CCO Central Moravia CCO Central Bohemia

Palackého 1446/30, 750 02 Přerov

tel.: (+420) 581 210 502
stredni.morava@cpkp.cz
CCO offices:
Vodičkova 36,
116 02 Praha 1
tel.: (+420) 251 560 776
Public participation,
stredni.cechy@cpkp.cz tool for administration
www.cpkp.cz/pobocky-stc
of public matters

Office Přerov:
Horní náměstí 9, 750 02 Přerov
tel./fax: (+420) 581 210 502
stredni.morava@cpkp.cz

Office Šumperk:
Zábřežská 20, 787 01 Šumperk Community
tel.: (+420) 777 793 733 planning
sumperk@cpkp.cz of social services
Office Brno: in Czech Republic,
tel.: (+420) 777 793 730 Slovakia, Hungary
brno@cpkp.cz
and Poland
Office Praha:
Vodičkova 36,
116 02 Praha 1
tel.: (+420) 251 560 776
stredni.morava@cpkp.cz

This document was made with the help of European Union. CCO Central Bohemia
and CCO Central Moravia are responsible for the content of this document. It is
impossible to consider it as opinion of the European Union.
 Contents

1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.1. Public participation, tool for administration of public matters . . . . . . . . . . 2

2. Public participation into planning of social services .

in Czech Republic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.1 What is community planning of social services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.2 The history of planning in Czech Republic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.3 Solutions and principles of social service planning in Czech Republic . . . . . 14
2.4 Procedures in process planning common in Czech Republic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.5 Contribution of social service planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Public participation, 2.6 Current situation – range of social service planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

tool for administration 2.7 Financing of social service planning process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

of public matters 2.8 Future of social service planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

3. Social service planning in other Visegrad countries . . . . . . 39

3.1 Slovakia and the planning of social services in communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Published by the Centre for Community Organizing in 2008. 3.2 Planning of social services in Visegrad group countries, .
CCO Central Moravia, Palackého 30, 750 02 Přerov. Example of Poland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Written by composite authors.
3.3 Community planning of social services in Hungary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Editorial revision: Lenka Chalupová, Jiří Pavlát
Graphic design and layout: Jiří K. Jurečka. 4. Example studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Print: Europrint Přerov.
4.1 Laying foundation of community planning in Dobříš . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
4.2 „Who plays, does not bother“ – or playground for everybody . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
4.3 Public participation into the elaboration process of Strategic .
ISBN: development plan of town Kopřivnice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
4.4 Community planning of social services in the city of Ostrava . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
978-80-86902-54-8 czech
Concluding words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
978-80-86902-55-5 slovakian Information about Centre for Community Organizing: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Information about other organizations and IVF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
978-80-86902-56-2 english

978-80-86902-57-9 polish

978-80-86902-58-6 hungarian

1
1.
Public participation,
tool for administration
of public matters
by Mgr. Ondřej Marek
Public participation in decision making is no novelty in
Czech Republic or even in Central Europe. In connection
with a quality improving of processes in public
administration and increasing of its transparency we often
hear terms like: public participation, community planning,
assertion of partner principle, etc. It is concerned in the
principle of access to administration of public matters. This
principle is based on active providing of information to
public and social partners. It is getting of stimuli and
opinions to a solution of the problems.
Right decision about the public matters should be
affected by three factors: public interest, political resolution
and professional opinion. In other words public participation
is a process of communication among public, decision maker
and professional (expert) on particular topic. There are
various levels of public participation and different ways of
techniques. We can define public participation as series of
activities leading to information of interested citizens or
2 3
organizations and getting their stimuli for a preparation and acceptance of quality
decisions.
Problems related to process of public participation are major. Public
participation in concourse planning is a field, in which we are able to recognize
benefits most distinctively. The field of influence evaluation of constructions,
projects and strategies on environment (so called EIA and SEA processes) is well
protected by law. We can clearly see The Aarhus Convention effect in this field.
To get the public to participate in strategic planning proves to be very useful.
The development plans of municipalities, towns or regions as well as specific
strategy such as social service planning or conception of waste handling are worked
out with the assistance of public. It is the field of strategic planning with
participation of the public which is very conducive.
Proceeding social service planning in Czech Republic is an example of good
practise of public participation in strategic planning. Thanks to legislation and
methodical principle support of so called community planning of social services
(CPSS), the process of public participation made a major progress.
Benefits of public participation
Decision making focused on public is not just populism. On the contrary these are
activities which seem more expensive, long and more complicated. Their benefit is
hard to document, still it is possible to prove in many cases that public participation
into decision making brings positive benefit, which overcomes higher effort at the
beginning of the process.
• Public participation helps to define and specify what public interest really
is. Looking for a social consensus in strategic questions of community
development brings long term and socially sustainable solution.
• Good communication with public discovers a lot of special impulses. It
contributes to better analysis of problem concerning decision which is
being prepared. User of public service or concourse is the best source of
information to good solution of public srvice. An expert who knows the
topics and surroundings is an invaluable help. This way public
participation brings information which would be otherwise hard to get.
• Frank effort about public participation gets its trust and makes the process
easier. We often hear an opinion that public participation increases
aversion to suggested solution. This claim is not true. We cannot expect
 that public participation helps to enorce certain intention or bridges
implacable standpoints. Effective and transparent information discovers
in time potential problems of preparing decision and creates sufficient time
to overcome vexed questions.
• Way of decision making based on public participation creates more socially
sustainable solutions than solutions based on access of the corporation.
This fact is best documentable on concourse treatment with public
participation. Public participation suppors an interest of community about
public events and it is one of few possibilities how to motivate to this
interest. Active and informed community, which is interested in its
problems solving presents purposeful way to its sustainable development.
Public prticipation is one of many factors which are leading to this goal.
Things do not always go the right way
Public participation does not suffer from not being noticeable, or it was considered
as substandard methodology of administration of public matters. Currently the
biggest problem of this access is its poor quality and formalism. Often public
participation rocesses are staying fancied with mentioned access, high-flown
declarations or populist statements. Formal and poor quality public participation is
not enough form real improving of administration of public matters. This way it
does not bring expected impovement of administration of public matters, but makes
public disappointed, increases its unconcern about public matters and conduces to
misunderstanding between public and public administration.
One would think that communicating is easy. But good communication with
public calls for many specific techniques and skills, which public administration
often does not use. Not least a lot of information and advertising is competition for
information and mpulses from public administration to public. To hold public
interest is still more difficult. From this reason it is necessary to manage
communication techniques supporting public participation. Education of public
administration in this field is insuffiient and on voluntary base. That is why we
cannot wonder that many processes of public participation bring rather
disappointment and distrust from citizens as well as public administration.
As it was mentioned, citizen is snowed under with a lot of information and
stimuli. As well as public administration solves a lot of matters that if it should
communicate with citizens about each of them above standard, its activity would
4 5
not be very effecive. Then citizen will get information which he will not be interested
in. It is necessary to find topics and concrete groups of citizens which are important
for public participation. There is no easy way to choose such topics. Size of
community, its moodand position and other circumstances effect a choosing of these
topics. It is possible to point out these appropriate indicators of public participation
necessity:
• strategic resolution (conception)
• investment which exceeds specified range (we are not able to define a
concrete range, because it is individual for each community)
• decision making is concerning with concourse
• decision making is concerning with environment (many cases are protected
by law)
• public interested in solving topic (complaints or petitions)
Principle of partnership on the increase
Because we cannot be satisfied with situation of communication between public and
public administration, in past years a lot of work was done in this field. Financial
incentives of structural policy of EU are often a driving force for creating of local or
project partnerships in Czech Republic. Realization of programs Leader, Equal,
projects of European Social Fund (ESF) conditional on creation of local or regional
partnerships suffer from many defects, but there is a possibility to see that a
cooperation among various sectors of society is useful tool of development.
So called community planning of social services falls among ways which
contribute to an interest about public participation. Social service planning along
with public participation came to Czech Republic on the base of sharing experiences
from Great Britain. The fact, that community planning of social services is
protected by law, is a cause for expansion in this field. Subsequently it was possible
to draw financial resources from ESF through regional operational programs on
planning processes.
After the first pilot CPSS projects in the years 2006 – 2007 many projects of
community planning of social services arose in Czech Republic. There were
processes with various ways of proceedings and quality. During this time period
methodical process has stabilized and good ways and bad ways have shown
themselves.
Competition About people with people
Community planning of social services – inspiration for other fields
Public administration is favourite target of reproaches and complaints.
Nevertheless there are a lot of municipalities and regions where projects focused
The aim of this book is to show on example of community planning of social services
on public participation in decision making and open access to administration of
how to approach to strategic planning of specific fields with public participation.
public matters are realized. CCO Central Moravia and CCO Central Bohemia
The book can be inspiration for better structuralism of problem to reach optimal
are holding the 5th annual competition “About People with People – Award for
results. Community planning of social services is liable to legislation and specific
Support to Local Democracy and Cooperation with NGOs” which awards just
methodology, but it includes number of proven processes which we can use in other
such projects.
fields as well.
The aim of competition is to support activities devoted to public
To give you better idea we add in the second part of the book several examples
participation in regional development, protecting the environment, exercise
of good practise of projects of public participation. Chosen examples are projects
principles of Local Agenda 21 and perpetually sustainable development in
awarded in national competition “About People with People” in Czech Republic.
cooperation with public and non-state non-profit organizations (NGOs).
Thanks to mentioned expansion of community planning of social services in Czech
Another reason for holding the competition and sequential conference is
Republic three out of four examples are concerned about this field.
meeting of successful projects where officials and representatives of towns are
This book was created thanks to successful projects awarded in competition
sharing their experiences from problem solving and cooperation with NGOs. At
“About People with People” and thanks to CCO Central Bohemia and CCO Central
present we are trying to extend this sharing of experiences also at international
Moravia experiences in the field of community planning. I hope, that the book will
level of Visegrad countries. This project was put together in cooperation with
bring you an inspiration for another projects in Visegrad countries.
Czech Republic Government weekly magazine “Public administration” and
partners from Slovakia, Hungary and Poland.
Mgr. Ondřej Marek
ABOUT PEOPLE WITH PEOPLE
Award for local democracy support and cooperation with NGOs

6 7
P
2.
ublic participation and increasing its share in decision making is proving to
be an effective way of planning in any area. Method of community planning Public participation
exercised in social services builds on findings of views and needs of various
interested parties as well as general public. Only by participation of those to whom
social services are provided or of those who may be using social services in the future
into planning of
we are able to determine what kind of problems they encounter, what kind of
support they need, etc. Direct expression of views can allow us to look at things from
social services in
different prospective, to come up with new or better ideas or to enrich our discussion
and lead it to more important issues. Voice of the public is also essential in other
Czech Republic
spheres of public life as we can read in chapter 4 of this book. In general we can say
that if the process of participation takes us to concrete results, our ideas become
reality and needs of the public are fulfilled, than participation of the public is
important and significant. From many practical experiences in social service by Martina Macurová (Mirovská)
planning follows that where the system of public participation exists and is used it is
possible to reach more acceptable and transparent conclusions and concrete
measures. Everyone of us has a place where he feels being at
To motivate public and to sustain their interest about problem solving can be home. In my opinion this is true even more in Czech
uneasy task requiring the usage of different ways of participation. Sometimes is Republic. We are not used to change our places of
necessary to use creative ways, then the recognized topic can be more valuable.
residence or to move out of town to find work some
Thanks to informedness of the public, possibility to express an opinion, actively use
place else. Some of us did not change our places of
it while influencing the future and creating of individual suggestions to realization
residence all our lives. Others may change it once
is worth to dedicate our effort to public participation.
This book offers us in individual example studies not only inspiration from
maybe twice. That is why surprises me how little we
various targeted projects applying principles of public participation but also know about living in community, how little we sense
theoretical view on planning of social services and role of the public in planning public matters as matters which touch us all, how
process. I hope this book will become an interesting source of information for you, little we are willing to express ourselves to public
especially if you are planning to realize a project in the field of social services. matters, how little we support life in community and
how much we must learn about what community is.
PhDr. Vladana Vasková
What is community?
Department of social services
of Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs If we share our common interests, if we have
common needs or problems, if we share our everyday
lives, go to school, go to work, if we live in certain
region, if we take part in mutual social structure,
then we create community in natural way.

8 9

Every man has a right to rewarding life in his
community, in a surroundings where he was born,
grew up, in a surroundings which he has chosen.
In certain live situations we can be single out of
this community and sometimes we may not be able
to become part of it. There may be several reasons
for that such as medical problems, unemployment,
age, etc.
One of social service jobs is to help people to
hold on to their place in community or help them to
create one. We all have a right to choose how we are
going to live in community and how we will take
advantage of social service.
Services must be accommodated to the needs of
those who use them – and not the other way around.
Services cannot be created as mere intention of
providers and then hope that the clients will be
found latter.
Question is how to create social system which
will answer to the needs of those who will use it.
10
2.1 What is community planning of social services
Certain types of social services are given in every region. Their offer is wide and
availability and quality different. In last several years in Czech Republic there is a
method of community planning which is used to ensure availability of quality social
services which will answer to the needs of particular areas.
The method of community planning can be used in different areas of public
live. Generally it concerns planning method with direct participation of community,
when we consider members of community those who relates to given region.
In the field of social services members of community are users and providers of
social services (municipalities and regions) and public with social problems.
Community planning of social services is provided in cooperation with all those who
are using social services.
Objective of social services planning is to provide available and quality social
services which respect the needs of those who use it.
Therefore in community planning of social services we find out present
situation of provided services and real needs of citizens in given area in harmony
with economic possibilities of municipalities, demographic development and
priorities of social politics of the region and the state.
2.2 The history of planning in Czech Republic
In the middle of 1980ties there was normative proposal made by The Federal
Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs about readiness of regions to provide social
care. This proposal was never put in practise. There was a fear of proposal abuse
and inefficient creation of social services without real needs for particular locality
such as degree of urbanization, age, profession, education a social structure of
population and various sociologic changes in society.
Process of planning of social services by community method began at the end of
1990ties. The process was progressing in two levels. In the year 1998 planning of
social services began in Usti nad Labem and to this day it is still part of public life.
Main initiator and coordinator of activities in this region was Centre for community
organizing.
11
 Second level in process of planning social services started under the support of There is no particular planning structure given currently. There are however
Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in the year 1999 based on British experiences. systematic methods. Criteria of quality in social service planning2 are sensed as
Czech – British pilot project “Support by Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs to a tool for quality planning of social services and mutual cohesion of municipal and
social services reform” took place in the years 2000 – 2003. Part of the project aimed regional plans.
on planning of social services took place in district of Pisek. Since the Act 108/2006 came into effect the system of social service providing
In following years planning of social services called Community planning of has met with some major changes. The Act is reacting to a progress in our society in
social services (CPSS) progressed in the entire Czech Republic. In some places the resent years. It conforms with new development trends and respects basic
progress resulted from the needs of municipalities or districts and in other areas principles of social service progress defined by White Book in social services3:
was supported by regions.
Because there was no official methodology of plan processing in those days, the • independence and autonomy for users of social services and not their
quality, structure and form of plans were very different and not compatible, which dependence of the system neighbourhood (surroundings) or close friends,
meant that not every planning process already in progress reached expected • support and integration of social service users and not their exclusion,
results. Only in some areas a quality strategy of planning of social services were • respecting the needs of social service users, their individuality while
created. The strategy answered the needs and possibilities of community and its using particular services,
putting in practise. • partnership in providing social service is essential part of cooperation
Another major progress in planning of social services came in 2005 – 2007. One and cohesion,
of the reasons of this progress was a new version of social service Act1 which was • quality,
being prepared at that time. • equality of stopping discrimination of either side,
In this version of the Act on obligation applies to districts to work out • national standards, decision making at certain place.
a medium-term plan of social services. This obligation was a motivation for
municipalities. Now it was up to municipalities to start the realization of social
service process planning.
The Act No 108/2006 concerning social services came into effect on 1January
2007. The Act imposes to Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs to work out medium-
term plans of social service progress in participation with regions, representatives
of providers and beneficiaries of social services. At the same time it imposes to
regions to work out regional medium-term plans in cooperation with municipalities.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs also has to cooperate with the Ministry of
Internal Affairs on optimising of accessibility of local public services.
Eventually there is no legal obligation for municipalities in this Act. They can
freely decide whether or not to work out their municipal plan of social services.
It is necessary to support planning process at all levels. In order to secure
a good strategy in the field of social services at national level and also to secure
a quality in the field of progress and to sustain a quality and efficiency in providing
social services respect the needs of those who are using social services. 2 Criteria of quality planning of social services, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
2007
1 The Act No 108/2006, about social services 3 The White Book, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs 2003, 52s

12 13
 2.3 Solutions and principles of social service
planning in Czech Republic
2.3.1 Planning solutions of social services in Czech Republic
Individual processes and activities, which are performed during planning of social
services, have to be in correspondence with principles of social policy of European
Union as well as social policy of Czech Republic.
Purpose of social service planning is to fulfil main objectives and principles of
social policy of Czech Republic and European Union.
At the level of European Union is social policy and its planning limited by
these documents:
• The Amsterdam Treaty
Social policy of EU is mainly contained in chapter XI, articles 136 – 145. The
Amsterdam Treaty was signed on October 2, 1997 and entered into force on
May 1, 1999.
• The Lisbon Process
The social policy of EU abides by The Lisbon Process since the year 2000.
By the year 2010 EU will transform into the most competitive and dynamic
knowledge ased economy, capable of sustainable economic growth, with more
and better jobs and greater social cohesion.
Participation of Czech Republic of The Lisbon Process was officially
proclaimed in November 2001. In a document called he strategy towards
expansion of EU however Czech Republic became part of the process in March
2003.
• The European Social Program
Within The European Social Program for the period 2005 – 2010 two main
objectives were designated:
(i) road to full employment
(ii) more cohesive society: fight against poverty and equal opportunity for all
Social policy (and its planning) in Czech Republic is defined by these
documents:
• National action plan of social integrating
• National action plan of social integrating for years 2004 - 2006
14
• National action plan of social integrating for years 2006 - 2008
• European social charter
• White Book in social services
• The Act No 108/2006 about social services
• Government decree of Czech Republic No 824 from 1st September, 2004
Social policy at the level of individual regions and municipalities is
defined by these documents:
• The Act No 128/2000, about municipalities
• The Act No 129/2000, about regions
• The Act No 131/2000, about capitol Prague
• The Act about authority operations of Czech Republic in social security No
114/1998
• The Act No 108/2006, about social services
It is necessary to mention those documents by which regions and municipalities are
limited hose are The European Social Charter, The Bill of Rights and Constitution
of Czech Republic.
2.3.2 Principles of social services planning in Czech Republic
The social service planning in Czech Republic came thru short but very intensive
progression. Principles, which are an inspiration to processes of social service
planning resulted from several years of work by the team of experts, led into
realization of a two-year project called “Securing local and type accessibility of social
services”. The project was brought to effect in 2005 – 2007.
Principle of triad
At all levels of the process we are planning of those parties which given area concerns
them:
• people using social services
• providers of social services
• submitters
Within the method of community planning we are talking not only about
integration of people using social services but also about integration of general
public. By this conception we mean users of social services as well as public who are
15

not using social services themselves, but their relatives or someone in their
neighbourhood are.
Principle of equality
The principle takes into account rights of every citizen to express his or hers opinion
about public matters at equal level in all proceedings.
Principle of real needs
The plan of social services comes from active findings of true needs.
Principle of agreement
Agreement is made by all participants during planning. Objectives, methods and
process of realization are defined in this agreement.
Principle “All is public”
Within the process of social service planning public matters are planned as well. All
proceedings and information are available to public.
Principle of solution attainability
Planned activities must be in accordance not only with conception of people, but also
in accordance with financial and technical potentialities in given are.
Principle of cycle repeat
Planning is a cyclic process when individual phases continuously link to one another.
At that point periodical monitoring at different levels is taking place.
Principle of participant competence
This principle is built on professionalism and qualified participants of the process.
Every element of the process has assessed duty, responsibility and competence.
Principle of continual proportion
Course of planning is just as important as its outcome.
Outcome of the process (plans quality) is sensed as a common agreement about
future form of social services and is directly proportioned to quality of the process
which leads us to reach an agreement4.
4 Methodologies of social service planning, CCO 2007
16
2.4 Procedures in process planning common
in Czech Republic
During the last ten years procedures in process planning have developed.
Elaboration and methodical problem solving among number of experts was
successful.
An important issue is a conclusion of "Securing local and type
accessability of social services" project. This project started in 2005 and was
sponsored by Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. Within this project "Methods
for social service planning" were developed. Number of experts in the field of
planning participated in creating of this methodology which contains process of
social service planning methods for every municipality and region. Methods have
to be adapted to local specifications.
Process of social service community planning method can be divided into for
stages:
a. preparation stage
In this stage first steps in decision making are taken. Here we have to
decide if, why and how to start the process of social service planning in particular
area. The stimulus can be given by submitters, providers and users of social
services. The foundation of successful planning is political support. There are
however other important steps which have to be taken into consideration such as:
• Where will the process be taken place,
• What expected outcome is,
• For what period is the plan worked out.
If we are talking about areas smaller than regions, then we have several
options such as: municipal territory, micro-regions etc. It is important to think of
assembling of individual plans at regional level.
At this stage first steps are taken to work out an organizing structure and
also to get public, users and providers of social services to participate in the
process. First steps are taken to create a vision and mission of social service
planning as well. Other activities continue within the whole process of planning.
b. analytical stage
At this stage of the process a mapping of current situation is taking place. It
is time to start analyzing data which are needed in process of realization. It is
17
necessary to go from the needs of particular areas and to have clear idea about Description and
analysis of needs Economical
what is the reason for its gathering and how can we use these data later in process. evaluation
and resources

Description
General situation to particular area is socio-demographic analysis which
Ways of
contains number of the population, constitution of population, unemployment, Monitoring and meeting the
criminality, birth-rate, death-rate and people with different handicap. evaluation needs
Description of current situation in the field of social services, analysis of
existing sources, mapping providers of these services plays important part. Also
important is to know types of provided services, their immensity, capacity basic
identification data, ways and sources of financing and also their economical Realization of Strategy of
targeted needs providing and
assessment. development
Finding out the needs of those who are using social services plays major Plan of social of services
service
part. The system, we are using, depends on particular group, where we have to development
find out their needs. The system is adapted to particular group, to our
Chart No 1. Plan construction of social service development
possibilities and to specifics to particular area.
2.4.1 Determination of mission and vision of social service
c. strategic stage planning
Our task is finding the way to meet the needs and to work out strategy of
plan, to provide expansion of social services, duty determination of particular To fulfil a common plan (that means a binding agreement among all parties) it is
subjects, determine the way of monitoring assessment of plan fulfilling. necessary to clarify common view of process outcome in the form of mission and
the vision.
d. stage of realization
This stage is in a lot of processes the most expected one. This is the moment Mission
of strategy realization, intentions and solutions of described needs. Here we are expressing reasons, which lead us to plan making. That is why
we are choosing this way of planning. We size up basic conceptions, as well as
Individual stages are closely linked and naturally blended together. It is area of planning and we also make clear, what we understand under the
impossible to separate them. Their course is influenced by local specifics, partial conception of social service. What are our roles in the system of social services
processes, reactions to them and how successful they were. and where do our roles meet.
During repetition of planning the preparation stage blends together with
monitoring and scoring stages. Vision
Participation of users and providers of social services as well as general While creating common vision we tell one to another, what the outcome of
public runs across all stages. Just like finding the needs, which is not blend the entire process should be and what our goal is for particular period for which
together only with analytical stage but it is necessary to link it with the progress the plan is being worked out. The vision allows us to look into the future, to
within the planning. Every taken steps are in cooperation of all participants. define our idea to which we want to get during the planning process, what our
The social service progress plan is sensed as an outcome of cycle planning dreams are and how we wish for the social service system to look like in the
process. future in our region.
Every step taken within the planning leads to fulfilment of the vision.

18 19
 Time range in stages of the process
Sizing up of the mission and the vision happens most of the time in
preparation stage, when the group of initiator will clarify what goal they want to
reach.
l Experience
Determination of the mission and the vision can sometimes be part of the
second stage - analytical, when creation of the mission and the vision comes
out of experience and competence obtained in preparation stage where current
situation in the field of social services is already monitored.
l Experience
Although some factors may seem clear and we can consider discussion
about them faint, it is good to come back to them. Term social service in Czech
Republic is amended by the law since 2007 in The Act about social services.
Traditional perception of social service may not be in agreement with the
official one.
u Recommendation
Participants of processes are mostly no well informed in all areas. They are
concentrating on specific matters and perception of some other conceptions
may be influenced by it. That is why we recommend to spent time to concep-
tion clarification.
2.4.2 Securing of political support of process planning
Political support is essential to process planning of social service. Processes reali-
zed without political support from representatives of planning area are loosing
their meaning.
Process
Town/municipality/region is expressing political support by resolution of
town/municipal/region council.
Resolution of the council covenants to create community plan of social
service.
Final outcome – community plan of social services – is ratified by the
resolution of the council.
20
l Experience
In Czech Republic we often do encounter formalization of political support.
Particular area may have resolution declaring political support but political
involvement in the process is none.
If the community plan of social service does not receive any political sup-
port or its acceptance is only formal such a plan may never be put in practise.
u Recommendation
• Within the process of social service planning it is necessary to secure
a communication among all parties which are participating in the process. It
is political support, views and information from all participants that play
important part in quality proces.
• It is proper to link political support with particular person or insurer who
will be bringing information to and from town/municipality/region.
2.4.3 Process managing, competence and obligation
Basic requirements
Securing coordination, guarantee of process and methodical leadership
within the process is essential.
Process managing demands creation of organizational structure, which
will take into account principles of community planning.
At the same time organizational structure is one of the tools used for quality
integration of all parties in the process.
It is necessary to adapt organizational structure to the needs of particular
area.
Process
In order to create quality structure it is important to observe the basic
principles of social service planning – competence of participants, equality and
principle of integration of all participating parties – triad.
That is why we place emphasis on holding a dialogue, integration of
partners and consensus in course of formation of organizational structure, which
is during the process developing and adapting. It is not possible to give time
interval for formation of individual elements. They penetrate, some emerge,
others parish.
21
 It is important to determine obligations and rights of individual elements,
ways of communication and other needs of the process. We are recommending to
write everything down and to make it public.
Coordination, guarantee and methodical leadership
• Process coordinator
This is executive role. Process coordinators should have knowledge in local
surroundings, competence in the field of social service planning, coordination
skills and communicativeness. Orientation in the social service system comes
handy as well.
In most cases we call this position local coordinator of community planning
of social services (CPSS).
l Experience
For example: Coordinator’s involvement in municipal council structure
can be various. Some coordinators have experience in the field of transfer of
activity, others in the field of self-government. These coordinators are
becoming members of mayor’s office team.
u Recommendation
To include coordination process into self-government sphere it is
considered more effective. It also supports tenability of the entire process and
its incorporation into the strategy of the municipality, town or given area. The
reason for this is the fact that the planning process falls within the sphere of
activity of municipality.
• Process insurer
This is a person who brings concrete political support into the process (see
chapter 2.4.2).
For the insurer is necessary to participate in organizational structure.
Insurer is an important member of the process. He or she brings certainty to the
process and ensures quality transfer of information (bucket brigade) among
political representatives of municipality, region etc.
• Methodical leadership
Methodist should be an expert in the field of principal knowledge and
planning methods of social services.
Methodist makes certain that the process will reach expected outcome.
22
u Recommendation
It is necessary to cooperate with local as well as external experts.
Local experts are bringing in direct experience of social services in parti-
cular area, while external experts are usually invited facilitator or experts in
the field of planning sociology or monitoring.
Cooperation with experts may proceed by the form of local team education,
consultation or supervision.
Organizational structure of process
In our country this part is often detracted. There are structures in use which
generate within processes of other areas, they are not created together by
participants eventually the organizational structure of the process is directive.
Effects are appearing in far from clear position of individual parties and also not
linked to individual activities or wrong transfer of information.
u Recommendation
To create organizational structure of social service planning process we are
recommending using of local experts and take into account local needs.
Managing group
It is necessary to manage the whole process. Principle of managing process
is decision-making about selection individual procedures and approval of
individual outcomes.
Managing position is in competence of those, who are actively participating
in compliance with principles of community planning of social services. It is
necessary to think about principle of participations of all parties involved in the
process and their competence.
At the level of process managing, activities mentioned above – coordina-
tive, guarantee and methodical are penetrating.
To insure all managing positions the managing group is formed in most cases5.
Working groups
Other parts of organizational structure are working groups. It is necessary
the to create these groups in compliance with principles of social service planning
5 Other terms such as coordination groups, coordination commissions, managing
commissions are used. Their roles are similar only adjusted to local specifics.
23
– principle of triad, equality, real needs and agreement. Basis of success is 2.4.4 Description of current situation of social services in
meaningfulness of their existence and effective use of member activity. an area

Time range into stage of the process To work out quality plan of social services it is necessary to map current situation
Working groups are created within individual municipalities, towns or areas in – to define our location:
various time ranges. It is impossible to tell when or why groups should be created. • to characterize area
• population
l Experience • range and form of provided social services
• It is current to create working groups in analytical stage, when the groups • financial situation
participate in data collection, collection of information about providing social • needs of service users
services or questionnaire. • ideas of providers
• We have a good experience with their operation in strategic part. Working • public opinion
groups are directed according to given priority areas. They are creating
strategy in the field of social services and to mutual problem solving. Description of current situation in the field of social services serves as a
basis for neutral and actual resource of information, while looking for mutual
consensus.
Chart No 2.: ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE – basic proposal
Activity

decission making
Town corporation
political proceeding Within description of current situation following activities are proceeding:
and approval • demographic analysis, which structure answers the needs of the plan
• data collection focused on the social area by structure answering the
Town council needs of particular area
hearing and approval
Vertical cooperation

u Recommendation
Social department Social commission planning, negotiation,
It is proper continuously update this part of analysis. During process an
of consultation, of consultation,
data, preparation comments, stand- area may appear where analytical part was not monitored, nobody knew
standpoints

of materials for pro- points for procee- about the problem or the depth of analysis was not performed well enough.
ceedings of council dings of council There is always space for completion.
and corporation and corporation

Control group • mapping of social service providers

planning, consultation, • finding the needs of social service users
standpoints • financial analysis
handling
task

Working group I. Working group II. Working group III. Process

There are several possibilities how to map current situation.
1. We can map current situation on the basis of own possibilities,
Horizontal cooperation
capabilities and experience. We come up out of own personal resources,
Source: Methodologies for social service planning, Prague 2007. local experts, providers of social services, voluntaries or working groups

24 25
 which are created for this purpose. Integral part of participation of public
administration – department of social matters and other relevant
institutions.
2. Mapping of current situation by specialized firm.
3. Combination of both methods.
l Experience
We cannot say which possibility is more preferred. Each of the mentioned
possibilities has its difficulties. Unprofessional data collection at local level
does not ensure quality basis for strategic part. On the other hand external
expert not knowing local specific often does not have excess to get dates
corresponding to local specifics. Description of current situation is created
which is based on incorrect and partial dates of given area.
u Recommendation
• From my experience follow that combination of both methods is acceptable
solution. I am talking about connection of professional potential (supplying
firm, methodist of social service planning) and data collection by local
participants of the process, respcting of local specific and usage of
professional local potential.
• It is necessary to clearly define an order to external experts. We have to
know what to work up or example to work out a questionnaire for particular
target group. Within managing or working group we work out demographic
analysis.
• Expertise and competence of each step taken within processes are important
for the quality and effective course of processes. If we do not have enough
experience or knowledge to realize some activities, participation of external
experts is necessary. It isup to the submitter to point out the range of
participation with external experts.
• It is necessary for external experts to have knowledge of principle of social
service planning. Eventually activities have to be preformed under the
supervision of methodists of social service planning.
26
2.4.5 Determination of priority areas, measures and
activity of social service planning
One of the key decisions is to determine priority areas, on which we will be
focussing during planning period. To determine priority in the field of social
services is very sensitive topic. There is a connection of social service user needs,
an effort to offer them needed services in required quality and range and on the
other hand there is a restriction of financial and capacity potentials in given area.
We have to respect national and regional priorities of social service progress and
also we have to look at the vision determined at the beginning of the process. Our
goal is to fulfil this vision. Pointed out priorities have to correspond with this
vision.
l Experience
To determine priority for participants of the process is becoming concrete
activity. It is very important to choose such technique which will allow us
mutual consensus. Sometimes it is very difficult to achieve consensus at this
phase - with respect to personal interests which show themselves at this phase
more than at other phases. Determined priorities will point out directions of
development as well as maintenance of current situation especially financial
resources in the social field in given area for next several years. It is
understandable that we try to enforce concrete intentions of providers or needs
of social service users to these priorities in disregard of their real needs.
Techniques to point out priority areas
On of possible techniques in Czech Republic is commonly used for priority
area determination is SWOT analysis.
u Recommendation
Determination of priority field is perceived as one of activities, where
independent experts can help us to analyze the risks and hold a discussion.
Measures and activities
Individual priorities are worked out into concrete measures. Elaboration
proceeds in individual working groups which were created for the reason of
priority determination. Measures are specifying and ensuring activities proposed
within every measure.
27
 Activities should contain at least these articles: Proposal of plan structure:
• brief description of measures and its reasons • purpose of plan creation
• objective • process of its creation
• to show how to reach of objective, process of its realization o methodology of elaboration
• progress chart o time behaviour
• responsibility for realization o organizing structure
• financial resources
• way of monitoring Analytical part
• demographic dates
o basic description of area
2.4.6 Work out the plan of public participation o structure of population, unemployment, demographic prognosis
• analysis in social field
On of important outputs of entire process is creation of strategic document in o special analysis directed to social field according to needs of given area
given area - Community plan of social services. Lately a new term “Medium- and priority areas or example barrier-free living, problems of youth
term plan of development of social services” is being used. and children, criminality of teenagers etc.
This document is created gradually and community is continuously o analysis of social service providers
participating in it. o financial analysis
• analysis of needs of social service users
u Recommendation
Individual parts of documents (for example mission and vision, organizing Strategic part
structure, description of current situation, priorities, measures and activities) • priority areas
are during their creation offered to political representatives of particular area o elaboration of activities
as well as process participants and to public so they can make comments and • monitoring indicators
approval.
Assumption of approval of the document is ensured by political representa-
tives as well as its acceptance. 2.4.8 Monitoring of plan realization and evaluation

Monitoring of plan realization is necessary part of every planning process. Its

2.4.7 Structure of the document
Structure of the document is not clearly given. It comes out of chosen process and
also of need finding of concrete dates. Objectives of the document are to introduce
actual course and to present research dates and suggested strategy.
u Recommendation
It is important so that from document structure was obvious for what
reason plan was created and which way we came to individual conclusions
or suggestions.
method is inbuilt into approved plan. It is important to work with the plan during
realization and to adapt it to situation. Information coming out of monitoring is
necessary to elaborate into proposals of other activities or their realization adapt
to outcome of monitoring.
Process
Priorities are monitored and evaluated within revision of current plan,
within next cycle of process of social service planning. The objective is to find out
the changes in priority area – if suggested measure and activities lead to effective
solution.

28 29

By monitoring and evaluation of measures and activities we are
finding out if their acceptance led to optimal solving of individual priorities
Final evaluation is done after the period in which the plan was created
has passed. By evaluation of current plan we get to the next planning cycle and to
preparation of the next plan version.6
Choice of suitable system of monitoring and evaluation are basis of success
in back coupling which ensures successful realization of CPSS. This way we get
information about the way we have chosen if it led us to achieve our goal, to fulfil
our vision and did not lead us away. Thanks to the principle of cyclicality of
process planning we can react to failure or changes occurring during realization
in next planning cycle.
6 Methodologies of social service planning, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
2007
30
2.5 Contribution of social service planning
Expansion of social services by “community” method ensures to municipality,
district, region (as well as country) quality network of social services, flexibly
reacting on changes in this field.
System of social services is created thanks to planning coming out of lowest
possible level according to existing needs. All this should be in required quality
and should respect local specifics.
Regional plans of development of social services have a quality basis for
their creation and they are able to react to availability of services at the regional
level.
And that is how transparent system of effective drawing of financial
resources for needed and quality services is created.
Contribution of realization we can summarize into following articles:
• creation of quality, effective, available and transparent system of
providing social services coming out of the needs and possibilities of given
area
• involvement of all social service participants into preparation and
realization of the plan of social service development (identification with
municipalities increases) above all submitters, providers and users of
social services
• needs of social service users are reflecting in direction of social policy of
given area
• only needed services are financed
• participation in public matters, community support, strengthening of local
partnership
• knowledge increasing about social problems
• knowledge development about problems in providing of social services
• partaking in creation of social policy at all levels ational, regional,
municipal
• support of closer cooperation between providers and submitters of social
services
• possibility of social service presentation and their quality at municipal
and also regional level
• visualization of problems of social elimination
31
 2.6 Current situation – range of social service
planning
At the beginning of the year 2008 at all 14 regions “Medium-term plans of social
service development” (KSPRSS) were created. These plans should have been
created according to the law in cooperation with municipalities of particular
region and with representatives of social service providers as well as representa-
tives of people who are using social services.
experiences in social service planning, social service providing etc. In each team
there was one employee of region authority educated with objective to linked
activity of his team with activities of region authority. These teams were in most
cases participating in creation of first versions of regional plans within their area.
It is obvious, that current regional plans can not reflect exact needs of social
areas however they are sensed as a good start of long-term process, which was
started in our country. Other development will show us how much functional
system we are able to create.

l Experience 2.6.1 Plan assembling

• Most of regions tried to respect this obligation, but in the time period given
to work out the plan it was almost impossible to comply with the law. Only Assembling of individual plan levels is important for formation of social service
in regions where planning proceeded in prior years, such as Kralovehradec- planning.
ky region, where able this la obligation partly fulfil. I am mentioning artly At present time support of planning is heading towards formation of plan
although there are regions where planning took place in prior years, still assembling as we can see in our chart.
they were not able to comply with this law in entire region or municipalities
with extended territorial scope. That is why basis to work out the plan were Chart No 3: Diagram of assembling
not complete.
formulates
• Most of regions started processes of planning at the regional level by the end national plan national priorities,
conception, indicators
of the year 2006 or even at the beginning of 2007. Methodologies for
planning had their final form in February 2007. Available plans of indivi- assemble implicate
dual municipalities were very varios. Variety penetrated into the structure,
formulates
methodology, measure of participation of individual elements. To use these regional plans
regional priorities,
conception, indicators
plans to work out regional ones was mostly impossible.
• Regions approached the obligation to work out KSPRSS variously. Some assemble implicate
waited till beginning of 2007, others decided to work on other projects which
formulates
led to creation of analytical basis and support of community planning at the municipal plans
municipal priorities,
conception, indicators
municipal level.
Source: Proposal of methodical support system of social services planning
Methodical support
During the year 2007 there where social service planning coordinators Planning levels
working at all regional authorities, eventually persons working partly on We can monitor three levels of planning – municipal, regional and national. On
intended coordination. every level the priority, conception and indicators are formulated. While formatting
In February 2007 educated teams of methodists and educators started of municipal priorities we have to respect priorities regional and national as well.
to work in every region. These teams gained an accreditation for their practise When we are forming regional priorities – on the basis of municipal ones – it is
within public order “Securing local and type accessability of social services”. necessary to come out of national priorities given by the law. Cohesion of individual
These are experts who were chosen for the education from experts with activities leads to fulfilment of national priorities.

32 33
 Subsidiarity and assembling
This structure of assembling comes out of fact that the plans at lower than
regional level are created in regional territory, which means that in the end it is
possible to assemble the plans into the complex – regional territory.
Currently there is a planning taking place in various territorial integrals.
Securing of assembling is an issue of following development.
l Experience
There are plans of social service development in some municipalities with
extended competency. And that is only in the area of municipality and not in the
area which belongs to its competency. It disturbs assembling of these plans
within the area of region. Individual municipalities are beginning to realize this
fact – not either for the reason of plan assembling of individual regions, but for
the needs of partnership and co-financing the services, their higher efficiency
and usage of experiences in service providing in larger area.
Problem of “white spots"
One of the questions which come up at regional level is so called "white spots"
in provided services. White spots can create during processing of regional plans on
the basis of municipal ones.
u Recommendation
Certain types of services for specific groups of users are not priorities at
municipal level. It is important to think of them however at regional level, to
create analyses of given areas at regional level and to look for mutual solution in
cooperation with individual municipalities or surrounded regions.
2.6.2 Education in the area
Competence of all participants is important for quality process planning of social
services.
Every participants of the process has to have different measure of know-
ledge and skills in certain problems.
u Recommendation
If we want to work out quality plans, we cannot realize them only by order
– that means by professionals – to avoid needs of orientation in principles of
34
planning. From this experience, the need of ensuring of quality education in
the field of social service planning emerges.
Educational organizations
In Czech Republic there are organizations which are actively concentrating
on education in the field of social service planning. These organizations are:
• Agora central europe
• Centre for Community Organizing
• Centre of Community Organizing – Ústí nad Labem
• Community Planning o.p.s.
• Civic Consulting Centre o.p.s.
Centre for Community Organizing, Community Planning o.p.s., Domov sv.
Anežky o.p.s. in cooperation with University of West Bohemia in Pilsen worked
out The outputs to support process within an order "Securing local and type
accessability of social services" placed by Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
These outputs are:
1) Methodologies for social service planning.
2) Educational programs for social service planning supporting coopera-
tion of representatives of users, submitters, providers of social services
and general public:
i. Educational program for processers of social services communi-
ty planning of municipality/region.
ii. Educational program for regional methodists/educators.
3) Education of regional methodists/educators of social service planning.
4) Processing of proposals for methodical system of social service planning
and conclusion of project7.
First version of educational programs was based on cooperation of organizations
which were engaged in social service planning – Agora Central Europe – Prague,
Centre of Community Organizing – Ústí nad Labem, Centre for Community
Organizing South Bohemia, Community Planning o.p.s. – Žďár and Civic
Consulting Centre o.p.s. – Hradec Králové.
Final version of educational program for compilers of social service
community planning of municipality, region, was successfully verified in the
autumn of 2006 in all 14 regions in Czech Republic.
7 Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, 2007
35

Educational program is a property of Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
and is dedicated for experts – educators with many years of experience in social
service planning. The objective of educational program for participants of process
planning is a starting point of sustainable planning process. In this program
theoretically and practically parts come together and we can take advantage of
them for partial education according the needs of particular areas.
Currently there are several educational cycles realized by educated metho-
dists in Czech Republic. The cycles are focused on compilers of social service plans
of individual municipalities and regions.
2.6.3 Criteria of quality of social service planning
Social service planning is realized in various areas and regions on the base of
processes which more or less abide by methodology recommended by Ministry of
Labour and Social Services, whose basic principles I have already mentioned.
It is necessary during social service planning by community methodology to
adapt individual steps to given area. It is important to flexibly react on individual
changes, outcomes or reactions of community. For this reason we are working
with already mentioned methodology as with a document containing verified,
functional and recommending processes of which concrete usage we have to adapt
to local specifics.
That is way there is a need to gain a tool, which will be helpful to answer the
question “Are we creating quality plan of social services?”
As a tool we can use “Criteria of quality of social service planning”
which were created in the autumn of 2007. Their goal is to offer an instrument to
measure methodical and educational performances in planning process. At the
same time I see it as a tool which can be helpful to ensure compatibility and
assembling of individual plans.
Experiences with criteria usage are still at the beginning. Current version of
criteria came through verification only in several areas. It is necessary to verify
current version in wider range. On the base of experiences, make them more
accurate and eventually to let them evolve.
8 Criteria were created as one part of public order by Ministry of Labour and Social
Affairs „Securing local and type accessability of social services“. They were created
by working group which was put together out of experts from Czech Republic. These
experts are engaged in process planning for many years.
36
2.7 Financing of social service planning process
Financing of social service planning process is still an open question. In past years
we could see how models fully financed by a submitter, municipality or region as
well as model partly of fully financed by various grants. This model is used more
often.
Used resources:
• Operational program Development of human resources (OPRLZ).
Measure: 2.1 – Integration of specific groups of population threatened by
social exclusion. Specific aim: To secure service availability for groups
threatened by social exclusion
• Common regional operational program (SROP). Measure: 3.2 – Support of
social integration in regions
• Unit program document for Aim 3 Prague (JPD3). Measure: 2.1 –
Integration of specific groups of population threatened by social exclusion
Before initiation of operational programs, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
proclaimed grants for social service planning from its own financial resources.
Drawing of financial resources from announced operational programs for the
years 2007 – 2013 is highly expected. Regions are getting great opportunity to
receive financial resources to support social service planning processes by methodi-
cal activity within the region and therefore continuation of current activities.
Currently some regions are financing the process of planning from their own
resources.
l Experience
In the field of financing suggested priorities, the system is not flexible enough
to react on changes inside the process. On the basis of needs finding, some regions
are able to save financial resources. However they cannot transfer these resour-
ces to be used in other services even thought they may be considered as needed
ones. This is an interdepartmental problem, which is being treated by Ministry of
Labour and Social Affairs and Ministry of Finance.
We are still looking for a system to finance social service planning and realiza-
tion of pointed out activities that will be easy to understand and easy to use. It is
important to allow access to financial resources to all providers of different legal
forms.
37
 2.8 Future of social service planning

3.
Social service
An effort to help my fellowman to my best ability does not always mean that this
help will be to his benefit. If we want to help someone we don not ask if he or she
wants us to help or what kind of help he or she needs. We are at the beginning of long
planning in other
road. We are still learning how to communicate about public matters. Social services
are one of the sensitive topics.
Visegrad countries
We are going the right direction. But question is if we get all the way.
We can use methodical basis for quality system of social service planning in
Czech Republic, proved educational programs, experts and “Proposal of system of
methodical support of social service planning in Czech Republic” for the next period.
Though it may look that the future of social service planning has in some areas
many unanswered questions we think that this is the way to create quality system 3.1 Slovakia and the planning of social
of social services and it is only up to us to realize it.
services in communities
by Michaela Heretová

3.2 Planning of social services

in Visegrad group countries,
Example of Poland
by Zofia Kordela – Borczyk
Literature:
3.3 Community planning of social
Kažmierski T., Pelcl P.,: Projektové a strategické plánování pro neziskové services in Hungary
organizace, REC a CpKP, Praha, 2003. by Laszlo Benedec
Kriteria kvality plánování sociálních služeb, DCVISION, 2007, Praha.
Metodiky pro plánování sociálních služeb, CpKP, Praha, 2007.
Teischlová T., Oriniaková P.,: Účast veřejnosti, proč a jak?, CpKP, Plzeň, 2003.
Vasková V., Žežula O.,: Komunitní plánování – věc veřejná, MPSV, 2002, Praha.
Oriniaková P., Rosecký D., Komunitní plánování sociálních služeb
Šveřepa M., Vodítka pro komunitní planovani sociálních služeb, občasnké
poradenské středisko, o.p.s. Hradec Králové, 2007.

Thanks to: Mgr. Pavla Oriniaková, Ph.D., Bc. Daniel Rosecký a PhDr. Vladana
Vasková.

38 39
 3.1 Slovakia and the planning of social services
in communities
by Michaela Heretová
Background
Social services help individuals, families or specific groups of resident population in
critical situations to cope well with taking care of themselves or the household and
thus support a positive social atmosphere in the given community. Social services
have their place in the state social policy as well as in the social policies of self-
governing and non-governmental entities. The significance of social services is not
high just in terms of the number of people who need it. Without social services
groups of citizens would lose their chance to participate in the social life and to
exercise their human and civil rights, thus submitting to social exclusion.
Although every one of us is primarily responsible for him/herself, social
assistance (as a solution to material and social needs) contributes to the solving of
a situation that is beyond the strengths of that particular individual. Its purpose
then is to bridge indigence and return the affected individual back to the normal
situation. Social help is based on the priority solving of the needs of a citizen and is
provided in the form of cash benefits, services, asylums to those experiencing
material hardship and in the form of counseling, establishment of clubs of the
unemployed to those experiencing social hardship, etc.
Some social services are provided free of charge, other are subject to payment.
In the 2001 – 2005 period, the Slovak Republic underwent the reformation of
public administration (decentralization) – the transfer of state administration
competencies over to the regional and local self-governments. The responsibilities
for services in the public interest are thus gradually transferred over to actually
where the concerned people live, i.e. onto the cities, towns and municipalities. In
2001, the Parliament passed the necessary legislation to reform the public
administration and beginning from July 1, 2002, first welfare facilities came under
the competencies of municipalities and self-governing regions and first social
facility and services provided at client’s home. The decentralization affected 74% of
the networks of by-then governmental welfare establishments, of which one fourth
was passed over to municipalities. From January 1, 2003, the field domiciliary
service has fallen within the jurisdiction of municipality. From January 1, 2004,
the state transferred children’s welfare homes onto the self-governing regions. In
addition to children’s homes, the autonomous governments also took over from the
40
central government all social services and thus began playing its new role: securing
for its livers in distress social situation the needed help. The fiscal decentralization,
which took place in 2005, started proving the financial background and stability of
individual self-administrations as well as the entire system of welfare service
funding from public and private resources.
At present, social services in Slovakia are funded from the following resources:
• designated financial means from the budgets of cities, towns and
municipalities.
• designated financial means from the budgets of regional self-administra-
tions
• contributions from the users of social services
• contributions from the national budget for welfare services according to
sec. 85 of act n. 195/98
• grants and subsidies (SR MPSVaR, proceeds from lotteries, foundation
resources)
• donations
• contributions by health insurance companies (in the case of home-
provided nursing)
Currently, the welfare system in Slovakia is governed by several acts and regula-
tions (act n. 369/1990 Coll., on municipal establishment, act n. 303/1995 Z.z on
budgetary rules, Act n. 195/1998 Coll., on social assistance, statutory order n.
668/2007 on the distributions of income tax revenues, act n. 213/1997 Coll., on non-
profit organizations providing socially beneficial services, act n. 83/1990 Coll., on
civil associations).
Legislation, for instance, enumerates the forms of welfare services. These are
as follows: ambulant – field welfare services and institutional services:
1) domiciliary services
2) public catering
3) transportation service
4) care in welfare institutions
5) social loans
This form of enumeration of welfare services is not dynamic and flexible
enough regarding the variety of the needs and ideas of citizens and their families
and as regards the new forms of welfare services provided in other countries.
Considering the political, economic and social situation in our country, it is
necessary to create more efficient and perspective forms of welfare services that
would actually work in the natural environment of their recipients. The need is to
41
concentrate on drive towards extending prevention, counseling and forms of field
services that more attend to individual needs than services provided in
institutions, are more efficient and purposeful in terms of economy. Wherever
possible, these should be at the levels closest to the residential population, i.e. at
the metropolitan and municipal levels.
Planning
Only few municipalities, towns and cities attend systematically to the planning of
welfare services. It is possible to learn from initial experiences, from first actually
functioning examples but also from those that did not work out or failed to deliver
the desired effect.
It is the law-imposed obligation of cities, towns and municipalities to prepare
the Economy, Welfare and Culture Development Program (PHSR – Program
hospodárskeho, sociálneho a kultúrneho rozvoja) for the long-term (ten years or
longer). As implied by the title of the actual document, it should also plan for
services, commercial and non-commercial, concerning the welfare area.
PHSR comprises of several parts: audit of resources, analyses (the SWOT
analysis, problem analysis, financial analysis), strategies (visions, objectives and
measures, action plans, financial, material, natural, information and human
resource coverage). The strategic part is developed based on the audit of resources
and the analyses, thus becoming the bases and detailed plan for the development of
the municipality or territory for the nearest future.
Experiences with creating PHSR however differ.
In order to save money, mayors subcontract the creation of this document to
makers/contractors who can deliver these documents in a very short period of time
and at a relatively low cost. Such makers however in creating PHSR usually do not
cooperate with the local population, local government members or activists. Such
documents are general, lacking concept and the real needs of the given territory
livers, and frequently contain factual mistakes, not clearly describing the shares of
individual partners (participants) in the planning and implementation, financing,
monitoring and evaluation of individual projects and development phases. Such
mayors and represents have nevertheless fulfilled their law-imposed duty. They do
not realize that if the PHSR were written actually by them alone – though without
the participation of citizens – these plans would have more purpose as they
themselves are knowledgeable of the local environment while this cannot be by far
established about an external agency.
A more sensible way to saving money is to join efforts with several
neighboring municipalities or within a microregion and develop the plan. This
42
“collective” way of creating development strategies has been prompted for the
upcoming years by the Leader approach that is coming to Slovakia too, thus
creating local action groups (MAS – Místní Akční Skupina) and the preparation of
the territory for the receiving of EU funding within the 2007 – 2013 period.
Within the 2004 – 2005 period the Rural Parliament in Slovakia received
funding from the SAPART technical assistance program, which provided for
creating Leader-type strategies for eleven territories throughout Slovakia. Work on
the strategies took sixteen months and great emphasis was given to the activism of
locals, the creation of local partnerships (future MAS’s), cooperation and “bottom-
up” planning. Development strategies were created by workgroups comprising of
local government representatives, entrepreneurs and activists, facilitated by
experienced experts – both external and local. The strategies also covered the
welfare area but attended more to the general level arising from local needs that,
later, had to be made more concrete in detailed action plans.
Nevertheless, there are also municipalities, towns and cities that consider
PHSR an investment and strive to invest well. They involve such makers that
invite public participation in the planning process, take account of the local
conditions and work with local resources. Such makers include VOKA (Vidiecka
organizácia pre komunitné aktivity, Banská Bystrica), ARVI (Agentura pro rozvoj
venkova, Nitra), A-project (Liptovský Hrádek), SOSNA (Košice) and other third-
sector organizations, some Regional Development Agencies (RDA) CPK (Centrum
prvního kontaktu) and individuals – consultants.
Elements of community planning focusing on social field and an employment
were also used within Micro-project Cycle. This process was exercised by regional
Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIP) in the 2004 – 2006 programming period. It led
toward a creation of project intentions financed by Social Development Fund (SDF).
Important part within the Project Cycle was played by local and later
community consultants who were looking in communities (villages, Romani
settlements, housing areas) for the leaders and activists of groups threatened by
social exclusion and in cooperation with other members of community were
initiating a planning (the SWAT analysis, problem analysis, objectives and
measures, activities and projects) as an inseparable part of Project Cycle all the
way to elaboration and to submit project intention which was solving concrete
community problems.
This way was challenging and was liable to stability or instability of working
group members which were coming from threatened or excluded groups of
population (socially weak citizens, unemployed, marginalized Romani commu-
nities, women on maternity leave and shortly after it, handicapped and others).
43
 System of financing and breakdown of supported projects was not fluent,
activity as well as functioning of SDF – budget organization of Ministry of Labour,
Social Affairs and Family SR, were not properly adjusted by the ministry which
caused big problems to supported subjects. Many projects stayed unfinished, some
MVO took up loans from commercial banks, several activists, leaders and project
managers funded the projects from their own family budgets. Mentioned facts
dramatically influenced the activity of SIP and they had major effect on their
stability and continuity and its activities.
At the end of 2006 when SDF became Independent Body at Regulatory
Authority (IBRA) major changes occurred. That gave a promise to new and flexible
cooperation with SDF. Activity of SDF was expanded to the whole Slovakia with
the exception of Bratislava region. SDF financially supported SIP through closed
appeals within which community planning is one of the obliged activities. SDF did
not work out the methodology to community planning and that is why realization
of community planning is by SIP sensed variously and in many cases incorrectly.
Some SIP are specializing on education MVO leaders and representatives of target
groups, counselling activities, toward project intentions, etc. Only few SIP are
focusing on community planning systematically at all levels of all interested
subjects (submitters, providers, users of social service).
There are communities – cities, towns and villages – that in the course of the
recent years actually focused on community welfare planning. There are not many
of them but yet the more useful they are for those that are just setting out to start
planning. There are also first guidelines to assist in the planning of social services
(based on experience acquired in the Czech Republic).
Major factors with influence on the development of municipal and territorial
welfare amenities include the demographic history and development prognosis
taking account of individual social groups, the settlement pattern, previous welfare
developments within the territory of Slovakia, information on welfare development
trends abroad and the expectations for the trend of welfare needs in Slovakia.
Among other, it is important to monitor and learn about the living of citizens
reliant on social services in their natural environment either directly or through
their close relatives in order to find out if the quality of their living may be
improved in every area by providing various types and levels of support. According
to social work principles, it can be established that an efficient solution to a real-
world problem can bee found where this problem has arisen. Local people are best
able to attend to local issues. Municipalities, towns and cities have experienced the
verity of this rule on numerous occasions. Some municipalities already cooperate
44
well with non-governmental organizations operating within their territory, thus
bringing great benefits to their citizens.
The expectations of welfare planning are: 1) greater number of services, 2)
services closer to the population, 3) improved quality services. Community
planning should provide the answer to of what amount and type/kind the created
social services should be, what should be their distribution over the concerned
territory and what human, material and financial sources are available. This also
implies the question of how many and where new jobs are to be created.
The purpose of such planning should be to strengthen the social cohesion of
all inhabitants of the community, to preclude social exclusion and isolation of
exposed individuals and to re-connect those standing on the community margins
back into its living (they many a time represent a certain threat to or cause
uneasiness in the community).
In community planning, the process should be as important as its result.
Welfare development may be much more dynamic if supported by the majority of
stakeholders. Such mobilization of all existing resources on behalf of achieving the
mutually agreed projects brings synergic effect.
The following cities, towns and villages have been regularly involved in syste-
matic welfare planning and have been providing for public participation: Banská
Bystrica, Těrchová, Maršová – Rašov, Lietavská Svinná – Babkov, Čierny Balog.
The situation in Slovakia is developing for the upcoming years so that more
and more municipalities will gradually include local public to participate in the
planning of social services, primarily because their financial means do not suffice
and therefore it is important to use these financial means in a specific, targeted and
efficient manner. This can only be competently designated by those who need them.
Sources
• Sociální služby pro občany, manuál pro obecní a městské úřady, (Social
Services for Citizens, a guide for municipal and metropolitan authori-
ties), authors: PhDr. Soňa Holúbková, PhDr. Slavoj Krupa, PhD., Rada
pre poradenstvo v sociálnej práci, 2001
• Mini příručka pro komunitní plánování sociálních služeb (Mini-Guide for
Community Planning of Social Services) authors: PhDr. Helena
Woleková PhD., Mgr. Marcela Mezianová, Nadácia Socia, 2004
• Monika Budovcová, community consultant for social development,
Čierny Balog
• Ing. Mária Danieličová, the Polomka municipality
• Ing. Magdaléna Artimova, PSI Šariš
45
 3.2 Planning of social services in Visegrad group
countries, Example of Poland Participation of Non-governmental, Non-profit Organiza-
tions (NNO) in offering social services

by Zofia Kordela – Borczyk The profile of social services provided by NNO’s is highly differentiated in Poland
as NNO’s operate at many levels and attend to various issues. It is therefore not
Main Principles for the provision – offering of social services an easy task to determine what their share is in the social services offering. It is
nevertheless worth to show at least some data. The following table shows that,
In Poland, the provision of social services is governed by the following principles: among 1603 researched units in Warsaw, the majority of them are NNO’s
assistance, operating in the welfare area, i.e. associations and foundations (57%).
sovereignty of the parties,
efficiency,
fair competition and openness. Sector Number of Social Care Ratio %
Units in Warsaw
The “assistance” principle deserves special attention. It is also called the
Non-governmental organizations 908 57 %
“subsidiarity” principle and clearly says that problems of citizens must be, as far
Self-administrations 405 25 %
as achievable, solved with non-governmental, non-profit organizations (NNO)
operating in the welfare area. Church/orders 107 7%
The special meaning of this principle was accented by the Constitution of Cooperative sector 68 4%
the Republic of Poland. Private sector 61 4%
Referring to the above principles is also the Act on Activities for Public Good
State administration 34 2%
and Volunteers, implementing these principles into cooperation between the
public administration and NNO’s operating in the social services (welfare) area. Other 20 1%
This act also coordinated procedures for commissioning and supporting the Organizations total 1603 100 %
implementation of public tasks, and introduced the duty of organizing
Source: data of the Klon Association, Jawor, 2004
competitions of tenders that can, among other, be accessed by NNO’s operating in
the welfare area (which allows them to compete for the implementation of such In the case of some social services, the state is almost passive and that is why
tasks under the same conditions as public institutions). The constitutional the main provider of these services are NNO’s.
provision introducing the subsidiarity principle as well as the passing of the act is Such example is the area of services provided to benefit the homeless which is
also the result of efforts exerted by welfare-operating NNO’s and should be almost wholly dominated by non-profit organizations.
considered their success. In practice, however, public administration is still
somewhat reluctant to share the implementation of public functions. In Poland,
funding from public funds remains at 30% of the non-governmental sector income Planning procedures and optimization in offering social
while in the EU, on average, it is more than 50% (source: data of the Klon services
Association/ Jawor, 2004).
In Poland, two methods are used to plan social services: the historic method and
task-based method. The Historic Method is based on planning expenditures for
a particular period based on their performance in the previous period. In the

46 47
environment of a stabilized economy, this method has proven flawless primarily due
to its simplicity. On the other hand, where there are frequent changes in the
governing options, as well as under the conditions of a transforming social
establishment and economy introducing a large number of reforms, this method
does not work well enough as it holds onto the expenditure structure based on the
previous year’s expenditures. This method is most employed by NNO’s dealing with
culture, education and health protection. The Task-based Method uses the
defining of tasks and costing for their performance. A disadvantage of this method is
its need for more sophisticated planning and financial skills. Civil organizations
have used this method more frequently in the recent years as the nature of planning
becomes more short-termed. The use of this method also demands the preparation
of funding plans for projects subsidized by the EU. This method is primarily used by
NNO’s that have budgets of task-related nature, i.e. they promote ideals or physical
culture. Major problems experienced by NNO’s in the planning of social services
involve primarily the failure to examine the options of NNO’s in substituting the
public administration in its functions, and the short-term nature of operational
funding.
In respect to the non-governmental, non-profit sector, the state administration
has two methods to employ to optimize its activities. One is the cooperation
method and the other is the outsourcing method. The cooperation method is
based on the optional use of the act on public-private partnerships and on the
delegation of particular tasks to various entities, including NNO’s.
The outsourcing method is based on delegating the performance of certain
activities to specialized subjects, including civil organizations.
It is needed to say that long-term subcontracting to NNO’s or joint bidding by
NNO’s and institutions of the public administration in competitions of tenders are
more or less exception. The roots of such status can be identified in the reluctant
attitude of public administration towards the non-profit sector. At the local level,
NNO’s undertake activities benefiting the change of such status quo. For example,
they strive to develop service standards or lobby to invite organizations to
participate in the cooperation program preparation process.
The efficiency of the functioning of NNO’s in social services in Poland is very
low. For the most part, the reasons are insufficient funding, high competition, low
social credit, the crisis of the state welfare system and lacked reforms. It is difficult
to compare the efficiency of performance by civil organizations and state
administration as they frequently operate in different service fields and accept
different standards of service offerings. In the opinions of 58% of Poles however,
48
NNO’s provide services more effectively than the public administration (source:
NGO.PL gate, “voluntarism, charity and 1% 2006“). This relatively good result may
be caused by the general belief that state administration functioning is not very
effective. This means that in a certain meaning, it is a matter of a negative
background making NGO’s look better.
Forms of funding for social services on offer
The potential forms of support to NNO-provided services in Poland that should be
noted include:
1/ Direct funding and subsidies (the same subjective to statutory
activities as well as aimed at the achievement of a specific objective).
2/ Tax relieves, especially appropriate seem relieves used by local or
regional self-governments within the territory where the organization
operates and also the right to render 1% of tax to civil organizations
having the status of a public beneficial organization.
3/ Access to free information, counseling and training services.
4/ Preferential loans and loan guarantees (unfortunately, this solution is
very seldom used in connection with civic organizations, even in respect of
those operating in the enterprising area).
Potential of the use of organization’s services, their quality,
availability and types
In Poland, there are the following types of social services provided by NNO’s:
1/ Cultural (galleries, art, museums, cultural centers, etc.),
2/ Educational (schools, universities),
3/ Healthcare (healthcare centers, ambulance, hospitals).
4/ Ideals (e.g. environmental protection),
5/ Physical culture (physical culture associations, sports association
federations, foundations and other),
6/ Social services (social support centers, the Red Cross),
The public opinion surveys carried out by the Klon/Jawor Association in 2004
indicate that almost 1/3 (32%) of Poles believe that people who have found
themselves helpless in a life situation can rely on the welfare assistance of NNO’s.
49
 3.3 Community planning of social services
This means that more citizens rely on the assistance of these organizations if in in Hungary
“indigence” than on the support of state institutions and self-governments (these
were marked by 29% of respondents). Meanwhile it is rather disturbing that 27% of
respondents assume that people in need of support cannot count either on
by Laszlo Benedec
governmental or non-governmental institutions.
Along the development of the NNO sector in the welfare area, there is a serious
In Hungary the Act. on Social Governance and Social Services (III.Act/1993. –
need for wider analysis of the services on offer. Civil organizations, primarily due to
modified several times, last time in 2007.) has certain provisions on planning of
financial reasons, fail to analyze the demand for their services. Therefore they
social services. It regulates that every local municipality or microregion association
rarely provide these at a charge and do not keep a record of services they have
above the population of 2000 persons, including the county municipalities and the
provided. In connection with this, they are not able to respond to demand
local governments of the capital and its districts are obliged to establish a round-
alterations and draw conclusions as to the quantity and quality of their products.
table forum for local social policy. This round-table forum is responsible for
Analyses of this kind are very rarely the point of interest by the state admini-
monitoring the fulfilment of the action plans of the so-called local concepts on social
stration or research centers.
services. Thus all the local municipalities above 2000 people population are obliged
to establish a so-called concept of planning social services and to supervise and
monitor them on a yearly basis. If the social services are guaranteed by an inter-
municipial association (microregion association) with which the local municipa-
lities conclude service contracts – the microregion association is obliged to develop
this local planning concept on social services. The Act on Social Governance and
Social Services regulates the content of this local planning concept.

It must consist the following elements:

1.) General information concerning the situation

• Demand for the services and the number of persons who received the
services (including the size and the age-structure of local population)
• Ageing and the proportion of elderly people within the population and the
changes in their proportion in time,
• Changes in the size of population igration tendencies,
• Proportion of active-inactive people within the local population,
• Special tendencies concerning the target groups receiving various social
services,
• Birth-rate, etc.

2.) The structure of the social institutes and the way of service provision
• The fulfilment of service provision obligation,
• Time-schedule for the service provision,

50 51
 • Provision of target group needs (elderly people, handicapped, homelesses,
psychiatric patients, drug-addicts, etc.)
• The service needs of special groups that are not obligatory, but which
reflect on the special needs of some service receivers.
3.) Guaranteeing the preconditions of services
• Functioning and running of services,
• Financing the services,
• Tasks for the developments of services,
• Frames of co-operation.
The timeline of planning social service concepts in Hungary:
31. December 2003 – Planning concepts of counties, regions and of the capital
Budapest (plus districts) have been developed and
approved by the identical councils
31. December 2004 – planning concepts of the settlements have been
developed and approved by the local municipalitis
31. December 2005 – First supervision of the concepts of counties, regions and
of the capital Budapest (plus districts) have been taken
place and approved by the identical councils
31. December 2006 – First supervision of the concepts of settlements have
been taken place and approved by the local municipali-
ties
31. December 2007 – The planning concepts for social services of microregion
associations (intercommunal co-operation) have been
developed
Structure of the planning concept of social services:
• Basic principles and values,
• Situation analysis social context, economic changes in the area, statistic
information upon the settlement, demographic situation, employment
data, income, specialities of social services, etc.),
• Development directions on the various levels of services)
• Definition of the mission statement,
52
• Expected results, professional and local political expectations,
• Network structure of the institutes and the possible transformation of
services,
• Planning by demands,
• Capacity-regulation according to the service provider and the service
receiver),
• Definition of tasks and time-frame,
• Special elements,
• Financing and possible substitution of resources.
The involvement of the population, local action groups,
professional bodies, NGOs etc. into the planning process
The local municipality and/or microregion association initiates the planning
concept of social services with the involvement of local professionals (social policy
experts, local politicians etc.) Usually they make an analysis of the situation
concerning the basic data and information. They are also mapping the local needs
and demands for social services. A further step is the survey on existing services and
the financial resources. Basic elements of the planning process are the meetings of
the Round-table for Local Social Policy. This is a forum – where all the involved role-
players can participate – such as local municipality leaders, social policy experts,
service providers, representatives of local training institutions and interest groups,
representatives of ethnic minority groups (especially the local roma leaders) and
local NGOs who are involved in social services. This Round-table has the right to
form opinion upon the survey of situation-analysis, to approve directions and
formulate the future plans upon social services. The council of local municipality
finally approves the planning concept of social services – but the final decision must
meet the recommendations of the local Round-table and must be in conformity with
the planning concepts formulated in the county and region concepts. The local
municipality is responsible for the execution of the tasks formulated in the local
concept, and the Round-table is entitled to supervise and monitor the results on a
two-yearly basis.
53
 4.
Chances and constraints of the local planning concepts:

• To make a good balance between the population demands and the service
provision obligations
• Extension of local co-operation agreements onto the microregion, public-
NGO co-operation, involvement of Churches, agreement with for-profit
organisations etc.
Example studies
• Forming integrated approach and complex service provisions
• Substitution of local services by outsourcing
• Transformation of social services
• Recommendations for professional service standards
• Recommendations for the training of human resources
• Quality management 4.1. Laying foundation of community
• Recommendations for special services
planning in Dobříš
by Ing. Dagmar Smrčinová, Ph.D.,
Conclusions:
Mgr. Lenka Mazochová
In Hungary there is a good system for planning social services – which is based on
the obligations of local municipalities to provide social services, but the involvement 4.2 “Who plays, does not bother”
of public and private role-players into the planning process is guaranteed by means – or playground for everybody
of Local Round-tables for social policy. In the past 5 years all the counties and
regions including the capital Budapest and its districts and many local settlements 4.3 Public participation into the
have developed their planning concept for social services. These concepts were elaboration process of Strategic
discussed with the population, the local NGOs and local partners in social policy development plan of town Kopřivnice
formation. However, the involvement of the population and public participation in
by Mgr. Radka Chalúpková,
the planning process was formal in some cases. Financial constraints also reduce
Ivana Rašková, DiS.
the effectivity of the planning process. Nevertheless, there was a boom of planning
activity of local social services in the past five years. You can find hundreds and
hundreds of well elaborated local concepts for social services in Hungary on the
4.4 Community planning of social
internet. services in the city of Ostrava

54 55
 4.1 Laying foundation of community planning
in Dobříš Project CPSS is realized in coordination with creation of medium-term
regional community development plan of social services. One of the main objectives
of the project is mapping current situation of social services – by organization which
offers these services in the range of its field of action, interest and needs of citizens
by Ing. Dagmar Smrčinová, Ph.D. and possibilities of the region. Outcomes are important for coordination of the
Mgr. Lenka Mazochová services, communication and cooperation of individual organizations, improving
quality and more efficient services from the view of users as well as financial costs of
Dobříš – a small town situated in Central Bohemia, south of Prague started the road them.
of major changes. During the year 2007 town hall started up a list of projects. In the Dobříš region three basic target groups were established – “children,
Citizens of Dobříš are participated as consultants, advisers and opponents. Process youth, family”, “handicapped and people threatened by social exclusion”, “senior
of preparations and realizations was protected by an expert from the field of public citizens and people before retirement”. Each of these groups meets once in every
participation. Dobříš has chosen quality and professional communication of local other month. Its members are solving problems which are concerning them. During
authorities with citizens, non-profit organizations, entrepreneurs and other the year 2007 eighteen meetings with an average attendance of over 20 people took
subjects. In this article we would like to outline these processes. place. These meetings are attended by representatives of NGOs, public admini-
stration, self-government, citizens, entrepreneurs and others. From the practical
Community planning – type project reasons the project was extended by free-time activities mapping in the region,
which are in our opinion and opinion of working groups one of the best preventative
Town of Dobříš took advan- solutions to many problems. At the same time this is a topic which addresses
tage of NGOs interest about citizens and makes easier to get public participation in solving problems of social
improving quality of social services. One thing we can argue about is, that existing target groups (for example
services and in mutual co- youth), for which only state institution would be available with mainly control and
operation applied for a grant repressive role. From this reason it is suitable to deal with available activities
at the end of the year 2006 for targeting free time of the youth. Community planning is not group meeting only, but
project “The way to communi- also extended search across all groups of population (no matter what social status,
ty planning of social services income, age or hobbies are), cooperation and outcomes reflecting in decision making
in Dobříš region” (project of council and focusing of municipality. Thanks to the process of community
CPSS). For the project two planning working groups were created. These groups are working on development
coordinators were hired (D. of playgrounds, preparation of basis for planned creation of community and
Smrčinová, expert in the educational centre. At present active students are working on opening of Low-
field of public participation Threshold Club. Its need came up directly from work of working groups. The club
and L. Mazochová). The project got under way in January of 2007 under the support will be operating on the premises belonging to town of Dobříš. These premises will
of European Union, Czech Republic and town of Dobříš. Project will be finished in be reconstructed and specially equipped thanks to the acquired grant. Town hall is
May of 2008. With regard to major interest of public and securing of effective actively cooperating with the founders of the club and is looking for another
tenability supported by town of Dobříš, connecting project intention is being resources and possible solutions how to run this club more effectively and
prepared. Project CPSS in Dobříš region is unique by its size, because it does not successfully.
focus on planning in Dobříš but in entire region – that means in all 24
municipalities.

56 57
Evaluation
The group “children, youth, family” is most numerous. This group counts over 30
people. The group of handicapped counts around 20 people. Handicapped and
mentally ill fellow-citizens are coming in with their accompanist, which makes our
cooperation with them a lot easier. Lesser attendance at the meeting of seniors was
a reason to consider an existing way of group leading. The groups were supported by
personal meetings in the club for senior citizens. Cooperation with individual
groups is very different. That is why individual preparation is needed, so we can
ensure approaching of same goal even though communication methods may vary.
It is not easy to find the right way to invite potential participants to these
meetings. It is useful to address fellow-citizens individually and keep reminding
them about the invitation which takes up a lot of time and personal effort. Finance
plays an inconsiderable role. Insufficient preparation or just the general invitation
(in time of noticeable outcomes) is one of the main reasons of low attendance.
Let’s go to create together and Dobříš square in the new
Leaders of town of Dobříš were not satisfied only with community planning of social
services. With the support of project managers they started to work on long term
and targeted public participation into discussion about important problems of their
town. Firstly opinion poll about the look and usage of the square took place. The
main topic was the reconstruction of the square. The opinion poll was unexpectedly
successful. More than 1000 informants participated in it. Considering the
population (8000 inhabitants) we are talking about significant number of citizens
and also we have to count opinions of students from more than 20 classes of primary
and grammar schools.
We reassumed on this opinion poll by holding a public meeting “Let’s go create
together”. The meeting was focused mainly to hold discussion among the public,
town representatives and local organizations. Because this was the first meeting of
this type in Dobříš, nobody was able to tell how many participants will actually
come. We were expecting up to 300 participants, however only one tenth of expected
participants came. Readiness of town hall exceeded readiness of public.
The topics were chosen on the basis of citizen wishes mentioned in the opinion
poll about the square and other suggestions. Considering the interest of the public
and prompt topic choosing, another meeting was planned. This meeting took place
in October. This time the attendance was some what higher. Discussion was of high
58
quality and beneficial. Discussion was held by independent mediator. The leaders of
town appreciate ideas and suggestions of its citizens. Town officials would like to
continue these meetings in the
future. Objective of town officials
is to increase interest of the public
about what is happening in their
town.
Evaluation
Opinion poll on the topic “Dobříš
square in the new” was very
successful. People came up with
a lot of ideas. Some of these ideas
were worked with the others will
be worked with in the future. Opinion poll opened up the discussion not only about
possible look of the square, but also about trustworthiness of such survey and usage
of its outcomes. Because the opinion poll was tested before in three rounds by
participation of 60 citizens, the administrators had a chance to try out a quality of
asked questions as well as possibility to evaluate the answers. Final result has
shown efficiency and quality of gathered answers and therefore the outcomes of
opinion poll became a base for architects during elaboration of suggestion by the
public about the future look of Dobříš square. Feedback was permanently mediated
to the public and this we consider as possibility of further cooperation. After
conclusion of competition the citizens were invited to see vernissage of architectural
renderings and they could judge to what point the architects respected their ideas
and suggestions.
Project “Let’s go to create together” is still looking for its fans. Citizens were
satisfied with both meetings and even so called “naggers” thanked for the oppor-
tunity to be part of direct discussion with of town representatives. Participants
asked for repeating of such a meeting and suggested the topics for other discussion.
We all are looking forward to another meeting with the citizens and we believe that
the number of participants will be a lot higher. We are looking for ways of how to
reach it – advertising, informedness, acceptable date, place of meeting, invitation of
the citizens.
59
 4.2 “Who plays, does not bother” – or playground
for everybody
Number of participants of triad cooperation

Road to community planning of social services in Dobříš region – regularly 60

people, opinion poll circa 900 people, meeting “Let’s go to create together” over Project “Who plays, does
100 people and organizations. not bother – or playground
Opinion poll “Dobříš square in the new” – filled out 1104 questionnaires, 23 classes for everybody” came to rea-
of primary schools, 10 architectonical teams, cooperation with Colloredo– lization on the basis of ini-
Mannsfelds – owners of mansion in Dobříš and other realties. tiative of leadership of
Let’s go to create together I and II – circa 37 citizens and 20 representatives of town municipality Rýžoviště and
in each meeting. In section of community planning of social services over 100 suggestion from fellow-
citizens and organizations cooperated. citizens and societies.
Team work on developing projects of town and region – 13 teams working on circa 13 Project was realized with
projects, each team counts 3 – 5 members. the support of VIA Foun-
Ground and strategic plan – this project is being planned for circa 3 working groups. dation in the program “We
Each group counts 10 members. help people to improve pla-
Total of 2300 participants and organizations – this number is misguided, because ce where they live”, suppor-
we are talking here about people who were participating on a regular basis as ted by Foundation of Česká
well as people answering various type of survey. There fore these people may spořitelna. At that time
work in several different groups. About 80 volunteers are cooperating on a there was no playground for all generation except soccer field and few nooks for
regular basis. children.

Conclusion We are starting

Here are several recommendations how to realize similar projects:
• To gain trust and not to disappoint.
• To cooperate fairly.
• To appreciate opinion of others and thoroughly listen.
• To inform one another and offer feedback.
• Not to give up, to be persistent.
• To overtake disagreements.
• To have top-view and to respect all opinions.
• To address all, to offer various possibilities of cooperation.
www.mestodobris.cz, smrcinova@mestodobris.cz, mazochova@mestodobris.cz
Intention of the project was to create a space where not only children and youth
could spend their free time, but also their parents and visitors of our village. In the
area which was designated for the playground was nothing suitable for the children
to play. Still this place was being used for various cultural events. It was the youth
who came with the suggestion to create a new playground where they can spend
their free time.
Introduction of citizens with the idea to change the existing ground came in
November of 2006 when the contest “Our playground” was announced. People were
asked to come up with their suggestions and ideas how the new playground should
look like. The contest was announced in three categories – the youngest children,
youth and adults. In the contest were also participating primary school and
kindergarten. The ceremonial contest announcement was planned in December. As
a reward to winner in each category was a cake in the shape of a playground.

60 61
Planning together
Two planning meetings followed. To the first meeting came 102 participants. They
were introduced to opinion poll evaluation and together they started to plan
concrete look of the playground. The planning meeting took place in a gymnasium
where drawings and products created within art competition were exhibited. To
come up with a logo for our project was an important point of the first planning
meeting. A footprint of the youngest participant became a logo of our project. Since
then this logo was used in all materials having anything to do with the project.
To the second planning meeting came 85 participants. On the basis of
suggestions of participants of the first meeting the designer worked out the first
designs of what the playground going to look like. Participants of the second
meeting were discussing these designs and tried to combine them.
Every participant had a chance to say his or her suggestions – not only during
planning meetings, but also during realization of the project. There was a form
published on the websites of our village
under the section “Who plays, does not
bother” which people could use for
their suggestions. Most suggestions we
were getting from those who came to
our planning meetings. We have
received a lot of ideas. They were
divided according to priorities and
financial possibilities. Other ideas
came in after the announcement of
opinion poll. Its return was 48 %.
From the plans to realization
We organized brigade-work which 103 people of all ages came to participate. Our
goal of the first working meeting was to prepare a ground after the winter. Every
participant brought with him/her tools – rakes, hand-barrow, shovels, brooms, etc.
Since the first day we knew that we will be needing support form other
partners, because financial resources were not sufficient. But we wanted to provide
our children, youth and also all others citizens comfort of our new playground. Most
of the asked firms supported our idea of creating a new playground and they
promised us their participation on the project. Also the citizens of our village helped
62
us (they bought paints,
markers, gloves, presents
for children, etc.). Mums
baked cookies, seamstress
from our village sewed
pillows with our logo
which were given as
presents.
The second brigade-
work was planned at the
beginning of summer
vacation. 62 participants
came. Working team divided jobs. There was plenty of refreshment prepared for us.
Our mayoress cooked delicious goulas, firemen from our village along with our
mums prepared a lot of goodies for us.
The playground began to look like the one on the drawing. We put up a fence
around the kids nook, we build up the fireplace, stairway, benches and tables,
basket and ping-pong table. This day a lot of work was done.
On the third brigade-work day came to work 56 participants. Women were
drawing lines on the asphalt ground, painted palisade, drew a twister, etc. Men
trimed grass, made and built up palisade, painted the benches, etc. All were
working with a good grace. Again there was a lot of refreshment and some gifts and
souvenirs which were made by our youth. At the end of the day we made a fire and
barbecued hot dogs. The playground was finished.
Ceremonial opening of the playgrounds
The last August Saturday in 2007 was one of the most festive days in our village.
The reason for celebration was an official opening of newly reconstructed
playground. Our mayoress Eva Lešáková welcomed members of working team –
above all children, youth and adults. She was talking about the project and she
appreciated all the work that was done by all fellow-citizens of all ages. She also
thanked to all project partners. Without their help our playground would not look
the way it looks now. There was plenty of refreshment for everybody and cultural
program.
63
 4.3 Public participation into the elaboration
Other events reminding the project process of Strategic development plan of town
Kopřivnice
During realization of the project several other events took place in our village. These
events were mostly organized by local firemen who have a lot of experiences in
preparing such events.
One of the events was Tříkrálová sbírka 2007 (Tree kings collection 2007). by Mgr. Radka Chalúpková, Ivana Rašková, DiS.
Three groups of kings were walking the streets of our village. Collection was held
under the sponsorship of Caritas Odry which contributed 5031 CZK from this Town of Kopřivnice is prominent and traditional economic subject of North Moravia.
collection to our project. This amount represented 50 % of the collection. It is located in Moravian-Silesian region (32 km southwest from the city of Ostrava),
Next event was MDŽ (International day of women). Children and youth made in the east of the district Nový Jičín. It is the second largest town in the district and
flowers out of the paper with the project logo for mothers, grandmothers and aunts it is 14 km away from Nový Jičín. Town of Kopřivnice is formed by four parts – the
who came to the second planning meeting. town itself and three villages – Lubina, Vlčovice, Mniší. The economic transfor-
Another regular event in our village Ryžoviště is Carnival for children. mation in the past years brought changes in the structure of economy with
Small gifts (little shovels with the project logo) were given to children who restructuring of previous branches in the town and dynamic development of small
participated in the contests. As a part of the event was an exhibition of paintings and medium companies and services. Changes of external conditions, assertion of
and drawings of children. economic market principles along with the needs to resolve the problems of town are
Our young firemen celebrated the Earth Day by work. They neatened the calling for changes of authority proceedings in Kopřivnice.
surroundings of our playground and seeded a grass.
In the summer another regular event Children’s Day was celebrated. This With the public about future of the town
celebration took place on the small playground.
These and other facts as well
Evaluation and conclusion as knowledge of necessity of
system and coordinative
An indirect purpose of the project was to strengthen relationships and public life in access to solve development
our village. In the region with very little of free time activities and high of the town brought repre-
unemployment the project realization was an excellent way to bring the people’s sentatives of town Kopřiv-
activity back to life, strengthen the communication between young people and old nice in December 2006 to
generation. This intention was fulfilled. Workers, societies and citizens of the decision to continue with
village Ryžoviště worked hard and selflessly to bring this project to realization. active access in the field of
Without the cooperation of our citizens the value of this project would not be what it town development and work
is today. I’m not talking only about the actual change of the place but also about out “Strategic plan of deve-
“freshening” of life in our village and on the playground itself. lopment of town Kopřivnice
for the period 2007–2022”.
This strategic document and previous strategic plan formulate strategic goals of the
town for the selected period and concretize in the form of appropriate priorities,
measures and activities, including determination of the way of financing and
implementation.

64 65
 The new Strategic plan of development of town Kopřivnice for the period 2007-
2022 was worked out in cooperation with the public, NGOs and local entrepreneurs
– by community way of planning in cooperation with the citizens of town. During its
elaboration we tried to get into the process as much public as it was possible and we
did not forget citizens of local parts of Kopřivnice (Vlčovice, Mniší, Lubina).
The fact, that the town of Kopřivnice – as a member of National network of
Healthy Cities in Czech Republic association – comes out of principles of
sustainable development, fades into all sections of the plan. Its assertion is not only
matter of environment but also a part of social and economic development.
Start of planning
Elaboration of Strategic plan (SP) was started in February 2007. Commission for
strategic development was appointed. Commission was directed the whole process
of elaboration of medium-term plan and in the future will be supervise its
realization. Before the elaboration of SP we are recommending to address local
entrepreneurs with an offer to cooperate. In Kopřivnice there were significant
entrepreneurs contacted and personally visited by representatives of town during
survey of entrepreneurial sphere. This time it was the mayor and his deputies who
were asking the questions. They were able to establish closer cooperation and
communication. The mayor appealed to some of the entrepreneurs if they would like
to become members of already mentioned commission.
The representatives of Kopřivnice requested participation into the whole
process as much public as possible that included citizens from local parts: Lubina,
Vlčovice and Mniší. That is why local strategic commissions, put together from the
members of commissions from mentioned local parts were established. They invited
other persons which could have some interested ideas for development of local
parts.
Mapping of current situation
about population, local economic base and economic sphere, infrastructure, living,
environment, etc. At this stage members of elaborating team were coming out of
survey from entrepreneurial sphere and from opinion poll. From gathered
information and socioeconomic analysis of town became a base of profile of town
Kopřivnice document.
Because of comprehensiveness of problems it is not possible to put into profile
of town detail information which are specific for some local parts and which are not
belonging among the most important findings in the scale of the town. In accordance
with requirements of submission to elaborate Profile of town Kopřivnice were
created “sub-profiles” of local parts Lubina, Vlčovice a Mniší. For these documents
a data collection took place during discussions with representatives of local parts.
On the basis of town profile outcomes and SWOT analyses of town and its local
parts Commission for strategic development confirmed with the vision of town
Kopřivnice and agreed on four priority development areas which is necessary to
deal with in the first place so vision could be fulfilled and ensure the needs and
presumptions for next town development.
This is how priority areas were determined:
• Economic potential and development of human resources
• Traffic, infrastructure, environment
• Locial facilities
• Image of town
The commission for strategic develop-
ment (KSR) on its regular meetings accepted
and agreed on partial outcomes of strategic
plan which came from activity of four work-
ing groups put together by the commission.
Public participation through the
working groups

The first phase of the project was to create Profile of town Kopřivnice. To its Into these working groups KSR selected
elaboration SPF Group o.p.s. was chosen. SPF Group o.p.s. agreed to condition of members from the public. It was suggested
wide data collection during discussions and dealing with suggestion of profile with that the meetings of working groups were
wide spectrum of interested people. On the creation of the profile participated opened to the public – that way the public
mentioned commissions, departments of Municipal office of Kopřivnice and Czech could be informed about the group meetings
Statistical Office and other institutions which provide actual information and data and also could participate in them. Thanks to

66 67
 this process working groups expanded
from 15 – 20 nominated members to 30 - 40
members which were under methodical
leadership of elaborating team members.
They were meeting at regular basis
between KSR meetings and were
preparing partial outcomes of strategic
plan for an approval. There was a report
produced from each meeting of working
group, which was later mailed to those who
left a contact on him/her in attendance list.
Along with a report participants received
list of remarks into which they could write
their ideas or remarks as long as they did
not bring theirs problems or ideas up
during the meeting of the working group.
To get the people to participate in the whole process it was necessary to consider and
think out a system of meeting propagation and also to choose non-traditional place
of working meeting – in the summer – recreation area Červený kámen (Red Stone).
The most important outcome of strategic plan is its suggestion part – defined
priorities, their solutions and concrete activities with determination of benefit and
outcomes, participated subjects, measureable indicators, estimation of financial
intensity and relation to ground plan. In following part of strategic plan sequence
was expressed on community planning, project operation and financial resources
from EU. Members of elaborating team along with leadership of the town and
Commission for strategic development also suggested a system of implementation
and control of strategic plan realization.
Except that all five meetings of working groups were public, two other public
meetings were organized in all three local parts. Main public forum took place
downtown. Within the whole process many remarks and ideas were collected. They
confirm the need of other matters which were formulated into the plan by working
groups.
Through working groups, local strategic commission in Lubina, Vlčovice and
Mniší and also thanks to the cooperation with the public on working out the plan
participated almost 200 citizens of Kopřivnice (number does not include forum
participants). According to attendance list 190 citizens participated in the forum.
370 booklets with working version of the plan were handed out to passers-by.
68
Addressing general public
During elaboration of strategic plan the public was informed about this process by
articles in the press and press releases. Invitations to meetings of working groups
were announced over the radio.
As a new way of addressing the public a regular broadcasting of chat with the
mayor of the town Kopřivnice and with the head of department for strategic
planning about “What is strategic plan” was used. There was a commercial
broadcasted repeatedly on the cable television about invitation to Public discussion
of strategic plan held downtown and invitations to meetings of working groups
where public was invited through the form of posters. A good way of inviting people
to the meetings was handing out of leaflets in downtown by scouts and members of
children council. By this form we invited public to already mentioned Public
discussion of strategic plan, held downtown.
Conclusion
There are several recommendations and one caution at the end
• SEA should be elaborated along with preparation of the entire process ot
at the end, when the strategic plan is already finished. It can be one of the
risks of such a long term process.
• A broadcasting of chat hat is strategic plan uring elaborating of the
document. We started with this activity right before Public discussion of
strategic plan but in the future we would like to start it sooner.
We would like to emphasize that public participation into whatever process in
such range really pays off because the remarks that were getting to us after each
public meeting thanks to public participation in opening phase of document
elaboration were already elaborated in strategic plan.
www.koprivnice.cz
http://zdravemesto.koprivnice.org
69
 4.4 Community planning of social services in the
city of Ostrava
Project “Community planning of social services in the area of county borough of
Ostrava as a tool for social integration and social exclusion prevention of
disadvantaged groups of population” (CP Ostrava) was realized in the time period
1.6.2006 – 15.4.2007. This was a one-staged project, total time spent on realization
was 10,5 months and total cost was 2.553.176 CZK. The project was financed from
several resources – 10 % county borough of Ostrava, 10 % Moravian - Silesian region
and 80 % structural fund of European Union.
Place of the project realization was county borough of Ostrava which is the
third biggest city in Czech Republic. Population of Ostrava is circa 337 000 (at
30.9.2007) and mean age is 40,1 (in 2007). County borough of Ostrava is divided into
23 town districts which are in charge of exercise of public administration and self-
government.
The city is a founder of 10 allowance organizations. They are eight homes for
senior citizens, home for handicapped people and centre of social services. In the
area of the city there are circa 40 non-state non-profit organizations, which together
with allowance organizations of the city are providing services and activities to 40
thousands users. In the year 2008 the city supported within the grant proceeding in
the field of social care 97 projects of 35 non-state providers in total of 55 millions
CZK.
Social services on the basis of partner cooperation
The main objective of the project was to work out the strategy of securing
availability of social services and related activities in the area of city Ostrava.
Another objective was to sustain and develop a process of community planning
which already started in city of Ostrava in the year 2003. Important specific goal of
the project was also development and support of mutual cooperation of service
providers and self-government as well as increasing of informedness in the field of
social services.
General objectives of the project are to strengthen social stability and cohesion
of community, development of current partnerships and to create new ones at local
level, to strengthen position of users and providers of social services as an
independent subjects, active participation of users into the process of community
70
planning and active partici-
pation of the public.
Content of the project
was to continue with started
implementation of the 1st
Community planning of
social service development
in the city of Ostrava up to
the year 2006 (1.CP) and to
perform its evaluation. In
parallel with realization
1.CP were prepared the
basis to work out 2.CP
(sociological survey – mapping the needs of users, analyzing of providers and
provided services, SWOT analyses, direct meetings with users etc.). Subsequently
we were discussing elaboration of the 2nd Community plan of social services related
activities in the city of Ostrava till the year 2010 (2.CP).
Process of the project
We were using the method of community planning (CP). The basic structure of
community planning is divided into 11 working groups which are always in their
activity focused on another target group. These groups are mentally ill citizens,
senior citizens, children and family, citizens threatened by social exclusion and
socially excluded citizens, Romany communities, etc. The work of the groups is led
by Managers team, which is formed by coordinator CP, managers of individual
working groups, contact persons. The role of contact person meets the principles of
connecting a submitter and a provider of social services. Contact person is an
employee of county borough of Ostrava and is bringing into the process of CP special
knowledge and experiences. Manager is (in 90 %) representative of non-state non-
profit organization. Within the working group he supports experiences of contact
person and representatives of non-profit non-state organizations. The role of
contact person in CP is an example of a good practice.
Members of 11 working groups were participating in elaboration of the project.
Eleven working groups represents 203 persons – experts, users, representatives of
the city, police, unemployment office a other subjects including the public.
Public was addressed through out the project by articles and websites
www.kpostrava.cz and www.ostrava.cz.
71
 Non-state non-profit organi-
zations were invited to cooperate
with the working groups to work out
and realize the project. Representa-
tives of organizations worked within
the structure of CP in working
groups. The most intensive coopera-
tion between the representatives of
self-government and non-state non-
profit organizations took place in
Managers team of CP.
During elaboration of docu-
ment design of 2.CP process of
consultations proceeded in the area of county borough of Ostrava in time period 1.2.
– 31.3. 2007. 19 contact places and 2 consulting to give information were
established. The remarks were collected through email.
The intention to create contact places through out the whole area of the city
was to give information to public about 2.CP document design and subsequently
written remarks were expected. Contact places were established inside of municipal
offices, colleges and universities, city information centre, etc. 2.CP document design
and remarks list were available in these places. Employees of mentioned insti-
tutions were instructed about how to help to citizens. This process did not fill out
expectations. It is obvious that presence of employees or students at collecting boxes
is necessary so they can give information about the document and its intention to
citizens.
The example of a good practise is a meeting of CP working group members with
users of social services and the public. Members of working groups organized 36
meetings where 431 citizens attended and 48 remarks were worked up. Individual
meetings took place within various events which were organized for parents and
children within “Craft day”. Visits to colleges and universities where discussion
with the students which are focusing their studies on the social work took place.
Over all we can say that the remark process was effective. 118 remarks
concerning problems of target groups were brought up and were hand out to
individual working groups. 128 remarks were discussed, 69 remarks were worked
out so 6 objectives and 20 arrangements were added to the document.
At the same time other activities were occurring – education of CP
participants, conference, round table focused on CP in the city of Ostrava.
Informational brochures containing list of services and activities for each target
group and promotional materials were made and distributed.
72
Key moments of project in numbers
In this section we are describing key moments of the process, number of partici-
pants of individual activities:
• introductory seminary about the project/89 people
• addressing of users within a mapping of the needs/499 citizens
• addressing of service providers within questionnaire survey /119 subjects
• participation in elaboration of 2. CP/203 people (working group members)
• 36 meetings of service users within remark process/431 citizens
• addressing of representatives of the city/55 people
• addressing of commission members of city council /75 people
• addressing of mayors/23 people
• round table on topic cooperation with private subjects/35 people
• two-days CP seminary/27 people
• 4 one-day CP/66 participants
• conference/158 participants
Activities in total/1780 people (submitter, providers, users and public)
Evaluation
Realization of CP project has positive influence on quality of life in the locality
mainly in expanding the offer of social services and related activities in the area of
the city according to finding needs, better informedness about social services and
creating a partnership between self-government and non-state non-profit
organization.
Important impact is securing of financial resources to support activities of non-
state providers of social services and related activities in the grant proceeding of the
city. Members of CP working groups are participating in evaluation of projects
which are exhibited within grant proceeding. This process is an example of good
practise.
At present we have results of the first planning process. We were able to
develop services to all target groups. We will be able to evaluate the impacts of
current project after curtain period of implementation.
73
 Concluding words
The international cooperation contributes not only benefit to community,
where the project is realized but also enriches all participated organizations for new
know-how, various accesses to solution of problems, understanding to world…
We are looking to forward to cooperation with you :-)

Dear Sir or Madam, Roman Haken

CCO Central Moravia, director
Member of European Economic

you are holding the publication Public Participation, tool for administration of
public matters. We are pleased with your interest. At the end let me say a few words.
CCO Central Moravia is a part of the Centre for Community Organization in the
Czech Republic. From the beginning our „non-profit“ organization worked on many
international projects with partners in various countries. At present CCO is
a member of some international platforms of non-government non-profit
organizations and we are cooperating on projects with partners from Slovakia,
Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Greece, Romania, Latvia,
Bulgaria and Holland. We are beginning to cooperate with partners in Croatia, we
are interested in partner organization in Macedonia and in Ukraine. Besides an
international level we are working in the Czech Republic at national and local level
– regional and microregional. If you are addressed with our expertise in the field of
Community Planning of Social Services, don’t hesitate to contact us. We can
offer you cooperation in following programs:
Support of public participation in decision-making processes and support
of partnership among non-profit organizations, public administration and
entrepreneurial sector,
Local sustainable development,
Regional development and regional policy of EU,
Education of non-government non-profit organizations and building of
servicing background for NGOs,
Social economics.
Knowing Czech environment we can help you with looking for project partners
also for activities in other areas, both they are non-profit organizations or subject
of the public administration, entrepreneurial subjects for the local and national
level.

74 75
 Information about Centre for Community
Organizing
CCO Central Moravia and CCO Central Bohemia are non-profit organizations which
are providing services for all interested representatives from public administration,
civic organizations and private sector in following areas:
Public participation and participation of civic organizations in develop-
ment of municipalities, towns and regions
We are planning and realizing programs about public participation in investment
planning and decision making. We are talking about public participation in planning
and designing of concourses, preparation of regeneration of panel housing estates,
preparation of strategic, developing or communication conception (such as concep-
tion of waste treatment, general of green areas, etc.) or preparation of traffic
constructions or others investments. Within this program we are organizing
discussions with public, interactive exhibitions, opinion polls, sociologic survey and
we are also ensuring working meetings with citizens. We are holding the education
programs in the field of public participation for workers of public administration.
Local sustainable development
We are providing consulting services during preparation of projects focused on local
social-economical development in complying of environment principles. We are
working out and updating development strategies of micro-regions, towns and
regions as well as assisting at preparation of local development projects and
activities focused on disadvantage groups of people. We are cooperating with local
partners (public administration, entrepreneurs and NGO) which allow us to adapt
projects to local conditions as much as possible.
Community planning of social services
We are offering a complex methodical project leading of community planning of social
services as well as working out of its individual parts. On the principle of community
planning and public participation we are trying to help municipalities and towns to
plan development of social service so they would answer the local needs and specifics
of target groups.
Education of public administration officials
We are realizing educational course which allows to public administration officials to
understand the community and action planning with emphasis on interactive
76
training in groups, mutual sharing of an experiences among participants and
presentation of practical examples. The objective of an educational program is to
explain public administration officials a conception of community planning and
public participation into decision making of municipalities, towns and regions
including its advantages and disadvantages. The educational course participants
will familiarize themselves how to work with a public during planning and decision
making in their municipality, town or region. They will learn to properly choose
a technique to public participation for an individual target group.
Regional policy of European Union and regional development in Czech
Republic
We are promoting principles of partnership and transparent decision making in
regional policy of European Union. In Czech Republic we are supporting consul-
tations and public participation and non-profit non-state organizations at prepa-
ration and utilisation of Structural funds. We are participating in discussions about
a shape of regional policy. We are arranging information to other NGOs in Czech
Republic and we are preparing collective recommendations and processes. We share
our experiences with other candidate and member countries of EU.
Education, support and strengthening of non-state non-profit organiza-
tions
We are supporting and educating members of civic and non-profit organizations at all
levels. We are working with volunteers, organizing seminars and educational courses
aimed to strengthen non-profit sector. We are supporting meetings and a cooperation
of non-profit organizations.
Eco-program
We are participating mainly in strategic influence examination of plans, programs or
conceptions on environment (SEA), currently with an influence evaluation of
projects, constructions, technologies, etc. (EIA) and evaluation of health hazards.
IPPC – Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control, falls into this area. We are
elaborating all mentioned areas in accordance with principles of local Agenda 21,
existing laws and European guidelines.
You can find more detailed information on www.cpkp.cz
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 Information about other organizations
Civil association VOKA
Rural organization for community activities is
a network of member organizations and indivi-
duals devoted to rural development. VOKA
started to develop its activities in 1997 and it was officially registered in August
1998.
Objectives of association:
• To encourage and support democracy, principles of equality, freedom of
locution and tolerance of opinions, to activate population and its
participation in planning and decision-making processes, to develop of
volunteer work in community and to defend intersts of population at local,
regional and national level.
• To build sustainable community and economic development especially
thanks to activation of local resources and accessing of others suitable
resources. Community and economic development includes an
identification and support of leaders, organizing developmnt and economic
activities as support of small and medium enterprising in rural areas.
Implementation of new ideas and methods should meet the eed of cultural
heritage maintenance.
• To build a trong institutional network of individuals, organizations and
communities which will cooperate actively in the area of rural develop-
ment activities, to make and keep relations to international organizations
and institutions with similar targets.
In November 2006 VOKA obtained Certificate of quality management system STN
EN ISO 9001 : 2001 for the area: realization and implementation of integrated rural
development.
You can find more information on www.voka.sk.
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CELODIN – Central European Local
Development Information Network
CELODIN is a network of partner organizations which together carry on the
internet on-line database CELODIN providing information about regional
development and concerning problems with enter to the European Union.
Increasing information and security of access to them is an important step in a way
of local and regional organization, local governments and entrepreneurs to get to
know and an effective using of their possibilities. The cooperation and contacts to
active participants of regional development help to the development on local,
regional and even national level.
CELODIN is an international project on which partners from five countries of
Central and Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland and
Romania) participate. In each country one partner cooperates on this project, which
worries about database administration, technical and information help. The project
is financed from the International Visegrad Fund and PHARE SPP in the Czech
Republic.
Within the CELODIN network there are cooperating organizations which are
concerned with regional development. Their work consists in expert consultancy,
realizing of education programmes and providing of services to organizations which
are interested in regional development.
You can find more information about the network CELODIN on
www.celodin.org.
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Carpathian Foundation
Mission of the Carpathian Foundation
The Carpathian Foundation Network is a unique, cross-border regional foundation
that provides grants and technical assistance to NGOs and local governments. It is
focusing on regional, economic development and trans-frontier activities. It is
supporting the development of public/private/non-profit sector, including cros-border
and folklore activities to support regional and community development and to help
conflict prevention.
The Carpathian Foundation Network supports good relations, social stability,
and economic progress in the bordering regions of Hungary, Poland, Romania,
Slovakia and Ukraine. It is providing a financial and technical assistance to projects
with results of concrete benefit to the communities on both sides of national borders
which will improve the quality of life of the people in the cities and small towns of the
Carpathian Mountains.
You can find more information on www.cfoundation.org.
Facts about International
Visegrad Fund (IVF)
all member states. Since 2007, the member states agreed to contribute 1,250,000
EUR each, providing a total annual budget of 5,000,000 EUR.
IVF Programs in 2008:
Small grants (budget 512,000 EUR) / Standard grants (budget 2,200,000 EUR)
• for projects of cooperation among subjects from V4 countries and other
countries
• deadlines: 1 and 15 March, 1 June, 1 and 15 September and 1 December
Visegrad Strategic Program (budget 400,000 EUR)
• for important, long-term strategic projects (see the list of priorities for 2008)
• deadlines: 15 February and 15 May (more:
http://www.visegradfund.org/grants.html)
Visegrad University Studies Grant (budget 100,000 EUR)
• for development and launching of university courses/programs that deal
with V4 countries
• deadline: 15 February (more: http://www.visegradfund.org/curriculum.html)
Visegrad Scholarship Program (budget 1,306,000 EUR)
• for Master’s and Post-Master’s studies
• deadline: 31 January (more://www.visegradfund.org/scholarships.html)
Visegrad Artist Residency Program – VARP (budget 108,000 EUR)
• 3-month residencies for V4 artists in institutions in the other V4 countries
• deadline: 10 September (more: http://www.visegradfund.org/residence.html)

Project statistics (as of 1 January 2008):

Date of Establishment: 9th June 2000, Štiřín, Czech Republic
Member States: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia Program/Year 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Total
Governing Bodies: Conference of Ministers of Foreign Affairs Grant Applications 236 469 475 639 645 712 866 996 5038
Council of Ambassadors Funded Grants 26 89 144 203 272 301 347 406 1788
Executive Body: Executive Director (Amb. Kristóf Forrai)
Scholarship Applications 61 100 241 182 260 844
Deputy Executive Director (Amb. Vladimír Halgaš)
Awarded Scholarships 27 35 80 68 171 381
Administrative body: Secretariat
Seat of the Secretariat: Kráľovské údolie 8, 811 02 Bratislava, VARP Applications 29/61* 90
Slovak Republic (www.visegradfund.org) Awarded Residencies 21/24* 45
(* January 2007/September 2007 VARP Deadlines)
The mission of the International Visegrad Fund is to promote the development of
closer cooperation among the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia and to Contacts:
strengthen the ties between these states. The Fund promotes regional cooperation Tel.: +421 259 203 811 Fax: +421 259 203 805
among Visegrad countries through the support of common cultural, scientific E-mail: visegradfund@visegradfund.org
research and educational projects, youth exchanges, promotion of tourism and cross- Searching for Project Partners: http://visegradfund.visegradfund.org/
border cooperation. The budget of the Fund consists of equal annual contributions of Applications: http://applications.visegradfund.org/

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