Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
INTRODUCTION
In the last few years, there has been a steady increase in demand for training of territorial
development officials. In fact, governments in many countries have implemented or extended
decentralised local development policies as a structural part of national anti-poverty strategies.
New intermediate decentralised governance bodies have been set up to link municipal
development processes with national policies and institutions.
These reforms, backed by the framework programmes, reflect new international tendencies
identifying internationalised local development as the best strategy to tackle the great social,
environmental and economic challenges of the new millennium.
Over the last few years, in response to the challenges posed by globalisation, local
administrations, universities, NGOs, the private sector and other development organisations have
formed an extensive network of local development experiences, which inspired the policy goals of
the Millennium Summit. In many countries running human development framework programmes,
governments have asked the United Nations to boost training activities for development officers,
so that policies can be consolidated by professional officers capable of devising, planning and
managing integrated internationalised territorial development processes.
With these premises, the course aims to: help improve the capacity of officials to read, interpret
and manage territorial resources and gain specific development know-how; help find new means
of sustainable environmental, economic, social, and political-institutional development; stimulate a
process of ongoing training and learning, which could then be included in national higher
education systems. In terms of development programs, the course provides an opportunity to
capitalize on the numerous specific qualified local development experiences developed through
the active collaboration of European universities, administrative officials and technical experts
engaged in decentralized cooperation. Specific topics in the training modules are chosen in
relation to the needs of a country’s national and local institutions. Also taken into account are the
training experiences and practices already developed in specific countries and territories, so that
they may be pooled into a knowledge base and placed at the disposal of all interested parties.
The course was devised and set up by the International ART Program Secretariat (UNDP, UNESCO,
UNOPS). The course will be coordinated by CIRCLE (Centre for International Local Economic
Development Cooperation) at the Federico II University of Naples (Italy). CIRCLE will be
collaborating with the International Secretariat for Human Development and Democratic
Governance (ISHDDG) of York University, Toronto (Canada), and with an important international
university network.
COURSE CHARACTERISTICS
The course can be requested by ministries responsible for promoting and running local
decentralization and development processes, which coordinate human development programmes.
The course has a nationwide dimension and can be used by these ministries as a tool for
improving capacity for territorial development planning and management in all regions,
departments or provinces of their countries.
The course is designed to provide training for a group of 50 local government officials and experts
(from regions, departments, etc) that work in the field of territorial development planning and
management. In countries with partnership strategies involving public and private sectors,
representatives of associations playing an important role in regional development processes will
also be invited to attend the course. In general, participants will have management duties and will
be in possession of higher education qualifications.
Programmes of study are elaborated in conjunction with the country’s ministries, local authorities
and universities, to establish what and how many subjects to include the modules, in accordance
with national priorities, operational procedures, local authorities and participants, qualifications
and necessary resources.
These activities will also look into the possibility of involving other international cooperation
organisations in training processes or action research to be carried out in the areas where
participants come from.
APPROACH
The course adopts an approach that reflects the practices of the human development, based on
the following principles:
• Human development understood as sustainable equal social development, based on
empowerment, acknowledgment of the vital role people play in decision making and
operational processes, and universal right of citizenship regardless of sex, race, religion or
political ideas.
• Participation of all social and political-institutional territorial representations in strategic and
operational decisions, to foster local social capacity building, which is the basis of all best
territorial development practices.
• Strengthening of community cultural identity to facilitate acknowledgement of the
resources available and prevent uncritical adoption of incompatible models and
technologies • Collective learning to build and spread local knowledge, creating synergy for
the accumulation of new knowledge.
• Governance as a way of building local cooperative networks, to exchange views, establish
strategic and operational pacts, implement planned strategic initiatives and liaise with
international and national institutions and resources.
• Internationalisation of territorial development processes, to promote new relations,
knowledge exchange, culture, solidarity, trade and sustainable development based on
common interest Conceptual and methodological coherence, which is an important
ingredient of the various thematic modules of the course, will be guaranteed, in the
planning phase, by the international Secretariat in conjunction with all concerned.
METHODOLOGY
The course is split into two parts:
1. a general section, dealing with topics concerning territorial development aimed at regional
government officials and experts responsible for planning and management of territorial
development processes;
2. a specialised section, dealing with specific topics, aimed at both general management staff
and those responsible for specific areas.
Each part is divided into thematic modules, which are organised into four 4 weekly sessions to
facilitate participation by officials and experts. Each session involves specific workshops or
seminars.
Depending on available resources, the course will be accompanied by special events such as
conferences, given by international experts or course professors, and press conferences.
THEMATIC MODULES
Territorial marketing.
Territorial marketing within the framework of territorial development policies. The meaning of
territorial marketing; roles, strategic and operational goals, major players in territorial marketing;
strategic positioning (analysis of territorial supply and demand, internal and external demand,
external and internal demand balance, demand segmentation; intangible supply assets, tangible
assets, ‘unique’ factors representing real specific attractions; criteria for strategic territorial
positioning); territorial marketing strategies; (undifferentiated, differentiated, focused, systematic
marketing; strengthening of existing social and economic networks, developing new expertise,
radical innovation and innovatory projects, development of marketing strategy processes;
strategic instruments); territorial communication policies (confidence boosting as a resource;
comparative analysis criteria between a territory’s potential and perceived image; seeking
acknowledgement, adhesion, shared action; criteria to distinguish message target groups and
relative action; communication tools, strategic role of great events and innovatory projects);
international experience; the role of international development cooperation networks.
MODULE PLANNING FORMAT
MODULE TITLE
Strategies and instruments for local economic development
EXPECTED RESULTS
Improvements in territorial operators’ capacity to read, interpret and exploit potential resources;
production of appropriate territorial economic development strategies and policies to support
social inclusion; promotion of local associative productive networks to increase territorial
competitiveness and internationalise the economy; organisation of an integrated economic
development services system.
ORGANIZATION OF SESSIONS
First session (5 days): available strategies
Day 1: models for territorial and strategic analysis (external investment, infrastructure, knowledge
investment, etc)
Day 2: territorial analysis working group
Day 3: economic development strategies in the Shannon Region (Ireland)
Day 4: economic development strategies in the Galicia Region (Spain)
Day 5: local strategies working group and simulation; workshop preparation
2nd session (5 days): techniques for improving a system’s competitiveness, internal
cooperation and social inclusion
Day 1: the concept of comparative advantage and competitive advantage; analysis of endogenous
value chain potential
Day 2: group work on an area’s endogenous potential and creation of value chains
Day 3: industrial districts in Europe
Day 4: territorial competitiveness and social inclusion: economic sensibilization models
Day 5: group work and simulation: workshop preparation
3rd session (5 days): local economic development agencies
Day 1: analysis models for demand and supply of development services
Day 2: group work on demand and supply of development services
Day 3: planning and organisation of local economic development agencies
Day 4: the development agencies of Bilbao (Spain) and Manica (Mozambique)
Day 5: group work on setting up a local agency; workshop preparation