ANNUAL RESULTS 2014

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OPERATIONAL REVIEW SKL INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL RESULTS 2014 33 Turkish EU experts impressed by Sala In March 2014, a group from Turkey visited Sweden to study the Swedish experiences of EU-integration. Visits were made to the municipalities of Södertälje, Stockholm and Sala. The participants represented UMT as well as the Ministry for EU affairs and the visit was part of the “TUSELOG” program. When asked to reflect on what they had seen, heard and learned, this is what some of them said; Mr Ceyhan ÇIÇEK, Expert at the Ministry for EU Affairs of Turkey There are so many EU projects in Turkey implemented at the local level. However there is a problem of effectiveness and sustainability. We have observed in Sweden that in order to achieve an effective and comprehensive project targeting the citizens, you have to cooperate with other stakeholders. This is the main difference. I also think that Swedish municipalities and SALAR’s experiences on EU issues and projects can be good examples for Turkish municipalities. Therefore Turkish municipalities should cooperate with Swedish municipalities within the context of EU projects. One of the roles of the Ministry for EU Affairs is to coordinate EU affairs and projects in Turkey. While doing this it is important to cooperate with UMT because it is the biggest body concerned with local governments. In my opinion we, the Ministry and UMT, should focus on EU effects at the local level in specific chapters/sectors such as regional development and environment. UMT has good relations with municipalities and also has expertise in some sectors, and the Ministry for EU Affairs has a coordination and sector-based expertise. And these two institutions could develop projects focusing on the EU effects at the local level. The first lesson from Sweden is about the logic of local governance. There The group of EU Experts from Turkey together with Ms Carola Gunnarsson (yellow scarf), Chair of the Municipal Executive Board of Sala Municipality and Deputy Chairman of SALAR. is a big difference between Turkey and Sweden in this issue. The powers that local government in Sweden have, have made municipalities more responsive to citizens. And this creates a pressure on municipalities to provide better services for their citizens. The second lesson is about the culture of cooperation. In Turkey there is usually no cooperation among institutions in central and local level. In Sweden we have observed that without cooperation you cannot achieve your targets fully. The third lesson is about the impact of EU funds in municipalities. Even in a small municipality such as Sala, it is possible to achieve EU projects in different aspects. For example the business platform which is about entrepreneurship and Black River Valley is about local development and environment. On the other hand EU support in the Silver Mine is about tourism. If there is cooperation in a municipality and a team spirit, many things can be achieved. When I return to Turkey I will tell about the citizen-oriented policies, cooperation between institutions, focus on local self-governance, well developed social services, low interests for the EU elections, immigration challenges, Sala’s success with EU projects, Södertälje´s active involvement in social issues, and that it´s a very expensive country… Ms Fatma ŞAHIN Expert at UMT I was really impressed with Ms Carola Gunnarsson in Sala municipality. She has been in politics for such a long time but is still very active and passionate when it comes to the development of her own region. The biggest prison in Sweden is located in her municipality and she described how they work to create job opportunities through its existence. To tackle unemployment is the same challenge for her as for us. Through the visits in Stockholm, Södertälje and Sala we got a good insight into how the EU membership is handled at the local level in Sweden. Swedish municipalities are affected by EU laws and regulations in every aspect of their work. And they are aware of those regulations. They know the EU funds and how to get access to them. Still they told us that they have challenges using them, especially when it comes to sustainability of projects (this is a common problem between Sweden and Turkey). At SALAR there is expertise that follows the development of rules of EU every day. If something happens s/he gives information to the related expert at SALAR and at the end s/he can advise the municipalities on how to handle new regulation. In UMT we don’t have such a mechanism, but UMT and the EU Ministry in Ankara have joined in a project called” Turkish municipalities getting ready for the EU” . Our training sessions provide information about EU and what can be done with EU funds, together with trainers from the ministry. What I bring back from this visit is the reminder that the best way to develop is cooperation between different parties in the same municipality for the sake of the best outcome for a locality. A visit to the old silver mine in Sala made a lasting impression on Mr Cemal Bas from Union of Municipalities in Turkey and his colleagues. And finally, I must say that the train ride to Sala was very comfortable. I think it is a very good way to travel. When I get back I will tell my family about the Sala silver mine and the great attitude of the Swedish people that we met. Ms Aysel tOLunay, EU expert at the Ministry for EU Affairs of Turkey In Södertälje the biggest impression was to learn about its mixed population and how the city deals with that. The cultural mix in the city was a real highlight. In Sala the biggest impression was the passion of the people at the municipality and by far the visit to the Silver Mine. But not only in the sense of an touristic attraction, I was affected how the city made use of such an old mine and continued to keep it as a core cultural value of their city. They used EU funds to open the mine to tourism and I think this is a pure success of how EU funds can make such a great contribution to a small city. The three most important issues for me that I bring back from this visit are; participation of local actors in the decision making process is very important for local decision making, good cooperation between different actors is vital for local success and finally to have a strong will to take initiative and make changes and progress even in the smallest authority in the country is important. I think there’s not something like “the one outstanding thing” that should be changed in Sweden. When I look at Sweden from the outside I see it as a prosperous, wealthy state valuing democracy and its citizens. So that makes me to think that I wish this for my country too. Mr Cemal Bas, Expert at UMT After these visits to municipalities in Sweden it is obvious that EU is not an easy organisation to reach, learn and implement. There are many different aspects to consider. In this even municipalities are having some difficulties in reaching out and understanding EU legislations. However, municipalities close cooperation with local entrepreneurs and people makes EU more visual. In this sense for Turkey, municipalities can create offices such as EuroDirect and work with local groups and firms to apply for funds. It has been very interesting to hear about how SALAR works with EU relations. It is obvious that SKL has experts that have municipal background and international experience. SKL always works as a coordination agency and professional body that can get municipalities together and ultimately act together. UMT does not have such insight into EU related workings, at least not yet. My key learnings from the visit are; EU is not easy to integrate. It takes time, but coordination and deep understanding will always make local life better Always look for EU funds Be very careful with public procurement because national procurement laws are not that governing after all. The weather in Sweden can be very tough…
OPERATIONAL REVIEW SKL INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL RESULTS 2014 35 Talking about cities! What makes a good city? A clean environment, wellfunctioning services and good communications? Opportunities for employment and education? Its history, culture or nightlife? The people who live there? If we ask ourselves who makes a good city, the answer is naturally that all the people, businesses, actors and organisations at the local level through their actions and choices contribute to making a good or less good city. Working with urban development thus means working with all the actors at the local level. The local government plays a fundamental role. It creates the framework on which cities grow, and it enables progress and development. Looking at the world’s cities today, it is By Mats Jarnhammar Around the world, cities are struggling to provide services, jobs, housing and education for an ever-increasing urban population. They are also trying to make cities attractive, competitive, livable, and ultimately more sustainable places to live. This is what the SymbioCity Approach can do to help. obvious there is a lot of work to be done, not least in developing countries. Cities face serious challenges of uncoordinated growth, malfunctioning garbage collection, polluted drinking water, traffic havoc and untreated sewerage polluting rivers. Urban safety is becoming an increasing problem as more and more people compete for limited resources. An approach to sustainable cities Since 2010, we have supported cities through the SymbioCity Approach, a participative approach to sustainable urban development based on Swedish experience. We have used it to help cities plan and develop in a more sustainable way and to manage the resources they have in a more effective manner. By creating a platform for dialogue between stakeholders at the local level, new forms of collaboration have been initiated and the local government has a better position to fulfil their role to enable progress. In early 2014, the first phase of the SymbioCity Approach project came to an end, after five years of active engagement in the urban sector in Africa and Asia. When the biannual World Urban Forum took place in Medellin, Colombia in 2014, we presented not only the results of our work, but also our ideas for the next phase. A year of exploration and dialogue In preparing for the next phase of the program, our aim has been to improve the ways in which we support cities, and to engage with new countries and regions. We want to become more effective, more relevant and to increase our impact. To do that, we have consulted cities, citizens, politicians, planners and civil society in partner countries. In Zimbabwe… we talked to peacebuilding foundation PACDEF about how to re-build trust between citizens and the local government after service provision had stopped. In Colombia… we explored how bottom-up initiatives like urban gardening can build social resilience and improve safety in deprived neighborhoods. We learned how unconventional approaches to urban development can transform cities both socially and physically. In Tunisia… we discussed how urban improvements can become an engine for rebuilding society after the Arab Spring. In Kenya... we designed a new initiative for innovative and inclusive development in urban areas together with the newly formed Council of Governors. We have also developed the SymbioCity Approach further based on the knowledge generated in our work. We have strengthened the way we support the whole planning process; from vision to action. We have increased focus on gender equality, inclusive development and local economic development. And we have switched on the search light to find innovative environmental solutions that are adapted to conditions in our partner countries. What happens now? The next phase of the SymbioCity Approach will put increased focus on direct support to cities in making more integrated and inclusive plans, piloting new and innovative solutions and in more efficiently managing its urban systems. Targeted capacity development will be provided through training programs, on-the-job-training and city-to-city learning. On the global level, the SymbioCity Approach Secretariat will continue to engage in dialogue with international organisations. When the UN General Assembly convenes Habitat III in 2016, focusing on the implementation of the new urban agenda, we hope that signs of the SymbioCity Approach will be evident in the documents. Help Desk studies the “shrinking space” for civil society in Africa Late 2014 SKL International completed a study for Sida on the conditions for civil society to operate in Africa. Civil society organisations (CSOs) are an important partner in Swedish development cooperation. However, government restrictions are making it increasingly difficult for CSOs to operate effectively. This so-called “shrinking space” for civil society is a growing trend around the world. Sida asked SKL International to explore the conditions for civil society in 15 African countries where Sida is active. “Some of the challenges that CSOs face include restrictions on the amount of foreign funding and assistance they can accept, the areas they can work in and the types of activities they can undertake,” said the report’s author, Mr Henrik Alffram. “In Ethiopia, for example, CSOs that work with democracy and human rights issues are not allowed to have more than ten percent of their income from foreign sources. This makes it difficult for civil society to effectively defend and champion human rights issues.” The assignment was commissioned by Sida through the Help Desk for Democracy and Public Administration in Africa. The Help Desk provides short term expert advice in the areas of public administration, local democracy, political institutions, and rule of law. SKL International manages the Help Desk in consortium with the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and Public Administration International (PAI). “The Help Desk is designed to respond quickly to requests from Sida and Swedish embassies in Africa,” said Mr Erik Faxgård, who manages the Help Desk at SKL International. “Together with our partners we have a core group of experts that are available to respond to requests government restrictions are making it increasingly difficult for CSOs to operate effectively. This “shrinking space” for civil society is a growing trend around the world within two days. We also have a broader network of experts that can be available within a week for more complex or specialised assignments.” SKL International has partnered with ODI and PAI in Sida framework contracts for more than four years. ODI is Britain’s leading independent think tank on international development and humanitarian issues. In addition to its 12 core research programmes and flagship projects, ODI produces publications, reports and think pieces, and convenes public events and seminars on its most important research findings. PAI is a management consultancy that offers expert advice to governments going through political, constitutional, economic and structural change. PAI’s key objectives are promoting good governance and good practice in delivering public services. SKL International is contracted to manage the Help Desk until the end of 2016.
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ANNUAL RESULTS 2014

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