The first Advisory Support Center Networking Conference took place on June 14-15, 2022. Its primary goal was to foster partnerships. To this end, we met in Mrągowo with representatives from the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy, the Association of Polish Cities, regional governments, and local government partnerships participating in the project. During two intensive days, participants had the opportunity to get to know each other, discuss, and exchange experiences. Guests, both in the audience and at the computers, were welcomed by Miron Sycz, Deputy Marshal of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship; Renata Calak, Director of the Strategy Department at the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy; Tomasz Jegier, President of the Cooperation Fund Foundation; and Andrzej Porawski, Director of the Association of Polish Cities. The event was moderated by journalist Grzegorz Nawrocki. “The ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine and the simmering conflict between major global powers in the South Pacific are testing existing international relations and could significantly change the balance of power in the coming years and decades, including in Europe. These times require us to ask ourselves: who we are and who we want to be in 10, 20, and 30 years, what lifestyle we want to lead and based on what resources, what values are dear to us, and—perhaps most importantly—who we want to build our future with, with whom we share common plans and goals for life and development—with whom we want to co-create a partnership, a lasting relationship based on long-term strategy, not tactical, short-sighted gains.” Tomasz Jegier, President of the Cooperation Fund Foundation
Advisory Support Center – Conclusions and Objectives
During the first day, the conclusions from the pilot project were discussed in a panel discussion led by Wiktoria Saganowska, Deputy Director of the Strategy Department at the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy, with representatives of the partnerships: Marzenna Supranowicz, Starost of Węgorzewo, “Partnership of the Municipalities of Węgorzewo and Pozezdrze and Węgorzewo County”; Marta Kamińska, Mayor of Barciany Commune, President of the Association of Warmia-Masuria Border Communes; Ryszard Borowski, Mayor of Koneck Commune, Chairman of the Partnership Council of the Association of Kujawy Region Municipalities; Grzegorz Ambroziak, Mayor of Żychlin, Chairman of the Partnership Council “Between Kutno and Łęczyca”; Monika Strojna, Head of the Promotion and Regional Policy Department at the Pińczów County Office and Coordinator of the Ponidzie Partnership Working Group.
After a brief introduction by Daniel Prędkopowicz from the Cooperation Fund Foundation and Jarosław Komża from the Association of Polish Cities, participants attended three parallel workshops led by experts from the Association of Polish Cities, covering various types of strategies, optimal forms of institutionalizing partnerships, and practices for implementing an integrated approach and preparing supra-local projects. The workshop was summarized by Magdalena Skwarska, coordinator of the ZMP’s networking and knowledge exchange component, and Janusz Szewczuk, strategic advisor to the ZMP.
Advisory Support Center Plus – Financing Perspectives for Partnership Projects
On the second day of the conference, participants learned about financing opportunities for projects developed under the CWD Plus program. Renata Calak, Director of the Strategy Department at the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy, and Konrad Saganowski, Head of the Department of Regional Operational Programs at the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy, Ministry staff presented opportunities for implementing projects under the Cohesion Policy funds for 2021-2027, including territorial instruments for Integrated Territorial Investments (ZIT) and Integrated Territorial Investments (IIT).
Then, in a panel led by Radomir Matczak, an expert from the Polish Youth Union (ZMP), representatives of local governments participated: Joanna Cieślińska, Deputy Director of the Department of Urban Development and Economy, Gniezno City Hall, ZIT Gniezno Association; Marek Orszewski, Deputy Director of the Strategic Management Department, West Pomeranian Voivodeship Marshal’s Office; Elżbieta Barbara Romańczuk, Deputy Director of the Department of Regional Development, Podlaskie Voivodeship Marshal’s Office; Renata Samełko, Head of the Strategy and Development Department, Ełk City Hall; Emil Walendzik, Deputy Director of the Department of Regional Policy, Marshal’s Office of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, and Anna Sulińska-Wójcik, Deputy Director of the Department of Regional Operational Programs at the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy, discussed the territorial instruments of Integrated Territorial Investments (ZITs) and Integrated Territorial Investments (IITs). The closing remarks were made by Sabina Remiszewska, Sales Director of the Business Center in Olsztyn, Bank Ochrony Środowiska S.A., who spoke about financing pro-ecological investments using the ELENA (European Local Energy Assistance) grant, and Michał Bargielski from the Cooperation Fund Foundation, who summarized the potential of the Advisory Support Center.
Conference materials are available on the website.
CWD Plus is an innovative, large-scale advisory project, currently involving over 700 local governments from 77 partnerships. It has a practical and systemic dimension, breaking the established patterns of supporting the development of functional areas in areas of strategic intervention of national importance (ASI), i.e., areas at risk of permanent marginalization and medium-sized cities losing their socio-economic functions. In this project, we support a model of local government partnership, cooperation across administrative boundaries in finding solutions to shared problems, identifying common development potential, and leveraging partners’ experiences in strategic planning and project implementation.
