Poznań City Hall’s archive

In 2017, social dialogue and public participation were developed in Poznań.

Auxiliary units of the City – housing estates

42 auxiliary units of the City – housing estates are functioning in Poznań. In 2017, they had financial resources in the amount of over PLN 25.3 million (PLN 24.3 million in 2016), including funds calculated in accordance with the resolution of the Poznań City Council, amounting to nearly PLN 20.9 million, funds for the grant competition – PLN 3.5 million, the 2016 and 2017 Poznań Civic Budget – over PLN 806 thousand. The housing estates allocated obtained funds for actions related to the following areas:

roads, pavements, bicycle paths (39.6%),
education (24.3%),
green areas (14.8%),
sport and recreation (8%),
culture (4.5%),
administration (3.3%),
order and security (3.1%),
social assistance, health (2.4%).

Some of the City’s auxiliary units entered into the Agreement of Self-Government Estates, and 5 auxiliary units forming the area of Śródmieście, the Coalition of Housing Estates of Śródmieście.

Projects for the activation of local community

In 2017, numerous measures to support the activation of local community for public good and local affairs were implemented, including:

another edition of the “Change Your Backyard” campaign, which consisted in designing new signs, shop windows and interiors for selected premises at ul. Święty Marcin; the campaign was conducted in cooperation with the Common Knowledge Society, Regional Branch in Poznań and Koalicja Święty Marcin; in 2017, 12 entrepreneurs applied for participation in the campaign, and students of the Faculty of Interior Design of the University of Arts in Poznań and designers were also invited to cooperation; execution of the signs is planned for 2018;
the 5th edition of the “Friendly backyard” programme, whose objective is to improve the technical and functional conditions of the surrounding residential buildings of housing communities from central housing estates, with particular emphasis on the creation of permanent infrastructure elements, places of recreation and playgrounds. The idea of the programme assumes joint financing projects implemented on communal lands by housing communities and the City of Poznań. In 2017, 6 backyards were developed (in 2016 – 3 backyards), allocating more than PLN 473 thousand for this purpose (in 2016 – PLN 90 thousand), including funds from the City’s budget – PLN 200 thousand; between 2013-2017, 31 projects with a total value of over PLN 1.4 million, in which the financial share of the City of Poznań amounted to over PLN 477 thousand, were implemented under the Programme;
the project “Local Community Initiatives,” aimed at development of pro-social attitudes among residents, under which the second edition of the “Św. Łazarz, Stare Miasto and Wilda Housing Estates Initiatives” competition took place; every resident of Łazarz, Wilda or Stare Miasto could submit an application for the organisation of a project or event on their estate; the applications were evaluated by the committee, and the authors of the winning projects received funds for their implementation – a maximum of PLN 7 thousand; the total amount for the implementation of 49 initiatives in 3 housing estates amounted to nearly PLN 190 thousand.

In 2017, PLN 855 thousand was allocated for the implementation of measures in the area of “Actions supporting development of local communities” under the Programme of Cooperation of the City of Poznań with Non-governmental Organisations, including in particular:

creation of and support for Centres for Local Initiatives,
conducting information and education campaigns – “Young Leaders of Civic Poznań,”
actions integrating residents in the local community,
walks from the cycle “Cinema, Café, Walk,”
social activities in the field of revitalisation, integrating and activating the residents in the areas of the Urban Revitalisation Programme,
creation and support of the Mediation Centre, and support for social projects promoting the City of Poznań.

Local investments involving residents

The city and residents jointly carried out projects in the field of construction of technical infrastructure as part of the so-called local initiatives. This form of cooperation in the current formula has been functioning in the city for over 20 years and is very popular with local communities every year. As part of the created associations, the residents can carry out investments consisting in the construction of municipal utilities, road and pavement surfaces, and lighting, participating in 25% to 50% of total costs. In addition to cash benefits, the applicant’s own contribution may also take the form of social work benefits or benefits in kind (in particular, project documentation, investor cost estimates and other materials necessary to implement a local initiative).

In 2017, 15 agreements with associations for the implementation of joint infrastructure investments were concluded, and their total cost amounted to over PLN 1.7 million, including funds from the City budget of over PLN 1.3 million. The City awards distinctions – Gold and Silver Rose – for those most involved in the implementation of local investments.

Centres for Local Initiatives

The Centres for Local Initiatives (CIL) is a programme implemented as part of open invitations for offers on the basis of the Act on public benefit activities and voluntary service. It consists in cooperation between the local government and non-governmental organisations, and has arisen from the need to develop the local community and promote social activity.

The CIL programme is characterised by:

the combination of 2 methods of activating local communities – regranting and organisation of the local community,
supporting the community in developing joint activities and creating cooperation network,
a network of cooperating entities which, as part of their individual and joint actions, create a platform for active participation of the residents in local life, where activities are created and coordinated to strengthen and stimulate social activity, including actions for common space, social development and participation,
support for community development through the establishment of cooperation network, ways of solving problems by it and creating a change environment.

Assumptions of the Centre for Local Initiatives:

stimulating social activity and creating conditions for development of local communities,
actions based on the diagnosis of the local environment, the map of resources and needs,
creating a comprehensive offer addressed to a territorially defined target group,
creating an area conducive to self-organisation and integration of the residents.

The most important tasks of the CIL programme include:

facilitating contacts, getting to know each other better by the residents and groups and communities they create,
animating discussions among the residents on important aspects of everyday life, especially unsolved local problems, searching for and supporting local leaders,
diagnosing the potential of the local community,
initiating the formation of civic groups,
motivating groups and communities to undertake activities aimed at the common good,
building local coalitions,
moderating educational situations in the community,
stimulating the energy needed to take up and maintain action by a person/group.

The following principles should be included in activities for development of local communities:

Diagnosis – all actions planned under the CIL should be preceded by a diagnosis of the current situation (needs and problems), in cooperation with the residents concerned,
Participation – the widest possible group of residents is included at every stage of implementation of the actions,
Communication – constant access to information is provided for everyone involved in the actions of the CIL.

Components and structure of the CIL activities:

Diagnosis/map of resources and needs – this is a process of researching and analysing the situation of a given community, both in terms of its potential, and needs and problems, including their causes, manifestations and effects;
Activation – involves building a network of connections, developing mutual contacts and involving representatives of the local community in joint activities;
Social integration – consists in creating common values, action patterns and agreeing views, sharing interests and establishing common institutions;
Education – especially informal and non-formal learning, focused on both broadening the knowledge and skills of members of the local community, and stimulating their activity.

Projects implemented as part of activities of the CIL are related to:

information – building and promoting the image of the CIL, creating conditions for exchanging experiences,
animation – promoting neighbourly cooperation, organising partnership cooperation, using free time, developing and strengthening active and pro-social attitudes, inspiring the residents to get involved in social movements, social consultations, volunteering,
education – promoting pro-social and civic attitudes, volunteering, social movements, active lifestyle and free time, organising workshops, training sessions, meetings with experts and thematic meetings,
grass roots initiatives – implementing grass roots initiatives, taking into account the needs and resources of the local community.

The CIL programme uses regranting, i.e. a form of financial cooperation between non-governmental organisations and entities listed in Article 3(3) of the Act on public benefit activities and voluntary service and local government bodies consisting in the transfer of a grant, received by a non-governmental organisation or entities listed in Article 3(3) (with the knowledge and consent of the authority which awarded the grant), to other non-governmental organisations or entities listed in Article 3(3). Regranting brings the following benefits to both the City, and non-governmental organisations and the residents:

increasing the pool of funds allocated for the implementation of public tasks due to the financial, personal or material contribution from the operator and grantees,
more efficient use of funds allocated for commissioning public tasks,
getting new, innovative ways to implement tasks and solve problems of local communities,
better recognition of individual needs and resources of local communities, and adaptation of implemented activities to them,
the opportunity to implement ideas that best suit the needs of the residents,
getting to various organisations and communities with the offer of competitions more effectively,
building a cross-sectoral partnership and mutual trust,
strengthening the potential of non-governmental organisations,
greater support in the submission of offers and settlement of awarded grants and in the implementation of co-financed projects,
increasing social activity of the beneficiaries of the implemented task,
creating a space for those who want to act and actively shape the local reality.

Entities operating in Poznań in 2017 included:

Centre for Local Initiatives – Regranting at ul. Bukowska in the space of the Poznań Centre for Supporting Non-Governmental Organisations and Volunteering,
Centre for Local Initiatives: Kiekrz estate,
Centre for Local Initiatives on Chartowo,
Centre for Local Initiatives: Youth Film Club,
Centre for Local Initiatives “WIL.DA.SIĘ,”
Mobile Centre for Local Initiatives ŁAZANKA.

In 2017, the following actions were organised:

a promotional and information campaign aimed at explaining the essence and operation of the Centre and increasing awareness among the residents of Poznań about the actions currently carried out under the CIL programme,
series of trainings on the organisation of the local community (addressed to individuals and institutions whose aim is to make social change by undertaking actions aimed at activation and development of local communities) and cooperation of the City of Poznań with NGOs (addressed to individuals and institutions carrying out public tasks commissioned by the local government units – open invitations for offers, “small grants”), in which 108 people participated in total
the conference “Inspire. Work. Be active locally – programme of the Poznań City Hall. Regranting and CIL as a tool for development and activation of local communities.” The conference popularised the use of two tools for development of local communities in parallel, i.e. regranting and organisation of the local community with social work; it also enabled an exchange of views on the possibilities of development of local communities and their impact on shaping reality; the conference was attended by over 130 people – representatives of local government units and NGOs, and was accompanied by an exhibition in the lobby of the Poznań City Hall presenting selected projects and grass roots initiatives implemented as part of the CIL programme.

In 2017, as part of regranting and grass roots initiatives, 88 projects were implemented (including 48 grants for tasks in the form of regranting). The cost of implementing projects was PLN 299 thousand, including in the form of regranting – nearly PLN 226 thousand.