Involving the partners and the local community to start the project

Defining the project identity and the management structures

Since there are 17 partners, it was necessary to organize effectively the internal communication and the workflow. An internal communication plan has been carried out and 3 groups have been established and are working separately: The Steering Committee (SC), the Management Team (MT), and the Communication Team (CT). The logo and coordinated image have been elaborated and selected with a participative process by the partners. The initial graphic proposals have been based on a brainstorming methodology to identity the most significant values of the project. The selection of the final Logo has been done within the Communication Team, involving all partners. The definitive communication toolkit has been completed, the website and the Facebook page are online. It will include a participated blog managed by the citizens to describe the whole process and keep a constant link with the local community: the participatory editorial staff is ready to start this communication work.

Setting up the co-design processes:  the key to the project’s implementation

With reference to the aim of building and achieving a shared concept of a sustainable attractive place for citizenship and refugees, the main lines of activity have been launched and are currently being implemented according to the time schedule.

The activity of Participatory Planning, which is supposed to produce the shared scenario and guidelines for the project’s main constituent elements (urban-environmental and architectural retrofit design layout, main guidelines of social and economic regeneration) and main communication initiatives is being developed.

With reference to shared and participated design, this is being carried along more parallel directions with a complementary logic of approach: three periodical co-design meetings have been carried out in the form of interactive laboratory work half – day long sessions. They  focused on cross-sectorial planning and design themes, to share the main ‘pillars’ of the intervention and regeneration strategy, involving both the partners in charge of implementation and other members committed in the management of the co-designed spaces/services.

Actions and initiatives for citizenship active involvement in the Project, have been launched, through interviews to local citizens/citizens representatives/refugees. Meetings open to the Citizenship have been planned, after defining the areas of participation within the project conception where citizens can play a proactive role.

What’ s next?

Participative approach will also be a core element of the evaluation and monitoring of the project. The external evaluation of the project is gearing up for the appointment of the Integrated Evaluation Groups (IEGs). IEGs will be composed by local key stakeholders, migrants & citizens who will actively participate in the evaluation activities according an innovative approach that moves from what is called “participatory evaluation”. Within the IEGs, citizens and local key stakeholders active participation will help identify locally relevant evaluation questions. At the same time, the participatory process will improve project performance, empower participants and build capacity.

Technical analysis and samples have been carried out on the existing buildings to check the current state and define the best development strategies for the investment of S.A.LUS. Some activities have been internalized to reduce the number of calls for tender and make bureaucracy compatible with the project life-time, the budget and the new national procurement code rules. Three RUP (responsible of the procedures) and two designers have been appointed within the administration and started to work. The investment plan will be approved in the next few weeks. In the meanwhile the topographic and architectural surveys have been completed.