Second working meeting of the partner municipalities
Burgas, Varna, Kardzali, Plovdiv, Ruse, Sliven, Sofia, Stara Zaora
26 – 27 May 2022, Sofia
On 26-27 May 2022, the second of the three workshops involving the expert teams from the project municipalities was held.
The purpose of this meeting was to achieve substantial progress with regard to the preparation of analytical reports, based on the steps envisaged in the methodology and on the things learned and the experience shared during the study trips to Norway. The focus of the work on the reports was placed on the analysis of the available information for justifying the selected threats for each municipality and respectively on the specified investment measures.
The entire expert teams of the partner municipalities, the full NTEF team and the team of Bulgarian consultants from the Analytical-Creative Group were participating.
For the first time since the project start, the whole partnership expert team was together during the first face-to-face meeting. During the three study trips, the teams have been able to meet only in part but not in full, since the team has been divided into smaller groups for the purpose of these trips.
The work of the expert team during the meeting was extremely dynamic and targeted. The work within the municipal teams was followed by discussions within the larger group. The teams received direct professional assistance and support from the project’s advisory team.
First of all, a threat analysis was carried out (which is a target of ach of the municipal teams), as well as the way of using the necessary information was discussed. The focus was placed on the concrete site, addressed by the investment measure.
Sharing the experience from the study trips to Norway has been quite beneficial for all of the participants. The submitted proposals for investment measures were dominated by ideas, generated from what had been seen in Norway.
Each municipality presented the chosen measure implementing the analysis included in the PESTEL methodology and had an opponent in the face of another municipality (the municipality which in the end of the process would assess the relevant report). A passionate discussion took place leading to the “clarification” of the ideas.
The next workshop will take place in Sofia on 8-10 June 2022, when the work on the finalization of the project’s investment measures is expected to be finalized and the analytical reports in full readiness for their public presentation at the municipalities to be completed.
