Analysis of networks and potentials in the Vysočina Region

The project consists of three stages. In the first stage – analysis of networks – the cross-border cooperating networks from the Vysočina Region and Lower Austria will be identified. Afterwards their qualitative research will be carried out and an analysis in Czech and German will be drafted. In the second stage – analysis of potentials – SWOT analysis of the cross-border cooperation will be prepared and strategic steps and key projects in the area of cross-border cooperation for 2014-2020 will be suggested. The third stage consists of drafting of the final report and harmonization of the results with other contractors from Lower Austria and Southern Moravia.

Re-Turn – Regions benefitting from returning migrants

Re-Turn aims at re-attracting economically motivated migrants who left poorer European regions for high-income European countries on one hand. On the other hand its goal is to support those migrants who already returned to their original regions and to make use of their skills in order to develop these regions. Migration trends in the Central Europe will be mapped in the first stage. Afterwards new tools and services (i.e. one-stop-shops, trainings) for returning migrants will be developed and tested. In the last stage a transnational strategy and a joint action plan will be drafted and implemented. MEPCO is delivering project management support to one of the Czech project partners.

Town twinnings supported by municipal associations from Slovak and Czech Republic

The project aims at creating and maintaining the international cooperation of Czech and Slovak municipalities. MEPCO will prepare and evaluate a comprehensive questionnaire which will be distributed to Czech municipalities. The questionnaire will tackle such fields as: cooperating cities abroad and the intensity of the partnership, areas of the international municipal cooperation, its financing, benefits and obstacles, development in the future and other fields. Within the project a brochure with best practices will be published, database of partnerships will be updated, project webpage will be created and services for Czech municipalities will be improved.

Study Tour on Transfer of Knowledge and Expertise from the Czech Republic in the Field of Data Collection at the Local Level

Within a large project co-financed by the Romanian Government and European Social Fund MEPCO organized a five-day study visit for thirteen higher level officers from Romanian Ministry of Interior and Finance and representatives of local government. The study tour was aimed at presentation of the concept of e-government and collection of financial and other data at the local level and their processing. The participants met their relevant counterparts during theoretical sessions and they were able to observe several examples of practical use of the theoretical concepts.

Integration of Roma minority at the local level: best practices from Dutch and Czech municipalities (seminar)

The main goal of the seminar was the meeting of thirty representatives of Czech municipalities with a municipal delegation from the Netherlands, presentation of best practices of Roma integration and discussing about possible cooperation in the future. Part of the seminar was focused on sharing best practices in three separate working groups: school attendance, employment and media relations.

Labour Market Thematic Network Development in Ústecký Region

The aim of the project is to create a regional thematic network with national and international overlap. The main product of this networking activity – based on the exchange of best practices with the foreign partners – will be a handbook of process innovations in following areas: consultation work with job seekers, cooperation between the employees of Labour Offices and NGO’s and the role of self-government bodies within the process of designing coordinated programmes for unemployed.

Study Tour on Transfer of Knowledge and Expertise from Czech Republic in the field of Good Governance at the Local Level to Chernobyl Affected Areas of Belarus, The Russian Federation and Ukraine

The goal of this project was to promote accountable, transparent and inclusive local governance in Chernobyl–affected territories of Belarus, the Russian Federation and the Ukraine through capacity development and transfer of Czech knowledge and expertise. Particularly through enhancement of the management and leadership effectiveness in relation to local development and citizen involvement. MEPCO organized a six-day study visit to relevant ministries and one regional municipality and other national, regional and local actors.

Study tour on increasing accountability and transparency at the municipal level in Montenegro

This study tour contributed to fostering transparency at the local level in Montenegro. Representatives of municipalities and NGOs of Montenegro visited wide range of Czech organizations (Ministry of Interior, Transparency International, etc.) and received first hand experience about the situation and development in the Czech Republic.

Knowledge Transfer of the Czech Experience in the Field of Good/Local Governance towards More Efficient and Democratic Municipal Assemblies in Montenegro

50 000,- EUR

The goal of this eleven-month project was to strengthen effectiveness, democratic functioning and outreach of the Montenegrin Municipal Assemblies through adapting leading Czech experience in the field of local administration. Following activities were carried out during the project: review of the parliamentary services, identification of relevant experience abroad, creation of a set of learning modules, holding training session and seminars, organization of 2 study visits to the Czech Republic,  reviewing material needs of the municipal assemblies and drafting final reports.

From adversaries to advocates: filling the communication gap in the regions of Armenia

MEPCO participates in another international project aimed at improvement of local governance, particularly in the regions of Armenia. The main goal is to develop local democracy in the regions of Armenia through support of civil society and media. More specifically, it improves the communication between local governments, media and population for better understanding of democracy and transition issues. This complex project involves, among other activities, training of Armenian trainers in communication of local policies by local government, development of training manuals, trainings for local government officials, organization of seminars or trainings for media representatives. MEPCO provides relevant and experienced Czech experts for the project, transferring best practice examples to Armenia.

ET-Struct (EconomicEducational Territorial – Structure) - international project

The project creates instruments in order to link the supply and demand on the labor market in the region of Olomouc, promoting adaptability of educational programmes and raising awareness of the private sector about the human capital in the region. One of the goals is the intensification of co-operation among the private sector, local and regional administrations, and educational institutions. MEPCO provides project management services for municipality Hranice.

International Project CEBBIS

Czech Republic + central Europe

The project CEBBIS (Central European Branch Based Innovation Support) forms a platform for Central European transfer of technologies in the field of application of alternative sources of energy using ICT. At the same time, the programme intensifies the cooperation among science, innovation companies, and public administration. MEPCO provides project management services for this international project.

Uzbekistan - study tour on rural and local development planning and practice

The overall objective of the training study tour was to contribute to a better understanding of the role of the local administration in supporting rural development and advocating for change. MEPCO organized a 10-day study visit to the Czech Republic for various local development actors from national, regional and local level.

Support to the Development of Local Self-Government in Belarus

MEPCO, being one of the key implementing partners, is involved in the complex development project aimed at supporting of local self-government in Belarus and other relevant stakeholders. Besides provision of experts and trainers for the project activities implemented in Belarus (seminars, trainings, consulting sessions), MEPCO is responsible for organization of a study tour and a couple of internships to the Czech Republic.

NATLC - New approaches to the training of local councillors in the Czech Republic

The aim of the project is the creation and subsequent pilot implementation of modern methods for training of newly elected officials of local authorities in the Czech Republic and the preparation of new instructors selected from among former or current representatives of the authorities. The project is being realized in co-operation with the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (NALRA, in Norwegian, Kommunenes Sentralforbund, or KS) and the Centre for Education of Public Administration. The project is to serve as a platform for development of a comprehensive training programme for local councilors in the Czech Republic. MEPCO is responsible for project management, organization of the study visit to Norway and methodology development.

Municipal Support Programme North-Eastern Serbia

European Agency for reconstruction

European Agency for reconstruction

This project is financed from the EU funds, and realized by the European Agency for Reconstruction. The project was launched in June 2007 and involves 30 municipalities in 5 regions of North-Eastern Serbia: North, Middle, and South Banat, and the Branicevski and Podunavski Districts. The realization of the project is accomplished within the consortium, with MEPCO as one of the members. The main goal of the project is the improvement of local administration of 30 municipalities of North-Eastern Serbia, including the support aimed at co-ordination of taken steps with the state offices, acquiring sufficient sources for the development of the local administration, encouragement of the application of an effective horizontal link between the local administration, sphere of entrepreneurial activities, non-governmental sector, and business companies, as well as encouragement of socio-economic coherence among local communities, increasing capacity of regional development agencies, and preparation for the implementation of priority projects in the sphere of infrastructure.

Support to the Sustainable Development of the Municipality of Gjakova

The twinning project of towns Pardubice and Gjakova has strengthened the expert capacities of the Kosovo Municipality in the area of strategic planning and its ability to communicate with FDI as an instrument useful for LED. MEPCO was in charge of project management, organization of a study visit to the Czech Republic for responsible civil servants from Gjakova, as well as expert consulting on LED issues.

Bridging the Czech Local Development Planning Policies and Instruments with Bosnia and Herzegovina

The project provided policy-makers, local practitioners, socio-economic partners and municipalities from Bosna and Hercegovina with practical knowledge on Local Integrated Planning in the Czech Republic. MEPCO developed manual for a standardized local development planning methodology for Bosna and Hercegovina and conducted two study visits to the Czech Republic. This project contributed to a successfully implementation of a standardised local development planning methodology for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

ENPIRE – Energy and Urban Planning in Restructuring Areas

The project helps to develop the possibilities of use of the so-called intelligent energy, following the territorial planning. It is accomplished by local administration, being primarily designed for local administrations of the 7 participating countries. The ENPIRE programme is headed by international experts; with the involvement of developers, inhabitants, and power companies, via case studies.

Study Trip for Inspectors and Auditors from the Local Administrations of Kosovo

The one-week study trip introduced to the participants the control mechanisms on local, regional, as well as national level in the Czech Republic, including examples of good and bad practice and defining the linkage of the auditors’ work to the membership of the Czech Republic in the European Union.

Study Trip to the Ukraine – Handing Down Experience About Public and Local Sources of Energy and About Energy Efficiency

The one-week study trip introduced to the participants the control mechanisms on local, regional, as well as national level with respect to environmental end energy issues in the Czech Republic.

Joint Feasibility Study Concerning the Support of Regional Development in Northern Albania

The Joint Feasibility Study assessed the feasibility of the future joint Swiss-Austrian support programme of regional development in Northern Albania in 2009 – 2014. The programme focused on regional development and decentralization. Further, it aimed to build up absorption capacity for pre-accession programmes of the EU. The work of the expert in regional development included elaboration of preparatory studies for the project (EU programmes), and participation in an international team of experts on a two-week mission to Albania.

Support and Reinforcement of Local Administration Within the Process of European Integration – Study Trip to Serbia 

Technology Park in Celje

12/ 2007 – 08/ 2008

The Regional Development Agency in Celje prepared an extensive integrated project focused on the development of the town and region, in total amounting to 400 million EUR. The project included a construction of a technology park of total area 50 thousand square metres. MEPCO, thanks to its experience with technology centres and pro-investment policy in the Czech Republic, was asked to play the role of a foreign advisory consultant of the plan.

Development of the Innovation Potential Czech Lands – Saxony

INTERREG IIIA

Within the VITEC project (INTERREG IIIA), we have prepared a study of possible activities, which would elaborate the innovation potential of Czech – Saxon co-operation. While there is an existing network of advanced technology parks and centres for transfer of technologies on the side of Saxony, these instruments of regional development necessary for the growth of knowledge-based economics are rather scarce on the side of the Czech Republic. MEPCO has followed the preceding activities concerning the Action Plan for the Regional Innovation Strategy as well as the currently elaborated Integrated Plan for the Development of the City of Ústí nad Labem in order to prepare the initial study for the Technology Park in the region of Ústí nad Labem.

Study Trip to the Czech Republic for the Representatives of the AKM (Association of Kosovo Municipalities)

The one-week study trip for the representatives of the union of municipalities of Kosovo was focused on the activities and role of the Union of Towns and Municipalities of the Czech Republic, including the introduction of the system of public administration and the visit of the town of Havlíčkův Brod as an example of good practice.

Support of a Democratic Development of Towns and Regions in Belarus

The goal of the project was to widen the knowledge of the representatives of local administrations and representatives of chambers of business in the sphere of democratization and institutional support of development agencies. The project has strengthened the co-operation of Czech and Belarusian towns, opening a discussion in the Czech Republic concerning the political situation in Belarus.

Knowledge transfer on effective local governance and implementation of local development strategy from the Czech Republic to Ukraine – Study Tour of Ukrainian local development actors to the Czech Republic

MEPCO organized a 7-day study visit for various development actors from national, regional and local level. During this study tour participants gained knowledge on effective local governance and implementation of local development strategies in the Czech Republic. The delegates where informed on the local and regional development policies of the national authorities as well as on the structure of public government and its ability and competencies to affect the local and regional development. The second part of the tour focused on the strategic planning process and contained concrete transfers of best practices examples from the selected towns and municipalities.

MATEO – Project Designed for the Support of Research and Development

The goal of the project MATEO was to increase the potential of involved regions in relation to the economic growth through analyses of needs, with respect of the use of research and development.

HeriTour

The main focus of the project was conservation, thematic organization, and promotion of local cultural heritage through the creation of transnational cultural trails. One of the major activities was the selection of the cultural heritage to be included, elaboration of feasibility studies and marketing strategies. The project furthermore involved architectural proposals for further investments.

Study Trip to the Czech Republic for the Representatives of the AAC (Albanian Association of Communes, Albania)

VNG International

The one-week study trip for mayors and representatives of the AAC (Albanian Association of Communes) focused on the activities and roles of the Association of Towns and Municipalities of the Czech Republic, including the introduction of the system of public administration and visit to the towns of Vsetín and Liptál, representing examples of good practice.

Study Trip to the Czech Republic for the Representatives of KwaZulu Natal

A one-week study trip mapping the theme of local economic growth in the Czech Republic, including the development of tourism and social enterprise. 

Municipal Finance Management – Accountability and Capacity Building for Policy Makers and Local Officials II; Partnership with banks and financial institutions

The project named Financial Management of Municipalities has been helping the target municipalities to find out what their possibilities are in making the financial management effective, and what instruments are important for creating partnership of the public and private sectors. The project included two two-day training courses focusing on the theme of partnership between municipalities and banks aiming at economic benefits resulting from the realization of the projects concerned. The result of the project was the publication of the handbook named “Partnership models between municipalities and banks where the implementation of projects with concrete economic benefits”.

Study Trip to the Czech Republic for the Representatives of the Municipal Association of Macedonia (ZELS)

A two-week study trip focused on the activities and role of the Union of Towns and Municipalities of the Czech Republic, including the introduction of the system of public administration and the visit of the town of Ústí nad Labem as an example of good practice.

Study on innovative financial management practices in the area of local economic development in the CEE countries

The study covering innovative processes of financial management was prepared for the project named Overcoming legislative impediments for local economic development in Serbia. An analysis of approved practices with reference to LED (local economic development) in the regions of Central and Eastern Europe was prepared, stressing the instruments and mechanisms of financial management.

Central-European Network C2ENET

The goal of the project was to assist the municipalities in new European countries to deal with the problems concerning environmental issues with respect on technical, organization, and financial aspects.

Thematic Study Trip Focusing on Modernization of Public Administration for the Representatives of the People’s Republic of China

A study trip focusing on the exchange of experience in the process of implementation of  the reform of public administration of the Czech Republic and of the People’s Republic of China.

LARA - INTERREG TOOL BOX

The main goal of the project was to strengthen the involvement of local and regional subjects in the INTERREG programme and to increase the quality of the projects that were submitted within the programme.

Support of the democratic development of towns and regions in Belarus

The aim of the project was to increase knowledge and experience of Belorussian representatives in the field of transformation and reform of public administration and functioning of modern autonomous government. The project further included support focused on the institutional development and encouragement of democracy at the local level in Belarus.

Strategic Plan for the Economic Development of Bela Crkva Municipality

The project resulted in strengthening local economic development in the municipality of Bela Crkva (Serbia) through the creation and implementation of a Strategic plan for development. MEPCO created a detailed Strategic plan containing SWOT analysis and strategic vision on four main topics: economy, infrastructure, civil society and development of local government. In this participatory process local government representatives, citizens, entrepreneurs and non-profit organizations were involved. As part of this project a study visit to the Czech Republic was conducted for local government representatives, and civil society members to the Czech Republic.

Improving the Environment Ada – Soběslav

MEPCO and the experts from the municipality Soběslav provided technical assistance to the municipality Ada in order to improve the environment, cultivate effective strategy of environmental protection as a groundwork material for landscape planning, strategic decisions, and regional development. The trainings and consultations concerned the field of waste management and environmental protection in the region, as well as landscape planning and decision-making. The target group involved the employees of the local authority from the environmental department, and from the departments of landscape planning, community services, finance, and regional development. During their study trip to the Czech Republic, the representatives of the municipality Ada also collected basic information about the PCM (Project Cycle Management) and raising funds from EU sources.

PPP Principle; Employing the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund of the EU

The aim of the project was the realization of two training modules, focusing on the themes of the PPP principle, and on employment of finance resources from the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund at the local level, and preparation of towns / cities and municipalities for the realization of European projects.

Fostering innovations and improvements in the local government sector, Serbia 

MEPCO supported Serbian municipalities in applying for and implementing EC grants. MEPCO developed a grant manual for this purpose and conducted a study visit to the Czech Republic to provide the participants with practical examples from a country which recently experienced EU-accession.

Bridging the „Distance“ between authorities and their citizens in the Russian Federation

The aim of the project was to improve communication and transfer of information between local authorities and the citizens in four pilot locations of the project, taking advantage of using the experience of the Czech Republic.

Conference “ New Shape of the Cohesion Policy ”

In November 2005, the company MEPCO organized a conference on the topic of New Shape of the Cohesion Policy, focused on the existing opportunities for European towns / cities and municipalities.

Exchange

This seminar organized by MEPCO focused on the improvement of the capacity and the EU procedures, and on the training of the implementation unit in the lead of the programme of the Fund EXCHANGE in Serbia (collective team of the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities of Serbia and of VNG).

Bosnian Study Tour

During the study trip, the delegates from Bosnia and Herzegovina had the chance to get to know the functioning of the Union of Towns and Municipalities of the Czech Republic, and to gather information concerning the possibilities of co-operation with Czech municipalities and the possibility to draw resources from the funds of development aid of the Czech Republic.

Conference – Pre-Accession Experience

MEPCO offered and passed on the pre-accession experience of the Czech Republic within two conferences. The target group involved the mayors of Bulgarian and Romanian towns. The experts of the company MEPCO introduced their experience with the programmes like PHARE, SAPPARD, and the Structural Funds. The seminars were focused on the project cycle management, project plans, and examples of good practice.  

Romania – Development of Local Administration and the Modernization Fund

MEPCO took part in the expert supplies within the project. The EuroBiz expert was responsible for the activities related to the support of state administration when drawing financial resources from European funds and of various programmes in Romania.

Conference “European Structural Funds” – Hengelo   

The partner cities Pilsen and Hengelo (The Netherlands) organized on 16th and 17th March 2005 a conference, the main topic of which was the establishment of international partnership in order to use European Structural Funds by municipalities and regions. The company MEPCO secured all preparation, organization, and logistics of the entire event.