Second forum session within the Regional Community Forums for 2020

As part of the second forum session, an e-questionnaire was completed in order to prioritize project concepts as proposed solutions emerged from the participants in the first forum session, and developed by experts in cooperation with the Centre for Development of SEPR. The questionnaires were completed by a total of 62 participants, representatives of the municipalities, public administration from the region, business sector, pensioners, unemployed persons, etc., of which 26 (41.9%) are women and 36 (58.1%) are men .

After the analyzes and the summarized data, the concepts for project proposals were ranked in the following order:

-Enrichment of the tourist offer in the South-East planning region

-Construction of an access road to the regional station for stray dogs

-Construction of a local road on the route v. Pogulevo – v. Damjan

Within the Second Forum Session on 15.12.2020, an online presentation of the voting results was held, as well as the analytical study of the five proposed concepts and where given the recommendations for their improvement. Furthermore, these results will be presented to the Council for Development of the South-East Region, which will take them into account when determining the final list of priority projects.

At the XXIII Session of the Council of SEPR determined the annual list of priority projects for 2021

On 15.12.2020 in order to observe the measures for protection from the global pandemic Covid-19, XXIII (twenty-third) Session of the Council for Development of the South-East Planning Region was held online through the platform ZOOM. Before the present mayors by the forum moderator and external consultant-expert engaged through the project “Sustainable inclusive balanced regional development” were presented the process of ranking project proposals of regional and micro-regional significance for the South-East planning region by the citizens of the region.

Presented and analytical study for economic viability of capital investments individually on each proposed project. After a brief review of each of the proposed projects during the Session, the Council adopted the Annual List of Priority Projects for 2021 according to the following order :

1. Enrichment of the tourist offer in the South-East planning region

2. Construction of an access road to the regional station for stray dogs

3. Construction of a local road on the route v. Pogulevo – v. Damjan The project proposal was determined on the reserve list –

Implementation of the third phase of the project Construction of a local road to connect the settlements of Borievo and Koleshino. The priority list refers to the implementation of projects that will enrich the tourist offer in the region, will improve the road infrastructure and will enable the connection of local roads in the region through funds from the Bureau for balanced regional development and own participation of the municipalities in the South-East region. According to the established list, the Center for Development of the South-East Planning Region will apply to the Bureau for Regional Development for their financing through the Balanced Regional Development Program for 2021.

This year for the first time the project proposals before being adopted by The Council for Development of SEPR inclusively and with participatory participation was scored and prioritized by the citizens of the South-East Planning Region through Community Forum Sessions as a new way to select projects for the Bureau of Regional Development, which forums due to the pandemic Covid-19 took place on a questionnaire from stakeholders in the South-East Planning Region.

The twenty-second (XXII) Session of the Council for Development of the Southeast Planning Region was held

On December 7, 2020, the twenty-second (XXII) Session of the Council for Development of the South-East Planning Region was held, online through the virtual platform Zoom, due to the global emergency COVID 19.

On The session was attended by the Mayors of the municipalities within the Southeast Planning Region, as well as the expert Mr. Tihomir Petreski in charge of preparing a cost-effectiveness study for each of the selected concept solutions.

The key point of this Session of the Council for Development of the South-East Planning Region was the presentation of the proposed concept solutions, the fourth step of the concept for regional community forums, a tool for identification, prioritization and preparation of projects for financing from the Balanced Regional Development Program for 2021 , through the Ministry of Local Self-Government and the Bureau for Regional Development.

First forum session within the Regional Community Forums for 2020

The Centre for development of the South-East planning region (CDSEPR), in October, started the preparations for holding Regional Community Forums as a tool for identification, prioritization and preparation of project proposals for obtaining financial support from the Bureau for Balanced Regional Development Programme of the Regional Development Bureau and the Ministry of Local Self-Government of RNM. Based on the positive experience from the forum processes so far, within the project “Sustainable and inclusive balanced regional development”, which was realized by the Centres for development of planning regions with the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and MLSG, it was decided participatory and transparent of decisions, with wide civic participation, to be practiced in providing support for project proposals from BRD and MLSG. Namely, the regional forum, as well as the compliance of the projects with the determined priorities in the programs for development of the planning regions and with the annual list of projects adopted by the Councils for development of the planning regions, will become a mandatory qualification criterion in the process of project application and use of available funds from the Programme for balanced regional development of BRD / MLSG.

According to the concept for implementation of regional forums, it is planned to hold two forum sessions where participants will select priority areas and areas of strategic goals of the region, identify problems, needs and challenges affecting the region and prioritize concept solutions prepared based on civic needs. However, due to the escalation of the COVID 19 pandemic and the large number of infected in the South-East region, only a few participants from the key partners accepted physical presence, due to which a decision was made to conduct the first forum session by conducting an electronic questionnaire.

From the analyzed results from the completion of the electronic questionnaire, the participants chose the following priority 2 areas and 2 sub-areas:

Area 1. Agriculture and rural development

Sub-areas:

1. Development of modern and functional infrastructure in villages and areas with specific development needs

2. Modernization and improvement of the competitiveness of the agricultural production

 

Area 2. Economy, investments, labor market, tourism

Sub-areas:

1. Development and promotion of the region as an attractive tourist destination

2. Development of entrepreneurial ecosystem and encouragement of entrepreneurship (incl. Women and youth)

The forum cycle of 2019 ended with the presentation of the results of the project “Agrometeorological stations for protection of agricultural crops and the environment”

The Centre for development of the South-East planning region on 23.09.2020 in Hotel Sirius in Strumica, following the protocols and recommendations of the Government for protection against Covid-19, organized the Fourth and last forum session of the Regional Community Forums cycle from 2019 within of the project “Sustainable and inclusive balanced regional development”.

On the fourth forum session the results of the project “Agrometeorological stations for protection of crops and the environment” were presented. This project was voted first on the list of priority projects in a participatory and transparent manner by the citizens of the South-East planning region at the Regional Forum Sessions 2019 which were organized under the Grant Scheme for investment projects 2019 funded by the Ministry of Local Self-Government and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

The participants of this session had the opportunity to be informed about the course and process of realization of the selected project, the results achieved with the project and the recommendations sent by the forum for improving life in the wider community and the region.

The project “Agrometeorological stations for protection of agricultural crops and the environment” has been named one of the most innovative projects resulting from Regional Forum Sessions in 2019, and the success of this project is also evidenced by the fact that in 2020 two more Regional Centers will implement the same project in two other planning regions in the Republic of North Macedonia.

Regarding the other project proposals that emerged from the Regional Forums from 2019, Ms. Zhulieta Gjurkova, Manager of the CDSEPR, emphasized that they are of great importance for the Centre because they come from the citizens of the region and in the future efforts will be made for them to be funded.

All the necessary information that is measured and processed through the stations can be obtained at the website www.agrojug.mk as well as on the mobile application “Meteobot” where all 23 Agrometeorological stations in the region are mapped.

ACADEMY FOR REINTEGRATION OF MARGINALIZED PERSONS

During the past thirty years of transition, crisis upon crisis, despite the enormous efforts made by state institutions and the NGOs, the inclusion of people at social risk still remains absent in the labor market. We draw our motivation from this situation, convinced that by implementing and realizing of the goals of this project we can become a driving force, trend and response to address the negative impacts of the recurring crisis due to enormous social differences, and offer a broader human vision of inclusive strategy for sustainable development of people
with disabilities and other socially excluded and stigmatized groups.

Improving the existing road infrastructure in rural areas in the South-East planning region for better access to agricultural аreas

The South-East planning region is the largest and most famous agricultural region in the Republic of Northern Macedonia, and the agricultural sector is a leading industry and generator of the region’s development. Most of the active business entities are in the field of primary agriculture and processing of agricultural products. The sector is also composed of a number of smaller family farms and individual producers.

Construction of a bridge over the Turija River on the local road v. Prosenikovo – v. Saraj

The road infrastructure is well developed in the South-East planning region, although there are conditions for its improvement. The length and quality of the local road infrastructure are satisfactory and not below European standards. However, it is necessary to modernize the existing and build new road infrastructure, especially between settlements in municipalities and between municipalities.