Minutes

ADAPT2DC 4th Consortium Meeting

11-13 June 2013

Kraków / Miechów

External Advisory Board

-Tosics, Ivan:

  • SEB report:
  • Conclusions could be developed in more detail
  • forecasting only in 2 graphs (the rest is descriptive)
  • research results from other studies should be included
  • migration should be analyzed – at least on pilot region level
  • more presice definition of shrinking regions are needed
  • some pilot regions are not really shrinking – Malopolska, Vejprty are growing according to the map
  • Chapter 4 – EU policies should be analysed in more detail (Europe 2020, Cohesion Policy, economic crisis)
  • Chapter 5 – pilot actions are very ad-hoc, relevance of pilot actions should be explained in more detail
  • relevant literature (which could be used):
  • Demifer project (ESPON)
  • Study of the Hungarian EU Presidency (?)
  • „Cities of Tomorrow“ report - Workstream 1 – study on urban development and demographic change (published in May 2013)
  • OECD study on Demographic Change and Local Development: Shrinkage, Regeneration and Social Dynamics (2012)
  • OECD report on functional urban areas
  • SHRINK SMART – FP7 project (ended April 2012)
  • EUROCITIES Social Committee papers
  • Good Practice Catalogue
  • A bit more background for the good practices would be useful (e.g. size and environment of the cities)

-Transnational strategy – it will be difficult to develop this strategy because of governance differences between the different countries (i.e. how to address all countries in one strategy?)

WP 1 session

  • Message from the JTS: there will be no leeway for ADAPT2DC in terms of timing – all activities must be finished by October 2014 (since the Central Europe Programme finishes then)
  • PCR and 1st PR have been accepted – money will arrive soon
  • Issues of data collection on infrastructure costs will have to be solved before 2nd Progress Report is accepted
  • We cannot report for next period if the previous report is not accepted yet
  • Communication: Lead Partner asks to always be put cc in emails – Lead Partner needs to know what’s going on
  • Dissemination is important as well, the homepage needs to be updated regularly – please send information about upcoming events and finished workshops to Vlasta for publication on website
  • Request for change: new partnership agreements need to be signed (only dates have changed, for the most part the PA have remained the same) – if any partner had important changes such as FLC changes or new bank accounts, these need to be included in the new PA
  • Changes in FLC or bank accounts also need to be reported in the progress reports
  • Please Remember the correct wording WP / Action / Output:
  • For instance “WP 3”, “Action 3.2.”, “Output 3.2.2”.
  • Next consortium meeting: will be planned by ONEP in Budapest area
  • Probably first/second week of November (perhaps last week of October)
  • A Doodle will be prepared by ONEP and filled in by everyone in order to determine the specific date
  • Where will 6thconsortium meeting take place? (not Maribor, since Maribor has left the partnership) – everyone should check their budget, LP will ask for suggestion (July 2013)
  • Evaluation of the open session at the 4th CM:
  • Positive: Many participants (a lot of interest for the topic), many high-ranking speakers
  • To be improved: Too many presentations, lesstime was left for discussion
  • For upcoming open events: Try to keep the time more strictly (force speakers to stick to their time limit, the moderator should be firm)
  • This event focused on health (&social) care, the next event could focus on a different topic
  • Financial issues:
  • The budget shift will be implemented as late as possible – probably 5th reporting period (seeing that only one budget shift is allowed in the project lifetime)
  • In general: Financial Manager will permanently check the budget situation of each partner and of the project in total
  • At the moment we have underspending of more than 30%; Moreover, we have a 10%-flexibility on project level.
  • PCR & 1st progress report: The JTS sent the request for payment to the Managing Authority on 08.05.2013 - The requested amounts are of 3.544,91 € for the PCR and of 130.247,79 € for the PR 1 - We expect the ERDF reimbursement very soon
  • Progress Report 2
  • On 08.05.2013 we received the 1st clarification round of PR2
  • Regarding the financial part – no significant remarks
  • There is just one point of interest for all partners – please inform your FLCer accordingly:

“… please include in Section F) of Control Checklist the name of External expert to which Public procurement refers to.”

This is true not only for External Experts but for all services to which public procurement refers to!

  • If necessary this page has to be copied for each expert
  • For 3rd progress report: please proceed with FLCs, so that all reports will be ready by the time we receive the templates for reporting (we will receive templates once clarifications for 2 PR have gone through)
  • Problems with emails to LEG (Landesentwicklungsgesellschaft Thüringen) - problems only for emails with excel files as attachment
  • Please put cc to til further notice

WP 2 session

  • Website:
  • Pictures from the brochure will be used for website
  • News/ events section of website needs to be updated more regularly (by everyone) – including reports from workshops
  • We also need pictures from pilot actions for the homepage - Partners responsible for pilot actions should send 5 pictures of pilot action –ideally pictures that reflect the content of your pilot action (i.e. not just landscapes!)
  • Newsletter:
  • Upcoming newsletterswill be designed in Mailchimp
  • Each partner needs to forward this to stakeholders by themselves
  • Translations will be implemented by partners – send them to Vlasta by end of next week (21st June)
  • Brochure: Start-up brochure is finished, it shall be printed by each partner in the necessary quantity
  • Design of final brochure? Malopolska offers to take over the costs for designing the final brochure
  • Promo material: everyone can produce the materials themselves if they deem necessary
  • Please don’t forget to plan press conferences after each consortium meeting

WP 3 session

  • SEB report: finished (main purpose: background for further project work, not intended primarily for dissemination)
  • In Action 3.1. data on costs should have been collected (according to Application Form)
  • We will explain to JTS that there is duplication of the same task in 3.1. and 3.2. – the goal will be achieved in 3.2. (see3.2.2), therefore no necessity to repeat it in 3.1.
  • Action 3.2.:
  • Thematic field studies: done (thanks for all your input)
  • Will be used as basis for Delphi questionnaire
  • Summary of material (quantitative and qualitative information) will be used in other outputs, especially in 3.2.6. (cross-analysis report)
  • Lack of data on costs of infrastructure (as promised in Application Form for Outputs 3.2.2. and 3.2.6.) – this lack is serious: JTS informs us that the 2nd progress report will not be accepted as long as we do not explain how and when we will overcome this lack
  • Main problem: There is no comparable data available for Central Europe at NUTS 3 level
  • UEK offers to provide a report on how data collection was attempted and why the promised cost data cannot be procured – for all types of infrastructure
  • Within the next 2 weeks
  • This will include: what steps were taken to procure the data (who was asked / which databases analysed, when and where), why it is not comparable, what results/ which type of data would be available, on what level it could be comparable instead;
  • the results of “Data availability check for Action 3.2.2” will be attached.
  • Lack of data on microlevel can be remedied by business intelligence data (BI)
  • Tendering procedure for BI: still ongoing, UEK will explain why the public procurement procedure is delayed
  • Business intelligence
  • In 2 weeks UEK will know whether tender was successful and inform Partners immediately
  • This includes data on costs of operations of businesses in different sectors, including those infrastructure sectors that interest us
  • Cross analysis will be mainly based on business intelligence data
  • In case the BI data cannot be procured, it might be necessary to come up with “plan C” – go back to data gathering process, perhaps analyze existing data on countrylevel instead of comparison across Central Europe – although this would not add value (to existing knowledge)
  • Action 3.3.
  • Core output: transnational position paper (planned for December 2013)
  • Regional workshops: ok (please remember to document your workshops also for the website)
  • Delphi survey as a critical input to this
  • All of these (Delphi survey results, position paper, cross-analysis) will be used as input to WP5
  • Results of the Delphi survey shall be delivered to UEK until September
  • Field studies were used to formulate the questions for Delphi study
  • Delphi does not lead to firm conclusions but rather predictions
  • Set of questions is divided into a matrix (infrastructure fields& area types):
  • 6 fields of public services : divided into technical (or linear) infrastructure and social (or punctual) infrastructure
  • Division between rural and urban areas (instead of clustering)
  • The idea is that one expert on network infrastructure should answer all questions on network infrastructure (i.e. mobility expert is supposed to also answer questions on water systems, etc)
  • Therefore, for one region (either “rural” or “urban”) there will be two sets of questionnaires: network and punctual infrastructure
  • 2nd round: questions will be altered based on results from first round
  • Focus: NUTS 3 level (= NUTS 3 in which field study region is located)
  • Experts don’t necessarily have to be inthat NUTS3 area (for instance a university professor may also be able to give answers for this area as an exemplary area)
  • Regional partners will give feedback on the current set of questions until Friday (21st June)
  • The final set of questions will be translated into all languages (quickly!) and the survey will be posted online in all languages by LP
  • The final survey must also contain fields for “comments” to all question (in case experts want to add more opinions/information)
  • The regional experts from WP 5 can be “used” for this task (amongst others)
  • Minimum 20 filled questionnaires from each region! = 10 for network infrastructure & 10 for punctual infrastructure (aim for more!)
  • Invitation emails will be sent by regional partners (in national languages) who know their experts
  • It is necessary to find suitable contacts for the different regions ASAP (by end of July)
  • Remember to inform them that there will be a second round
  • ISCAS offers to provide some contacts in Slovakia
  • IFL offers to provide some contacts in Austria
  • For future task force meetings: it is necessary to communicate better: send around minutes from internal task force meetings, inform in advance about upcoming tasks for other partners

WP 4 session

  • Regional guidebook
  • So far: a first draft version has many overlaps with SEB report
  • One goal is to have description of pilot actions but – more importantly – also a synthesis
  • according to Application Form, the regional guidebook should focus on methods (i.e. “methods to adapt to shrinking”) – for the moment it is still too descriptive and focuses too much on individual pilot regions
  • Way forward: the guidebook will be reviewed in light of the best practice catalogue: the “methods” will be extracted from the best practice catalogue (in a generalized manner, such as centralization vs. decentralization, etc; starting from the main question: what problem is solved by the approaches?)
  • A second draft with “methods to adapt to shrinkage” and upgraded synthesis will be sent to Partners for review
  • The inputs from the Strategic Experts (in 5.2.8) can also be used for this task
  • Transnational guidebook:
  • Will be disseminated more intensely than regional guidebook
  • Will include Assessment of pilot actions (and best practice catalogue)
  • Will focus more on fields (topics) than on individual regions
  • Partners already received template for transnational guidebook
  • Fill out as soon as possible! WP 4 leader will report about collection of templates until end of June
  • Questions of transferability will mostly be addressed in 4.4.2.
  • All pilot actions are running, but none are finished – for the next reporting period we should be able to give some conclusions – by October there will be a document for evaluation of pilot actions
  • Political recommendations shall be drawn in July 2014
  • General goal: reduce costs of infrastructure – we need to demonstrate that all pilot actions have reduced some costs!!

Pilot actions

  • Italy: Multi-service center:
  • In the beginning, it was necessary to find a building and someone to take charge
  • Building: was identified
  • With the help of a law on regional development revitalization the renovation was started (Regional law 4/2000)
  • A person who will be in charge of management of all the services in the centrewas found via tender (who will move to Ostana for this task)
  • UNCEM supports themanager in finding financing for further renovations
  • Next steps: agreement with local agricultural enterprise for fruit & vegetable in order to maintain a shop
  • Communication campaign will be started
  • In the end there will be a library, tourist information, internet point, grocery on demand and other services
  • Inauguration of the center is planned for August
  • Benefits: When all services are concentrated in one place, it will not be necessary to go to other villages for tourist info etc; also: using one building for several services saves costs for maintenance of buildings
  • There will be several phases of opening: for the beginning, only few services will be offered, then hopefully after some funds have been gained for renovation (with help of external finances) some additional services can be offered (for instance a para-pharmacy?)
  • Poland: Telemedicine:
  • The operator of the telemedical service has been selected by public tender; the action has been launched;
  • Information campaign is under way to help recruit patients and raise awareness on the issue: campaign at the local level – workshops in 2 poviats, promotion at a regional event in the pilot area (Miechow), flyers, posters, etc.
  • Recruitment of beneficiaries: 40 patients have been recruited so far (the goal is 100)
  • Involvement of local stakeholders (local governments, health care and social care units) has been achieved
  • Problems at the moment: effective recruitment (communication – difficult to get the message across, transportation - for some people it is even a problem to just travel to Krakow twice in the course of the project)
  • Expected results: medical benefits (early diagnosis, disease prevention, reaching patients who could be otherwise excluded), saving transportation costs (medical tests and contact with the doctor on a remote basis) – for the beginning there may be additional costs for the units but cost reduction expected at the end of the day
  • Main savings: infrastructure (the service is “exported” from the medical institution, portable equipment should be more efficient), labour (less personnel needed to serve the same number of patients), alternative costs: early diagnosis should allow to prevent diseases (overall it is cheaper to treat them early)
  • The device measures EKG (heart frequency) – results get transmitted automatically to the doctors - It could be used for more measurements but for the moment (the pilot phase) only EKG
  • The pilot action does not include emergency medical service or first aid; however, if any danger to health is noticed, the patient will be contacted and advised on further steps., they will contact the patient immediately
  • Slovenia: Potentials of culture for development:
  • Maribor was capital of culture in 2012
  • The study is about how culture can contribute to economic and social development
  • Culture-mapping is planned
  • Identification of assets & gaps
  • the study will be the base for a regional action plan
  • Aim: recommendations for Maribor (how to tackle demographic change with culture)
  • For instance There are some empty buildings without use, they could be used for cultural events
  • Problem: unavailability of data
  • Aim: finish April 2014
  • Hungary: promoting the return of women to the labour market
  • More flexible services of childcare should be established
  • Tendering: 3 valid tenders were received for feasibility study – University of Debrecen was chosen (JuditCsoba)
  • Feasibility study was implemented with help of personal interviews, focus-group interviews, etc- now it has 130 pages, including daycare nursery models, cost analysis, marketing strategy
  • Daycare nursery models: 3 models for the municipalities (see presentation of Ms. Csoba for details)
  • On the basis of the study, recommendations were developed
  • Different models of financing: if non-profit organizations own the nurseries, there are no costs for municipalities, then there are models where parents would have to contribute financially, models where municipality owns the institutions
  • For leading a daycare nursery, you need a training of 40 hours; altogether, a maximum of 7 children can be kept in a daycare nursery, it is supposed to be a family-like solution (many of them are in private houses) – this is a cheaper (and more flexible) solution than building kindergartens for 20 kids etc
  • In addition, traffic infrastructure is not that good in the region, so for the parents it would be time-consuming to travel to (central) kindergartens every day
  • CzechRepublic: energy audit & usability study of unused buildings:
  • Focus: public buildings
  • First step: tendering process
  • Chose 3 public buildings in Vejprty
  • First energy audit and economy study for medical centre is processing (shall be finished by end of June 2013) – suggestion: centralization of medical care
  • (it will be up to municipality to implement the ideas)
  • Energy audit gives suggestions of how energy costs can be saved
  • Next steps: 2 energy audits and 2 economic studies for other buildings
  • Probably upcoming buildings will be kindergarten and cinema
  • By 10/2014 all audits & studies shall be finished
  • Germany: demography coaching:
  • area: Saale-Orla-Kreis (Thuringia) AND Oberfranken-Ost (Bavaria) – i.e. the same action will be implemented in two areas
  • thedemographycoachshall

-identify opportunities for cost saving in infrastructure (together with local stakeholders)

-design and implement projects (small-scale), ideally with an eye on cooperation between municipalities

  • so far: the tendering documents were drafted (in coordination with the partners from Bavaria and with the local administration in the Saale-Orla-district)
  • the tender was published &12 offers were received
  • work shall begin in July
  • problem: the tendering process is taking much longer than expected! (the initial goal was to finalize the tendering in January and begin work in February 2013) - due to internal reasons / legal issues, the contract with the „demography coach“ is still not signed

WP 5 session