The action of empowerment of the Associations arises in the context of the responsibility that the Municipality of Sintra/ DSAS assumed towards the development of participatory processes of strengthening collaboration and co-institutional accountability and that fits into the whole work with associations and institutions that support the immigrant citizens.
Project Goal
The training process arose from the need expressed by the leaders and technicians of the associations and institutions that support the immigrant citizens in Sintra to hold a more in-depth knowledge about the local services, institutions and existing answers aiming to be able to give a more efficient support of the people who look for their services.
The objectives of the project are the following:
- Develop participatory processes of strengthening institutional collaboration and co-accountability.
- Create routines for sharing information and experiences between the actors in the area of immigration.
- To promote knowledge on the organization of public services and institutions.
- Enhance the development and growth of more recent associations.
- To give visibility to the work of immigrant associations and local institutions in supporting immigrant citizens.
Who benefits
Associations and institutions, Local Authorities and Local Services (Schools) of the municipality of Sintra.
How it works
Since 2007, the CMS organizes regular work meetings with associations and institutions that support the immigrant citizens in Sintra. In this context, joint plans of action have been drawn up.
In 2010, the year in which this work has been recognized as a Good Practice, two themes were agreed and have been translated into actions of the Plan of Activities for that year: a) Day of immigrant/ cultural diversity; b) Training of associations. For each of the themes were formed subgroups that were responsible for putting forward concrete proposals to the main group and was appointed an entity that became responsible for stimulating, invigorating this subgroup – that entity was Program K' Cidade/ CLDS Tapada das Mercês.
The first meeting of the subgroup of empowerment of associations took place on March 16, 2010 with the participation of various associations. At this meeting were defined as modules to address: 1. Citizenship and participation, 2. Construction and project management, 3. Associativism, 4. Informatics. On March 31, 2010, at the meeting with the enlarged group, this definition was validated and were prioritized the modules of Citizenship and Participation and Information Technologies.
This was followed by the definition of the contents of each of the modules, which was achieved at the meeting of April 21, 2010, with the participation once more of a broad set of associations. Yet at this meeting it was agreed that the mobilization of the trainers would take place within each association, institutions and entities that make up the working group, with the exception of specific areas such as justice, employment and vocational training and social protection in which they should turn to the technicians of local services. It was also established that, in the context of the module of citizenship and participation, the first session would be on the theme of education.
In this sense, two of associations with working experience in the articulation and development of projects with schools participated with the Municipality of Sintra/ DSAS and Division of Education (DEDU) and Program K'Cidade in the definition of the working methodology for the sessions on Education.
Same types of procedures were carried on to all the other activities undertaken.
Results
The participants expressed great interest in the contents exposed by the Division of Education of Municipality of Sintra, as well as the tips given by the representatives of school groups present in II session on the best ways and timings to establish collaboration between schools and associations and which types of action the schools will be interested in and consider very valid the role that associations can play.
On the other hand, the action of the associations that are already on the ground developing activities of collaboration and partnership with the schools was much valued by the representatives of the school groups present in the meetings.
From an internal point of view, this project is another step for the desirable diversification of interlocutors that, at the Municipality of Sintra, can articulate and cooperate with associations and institutions that work with immigrants.
Evaluation
Despite the success of the experience, particularly as regards the work methodology and the training in the context of the theme of education, there is still some difficulty in establishing relationships of inter-collaboration between peers. In this sense, the continuity of the action/activities requires that the entities involved, in this case, the Municipality of Sintra/ DSAS and the Program K' Cidade/ CLDS of Tapada das Mercês, remain as engines for its development.
Funding and resources
The project was fully designed and developed by employees of the Municipality together with the social workers of the Program of K'Cidade/ CLDS of Tapada das Mercês and with the leaders and technicians of associations and institutions that participate in the construction of annual action plans. The project uses the material resources and logistical support of associations and institutions involved, as well as the ones of Program K'Cidade.
About this good practice
- Project dates
- Geographic area
- Portugal
- City
- Sintra
- Organisation
- Municipality of Sintra - Department of Social Work, Health and Housing
- Contact person
- Anabela Paraíso
- Position
- Director of the Department of Social Work, Health and Housing of the Municipality of Sintra
Details
- Posted by