PRIORITY PROJECTS FOR 2024 VOTED AT THE SECOND FORUM SESSION

On November 24, 2023, the second forum session was held in Hotel Car Samuil. The participants had the opportunity to prioritize the concepts for project proposals that arose from the identified problems and proposed solutions at the first forum session.

In the period between the two forum sessions, an initial analysis of the benefits and costs for each of the project concepts was prepared by the appointed experts. Such analyzes were presented before the forum, and after the presentation of the rules, the vote was taken.

The proposal concepts were ranked in the following order:

Improving the infrastructure in the South-East planning region through the construction and reconstruction of local streets;
Strengthening tourism, improving roads: a vision for a better region!
Procurement of a fire fighting vehicle – Tanker with a capacity of 10,000 liters;
Procurement of 10 (ten) electric vehicles (vans) for the municipalities in the South-East planning region;
Arrangement of recreational park Toplik and Smart City Dojran – 2 phase;
Reconstruction of a large hall for events in Pionerski dom – Gevgelija;
Construction of part of a fecal collector for new urban blocks no. 35-42, Urban Unit 5 in Strumica, Municipality of Strumica.
In the coming period, this list will be presented to the Council for the Development of the South-East Planning Region. After their consideration, a Decision will be made to establish a priority list of regional project proposals with which the Centre for Development will apply through the Program for Balanced Regional Development for 2023 with indicative planned funds for 2024 to the Bureau for Regional Development, of course taking into account the vote from the Second Forum Session.

The regional forum sessions were organized within the project “Sustainable and Inclusive Balanced Regional Development – Phase 2” financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Government of the Republic of S. Macedonia, represented by the Ministry of Local Self-Government.

The first forum session for the implementation of regional projects was held

On October 27, 2023, with the holding of the First Forum Session, the Centre for the Development of the South-East Planning Region began the implementation of Regional Forums in the community in order to prepare projects under the Program for Balanced Regional Development for 2024 of the Bureau for Regional Development.

At the forum session, participants from different categories from the 10 municipalities of the South-Easte planning region were present and they actively participated in determining the priority areas in which they intervene, in identifying the problems and proposing solutions that will enable the improvement of the conditions for the life of the population in the South-East region.

The priority areas that received the most votes from the forum participants were the following:

Transport and infrastructure and
Economy and tourism.
Based on the identified problems, through their analysis and elaboration, conceptual solutions will be developed in the coming period. They will further be presented to the Council for the Development of the South-East Planning Region, as well as to the present participants of the second forum session, which is planned to be held at the end of November 2023.

The regional community forums in the South-East planning region are financially supported by the Ministry of Local Self-Government and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation through the project “Sustainable and Inclusive Balanced Regional Development – Phase 2”.

The citizens of the South-East Planning Region have ranked the priority projects for 2022

On April 22, 2022 in Hotel Sirius in Strumica the Centre for development of the South-East planning region organized the Second Forum Session from the Regional Community Forumsthat are realized within the project “Sustainable and inclusive balanced regional development – phase 2”, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Government of the Republic of N. Macedonia, represented by the Ministry of Local Self-Government.

Representatives from the municipalities, members and presidents of the Municipal Councils of the South-East Planning Region, councilors from the Units of the local self-government, representatives of the business community, civil society organizations, urban / local communities and other stakeholders from the region were present on the Second forum session.

The participants had the opportunity to rank the proposed concepts for both Programs: Grant Scheme Program for projects with mandatory digital component and Ministry of self-government / Bureau for regional development Program for balanced regional development for 2022 with indicatively planned funds for 2023, which were proposed by the participants during the First Forum Sessionand are aimed at improving life in the wider community and the region.

Еach working table had to evaluate the proposed concepts, giving the most points to the one who considers it to be with the highest priority, less to the others who consider it to be of medium or low priority. The given points from each table were entered publicly, after which the total number of points gave the final ranking list of the proposed concepts.

The project concepts under the Grant Scheme Program for projects with a mandatory digital component were ranked as follows:

1. Smart cycling region

2. Energy efficient region

3. Dojran regional eco-oasis

The project concepts under the Ministry of self-government / Bureu for regional development Program for balanced regional development for 2022 with indicatively planned funds for 2023:

1. Tourism – the future of the region

2. Cultural wealth – a legacy for future generations

3. Reconstruction of the local road v. Stojakovo – v. Gjavoto

4. Preparation of technical documentation for construction of bicycle paths in the municipalities of Konche, Radovish and Vasilevo

The next steps include preparation of project applications and submission to the evaluation committee for the concept proposals from the Grant Scheme, while the draft concepts from the Ministry of self-government / Bureu for regional developmentProgram will be presented to the Council for development of the South-East planning region. The Council will decide on the final list of regional project proposals for 2022 taking into consideration the voting from the Second Forum Session.

First forum session in the South-East Planning Region

The holding of the first forum session on March 10, 2022 announced the start of the process of Regional Community Forums in the South-East Planning Region, financially supported by the Ministry of Local Self-Government and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation through the project “Sustainable and Inclusive Balanced Regional Development 2” phase. ”

The first forum session was divided into two parts, as project ideas and solutions were proposed in two Programs, as follows:

  • Program for projects through MLS / SDC Grant Scheme and
  • Program for balanced regional development for 2022 with indicatively planned funds for 2023 of MLS / BRR.

In the first part of the Grant Scheme Program, it is planned to allocate funds for a project of at least 320 thousand euros. For that purpose, the forum participants who were from different categories of citizens from the South-East Planning Region (from the Units of Local Self-Government, Municipal Councils, NGOs, business sector and other interested citizens) had the opportunity to identify and define priority regional issues for each of previously identified priority areas.

In the second part of the day, the participants proposed project ideas for the Program for balanced regional development for 2022 with indicatively planned funds for 2023, where about 750 thousand euros are available for the implementation of projects of regional importance.

Over 70 participants in the forum actively participated in identifying the problems affecting the South-East region, discussed, and also proposed solutions to overcome the problems in order to improve the living conditions of all citizens in the region, which is of particular importance for successful implementation of the regional forum process. In the following period, based on the identified challenges from the first forum session, conceptual solutions will be developed for both Programs that will be further presented to the Council for Development of the South-East Planning Region and to the present participants in the second forum session, which is planned to take place at the end of April 2022.

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.

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.

Presentation of the priorities of the region for development of projects in the field of social inclusion

The Centre for development of the South-East planning region organized a Second Forum Session for presentation of project proposals in the field of social inclusion within the project “Sustainable and inclusive balanced regional development” on 07.02.2020 at Hotel Sirius in Strumica.

Present at this session were also representatives from the Ministry of Local Self-Government, Ms. Bisera Jakimovska and Ms. Nade Petrusheva-Neskovski who gave important directions for improvement of the proposed concepts.

The participants presented five draft concepts in the field of social inclusion that were developed during the first forum session.

The draft concepts presented at the Second Forum Session were: Improving the conditions for education and stay of vulnerable groups in the South-East Planning Region, Training Center for Access to the Labor Market for Persons with Disabilities, Improving the Health Protection of Women in Rural Areas, Introducing social services to assist the elderly and frail and Protecting the Homeless, suggested by forum participants.

By the third forum session, these draft concepts will be refined and improved in cooperation with the working groups, and during the third forum, projects will be prioritized for funding for a grant from the Swiss Agency for Development and the Ministry of Local Self-Government, totaling 125,559.00 CHF.

In order to successfully implement the participatory process for selection of priority projects in the field of social inclusion in the region, the Centre for development of the South-East planning region will organize another forum session which will be held on 13.03.2020.

The project, which will be selected by donors for implementation, is expected to improve conditions for social inclusion in the South-East region.

The Centre for development of SEPR started with the implementation of regional forum sessions for selection of priority projects in the field of social inclusion

Within the project “Sustainable and inclusive Balanced Regional Development” funded by the Ministry of Local Self-Government and the Swiss Agency for development and cooperation, the Centre started the implementation of the second cycle of regional forum sessions within the open Grant scheme for investment projects of the planning regions in the area of ​​social inclusion for 2020.

The funds from the Grant Scheme will be allocated based on the level of underdevelopment of the regions. The maximum amount of funds that the South East region can receive, as a second region according its development, is 125,559.00  CHF.

Within the framework of the Grant scheme, the Centre is going to organize four forum sessions during which will be discussed the problems affecting the region and will be proposed solutions that will have be generated  and elaborated in project ideas / concepts for project proposals in the field of social inclusion.

At the first regional forum held on 31.01.2020 at hotel Sirius in Strumica, representatives of the municipalities, communities, Red Cross, NGOs, Centers for Social Work, business sector and other stakeholders in a participatory manner identified problems in the field of social inclusion and then suggested solutions that could be developed into project concepts.

The proposed solutions will be prepared in project proposals and presented by the working groups during the second forum session to be held on 07.02.2020 at Hotel Sirius, Strumica.