greater recognition of active citizenship, in particular within the EQUAL Initiative. EQUAL is based on partnerships that suppose the active participation of all the actors concerned, including the beneficiaries, in a territory or specific sector and the existence of such co-operation is a prerequisite for EQUAL projects.

Strategic Lessons

The guidelines of ADAPT and EMPLOYMENT encourage a local approach which associates all the actors concerned, including the voluntary sector, in all aspects of project management and project activities. The INTEGRA strand of EMPLOYMENT seeks to promote a culture of civic responsibility and the involvement of beneficiaries as responsible and equal partners in the decision-making processes of local projects is a key principle.

The need to harness the energies of local people in tackling peace and reconciliation was strongly advocated by local councils and voluntary and community sector organisations in Northern Ireland when the PEACE Initiative was first discussed. The concept of District Partnerships representing all of the interests within their areas emerged from this debate and each of the 26 District Partnership Boards now comprises one third elected representatives, one third business, statutory and trade union representatives and one third voluntary and community sector representatives. In this way, the citizens are guaranteed an active role in restoring the economic and social fabric of their territory.

The experiences of Community Initiatives have demonstrated that it is important to intervene in a comprehensive way at all the levels that effect people’s lives. This is particularly true if those that are most excluded are to regain their basic rights to health, education, training and housing and to become engaged in a real process of integration. The most marginalised cannot be held responsible for being excluded. From the recognition and the exercising of their basic rights flow opportunities for individuals and groups to become fully involved in the development of their territory as truly active citizens.

ADAPT, EMPLOYMENT and PEACE projects have shown how with training that draws out and reinforces their potential, citizens can defend the interests of the area where they live and influence public policies and initiatives to ensure that services meet local needs. In this way, they can improve the quality of life in the locality.

Active Citizenship: An Urban Population Involved In Political Decisions

EMPLOYMENT-YOUTHSTART - "Ung I Parken", Indre Nørrebro Bydelsråd & Projekt Rabarberlandet (Y-1997-DK-512)
This project illustrates how inhabitants in a district, even among the most disadvantaged, can work directly towards joint decision making on the development of their territory. It also highlights the role and importance of the voluntary sector as the driving force for local democracy and in channelling the aspirations of various social groups and marginalised communities.
The district of Indre Nørrebro in Copenhagen is an inner city area badly affected by unemployment, drug and alcohol abuse, crime and social unrest.
In order to find solutions to many of the problems of the area, residents and civic associations have formed an umbrella organisation called Projekt Rabarberlandet, whose objective is to improve social, environmental and cultural conditions in the area. The fundamental idea behind this grassroots initiative is to engage and mobilise local residents in voluntary activities and develop their allegiance to the neighbourhood. This is being achieved by promoting social and cultural development in the area and by strengthening the local resource base.

Active involvement and participation in decision making by local residents is seen as a prerequisite for local development. Parts of District Council policy - particularly in the fields of developing the residential environment and tackling social problems - are implemented through initiatives set up by local grassroots organisations under the auspices of Projekt Rabarberlandet.

Generating ideas and development is a joint responsibility that cannot be left to public authorities alone. An evident strategy of the District Council is to involve and consult local interest groups. So a number of citizens’ councils have been set up including a Youth Forum where Projekt Rabarberlandet, the police, the probation service, youth clubs and others meet to co-ordinate activities and discuss matters with local politicians.
The YOUTHSTART project “Ung I Parken” aimed to assist young delinquents from the area to build a pathway towards integration into adult and working life. The project was run in partnership by the District Council, the Social Service Centre, the probation service and Projekt Rabarberlandet, which was responsible for the day-to-day activities. Through the extensive network of Projekt Rabarberlandet, local clubs and institutions were engaged in defining practical tasks that were undertaken by the young people as part of their training. In this way, various projects and institutions benefited from the active support of the local network while, at the same time, taking joint responsibility for helping the young people solve their problems.

Active Citizenship: Rural Residents As Protagonists

ADAPT - " SAFO, MONTAÑA DE RIAÑO”, Grupo de Acción Local "Montaña de Riaño" (A-1997-ESP-585)

" In my region, all the inhabitants used to think that the national, regional or local administrations should solve all of the problems related to our lack of infrastructure, the closure of the mines and the subsequent rise of unemployment amongst young people. In 1994, we decided that we, the inhabitants, must take control and that we were responsible for our social and economic development. We had to be the driving force and the real owners of the future of our region." This was the origin of the Safo, Montaña de Riaño project in the Leon province of Spain.

The participation and involvement of the population in local development only happened because there was a belief in the possibilities of the territory. A local action group was set up with mayors, and representatives of organisations, firms and unions and the local population. This partnership acts in a real, practical and legal way with the participation of all the economic and social actors to formulate development programmes and related awareness raising and training activities that can guarantee an endogenous development of the territory. It was vital to diversify the economic activities, to conserve the rural areas and also to increase the levels of employment and qualification.

"Whilst you could often hear people talking about the richness of our land, it was never a question of human resources. But it is us who are and who must be the orchestrators of the future of our territory," says one of the project promoters.

Courses adapted to the indigenous resources have been put in place to train people in organic farming, in the marketing and design of organic products, in adventure sports and in rural development. Some training centres have also been set up to support the creation of SMEs and to provide qualifications in agro- and eco-tourism.

Active Citizenship: Migrants As Actors In Economic Development

EMPLOYMENT-INTEGRA - "New Perspectives, New Horizons" & "Integration by Self- Employment", STEBO - Steunpunt Buurtopbouwwerk (HD-1995-Bnl-006 & I-1997-Bnl-509)

In Genk, in the Flemish Community of Belgium, there is nothing left of the coal mining industry that was formerly so important to the region. Genk has the unfortunate privilege of having the highest percentage of young unemployed in Belgium of which many are of immigrant origin, particularly from Turkey or Morocco. So the EMPLOYMENT Initiative was used to set up a comprehensive urban regeneration strategy.

As part of this strategy, STEBO, an association with a long history of community action, is helping immigrants, often those who are long-term unemployed, to create enterprises that can contribute to the economic development of their area. Setting up your own enterprise is seen as one way of gaining independence but it also involves a considerable degree of risk. So STEBO has identified a number of niches for new businesses in the territory and it matches these with the business ideas of immigrants.

STEBO works together with a number of local partners such as the Flemish Institute for Entrepreneurship (VIZO), the local chamber of commerce, the town councils of Genk and Heusden-Zolder and the representative bodies for SMEs and the self-employed. The partnership provides support, consultancy services, advice, training and guidance to potential immigrant entrepreneurs.

With the help of a 'logistics unit', business plans are evaluated and commercial opportunities are identified that may be of interest to new entrepreneurs. Mini-enterprises are also used to simulate self-employment. These enable immigrants not only to test their ideas before setting up in business but also to add a hard financial edge to any local projects operating in the social economy. This gives an enormous advantage to individuals in terms of motivation, stimulation and acquisition of skills.

To engage the immigrant entrepreneurs in the urban regeneration strategy, a consultative body has been set up through which they share responsibility for developing local employment projects and for the evaluation of their outcomes. This process enables them to participate fully in social and economic development by creating valuable but small-scale employment, in their local community.

KEY PRINCIPLE: MOBILISING TERRITORIAL ASSETS

What Do We Mean By Mobilising Territorial Assets?

Each and every territory is made up of many different but inter-linking components but there are five categories which can be used to classify its assets and these are:

Physical resources such as land, raw materials, buildings, transport infrastructure, the natural environment and historical monuments;
Human resources: the population of the territory, their skills, qualifications, education level, work experience and potential;
Economic resources: the enterprises and factories based in the region, economic support structures and federations and the funding available for development;
Social resources: the presence of social partners and a constructive social dialogue, partnerships between different sectors of the population and structures, existence of organisations bringing individuals or agencies together and effective information services, communication possibilities, presence of community associations and voluntary organisations;
Cultural resources: existence of a strong local culture, historical cultural identity, cultural life reflected in music, art and drama.

The process of using these assets effectively to support a territorial strategy for development and cohesion is what we have termed “mobilising territorial assets”. This is usually a two-stage procedure. The first stage is a comprehensive territorial analysis, which results in an identification of the existing assets. The second stage seeks to ensure that the assets, which have been identified, are made available for the development strategy. One of the priorities at this stage is to target the “controllers” of these assets and to associate them with the strategy.

Why Mobilise The Territorial Assets?

Any evaluation helps to discover new or additional assets that can be used or built on. The exercise also helps the inhabitants to become more aware of local skills, capabilities and resources and to take ownership of, and pride in, their existence. So, rather than seeking help from outside the territory, it is often more valuable and effective to exploit the full potential of its indigenous assets, as this helps local people to feel fully involved in the process. This involvement and sense of identification is the key to success in any territorial initiative.

The Policy Context

The importance of working to exploit and enhance all the potential at local level is gaining increasing recognition. There are more and more references in national and European level policy documents to the mobilisation of territorial resources because there is increasing evidence and recognition that policies can be implemented most effectively at local level.

For example, the 1999 European Employment Guidelines promote measures to exploit the possibilities of job creation at local level, in growth areas such as the social economy and environmental technologies (Pillar 2, “Exploiting new opportunities for job creation”). It is clear that it will be necessary to analyse the possibilities in each local area, and then to mobilise all the territorial assets to establish such new employment opportunities.

There is also an emphasis on a partnership approach at local level in both the new Structural Funds Regulations for the 2000-2006 programming period and in the European Employment Strategy. Allan Larsson, who is in charge of the European Commission’s Employment and Social Affairs Directorate-General, recently referred to the drive to mobilise territorial assets when he stated “The European Employment Strategy … demands a strong focus on the local dimension of employment policy, and the mobilisation of all local actors in current policies”.

In the draft communication (COM (1999) 476) from the European Commission to the Member States establishing the guidelines for the EQUAL initiative, the importance given to the mobilisation of territorial resources is also evident. The Commission proposes that EQUAL should operate through integrated projects, called “development partnerships”, that should “bring together relevant actors or interests in a given geographical territory … to pool their efforts and their resources in pursuit of a strategy…”

In their National Action Plans for Employment (NAPs) for 1999, a number of Member States also encourage the mobilisation of territorial resources to implement policy at territorial level. For example, the French NAP makes direct reference to the potential of mobilising territorial assets in relation to the Employment Guideline n° 13 on the exploitation of new opportunities for job creation. In relation to the location of SMEs in a given territory, the NAP states that the arrival of SMEs allows the mobilisation of strategic resources, such as information, advice and funding within the territory and it pledges to support this sort of economic development through aid for innovation, modernisation, indirect investment and training. There is also a clear move in the French NAP towards the increasing decentralisation of the management of many national policies to local level. Local planning and implementation allows decision makers in each area to exploit territorial assets to the full, thus ensuring that the policies are adapted, complemented and used as effectively as possible.

Strategic Lessons

Projects supported by the ADAPT, EMPLOYMENT and PEACE Community Initiatives have demonstrated how it is possible to mobilise the assets in a given territory in order to implement strategies for local economic development and social cohesion in a more effective manner. The following projects are practical examples of such successful approaches.

Identifying And Mobilising Territorial Resources To Provide Work Experience Opportunities For Disadvantaged People

EMPLOYMENT-HORIZON - “Progetto Marienthal", Per l’Impresa Sociale (HH-1995-IT-030)

“Marienthal” is an Italian project that aims to create jobs through social co-operatives. It has transnational partners in Spain, Belgium, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Germany and Austria. In Italy, the promoting organisation Per l’Impresa Sociale works with some 50 social co-operatives in four local districts. The cooperatives provide work experience opportunities for young unemployed people with disabilities.

The project created a local network of these co-operatives that included mentors to help the individual social co-operatives develop the work experience opportunities based on the territorial resources that were available. After a long process of analysis and support from the mentors, four areas of development for work experience in the social co-operatives were identified as:
travel  and tourism;
new technologies and communication;
craft production;
the environment including waste management and the improvement of public parks.

In the tourism sector, the local network identified the opportunity offered by a vacant restaurant in one of the poorest and most depopulated valleys of Friuli Mountain. The social co-operative Fur Clap decided to take over the restaurant and at the same time to provide Bed and Breakfast accommodation for tourists. It uses the clean, natural environment and the traditional local cuisine as its chief selling points. Today, the restaurant and hotel are so popular that the co-operative has opened a second restaurant, has plans to open a third and has to rent rooms from local families in order to meet demand for Bed and Breakfast. Similarly, another social co-operative called Agricola Monte San Pantaleone formed a partnership with a group of young architects and offered its services to the local town council. Now, its work in maintaining and improving the public parks and green spaces has become a viable business venture.

Networks created between social co-operatives working in the four different areas of development have also allowed territorial resources to be mobilised and maximised through the pooling of contacts, skills, human resources and expertise.

Utilising Territorial Resources To Ensure The Continuing Economic Viability Of Enterprises

ADAPT - “Conseil stratégique aux entreprises pour s’adapter aux exigences des chartes des Parcs naturels régionaux”, FPNRF - Fédération des Parcs Naturels Régionaux de France (A-1997-F-772)

All the regional parks in France had to revise their charters between 1996 and 1999 in order to implement a durable development strategy and to conform to new regulations including those concerning the protection of the environment. The ADAPT project promoted by the FPNRF aimed to help the enterprises located within the parks to adapt to the proposed changes by identifying development opportunities based on the territorial resources.

For example, the project helps individual parks to develop a strategy for sustainable tourist activities. The first stage was a strategic territorial analysis and then training was provided for managers and the staff of tourist companies to ensure that environmental concerns would be respected in the activities that would be launched. After two years, this process is already producing very positive results. The network of gîtes Panda (rented holiday accommodation) has expanded from 224 establishments in 1997 to 250, in 1999.

The FPNRF has also worked on creating a “brand name” for the services and goods produced by the enterprises located in each individual park. This strategy aims to ensure the survival of many of the agricultural, craft and business enterprises in the regional parks. The creation of a common “brand name” is helping to establish a common territorial identity and to encourage businesses to work more closely together. It also provides a sort of “shop window” for the territory. Each “brand name” is managed entirely at local level, and this process encourages the park to work more closely with public authorities and private sector organisations such as employers’ associations.

A final example of the way in which the FNPRF is encouraging the mobilisation of territorial resources is the assistance it gives to organisations working in the cultural and environmental sectors. These include the museums, the sports associations and the independent tourist guides operating in the parks. This assistance covers a range of activities such as:
the training of trainers; 
the creation of networks of associations;
an audit of the different structures;
advice on improvements;
a collective brainstorming on the development of cultural activities in the parks.

These activities aim to improve quality in these organisations, which in turn has improved employment opportunities and optimised the use of the parks’ territorial resources.

Involving All Local Actors To Mobilise Territorial Assets For The Establishment Of A Local Social Project

EMPLOYMENT-INTEGRA - “Locoactive”, Réseau Bruxellois de Soutien à la Création d’Emploi avec des Femmes (I-1997-BFr-553)

Schaerbeek is one of the largest and most disadvantaged areas in Brussels. It has a high percentage of young people and a large immigrant population. For example, in one district, immigrants represent over 73% of the local population. The unemployment rate is the highest in the Brussels area and currently represents 23% of the active population.

In this context, the Réseau Bruxellois de Soutien à la Création d’Emploi avec des Femmes decided to submit a proposal for an INTEGRA project to create a social enterprise in the Schaerbeek district, which was ultimately successful.

In order to evaluate the project most suited to the local area and the assets available, a feasibility study was carried out on the renovation of a play area for children and when this proved to be unrealistic, a second study reviewed the possibilities of establishing a carpentry business. The results proved to be more promising and it was decided to go ahead with the setting-up of a social enterprise.

With the aim of mobilising the maximum territorial resources possible, the strategy right from the start was to involve as many partners as possible in the project from district and regional authorities, the local employment agency, social and economic partners and community associations. But the help of professional organisations was also sought so that experts could be involved at all stages of the project’s implementation. The project promoter was able to use the contacts that had previously been established by the local employment agency to set up the various partnerships. Many of these partnerships were never formalised in writing but relied on goodwill and trust between people themselves rather than on institutional relationships.

Through this partnership strategy, the project promoter was able to access a wide range of the territorial resources including:
•	funding from various sources;
•	a site for the offices and workshop from the local district authority;
•	community support;
•	assistance from the Jeunes Schaerbeekois au Travail to establish the office and the workshop.

As a result of the project, five or six unskilled or semi-skilled people will be employed in the carpentry business. Also, a new structure has been set up with individuals who took part in the Schaerbeek experience, and this will stimulate the creation of similar projects.

KEY PRINCIPLE: ESTABLISHING PARTNERSHIP RELATIONS

What Do We Mean By Partnership Relations?

A partnership is a mesh of horizontal and vertical relations that ensure co-ordination and collaboration across the public and private sectors, and between these sectors and the local community. The overall aim of establishing such a partnership is to provide and support flexible, but integrated, planning and delivery systems that have significant local participation and ownership.

Why Do We Need Partnership Relations?

A framework for development that engages public, economic, social and civic players in active partnerships can provide the best possible mechanism to respond to the challenges faced by a given territory. It ensures that all the issues and points of view are taken into account, that all possible solutions are considered and that there is coherence between the agreed action and the real needs of the territory. As the action can build on and use the sum of the expertise and resources of the various stakeholders, Partnerships avoid fragmentation and duplication in policies and services. They also enable territories to demonstrate to external funding agencies that they are capable of providing cost-effective solutions to developmental requirements.

The Policy Context

There is increasing recognition of the importance of local action to integrate economic and employment priorities and of the role that partnerships can play in responding to the changing needs of the economy and the labour market. The creation of territorial partnerships can balance top-down direction and the introduction of external finance with bottom-up action and the deployment of local resources.

At European level, the new regulations for the Structural Funds for the 2000-2006 programming period have introduced a more decentralised approach to their implementation that emphasises the involvement, in a real and meaningful way, of local authorities and social and economic partners 'on the ground'. The draft Communication (COM (1999) 476) establishing the guidelines for the new EQUAL Initiative indicates that "projects will be prepared and implemented by partnerships established at local or sectoral level … involving all the relevant partners ..." The Communication goes on to describe the local level development partnerships as "… bring[ing] together relevant actors or interests in a given geographical territory … in response to a major problem within their geographical territory."

Similarly, the European Employment Strategy encourages a partnership approach to tackling labour market issues. In their National Action Plans for Employment (NAPs), Member States acknowledge the need for a stronger local dimension in employment policy. They also recognise the need for progress towards decentralisation and greater autonomy at the local level, while maintaining a common national policy framework. Many Member States are promoting a territorial dimension to policy formulation and implementation involving the participation of a range of local actors.

Within their 1999 NAPs, a number of Member States are launching actions to develop and consolidate partnerships between regional and local authorities, the voluntary sector and bodies representing SMEs. France, for instance, is basing its 'nouveau départ' (fresh start) initiative that aims to combat long-term unemployment and social exclusion on local co-operation. It is intended that these partnerships should include local authorities, employment services, training providers, social partners, enterprises, and voluntary and community organisations. Other countries emphasise the importance of local partnership approaches such as Area Development Management in Ireland, and the Local Employment Agencies of the Flemish Community in Belgium. Austria is also committed to designing Territorial Employment Pacts to pool the resources of active labour market policy in designated areas.

Strategic Lessons

In ADAPT and EMPLOYMENT, more than a third of all projects have been developing and reinforcing ‘integrated, local partnership approaches’. They are putting into place mechanisms and structures to co-ordinate the policies and activities of different local or regional actors with the aim of improving the analysis of needs, and access to and take-up of resources and services by their respective target groups. These local partnerships are characterised by a bottom-up approach through which practitioners experiencing common problems take the responsibility for finding appropriate solutions.

The implementation of the PEACE Initiative in Northern Ireland is based on a partnership approach and 26 so-called District Partnership Boards have been set up throughout the province. One third of their members are elected local councillors, one third represent community or voluntary organisations and one third come from trade unions, the private sector and local statutory agencies. This composition helps to ensure that these Boards represent all of the interests within their respective areas and as such they provide an effective framework for development.

Projects under the ADAPT, EMPLOYMENT and PEACE Initiatives have shown how a territorial approach can mobilise all relevant local actors. Any situation in which these actors work together to pool their expertise and resources has the added value of being:
•	more responsive to people’s needs;
•	more effective in finding solutions;
•	more flexible in adapting to changing circumstances;
•	more influential in enhancing economic competitiveness while maintaining social cohesion.

There is no single model for establishing or operating partnership relations. Different models are appropriate to different territorial situations as each must take account of the local characteristics and needs. The examples below illustrate how economic and employment issues have been addressed by projects that have based their activities on partnership approaches.

Tackling Social Exclusion Through An Integrated Employment Strategy Involving A Coalition Of Public, Private And Voluntary Institutions And Organisations

EMPLOYMENT-HORIZON -  "Burjassot 2000", Ayuntamiento de Burjassot (HH-1995-ESP-095)

The municipality of Burjassot, in Spain, is a commuter suburb on the outskirts of Valencia with a population of 34,000. In Burjassot, the average rate of unemployment is 27.1% but in certain neighbourhoods it is as high as 47.3%. Almost a third of the inhabitants are classified as being ‘without education or illiterate’ and the vast majority of the active population works in the retail trade and service sectors.

To tackle these structural problems, the City Council of Burjassot adopted a comprehensive strategy 'Plan Integral de Empleo' (Integrated Employment Plan). This Plan addresses the problem of the social exclusion of different groups by improving their access to the labour market. Training and integration systems are put in place, which meet the requirements of the labour market and, at the same time, take account of the needs of the individual person.

A process of consultation with people from different organisations and sectors has resulted in a common agreement on co-operation and the establishment of a Local Partnership that endorses the Plan and supports it implementation.

The Local Partnership is organised and structured at three different levels, each managed by a committee:
•	a Management Committee, the decision-making body with representatives from the municipal and regional authorities;
•	a Participative Committee that embodies what is called the sectoral platforms. These platforms include representatives of employers, trade unions, training providers and NGOs representing the various target groups; 
•	a Scientific Committee, which advises on the methods to be used and provides an on-going evaluation of processes and results.

It was only through close co-operation between public authorities, training and service providers, trade unions, enterprises and NGOs that it was possible to achieve an integrated approach to promoting employment. This approach is being implemented through parallel projects from all four strands of the EMPLOYMENT Initiative.

Halting Industrial Decline By Establishing A Network To Help SMEs Adapt To New Technologies

ADAPT - "Antiope - Regiones Bis", Comité de Bassin d'Emploi à Aubagne La Ciotat (A-1997-F-910)

Aubagne La Ciotat is a district to the east of the city of Marseilles, which was largely dependent on employment in the naval construction sector. Many SMEs also worked as sub-contractors to the shipyards. With the collapse of the shipbuilding industry, the unemployment rate increased dramatically and this had serious effects on the local economy.

The Development Committee or the Comité de Bassin d'Emploi (CBE) in Aubagne La Ciotat, is a statutory body set up under a national initiative designed to support employment creation at local level. In effect, it is a partnership organisation comprising representatives of the public authorities, the social partners, the private sector and local associations.

The CBE is building on this existing partnership to create a network of local and regional actors to evaluate the assets, opportunities and needs of the area. The overall aim is to identify new possibilities for the development of economic activity, particularly in using new information and communication technology (ICT) and to help local SMEs to adjust accordingly.

This network, which has been supported by the ADAPT Initiative, makes public and private sector bodies more aware of the advantages of new technologies. Where there is a lack of skill or knowledge, the network can find a quick solution by exploiting its close links and co-operation with training organisations and the public employment authorities. Also, a technological resource centre, Mediatic, has been set up to support the activities of the network. Because of its well-developed contacts and partnerships, the CBE is the hub of the network, relaying information and co-ordinating the contributions of all the local actors involved.

The network includes:
•	a Steering Committee which has at least six local SMEs amongst its members. These enterprises have been 'hand-picked' on the basis of their experience of, and interest in, the use of ICT as well as their commitment to play an active role in the development process. The Steering Committee monitors and evaluates the ICT training and support being offered to local SMEs to ensure that these services meet current needs and are provided in an appropriate format. The committee also identifies gaps in the services that are offered and proposes remedial action.

•	the Economic Development Agencies of the two municipalities, Aubagne and La Ciotat. The involvement of these agencies ensures that municipal development strategies reflect the interests and potential of local entrepreneurs and that services are properly targeted.

•	local training organisations which provide training courses adapted to the needs of both enterprises and the unemployed.

•	a 'virtual community' of local SMEs offering information, training and support in the field of ICT. This electronic network is still under development but it is hoped that it will serve as a forum for local enterprises to exchange information, ideas and expertise not only on ICT but also on the development of new business concepts. The next step will be to expand this virtual community to embrace NGOs and voluntary groups and in this way, all relevant sectors will have a chance to contribute to the development of the area.

Stimulating Women's Entrepreneurship Via A Multi-Level Partnership 

EMPLOYMENT-NOW - "Breaking Through the Barriers", QYSS regional resurssamordning/ Länsstyrelsen i Västernorrland (N-1997-S-510)

Västernorrland County is a sparsely populated rural region in the north of Sweden that has seven municipalities. Since 1980, the number of its inhabitants has fallen by 6%, while the national population has increased by 6.4%. Particularly young people and women leave the region to seek opportunities elsewhere.

Although business advisory services for women had existed in some municipalities for a number of years, training in business start-up and networking opportunities was limited. Also, the introduction of a women's perspective into the normal business support systems has been slow.  In addition, there was no tradition of the various authorities and organisations in the county working together for the mutual benefit of their client groups.

So, the county resource centre for women took the initiative to set up a multi-level partnership in order to devise and implement a common business development strategy at county level and in the seven municipalities. The strategy aims to provide a better response to the training and resource needs of the municipal business advisors as well as those of potential women entrepreneurs.

The multi-level partnership encompasses:
•	an Executive Group made up of half of the municipal advisors and the project manager from the County Administrative Board. This Group is charged with the planning and implementation of all county level activities such as training sessions for the business advisors and business start-up seminars for women. Membership of the Executive Group is organised on a rotation basis between the business advisors so their different areas of expertise and experience can be fully exploited.

•	a Steering Group comprising all the municipal business advisors, a representative of the county administration and the project co-ordinator. The Steering Group is responsible for the working methods, organisation, task allocation, communication and evaluation.

•	a Reference Group including all interested parties such as the municipal industrial and development offices, the County Administrative Board, the Employment Services and Labour Market Institute, the County Council, the County Labour Market Board and regional business and entrepreneurial organisations. The Reference Group meets twice a year to review progress.

•	a Business Advisory Network made up of the seven municipal business advisors. The Network acts as a training organisation through co-operation with different bodies at local, regional, national and transnational level. It organises county-wide activities based on local development needs and creates new working concepts to further break down barriers between all the relevant actors.

•	Local Groups in each municipality involving the business advisor, potential women entrepreneurs and business owners. These groups meet on a regular basis to translate the county-wide business development strategy into concrete business concepts and action plans that correspond to the needs and interests of individual local entrepreneurs.

KEY PRINCIPLE: ADOPTING INTEGRATED STRATEGIES

What Do We Mean By Integrated Strategies?

In an increasingly complex world, local development strategies have to recognise that many of the problems they wish to tackle are interconnected. For example, social exclusion is primarily related to lack of income, which is usually the result of unemployment and can be compounded by lack of family support, health and housing problems and growing constraints on the traditional welfare functions of the state. So, active labour market programmes have to restructure fiscal and welfare benefits and at the same time combine measures to enhance employability with personal support to ensure that the most marginalised gain the capacity to find and keep a job.

Also, economic competitiveness is highly dependent on innovation which requires access to the most up-to-date and relevant sources of information and knowledge. Innovation is enhanced through co-operation, not only within sectors but also between sectors. Equally, no region can afford a major skills/knowledge deficit, so there is a need to integrate education and training with industrial development. In short, competitiveness requires collaboration between both economic and non-economic actors.

Since different agencies are responsible for different functions and they frequently work in isolation, mechanisms have to be found to integrate their activities in order to maximise their effectiveness. The institutional mechanism most often developed for these purposes is partnership and one of its key functions is to bring together actors operating at different levels to produce coherent and consistent delivery. Thus, integrated strategies emerge out of the necessity to ‘join up’ the individual actions of diverse agencies and also to improve the relationship of these agencies with their clients so that a new dynamic can be created in the design and delivery of the services. It is in this context that it is increasingly acknowledged that the delivery of programmes from the ‘top down’ under-uses local knowledge and expertise which, if properly harnessed, could greatly enhance programme quality. So, integrated strategies also have to merge top down and bottom up processes.
Why Do We Need Integrated Strategies?

The real purpose of establishing partnership relations is the delivery of integrated programmes capable of accelerating local development and overcoming social exclusion. Integration of this kind requires a common focus around which individual actions can be woven together. The sense of ownership of the territory is the key component of such partnerships but they also require a shared vision and common objectives. These jointly held understandings make it possible to construct development plans that assign the division of labour among different actors and identify the timing of the different activities. These plans can be made for individual, organisational and area levels.

At individual level, people find it increasingly difficult to relate to the wide range of organisations and agencies responsible for policy implementation.

“Many people are bewildered, discouraged or side-tracked by the wide array of services that might assist them towards social integration and employment. To promote a more efficient and consistent approach, services and employers need to pool know-how and experience and generate new synergies. This learning process is challenging but can result in the creation of “one-stop shops” and integrated services”.

So, there is merit in bringing together the total package of services to promote ease of access and effective support and to enable individuals to create their own personal development plans as a result of a better understanding of the facilities, resources and opportunities that exist.

Particular organisations may also be the subject of a development plan – for example, companies, schools or community organisations. Here, the main aim of the integration strategy is to enhance overall performance. This can, for instance, be seen in the UK’s Health Action Zone programme that was designed to break the cycle of deprivation and ill health in the most disadvantaged areas. One such Health Action Zone focused on the schools with the lowest educational performance in recognition that this was also an indicator of health problems and poverty. Individual agencies responsible for health, education and personal social services came together to establish co-ordinated development plans for the schools. Similar co-ordinated approaches can be taken to better meet the needs of marginalised groups or even to improve the performance of a set of small companies.

The most ambitious level of integration involves bringing together the total range of services, agencies and initiatives to construct a development plan for an entire area or region. Good examples of this are the concepts of the ‘learning region’ and the ‘intelligent region’. The former involves linking educational institutions with small and medium-sized companies to promote area competitiveness. The latter creates a communications network using the capacity of information technology to connect business, the public sector and the community to promote flexible and speedy adaptation to the challenges of globalisation.
The Policy Context

For many mainstream programmes, transforming individual actions into an integrated effort is a steep learning curve. An evaluation of the operation of European Structural Funds in Northern Ireland concluded that:

“The predominant pattern is one of vertical lines of policy, programming, and funding from EU to central government and to local level. This causes difficulties of integration and horizontal co-ordination at local level and results in the overall package lacking strategic orientation, i.e. lacking appropriate mechanisms and linkages that are strategically oriented rather than programme driven.”

There are, nevertheless, important examples of programmes that have consistently sought to develop an integrated approach. For example, the Poverty 3 Programme had three core principles – the multidimensional nature of poverty, the corresponding need for integrated strategies to tackle it and the value of partnership arrangements in bringing all relevant sectors together to address it. These principles constituted a trinity in framing national or regional programmes to tackle poverty across the European Union.

More ambitiously, the European Employment Strategy (EES) has sought to facilitate an integrated approach to active labour market and economic development strategies throughout the Union. This is also reflected in the National Action Plans for Employment (NAPs) that translate the EES into concrete action at Member State level:
•	the Finnish NAP has been drawn up in wide partnership, integrating the activities of the responsible ministries and social partners into a coherent action plan;
•	the French NAP recognises that, under the principle of subsidiarity, decision making and action are being increasingly taken at lower levels and this increases the imperative for integration;
•	the Netherlands has embraced the idea of the integrated development pathway in tackling long-term unemployment through the implementation of a comprehensive approach to the (adult) unemployed;
•	the Spanish NAP points to the necessity of mainstreaming the integrated approach;
•	the Swedish NAP argues for integrating the social and economic dimensions of employment measures, as any employment strategy is not only about how to maintain and develop human resources but also about how to maintain and develop an environment where new enterprises can be established and existing enterprises can grow.

Similarly, the new EQUAL Community Initiative recognises the need to mesh together training, mentoring and support systems with employment and placement services to overcome discrimination and disadvantage in the labour market. It is based on the creation of development partnerships that bring together key agencies to frame integrated approaches to labour market policy. This includes the identification of barriers to labour market entry and the development of a range of measures to overcome them.
Strategic Lessons
Integrated strategies are a key component of territorial approaches. Since territorial approaches seek to mobilise resources, energy and creativity around people’s sense of place and identity, they have to deal with a diverse range of problems. Otherwise, they will lack legitimacy, endorsement and participation. This focus on the total set of problems experienced by the constituent territory, whether geographical or community of interest, necessitates an integrated strategy.

Tackling such problems requires the comprehensive viewpoint that is enabled by partnership relations. In turn, partnerships may focus on the creation of integrated development plans for individuals, on merging partner actions to improve the performance of particular institutions or on drafting an integrated plan for an entire area. In all of these activities there is a need for a comprehensive perspective and a conscious effort to link organisational effort (different sectors combining to offer both top down and bottom up programmes) with jointly agreed priority issues.

Many of the projects supported by the ADAPT, EMPLOYMENT and PEACE Initiatives exhibit an integrated approach to their work. This can be illustrated by some examples.

Adopting Integrated Strategies To Deal With The Problems Faced By Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises

ADAPT - "Learning in Enterprises by Local, Regional & International Networking", IUC I Gnosjö AB (A-1997-S-517) 

Gnosjö, in the south-western part of Jönköping County, in Småland, is an area with many strong and profitable small and medium sized enterprises, many of which are sub-contractors to big Swedish companies.

However, the companies in Gnosjö are experiencing structural problems which are closely linked to rapid change in supply management in the big companies, so they must upgrade. They need educated people to ensure quality systems, and to use IT to produce parts in co-operation with other suppliers, and to communicate effectively with the purchasers.

Education levels among the Gnosjö workforce are fairly low, and, as industry and society demand new knowledge and skills, there is an acknowledged need for a quick and effective response. The strategy of the project is to develop regional learning networks that operate simultaneously at different levels and actively involve staff at each of these levels. These networks provide target-oriented learning using the knowledge within companies to find new ways of learning as well as knowledge from external sources.

Several learning networks have been established each addressing a specific area: marketing, quality, purchasing, competence development, product development, supplier networking, working environment and work organisation.

The core network consists of the local industrial development centre - IUC I Gnosjö, four companies and their sub-contractors, two universities, and a trade union but the intention is to involve an increasing number of regional sub-contractors in the learning networks to reach between 50 and 100 companies.

The potential of the Gnosjö model has been recognised both at regional level where additional network projects have started up, and at national level where active method-transfer has been requested by a number of other regions.

ADAPT - "Graz: The Learning Region", Karl-Franzens-Universität (A-1995-A-018)

The Austrian project "Graz: The Learning Region" has taken this idea further. Globalisation, recent big mergers and their expected impact on SMEs were the main reasons for initiating the project. Companies in the region are faced by competition from lower cost firms in Eastern Europe, so the project was specifically set up to strengthen the market position of local SMEs and to improve their competitiveness, thus minimising relocation and safeguarding jobs.

The project has not only established SME-centred competence development networks but it has also created a regional network which includes the employment services, economic development agencies, the Social Partners, training institutions and consultants, banks, and R&D organisations. This network constitutes a strategic forum for the discussion of the region's labour market, social and economic problems.  The synergies generated through the networks have contributed to a shift in the region’s industrial culture by facilitating:
•	Collaboration amongst different sectors;
•	A recognition of the necessity for continuous learning by sectors and individuals;
•	A process of multilateral exchange of knowledge and learning, and;
•	An integrated approach to SME development in the region.

Combating Social Exclusion Through Integrated, Linked Actions

EMPLOYMENT, Tallaght Partnership for Community Development

Tallaght is a satellite city to the west of Dublin that traditionally has had a high population concentration and very few local facilities. The area has been characterised by poverty and social exclusion, high rates of long-term unemployment, early school leaving, drug abuse and crime.

The Tallaght Partnership was formed in the early 1990s by twelve community and statutory organisations as an area-based response to community development. The Partnership has constructed an integrated development strategy for the area and works to continually develop and improve the delivery of public and community services designed to meet the needs of those experiencing poverty and deprivation. It encourages the active participation of those affected by poverty and deprivation in all aspects of its work.

This integrated approach to a wide range of economic and social problems has been successfully implemented through priority programmes set up as development pathways for their respective target audiences. Several of these were initiated under the EMPLOYMENT Initiative as demonstration projects. The Tallaght Partnership provides flexible responses in a rapidly changing context based on a total area approach with zero tolerance towards social exclusion and underdevelopment.

KEY PRINCIPLE: ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

What Do We Mean By Sustainable Development?

The UN World Commission on Environment and Development first used the concept of sustainable development and described it as:

"a process of change in which the exploitation of resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development … institutional change and the ability of the biosphere to absorb the effects of human activities are consistent with future, as well as present needs."

However, over time 'sustainable development' has assumed a more general meaning that refers to a process which takes account of the current and long-term interests of a locality or territory and therefore aims to establish a culture of self-sustainability.

Territorial Approaches As A Vehicle For Sustainable Development

Sustainable development processes integrate economic, social and environmental interests with the objective of managing change to ensure that it has a positive impact and that it happens at a pace that enables people to adjust to its effects. Like territorial approaches, these processes build on human and organisational resources that are found in the locality or territory itself.

Territorial approaches provide useful mechanisms for achieving sustainable development. In particular, they allow people, actors, organisations and institutions from a locality to take control of the development in the area where they are based. Because they are committed to this territory they all want to ensure that any new initiatives are not only responsive to the needs of the territory in the short term but that they will also serve its long-term interests. This means that these local people and organisations:

•	act as a counterbalance to unrealistic interventions that result from the needs of external organisations to extend their geographical coverage or to demonstrate their ability to respond to particular problems, which are defined as a priority by interests that are again located outside the territory;

•	are both motivated and committed to sustain any pilot activities that have proved to be valuable because they themselves are directly concerned by the issues that are being addressed and realise that they will benefit if appropriate and lasting solutions can be found.

So, the partnership structures at the core of territorial approaches ensure that there is genuine and co-ordinated support from public, economic, social and civic players in the locality. This allows for the effective management and use of resources in the short term and helps to secure the long-term sustainability of local development initiatives.

Territorial approaches are a way of ensuring that development processes are responsive to people’s needs and provide effective yet flexible solutions that are adapted to changing circumstances. Thus, they underpin the notion of development and sustainability as a unified and coherent response to changing patterns of economic growth, social development and environmental concerns.

The Policy Context

At European level, local development has become an integral part of the EU strategy for regional economic and social development. In this context, the Structural Funds remain the main instruments for achieving the desired development. The new Structural Funds regulations for 2000-2006 often refer to sustainable development and the creation of sustainable jobs as being essential elements of the common strategy to ensure "… the harmonious and balanced development of the whole of the Community territory …  [that] adds value to action to promote economic and social cohesion …".

Also, in the framework of the European Employment Strategy, the European Commission commits itself to support Member States in their quest for "higher economic and employment performance compatible with balanced and sustainable development".

High levels of long-term central subsidy in support of regional and local development have, however, in some cases fostered a 'soft budget' or dependency culture which by its very nature inhibits rather than reinforces the capacity for self-sustainability. And, legal frameworks and funding mechanisms at both European and national level still tend to perpetuate a situation in which political, economic, and social issues are addressed separately and often from 'the top down'.

Fortunately, there is increasing political openness towards embedding policy implementation in a territorial approach. For example, in their National Action Plans for Employment, most Member States recognise that fostering sustainable employment creation and economic growth, at regional and local level, must be based on flexible, decentralised structures if these processes are to meet the real needs of local communities. Several Member States outline the mechanisms that they intend to use to embed such actions in the local level and these can generally be described as 'territorial approaches'.

Strategic Lessons

Development does not come as a coherent 'neatly packaged' process. While there are some large scale initiatives that embrace many aspects, development is most often the end result of a number of different measures, projects and actions.

Introducing Systematic Co-Operation Between Training Providers And Businesses To Sustain Regional Competitiveness

ADAPT – “J100-Regiones”, Regione Emilia-Romagna (A-1995-IT-071)

Emilia-Romagna is one of the large regions of Northern Italy. It is well known for its dynamism in cultural and economic terms and has a rich economy, high exports and an international profile. To safeguard and strengthen the competitive advantage of the region, particularly amongst its SMEs, the Regional Authority’s Department of Employment, Education and Training, launched a large-scale project that was supported by ADAPT.

From the outset, the "J100-REGIONES" project was conceived as an instrument for regional development and aimed to introduce strategic changes in training and business services. It combined 'top-down' guidance that obliged training providers to participate with 'bottom-up' approaches that stimulated the involvement of businesses and included the establishment of a Regional User Group.

The objectives of the project were to:
•	improve the capacity of the training system to provide effective and flexible responses to the needs of small businesses for information, training and advice;
•	promote co-operation between regional education and training providers and between these providers and research institutions and SME services with a view to involving enterprises directly in the provision of training.

The project primarily targeted well-established sectors dominated by SMEs such as tourism and construction that needed encouragement and support if they were to become more innovative. The focus was on increasing the use of Information and Communication Technologies in general, and Internet in particular, and on introducing new management approaches.

The resulting increase in co-operation between enterprises and the training system is a clear indicator of the success of the project. Some 700 enterprises were initially involved in 17 training programmes on innovation held throughout Emilia-Romagna and another 800 have taken part in some of the activities on the analysis of training needs or the design and delivery of training. This systematic collaboration has significantly improved the situation. In practical terms, the multiplication of sectoral and specialised consortia has generated a new practice of co-operation between bodies that had previously competed with, or ignored, each other. The collaboration with industrial associations, universities and research institutions has also pushed the training system towards becoming a genuine service provider not only offering conventional training courses, but also information and consultancy services and flexible forms of training.

The 'innovation laboratory' of the J100-REGIONES project has impacted directly on the mainstream training system and Emilia-Romagna has become a true learning region. Many of the approaches tailored specifically to support the development and sustain the competitiveness of the region's SMEs have now been integrated into regional training policy and practice.

ADAPT and EMPLOYMENT projects that have adopted a territorial approach are anchored in the local area through the active involvement of, and ownership by local actors and thus have at their disposal a framework for the long-term, integrated use of their outcomes. The examples below show how projects have achieved the sustainability of their activities, while at the same time contributing to the development of the territory in their particular field of interest or expertise.

Achieving Political Sustainability And Recognition Through Regional Networking

EMPLOYMENT-NOW -  “AURORA”, Frauenstiftung Steyr (N-1995-A-002)

The AURORA project was located in the southern part of Upper Austria, an area dominated by agricultural and tourism activities. In the area, women are primarily viewed as housewives and mothers who look after the children. Incomes are low and access to paid work is difficult due to a lack of jobs, lack of mobility and poor childcare facilities. Although there are various local development agents, decision-makers have had little appreciation, let alone awareness, of the needs of rural women. Business incentives and local development agencies target financially sound, well-trained males rather than micro-businesses and rural women.

The immediate aim of the project was to help women create employment and self-employment in their local communities by providing training on an outreach basis with childcare facilities on site. However, an additional objective for the promoter, Frauenstiftung Steyr, an agency that exists to train and find work for women, was to raise the awareness of women’s needs among decision makers.

Despite a long tradition of social partnership in Austria, it was clear that there was a need for cross-sectoral and multi-disciplinary co-operation at regional level to overcome the barriers of traditional thinking and to add legitimacy and credibility to a project dealing with women’s issues. So, Frauenstiftung Steyr established a steering committee or regional support network for the AURORA project involving several public and private bodies. Members included local mayors and party officials, representatives of the labour office, chambers of commerce, trade unions and the regional platform. The steering committee was involved right from the planning stage with a view to promoting effective future collaboration.

Gradually, Frauenstiftung Steyr became accepted as an equal opportunities partner at regional level. The Department of Regional Development invited the main regional actors to work out a future vision for regional development in Upper Austria and Frauenstiftung Steyr now represents women's interests in this group. In this way, women’s issues have been placed firmly and permanently on the regional political agenda. Through their involvement in the project steering group, the various regional bodies have come to recognise that rather than working vertically, they have to respond in terms of transversal actions that have a social, economic, gender-related and political impact on regional development.

The regional network model piloted by Frauenstiftung Steyr has gained national recognition and the 1999 NAP proposes that similar initiatives be initiated throughout Austria. 

Securing Economic Sustainability Through The Formation Of An Industrial Cluster

ADAPT – “DREAM - Digital Regeneration of Enterprises in Animation and Multimedia”, The Nerve Centre (A-1997-Ukni-508)

The Nerve Centre initially provided training in multimedia skills for the unemployed and other disadvantaged groups in the City of Derry. Through the DREAM project, the Centre has set out to consolidate and expand its activities with the aim of developing a high-tech skills base and infrastructure for interactive multimedia throughout the whole of Northern Ireland.

DREAM is addressing the following problems:
•	Technological and skills gaps in the diverse areas of multimedia;
•	Lack of awareness and understanding of the benefits of multimedia in the wider market place, including training organisations and government bodies and agencies;
•	The absence of a strategic vision for developing the sector in Northern Ireland.

The project has created an alliance of individuals, small companies and community-based organisations from urban and rural areas that see an economic future for themselves and their communities in the new digital industries. A series of seminars and conferences has been organised to raise awareness and increase knowledge about multimedia among training providers, government agencies and other relevant bodies in Northern Ireland. These seminars have also fostered links between the emerging multimedia industry and organisations in the public and private sectors. Discussions with government agencies have resulted in the direct involvement of the project in the formulation of an economic development strategy for the multimedia industry that has been produced by the Local Enterprise Development Unit in Northern Ireland.

By creating such an alliance, or industrial cluster, DREAM has made a strategic intervention in the digital media sector before it became dominated by larger companies with the critical mass to swallow up local markets for interactive multimedia and the Internet.

Furthermore, the project has enabled the Nerve Centre to secure its own long-term sustainability by:
•	Creating a strategic role for itself in an evolving industrial sector by virtue of its territorial vision;
•	Creating strategic partnerships across a number of sectors and involving players with the strength and power to influence policy;
•	Integrating diverse actions and building on the success of previous projects, thus strengthening its position in Northern Ireland as a market leader in the multimedia sector.

KEY PRINCIPLE: ENSURING SOCIAL COHESION

What Do We Mean By Social Cohesion?

Social cohesion refers to the reduction in disparities between and within regions and concerns the capacity of a society to treat all of its citizens equitably. The primary goal of any policy or programme aimed at promoting social cohesion is the prevention of social exclusion. At the 1998 European Social Policy Forum, David Blunkett, the UK Secretary of State for Education and Employment, stated “… we (the European Union) cannot afford social exclusion in Europe; it generates huge costs in the form of crime, ill-health, welfare dependency, social breakdown and dislocation. It cuts people out of participation in decision-making and civil and cultural life”.

Why Ensure Social Cohesion?

Social exclusion is a combination of several types of deprivation including lack of education, poor health and housing conditions, lack of employment opportunities and the loss of family support. This definition can be extended beyond material deprivation to include an inability to fully exercise existing civil, cultural and political rights. There is a critical link between social and economic cohesion in the same way as there is an interdependence between economic and social progress. The main objective of social cohesion is to reconcile the two seemingly opposite systems of free enterprise based on market forces, on the one hand, and social welfare based on open access to benefits and mutual support and protection for all members of society, on the other. The cohesion objective is not simply a question of reducing economic inequalities as it also seeks to address the issue of the under-use of human resources. Over the past twenty years, economic restructuring and welfare reform have resulted in a greater number of people falling through the ‘safety net’ of social welfare support. The gap in terms of wealth has widened between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ and although economic growth has benefited many EU citizens, a growing minority experiences unemployment, poverty and various forms of social exclusion.

The ‘Building Territories for the Millennium’ Conference Report describes this new objective as follows: “Social cohesion: those on the periphery of society are not just a challenge to the moral order but a wasted social and economic resource. Inclusion is thus not just about improving the quality of life of the most disadvantaged but also enables a society to function better and to make use of all its human resources. In this way, inclusion contributes to, rather than being a by-product of, development.”

The Policy Context

Through the Single European Act and the Social Charter, the European Union placed economic and social cohesion at the heart of its policies. The main aim is to ensure that all Member States and their regions work together towards a situation of social and economic equilibrium across the EU by reducing or eradicating inequalities - especially within those regions lagging behind in terms of development. Policies for labour market integration are the key to securing social and economic cohesion. It is for this reason that, since the Essen European Council in December 1994, Member States have been committed to a common strategy based on interrelated measures to enhance employment creating growth, social solidarity and equality. These include special measures to promote access to jobs for the most vulnerable groups in the labour market. The ‘Confidence Pact for Employment’, launched in November, 1996, brought this strategy forward by mobilising all those involved in the job creation process particularly within a new partnership between government and the social partners.

The positive side of social cohesion is the promotion of ‘social inclusion’ as a “modus operandi” for policy makers and programme managers. This is the process by which all members of society are enabled and empowered to participate in its social, economic and civic activities. Across the Member States, the NAPs reflect the main policy objective of achieving social cohesion by integrating measures to promote social and economic progress.

The NAPs demonstrate the weaving together of three key strands:
•	developing flexible labour market programmes which mix together social and economic objectives;
•	accepting a mixed market model involving a blend of social economy and state welfare solutions to the problems of encouraging more entrants into the labour market;
•	supporting new relationships between the public, private and voluntary sectors which promote local involvement and local actions without the territorial approach becoming overly ‘parochial’.

The NAPs have shown that in different national circumstances, social and economic progress can go hand in hand. Social progress does not have to take place at the expense of economic competitiveness and Member States are improving social cohesion through wide- ranging and diverse measures such as:
•	improving the participation of women in the labour market including their career development, their access to new job opportunities and to entrepreneurship;
•	providing support for those entering the job market, either young people starting work for the first time or those returning to work;
•	developing education and training as part of a policy of lifelong learning to enhance and sustain employability, mobility and integration into the labour market;
•	promoting a skilled, trained and adaptable workforce, fostering innovation and flexibility in work organisation, supporting entrepreneurship and employment creation and boosting human potential in research, science and technology;
•	involving final beneficiaries in the design, implementation and evaluation of all ‘integration’ programmes as partners around the same table with those public, private and voluntary sector agencies that support their training and development needs throughout the process.

Strategic Lessons

This new ‘social cohesion’ model of local development supports traditional economic development whilst at the same time increasing the range and quality of opportunities open to every member of society to participate in social, economic and civic life.

At both policy and programme levels, an improved model of consultation and participation enables all actors to work together more coherently. At a national level, governments need to be more determined in their engagement of the NGOs that work with excluded groups and these activities should be well resourced. At a programme level, the development of new partnerships on a ‘territorial’ basis enables those people closest to the realities of social exclusion to develop their own innovative projects in an effort to tackle the problems.

Outlined below are some examples of projects that have successfully addressed the issue of social cohesion by adopting a territorial approach.

Creating A Cross-Community Partnership In A Divided Rural Area To Enable Marginalised Groups To Participate In The Socio-Economic Development Of Their Communities

PEACE - "STEP - South Tyrone Empowerment Programme"

The South Tyrone area is the southern part of the western region of Northern Ireland that runs along the border with the Republic of Ireland. It is characterised by its poor infrastructure and uneven socio-economic development. The scattered population of this rural area has been deeply affected by the political conflict and local communities have often been in conflict with each other.

To improve the socio-economic situation, a strategic approach was required which would actively involve socially marginalised and economically deprived individuals and communities in consultation, evaluation and decision making for the projects and programmes initiated in their interest. However, the lack of community infrastructure seriously hampered the opportunity, capacity and confidence of these people to effectively participate in the socio-economic development of South Tyrone.

The STEP project was set up by eight local voluntary community organisations under the PEACE programme with the aim of creating a community partnership, developing a community infrastructure and implementing capacity building projects. The project partners represent different sectors of the community and specialise in different areas of community development. Some are primarily concerned with economic regeneration and the creation of local infrastructure to improve the employment prospects and economic future of their communities while others are dealing with the needs of specific target groups such as women returners, disabled people and rural dwellers.

The STEP partnership is a forum in which representatives of the divided communities can share experiences, discuss problems, meet in a neutral venue and explore the potential of jointly addressing identified gaps in existing policies and provision. Through a team of eight paid community workers, the partnership assists marginalised communities to interpret, evaluate and use information to identify their own needs. It then assists groups and individuals to develop organisational skills and to access training that can help them address these identified needs. The partnership also supports the development of a network and infrastructure to simplify and sustain interaction across the community divide.

The partnership has contacted 250 local organisations, established working relationships with more than 70 of them of which more than half receive regular interactive support. It has helped to ensure that communities have had the chance to voice their opinions on regional and national policy and new multi-interest groupings have been set up on health action, rural transport, childcare and youth disability. STEP itself has become an accredited training provider offering pre-vocational and vocational training in community work, business administration, childcare, care services and information technology.

STEP began in a situation of political division, sectarianism, suspicion and personal prejudice that also contained actual or potential conflicts in organisational culture and practice. Now, a recent external evaluation states that against this background, STEP has achieved "striking progress in establishing harmonious and productive working relationships".

Setting Up Neighbourhood Innovation Pools To Support The Social And Labour Market Integration Of Disadvantaged Young People In Deprived Urban Areas

EMPLOYMENT-YOUTHSTART - "A Locally Based Network Approach to Prevent School Failure", Stadt Köln - Regionale Arbeitsstelle zur Förderung ausländischer Kinder und Jugend (Y-1995-D-015)

The Mülheim-Kalk district of the city of Cologne is an old industrial estate where 23% of the population is of immigrant origin. The area is characterised by high levels of unemployment and people living on social welfare benefits. Mülheim-Kalk has been declared a "neighbourhood in crisis" and been targeted by urban renewal programmes.

Youth unemployment is extremely high, there is a large incidence of early school leaving and rising numbers of young people with no formal qualifications. Young immigrants, in particular, have a low level of education and find it especially difficult to access training or work. The problems of these young people who are at great risk of social exclusion had not been addressed due to institutional segregation and lack of co-operation between teachers inside schools and between schools and the outside world.

The YOUTHSTART project has established a new co-operative structure to deal with the problems of access to training and work experienced by disadvantaged young people in the district. The Mülheim/Kalk Innovation Pool brings together staff from the secondary schools, vocational schools, the employment services, youth services and centres, clubs and local social services. The Innovation Pool members find new ideas and resources to develop common projects that will reintegrate early school leavers, prevent other pupils leaving school without qualifications and facilitate young people’s transition from school to working life.

A successful project has concerned the development of individual career planning in schools. Usually, career guidance does not take place in schools but is provided by external services. A teacher within each school is assigned as a "career planner" and serves as the contact person for young people at risk. Together with the young person, an individual career and life plan is designed. The process also involves parents, the employment office and other services, as necessary. Twelve schools in Cologne have now released teachers to work as in-house career planners.

The organisation of "school environment conferences" is another new step towards opening up the schools to their surroundings including local businesses and employers' associations. The aim is to involve 'the surroundings' in school activities, improve the reputation of the young people and thus facilitate their social and labour market integration.

Overall, the project has raised the awareness of local politicians and the general public of the problems faced by disadvantaged young people in Cologne. As a consequence, the various actors have become more willing to co-operate and new collaborative working practices are now being institutionalised to ensure that all young people are given a fair chance to access training or work.

THEMATIC FOCUS GROUP ON TERRITORIAL APPROACHES

This Thematic Focus Group was a transversal group that based its work on the experience of ADAPT, all strands of EMPLOYMENT as well as the Programme for Peace and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland. It also took account of the experience of a range of other European programmes. The Group was led by Northern Ireland and it also included participants from: the French-speaking Community of Belgium, the Flemish-speaking Community of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Austria and Sweden. The work of the Group was facilitated by an external expert and supported by a number of resource persons.

Regional and local structures are emerging as increasingly important agents of sustainable development achieved through mobilising the totality of the resources of the territory, particularly those relating to human resources and the capacity for innovation. Projects under ADAPT, EMPLOYMENT and PEACE have shown how a sense of belonging to a given territory motivates people to actively contribute to improving the quality of life of their neighbourhood, area or region; how addressing issues from a territorial perspective is generally more useful than tackling political, social and economic issues separately; how a territorial approach can mobilise all relevant local actors to work together; and how all of this has the added value of being more responsive to people’s needs, more effective in finding solutions, more flexible in adapting to changing situations and enhancing economic competitiveness while maintaining social cohesion.

Against this background, the Thematic Focus Group set out to establish a new model for local development based on best practice and it worked to extract and document the added value of bringing together a range of local actors to pool their expertise and resources, i.e. the added value of territorial approaches. Given that many different territorial models exist, the Group adopted an open approach to the theme and focused its work on how territorial approaches are best implemented.

The first milestone in the work on Territorial Approaches was a European Conference in Northern Ireland, 20-23 January 1999, entitled 'Building Territories for the Millennium'. The Conference brought together some 200 representatives of ADAPT, EMPLOYMENT and PEACE projects as well as key actors working at local, regional, national and European levels. The Conference informed the further work of the Thematic Focus Group by identifying the main issues that must be addressed when adopting a territorial approach.

Building on the conclusions of the Conference, the Group decided to produce two different outputs to meet the needs of different audiences:

•	A collection of fiches - the present publication - outlining the six key principles of a territorial approach, as identified by the Group, and linking these to European and national policy objectives and programmes. Pertinent project examples illustrate each of the key principles. The fiches provide a clear framework from which policy makers, and others, will be able to easily identify the added value of different aspects of territorial approaches; 

•	A website containing some 40 case studies of best practice projects mainly from ADAPT, EMPLOYMENT and PEACE but also including projects implemented under the mainstream European Social Fund as well as under URBAN, LEADER, RESIDER and the Territorial Employment Pacts. The case studies are presented as individual accounts by practitioners and constitute a reference manual describing the implementation mechanisms and specific contexts of different territorial approaches. They also highlight problems and solutions, outstanding issues and recommendations identified by the practitioners.

The reference manual is intended primarily for institutions and organisations at regional and local level that are considering adopting a territorial approach. To facilitate access, an index of key terms enables users to directly retrieve those sections of the case studies that are concerned with a specific issue. The website will be operational as from 27 April 2000 on the following address: www.buildingterritories.org

MEMBERS OF THE THEMATIC FOCUS GROUP

België
Ms Michaëla Vanmelkebeke
Ministerie van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap -
EWBL / Afdeling Europa Werkgelegenheid
Email: Michaela.vanmelkebeke@ewbl.vlaanderen.be

Belgique
Ms Dominique Figa
Cellule FSE
Email: fse@skypro.be

Danmark
Mr Lars Møller Bentsen
ACIU
Email: aciu@aciu.dk

Deutschland
Mr Michael Gericke
Nationale Unterstützungsstelle ADAPT der Bundesanstalt für Arbeit
Email: gericke@adapt.bn.shuttle.de

Mr Christian Thimme
Europabüro für Projektbegleitung
Email: thimme@efp-bonn.de

Ellas
Ms Anna Orologa
National Labour Institute - EIE
Email: aorologa@eie.org.gr

España
Ms Concha Diaz
Email: Cdiaz@mtas.es
Mr Pedro Mayor
Email: pmayorl@mtas.es
U.A.F.S.E.

Ms Delu Bosch
Email: abosch@mtas.es
NSS ADAPT

France
Ms Vicki Donlevy
Email: donlevy@racine.asso.fr
Ms Marie-Christine Palicot
Email: palicot@racine.asso.fr
RACINE

Ireland
Ms Mary Sheehan (resource person)
Tallaght Partnership for Community Development
Email: f.tu@aircom.net

Italia
Ms Maria Françoise Delatour
(resource person)
Regione Emilia-Romagna
Email: info@gisform.it

Österreich
Ms Elisabeth Freudenthaler
Gemeinschaftsinitiativen und Programme der EU
Email: ademploi@gip.or.at

Mr Heinz Moderegger (resource person)
Arbeitsmarktservice Steiermark
Email: heinz.moderegger@600.ams.or.at

Sverige
Mr Stig Wikström
The Swedish ESF Council
Email: stig.wikstrom@esf.amv.se

UK Northern Ireland
Mr Pat Donnelly
Email: pat.donnelly@proteus-ni.org
Mr Michael Hegarty
Email: michael.hegarty@proteus-ni.org
Ms Dorothee Wagner
Email: dorothee.wagner@proteus-ni.org
PROTEUS

Mr Mike Morrissey (expert)
Urban Institute
Email: mike.morrissey1@compuserve.com

Mr Kieran Shields (resource person)
ROSA
Email: rosa@globalnet.co.uk

European Commission
Ms Maria Johansson
Employment and Social Affairs D-G
Email: maria.johansson@cec.eu.int

EUROPS
Ms Lisbeth Bahl Poulsen
Ms Djémila Boulasha
Ms Reinhilde Paeps
Mr Thomas Stahl
Email: info@europs.be

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR PROJECTS CITED IN THE KEY PRINCIPLE FICHES

België
"NEW PERSPECTIVES, NEW HORIZONS & ACTION FOR URBAN REGENERATION"
STEBO - Steunpunt Buurtopbouwwerk
Mr Erwin De bruyn
Email: stebo@skynet.be

Belgique
"LOCOACTIVE"
Réseau Bruxellois de Soutien à la Création d'Emploi avec des Femmes
Ms Christelle Cornez / Mr Marc Rents
Email: mrents@misc.irisnet.be

Danmark
"UNG I PARKEN"
Projekt Rabarberlandet
Mr Niels Aagaard
Email: rabarber@post1.tele.dk

Deutschland
"A LOCALLY BASED NETWORK APPROACH TO PREVENT SCHOOL FAILURE"
Stadt Köln - RAA
Mr Ludger Reiberg
Email: nc-stadtk024@netcologne.de

España
"SAFO, MONTAÑA DE RIAÑO"
Grupo de Acción Local "Montaña de Riaño"
Mr Porfirio Díez Casado
Email: mmriano@lesein.es

"BURJASSOT 2000"
Ayuntamiento de Burjassot - CEMEF
Ms Begoña Salvador Cifre
Email: cemef@cemef.com

France
"CONSEIL STRATÉGIQUE AUX ENTREPRISES POUR S'ADAPTER AUX EXIGENCES DES CHARTES DES PARCS NATURELS RÉGIONAUX"
FPNRF - Fédération des Parcs Naturels Régionaux de France
Mr Jean-Luc Sadorge
Email: tvincent@parcs-naturels-regionaux.tm.fr

"ANTIOPE - REGIONES BIS"
Comité de Bassin d'Emploi à Aubagne La Ciotat
Mr François Gaillard
Email: cbe.alc@entreznet.com

Ireland
Tallaght Partnership for Community Development
Ms Mary Sheehan
Email: f.tu@aircom.net

Italia
"J100-REGIONES"
Regione Emilia-Romagna - Scienter
Mr Claudio Dondi
Email: scienter@scienter.org

"PROGETTO MARIENTHAL"
Per l'Impresa Sociale
Ms Renate Goergen
Email: images@coinsociale.it

Österreich
"GRAZ: THE LEARNING REGION"
Karl-Franzens-Universität
Mr Josef Scheff
Email: josef.scheff@kfunigraz.ac.at

"AURORA"
Frauenstiftung Steyr
Ms Judith Cerwenka
Email: office@frauenstiftung.at

Sverige
"LEARNING IN ENTERPRISES BY LOCAL, REGIONAL & INTERNATIONAL NETWORKING"
IUC I Gnosjö AB
Mr Bo Willermark
Email: iuc.willermark@gnosjo.se

"BREAKING THROUGH THE BARRIERS"
QYSS regional resurssamordning /
Länsstyrelsen i Västernorrland
Ms Birgitta Notstam
Email: birgitta.notstam@y.lst.se

UK Northern Ireland
"DREAM"
The Nerve Centre
Mr Michael O'Neill 
Email: info@dream-ni.prg

"STEP"
South Tyrone Empowerment Programme
Ms Bernadette McAliskey
Tel: +44 1868 72 34 89

	

ESF NATIONAL ADMINISTRATIONS

België

Mr Louis VERVLOET
Ministerie van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap 
Tel: +(32.2) 507.44.34

Belgique

Mr Guy DE SMEDT
Cellule FSE
Tel: +(32.2) 207.75.16

Danmark

Mr Hans Christian LAURBERG
Arbejdsministeriet - Socialfondssektionen
Tel: +(45) 33.92.59.00

Deutschland

Mr Kurt BRÜSS
Ministerialrat - Referat VIIa3 
Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Sozialordnung
Tel: +(49.228) 527.27.16

Ellas

Ms Chrysoula PAPANDREOU
Ministry of Labour - ESF
Tel: +(30.1) 524.30.68

España

Ms Aurora SAETA DEL CASTILLO
Ministerio de Trabajo y Asuntos Sociales
U.A.F.S.E.
Tel: +(34.91) 409.09.41
	
France

Ms G. RIALLE-SALABER
Ministère du Travail, de l'Emploi et de la 
Formation Professionnelle - DGEFP
Tel: +(33.1) 44.38.30.36
	
Ireland

Mr Eugene FORDE
Principal Officer
Department of Enterprise & Employment
Tel: +(353.1) 676.58.61 – Ext. 3205 

Italia

Ms Annalisa VITTORE
Ministero del Lavoro e della Previdenza Sociale
Tel: +(39.06) 46.83.41.81

Luxembourg

Mr Erny DORNSEIFFER
Ministère du Travail 
Tel: +(352) 478.61.12

Nederland

Mr Jacques VAN BAAL
Ministerie van Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid 
Directie Internationale Zaken
Afdeling Europese Subsidie-Instrumenten
Tel: +(31.70) 333.49.73

Österreich

Mr Michael FÖRSCHNER
Bundesministerium Arbeit und Soziales 
Abteilung Europäische Integration
Tel: +(43) 1.711.00.21.76

Portugal

Mr Francisco MELO ALBINO
Director-Geral do D.A.F.S.E.
Tel: +(351.21) 814.14.50

Ms Ana VALE
GICEA
Tel: +(351.21) 799.49.30

Suomi

Ms Riitta KANGASHARJU
Ministry of Labour
Tel: +(358.9) 18.56.90.79

Sverige

Ms Margareta LORENTZI
Ministry of Labour
Tel: +(46.8) 405.13.43

United Kingdom

Ms Elaine TREWARTHA
Department for Education and Employment
Tel: +(44.171) 273.30.00

UK Northern Ireland

Mr Gerry ROGAN
Training & Employment Agency
Tel: +(44.1232) 25.76.50