www.PoliticiPublice.ro

SMART Method of Public Policy is a method of civic engagement and policy making. It was launched a year ago and has generated 4 success stories so far. Each story is different in approach, duration, people engaged and offline activities used. However, they show how creative one can be in addressing community problems.

The first community problem that became success story is called Urban mobility and was raised in the city of Galati. In order to boost the debate over it, we organized a meeting with the students from Lower Danube University. That is where the idea of many roundabouts was first proposed, to replace traffic lights. Although it seems like an easy solution, there was only one functional roundabout at that time. Among all the interesting ideas published by citizens, we chose to recommend the City Hall to transform some intersections in roundabouts.

The second success story happened fast, because the problem was urgent. Underneath the asphalt on a street from Galati, a cave was forming. This was seriously jeopardising the drivers because the asphalt could cave in anytime. The problem identification form allows citizens to also publish a photo of the problem. So, the problem was published, together with photos and a map with the exact location of the cave. Being urgent, we also sent an email to Galati City Hall and in three days they covered it.

The third success story was created with the Romanian Ministry of Education. The problem was named Nonformal education in schools. The problem issuer explained that schools in Romania are not equiped with spaces where students feel free, where they can express their needs and interests freely and constructively. As an offline approach, we discussed options to address this problem in a ENGAGEMENT Training with partner organizations of SMART Method of Public Policy, in Dolj County. We decided to ask the Ministry of Education to send out recommendations to schools, encouraging them to engage in partnership activities with local NGOs and companies to initiate nonformal education projects. The Ministry replied with stipulations of the new law of national education. This contains articles that are actually encouraging descentarlization, allowing schools to choose their educational partners and the types of activities they want to engage in, including nonformal education.

The fourth success story is about a small neighborhood park in Galati. The residents want to improve it, but they don’t have resources. So, we recommended the City of Galati to rehabilitate it. Although the City Hall did not send workers there, they told us what is the legal way to get help. The residents need to make an apartment owners’ association and make a contract with the City. This way they can get support, tools and almost everything they need.

As these success stories tell, we can generate change in the community. It takes initiative and perseverence. Sometimes you need to be a little pushy with the authorities to generate a reaction, but in a constructive way. SMART Method of Public Policy saves you time and money to get involved. You only need to raise problems and post solution ideas. You will also realise that it is very difficult to find good solutions to community problems. That is why we need creativity and SMART Method provides room for constructive debate in the online and offline environments, bringing together people from all walks of life. We take the best solution ideas and put them on the desks of elected and appointed officials. But, more than that, we provide the methodology to allow the problem issuers have the last say and decide whether they agree or not with the action or response of the public institutions.

Launching of SMART Method of Public Policy in Dolj County, Craiova, Romania, August 2011

SMART Method of Public Policy and the Eruption Anticorruption Group have been launched in Craiova, Dolj County. We discussed about waste control and street dogs and the participants from NGOs like the Center for Sustainable Community Development and ProCivica Oltenia, local partners of SMART Method, as well as from youth organizations of the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Liberal Party, brainstormed feasible solutions. Moreover, the participants engaged in a free discussion about corruption and its negative effects, showing that young people can approach politics in a more constructive manner. This collaborative exercise between the political environment and the civil society proved to be very novel. As both sides want tohave access to better community services and an enjoy an improved standard of living, they exchanged many solution ideas in a fruitful and constructive dialogue. Unfortunately, these young participants are not holding public offices yet, so they can’t put in practice the ideas. Not just yet…

Presentation of the participants and of SMART Method of Public Policy:


Presentation of the Eruption Anticorruption Group:



Presentation of the solutions proposed by the participants:

Training ENGAGEMENT in Bucharest

During July 11-18, the Center for Sustainable Community Development, partner of SMART Method of Public Policy, is implementing an exchange program called “Living Entrepreneurship.” The beneficiary, the Students’ Organization from the Politechnic University of Bucharest, has received a grant from the European Commission’s Youth in Action Programme and is hosting approximately 35 young people from Holland, Bulgaria, Poland, Turkey, Greece, Slovenia, and Romania. Living Entrepreneurship is an exchange project aimed at promoting social and business entrepreneurship as a way to support active youth participation in community development. Entrepreneurship is also a way to fight the effects of the economic crisis like unemployment or poverty. During the project, organizers are using the “Living Library” and “SMART Method of Public Policy” as active participation methods to develop the entrepreneurial skills of the participants.

The training ENGAGEMENT took place during July 14 – 15 and lasted for approximately 3 hours overall. During this time, participants were given a problem of European public concern, brainstormed raw solution ideas, made plenary presentations of the solutions, identified four options to address the problem, worked on developing the options, and made presentations of the results of their working groups.

The problem was first published on www.Public-Policies.eu, the civic engagement platform serving SMART Method of Public Policy at a European level: “Entrepreneurial behavior still lacks effective stimulation and support in schools all-over Europe. Young people are very creative and if given stimulating resources in schools, they have many chances to innovate and become successful business or social entrepreneurs. What should European institutions do in order to develop the innovative potential of young people while they are still in school?”

Step 1: Participants first worked on country working groups to find raw solutions:

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Step2: Then, they made plenary presentations of their solutions:

Step 3: Organizers and participants identified four options to address the problem: maintaining the status quo, developing exchange programs for arts and crafts, developing the school curricula, and allowing companies in schools. They developed these options in mixed working groups:

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Step 4: At the end, moderators made plenary presentations of their options, laying the basis for the policy paper that will be sent to European decision  makers for community action:

SMART Method of Public Policy was launched in Deva, Hunedoara County

Friday, April 29 2011, SMART Method of Public Policy was officially launched at a local level in Hunedoara County, by the Association for Citizen Protection and Information (ACPI) – local implementing partner of the method. Approximately 60 persons attended the event, which was hosted by the County School Inspectorate. Representatives of public authorities and every-day citizens witnessed the presentations and participated in discussions about civic engagement.

Citizens had published three problems of local public concern on the citizen engagement platform for Hunedoara County on www.politicipublice.ro, which received solution proposals. ACPI handled a problem regarding the need for a BMX park and issued a policy paper that was officially registered at the City of Deva. The paper was handed over to the City representative at the event, who informed us that the City Hall has made the decision to allocate resources and build the park!

I was particularly pleased by the input received from the public authorities who asked questions, expressed relevant opinions and gave us advice: Dézsi Attila, the Prefect of Hunedoara County; Bogdan Timpau, Deputy from the Liberal Party; Corina Oprisiu, Public Manager in the City of Deva; Dumitru Liviu-Gabriel, Chief of Police; Petru Marginean, President of the Conservative Party in Hunedoara County; Romeo Mosoiu, Adviser to the Minister of Education; Alexandru Lautaru, Superintendent of Schools; Iuliu Deldegan, Deputy Manager of the Energetic High School. The civil society was represented by Iulius Bedea from the Association for Sustainable Development Integration, Adina Vintan from the League of Romanian Students Abroad who is partner of SMART Method and Cristian Neamtu, President of the Young Entrepreneurs Association from Romania – West Chapter, which is also a partner of SMART Method.

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Reactions in local mass-media:

• Servus Hunedoara: „SMART Method of Public Policy”, presented to citizens of Hunedoara County, by Alin Onu.
• Servus Hunedoara: The Daily Catalogue.

SMART Method of Public Policy

SMART Method of Public Policy will be officially launched on September 23, 2010, at the Information Office of the Council of Europe in Bucharest. The event will last for approximately 2.5 hours and will be hosting up to 40 participants, members of various NGOs, young people and representatives of the mass-media. The launching ceremony is taking place under the framework of the project “Public Policies Made by Citizens” which is financed by the European Commission’s Youth in Action Program. To attend, please send an email at radu@smart.org.ro or call +4 0748767726.

The official announcement and schedule:

The workshop “Citizen Engagement in Policy Making” is supporting the development of participative democracy.

Thursday, September 23, 2010, the workshop “Citizen Engagement in Policy Making” is taking place at the Information Office of the Council of Europe in Bucharest, 6 Al. Donici Str., Sector 2, starting at10 AM.

The purpose of the event is to support the development of participative democracy by launching SMART Method of Public Policy and its citizen engagement platforms www.PoliticiPublice.ro and www.Public-Policies.eu. Using these instruments created by SMART Development Centre, citizens will be able to offer solutions to problems of public concern at a local, national and European level and ask public authorities to allocate resources and transform solution ideas into community action. The method is a unique instrument of active participation and engagement in the live of the community, at every level of government. The event is also looking to promote the method within NGOs, that may use it to interact with their constituents and the communities they serve.

The workshop is being organized under the framework of the project “Public Policies Made by Citizens” which is financed by the European Commission’s Youth in Action Program. SMART Method was presented at the seminar, New Ways of Youth Participation Based on Information and Communication Technologies” (Strasbourg, 16-18 martie 2009), and selected as a good practice example of participative democracy, using new information and communication technologies (http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/youth/News/News/020_Seminar_new_ways_participation_en.asp).

Provisional schedule of the event:

• 10.00 – 10.30 Presentation of SMART Method of Public Policy.

• Mariana Nitelea, Manager of the Information Office of the Council of Europe
• Radu Oprea, Founder of SMART Method of Public Policy

• 10.30 – 11.30 Q&A session with journalists and participants

• 11.30 – 12.30 Cocktail

To attend this event, please send an email to radu@smart.org.ro or call +4 0748 767726 until September 20, 2010. There are limited seats. Contact person, Radu Oprea.

The Brochure of SMART Method of Public Policy

SMART Method of Public Policy was showcased at the launching events that marked the beginning of the 2010 – 2011 International Year of Youth. The presentation was made at the Information Office of the Council of Europe in Bucharest, in front of students, representatives of various NGOs and representatives of local and international public organizations.  I was happy to answer many questions regarding the method, as I presented its 5 steps showing practical examples on the Romanian citizen engagement platform available at www.PoliticiPublice.ro. This event was also a warm up for the official launching of SMART Method in Romania, that will take place at the Information Office of the Council of Europe in Bucharest on September 23, 2010.

The events that marked the beginning of the International Year of Youth under the slogan “Our Year Our Voice” were organized by UNDP Romania, the Information Office of the Council of Europe in Bucharest, The City of Bucharest, the National Authority for Youth and Sports, FOND, the Cultural House of Students from Bucharest, ECDL Romania, the Romanian Youth Council, and many more.

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Participants at the nonformal education lab in Gura Portitei, Romania

The Romanian Agency for the Youth in Action Program organized the nonformal education lab at Gura Portitei, in Romania. SMART Method of Public Policy was one of the 14+ methods that were tested. During one day, I made 5 theoretical presentations for the 45 participants, followed by two sessions of practical training. As a result, the young people who expressed a deeper interest in the method published three problems of Romanian public concern, along with one or two solutions:

1. The personnel from the foster care placement centers: many times, the personnel is poorly trained; this is affecting the children who often end up begging on the streets, instead of living a responsible and independent life.
2. The nonformal education in schools: schools in Romania do not have spaces
   

   Gura Portitei, Romania

   adjusted for nonformal education that stimulate the creativity of young pupils.

3. Clean Cincis: Cincis is a lake nearby Hunedoara that is usually very polluted.

Any person can now offer solutions to these three problems on www.PoliticiPublice.ro. Publishing problems and solutions means making the first two steps in the framework of SMART Method of Public Policy. In step 3, we issue a policy paper to decision makers to solve the problems using the solution/s given by citizens. Step 4 means that an official answer is received from the authorities and step 5 means that the problem poster is satisfied with the answer or action of the public institutions.

But the nonformal education lab was also a nice place to socialize. Gura Portitei is an interesting wild place surrounded by the salty waters of the Black Sea on one side and the sweet inland waters. You can reach the place only by boat.

Arrival in Gura Portitei:

Some social activities on lipovean traditions next to a camp fire does not hurt:

Departure, with all the participants:

Public Policies Made by Citizens

I am currently developing “SMART Method of Public Policy” with European Union funding under the project “Public Policies Made by Citizens.” During May 17-23 I am organizing, together with my team, a citizen engagement workshop aimed at testing the participation platforms that serve SMART Method. We are also going to discuss about citizen engagement problems and opportunities, webcasting for participation, policy making skills, and marketing.

There is room left for 2-3 more participants aged under 30 years old, who are interested in participative democracy and who are active in a youth NGO. SMART Development Centre is covering the costs for travel, accommodation and food in Moeciu, the Carpathian Mountains.

To attend, please send an email to office@public-policies.org or call +4 0723 342410 until May 10, 2010. Organizations from Italy, France, Greece, and Romania are already attending.

General Schedule, Citizen Engagement Workshop