Project Components
The Network was managed using three components: 'Management and Coordination', 'Identification of good practice' and 'Dissemination and Publicity'. This gave structure to the work carried out by the network.
Component 1 - Management and Coordination
The main objective of this component is to establish clear and functional management arrangements for the network.
Bristol City Council will be the lead partner of the project. The lead partner will be responsible for the coordination and finance functions and ensuring clear partnership arrangements.
A Network Steering Group will be established to provide strategic guidance and monitor the operations progress against milestones and work with partners to alleviate problems and generate solutions. Each country in the network will be asked to provide a representative for the Network Steering Group to maximize partner's involvement in discussions. The Steering Group will develop the detailed work programme.
An initial meeting will determine the representatives on the Network Steering Group. This Network Steering Group will oversee the operation of the network. There will be a further six Network Steering Group meetings over the lifetime of the project held at the same time as other workshops.
The Lead Partner, Bristol City Council will employ a part-time Network Coordinator to facilitate the efficient administration of the network, and ensure progress reports and financial claims are submitted to the Commission in an appropriate and timely manner. The Network Co-ordinator will act as the key coordination point for liaison between all partners.
Component 2 - Identification of European context, good practice approaches, and lessons learnt
This component will have three main phases:
- identification of national and regional context in the delivery of Structural Funds and other regeneration programmes.
- identification of good practice by network partners.
- identification of lessons and transferable knowledge.
The component will be delivered through a number of workshops, to be hosted by network partners. The network findings will be written up by an independent 'expert' employed by the network.
Each partner will be asked to present a case study of their national and regional context, along with programme model(s), and present it at a workshop.
Subsequently each partner will be asked to suggest their own good practice elements and present these, together with existing evaluation material, at another workshop.
Limited funding will be made available to assist network partners to prepare for the above two presentations (local consultant costs, evaluation costs etc.)
Two workshops will be held to identify and agree the key areas of good practice and transferable solutions that will improve and influence the future performance of Structural Funds and regeneration programmes. The information gained will be used to compile a good practice guide that will be published on the web site and presented at the final conference.
It is anticipated that up to two representatives of each partner will attend the workshops.
Component 3 - Dissemination and Publicity
This component will support and deliver the network dissemination and publicity strategy. This will include the production of publicity materials, the establishing and maintenance of a website, and the production of a 'good practice guide' based upon the findings of the network.
A seminar will be convened during the course of delivering this component, where up to four representatives may attend per partner. The seminar will provide the members of the network with an opportunity to discuss initial findings/models.
There will also be a Pan European conference to disseminate the findings of the network. This will be organised by the Network Steering Group, the project coordinator and the lead partner. A number of stakeholders/experts will be invited to the conference including EU policy makers, Member States, Managing authorities, regional and sub-regional organisations and other existing networks. During this conference, as well as disseminating the network's findings the individual partner's will have the opportunity to disseminate their good practice and their achievements.