Miroslav Parvonic

1
Public ParticipationIn Strategic PlanningCzech
republic

• Miroslav Parvonic
• Centre for Community Organising

2
Overview

• Guidelines on PP in regional development planning
• Lessons Learnt SF 2007-2013 Programming
• Recommendations
• CCO activities promoting PP

3
Guidelines on public participation

• prepared in 2002
• fully respect Aarhus Convention
• addressed to
• decision-makers
• planners of strategic documents
• NGOs involved in regional development
• others

4
Guidelines on public participation

• System of PP consists of 5 components
• Access to information
• Active dissemination
• Consultations with citizens
• Public participation in planning
• Planning process evaluation from the point of
  view of public participation

5
Czech Legislation Framework

• Aarhus convention ratification 2004
• access to environmental information
• Act 123/1998 Col. the right on environmental
  information
• Act 106/1999 Col. open access to information
• public participation in environmental
  decision-making
• Act 100/2001 Col. strategic environmental
  assessment
• access to justice
• Act 150/2002 Col. administrative court rule

6
SF Programming 2007-2013

• National Development Plan,
• National Strategic Reference Framework
• prepared in working groups incl. NGOs
• NGO expert group
• public consultations 2 round tables in all
  regions
• seminars, workshops, public hearing
• Operational programmes, implementation documents
• working groups
• SEA on all documents (excl. ESF OPs)

7
Identified Problems

• formal approach
• documents are prepared without the direct
  participation of the public and are posted for
  commenting only,
• comments are not handled regullary,
• timing
• insufficient time for public participation,
  inappropriate timing of the participation,
• programme documents development
• hierarchy of documents and consequences are not
  kept,
• innapropriate timing of preparation,
• competetivnes between ministries

8
Experiences Proved

• ensure the capacity for public participation
  proces
• create sufficient capacity of the planner
  (personal capacity, methodology, procedures,
  materials)
• find a partner - an organisation proficient in
  public participation who will manage the process
  of public participation
• invest money
• information campaign, actvive dissemination,
  public consultations (round tables, seminars,
  workshops), expert inputs and quality comments

9
Promotion of Public Participation

• public participation task force
• group of experts on PP
• legislation monitoring
• strengthening public participation principles in
  Czech legislation - minimum of good practice of
  public administration
• training for public administration and politics
• 1st level politics short training promoting
  PP, its benefits a why is necessary to practice
  PP
• 2nd level officials, clerks detailed training
  how to implement public participation in
  decision-making processes of public authorities

10
Promotion of Public Participation

• public participation award
• promotes good practice examples in public
  participation projects and enables the exchange
  of experiences
• different projects from all levels (local to
  national)
• information campaign
• public participation website, DVD on public
  participation, leaflets about trainings on public
  participation, brochure and CD with winner public
  participation award projects

11

• Thank you for your attention.
• Miroslav Parvonic
• Centre for Community Organising
• miroslav.parvonic_at_cpkp.cz