Funding Agency
The Department of External Affairs and International Trade Canada (the Task Force on Central and Eastern Europe)
Timeframe
1991-1993
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| Olsztyn town hall |
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Geographic Focus
The geographic focus of this exchange program was in the northeast of Poland – specifically the municipalities of Olsztyn and Olsztynek, in the Province of Olsztyn. A region known as the “green lungs of Poland”, given its large tracts of forest, arable land and abundance of lakes.
Project Partners
The Canadian Urban Institute’s partners for this project were the Foundation in Support of Local Democracy in Poland and the cities of Warsaw, Olsztyn and Olsztynek and the Olsztyn School of Business and Public Administration. Canadian partners included the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the City of Toronto and the Government of Ontario.
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Background
In the early 1990s, Poland, like other Central and Eastern European countries, was engaged in process of political, economic and social change. Pivotal to these changes were the decentralization of decision-making and service delivery responsibilities to local governments and the introduction of democratic institutions and procedures. Specifically, Olsztyn was dealing with a number of challenges including how to manage and implement effective, transparent and democratic procedures for planning and building regulations, environmental management, new tourist development, developing ecologically sound farming practices and the need for investment in infrastructure improvement.
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Project Description
This program was implemented in two phases. The first phase consisted of training workshops and seminars designed to provide an analysis of the existing situation in terms of local governance. The second phase, which consisted of capacity development activities, was designed to facilitate the development of sound municipal management practices and planning systems in Poland that are consistent with democratic values and the principles of market economy. A number of tangible results were achieved as a result of this exchange program, most notably the formulation of strategic development plans for two municipalities and a municipal training workbook that has been used as the basis for training in other municipalities. The program also led to the establishment of an Economic Development Department in the City of Olsztyn, as well as a Tourism Board, Business Club and local Homebuilder’s Association.
Approach
The implementation of this project was achieved through the transfer of Canadian municipal management “know-how”, using a practical municipal-management training program that utilized both on-the-job and in-house training techniques. Polish professionals were brought to Canada for placements in Canadian municipalities, to expose them to Canadian best practices and Canadian municipal management and planning experts traveled to Poland to provide education and practical training to Polish officials. A municipal training curriculum was developed and delivered and a major conference brought together officials from across Poland to participate in workshops on community-based strategic planning techniques.
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