On 21 23 April the last seminar within the long-term module training of the first target group in the Bulgarian Municipalities Competent Participants in the Utilization of EU Funds
On 21 23 April the last seminar within the long-term module training of the first target group in the Bulgarian Municipalities Competent Participants in the Utilization of EU Funds Project has been organized in Sofia. This marked the successful completion of the training course for the representatives of 15 municipal and regional administrations. Four training seminars have been organized within the project: Municipal Development Policy , EU Financial Instruments , Proposal Writing and Project Cycle Management . An official ceremony took place after the last training seminar during which each participant has been awarded a certificate stating the successful completion of the training program.
The second target group within the Bulgarian Municipalities Competent Participants in the Utilization of EU Funds successfully completed its long-term training program. Four training seminars have been organized within the project: Municipal Development Policy , EU Financial Instruments , Proposal Writing and Project Cycle Management . 20 representatives from municipal and regional administrations within the North-East planning region have been awarded certificates stating the undergone training seminars and acquired skills within the field of EU integration and EU pre-accession financial instruments.
Bulgarian Municipalities Competent Participants in EU Structural Funds Adoption Project
In July 2003 the training component within the Bulgarian Municipalities Competent Participants in EU Structural Funds Adoption Project, implemented by the Foundation for Local Government Reform with the financial support of the Open Society Foundation - Sofia, has been brought up to an end. The major goal of the project is to increase the knowledge and professional qualification of municipal and regional experts, working in the field of European integration, and improve their skills in the field of development, management and implementation of projects, funded by the EU Pre-accession and Structural Funds.
About 80 municipal and regional experts from the North East planning region were invited to participate in the project, and these were divided into three groups to undergo a long-term training for a 4-month period. The long-term training included four separate training modules, and presenting topical information in the fields of forming municipal development policy, financial EU instruments, project development and management, monitoring and control of EU projects. Through theoretical lectures and practical exercises, managed by experts in the relevant fields, participants enriched their knowledge and vision about the role of municipalities in the process of Bulgaria s EU accession in the context of the overall EU integration policy. After the end of the each training an opportunity was provided to the participants to receive personal consultations from the trainers in the course, assisting the experts in developing projects to be funded under various pre-accession programmes. The practical effect of these consultations resulted in delivering assistance to municipal administrations in their efforts to prepare compatible project proposals. According to researches performed by FLGR about 20 municipal projects were developed and consulted during such consultations. Municipal projects applying for the national PHARE Programme Development of Bulgarian Cultural Tourism , Labour Market Initiatives and Social Integration were consulted.
After the end of the training component, each participant, who had successfully passed the four training modules, received a certificate issued by FLGR, which certified his/her knowledge on the topics, encompassed by the training modules. Total number of participants, who received such certificate, is 55. It appeared to be an additional motivation and impetus for each trainee, and improves the self-confidence of the successfully training graduates.
In the course of project implementation each separate stage and activity were broadly reflected and announced through FLGR s information materials e-weekly, the web site and Information newsletter. In addition to this on the web site of the Foundation an electronic Forum was developed on the topics, related to the ongoing trainings. The project participants had the opportunity to raise questions, exchange ideas and discuss different issues, in relation with EU Pre-accession programmes, the process of European integration, as well as to address concrete questions to the project trainers regarding development of municipal projects.
Training seminars were held in different cities in North East Bulgaria, and each of them offered a visit at the cultural and historical heritage, national monument at the relevant city or town. That created additional interest on behalf of the participants and provided a possibility to get familiar with existing cultural monuments and the authentic atmosphere and tradition in each of the regions.
Within the end of the project two publications will be issued: Funding Programmes for Local Governments and Bulgarian Municipalities and the EU . They will be disseminated to all municipalities and regional administrations all over the country.