Concursuri actuale

EERC Fall 2010 research grant competition 

The Economics Education and Research Consortium (EERC) announces its Fall 2010 research grant competition. Proposals are solicited in the following five areas with relevance to current policy concerns in the Commonwealth of Independent States:

• Enterprises and product markets 
• Labor markets and social policy 
• Macro financial markets and open economy
• Public economics 
• International trade and regional integration

Please note: We encourage proposals for policy-relevant research on the border of economics and other disciplines, such as political science, sociology, demography, geography and ecology.

The best research teams will be invited to present their projects at the EERC research workshop in December 2010 in Ukraine (tentatively planned for December 18-20). Heads of projects must attend the workshop in order to be considered for a grant.

Grants of up to $12,000 are awarded to individual researchers or small research teams (up to 3 persons) for up to 18 months. Grant size depends on the number participants and specific budget requirements of the project. 

Detailed information is available at: http://eerc.ru/default.aspx?id=247&IDWorkshop=29 

Applications are to be submitted online at http://www.eerc.ru/Registration/Research/ by October 12, 2010. 

This competition is funded by the Global Development Network (gdnet.org). EERC is GDN's regional partner in the CIS countries. For further information about EERC activities please visit www.eerc.ru .

 

CONCURS DE ESEURI

Stimularea dezbaterilor de politică externă la nivel de experți și societate. Scrierea, editarea și diseminarea unui Buletin de politică externă al Republicii Moldova

Organizatori: IDIS „Viitorul”. Proiectul este finanțat de către Fundația Soros-Moldova

Perioada: 28 iunie – 28 iulie 2010

Detalii: IDIS "Viitorul"

 

Consiliul Naţional al Tineretului din Moldova (CNTM) anunţă concurs de selectare a 4 ONG-ri din oraşele Cimişlia, Soroca, Bălţi, Edineţ in vederea implementării proiectului „Dialog intercultural în Republica Moldova”, perioada septembrie 2010 – decembrie 2012

Contextul proiectului

Dialog Intercultural in Republica Moldova " este un proiect pilot implementat in 5 zone ale tarii: Chisinau, Balti, Edinet, Cimislia si Soroca.

Proiect care are drept scop sporirea nivelului de toleranta si dialog intercultural intre elevi/ tineri si prevede activitati de instruire in domeniul dialogului intercultural pentru reprezentanti ai APL, profesori, elevi / tineri. Cu suportul echipei de formatori/consultanti si a partenerilor locali ai proiectului, se prevede elaborarea unui program de educatie interculturala pentru elevi/ tineri.

Consiliul Naţional al Tineretului din Moldova (CNTM) a lansat proiectul „Dialog Intercultural in Republica Moldova" cu sustinerea financiara a Fundatiei pentru Copii „Pestalozzi” din Elve?ia.

Cerinte fata de ONG-rile aplicante:

- inregistrat la nivel national sau local;

- Activ implicat in solutionarea problemelor sociale in comunitatea in care activeaza;

- Experienta de lucru cu tineri reprezentanti ai diferitor minoritati etnice (preferabil);

- Dispune de o echipa activa (resurse umane);

- Experienta de colaborarea cu Administratia Publica Locala;

- Experienta de lucru cu institutiile de invatamant si copii/tineri;

- Experienta de monitorizare a respectarii drepturilor copilului;

- Experienta de colaborare cu alte ONG-ri din regiune;

- Dispune de oficiu/ spatiu de lucru.

Sarcinile si Responsabilitatile ONG-lor selectate:

- Sa faciliteze implementarea campaniilor de informare locale conform proiectului si sa desfasoare activitati de instruire si informare pentru comunitatea pe care o reprezinta;

- Sa participe la activitatile de instruire destinate profesorilor si lucratorilor sociali;

- Sa mentina relatia de colaborare cu APL, Directia Generala Educatie, Tineret si Sport, asistentii sociali;

- Sa ofere suport logistic in procesul de elaborare a programului educational si sa depuna eforturi pentru promovarea acestuia in institutiile de invatamant;

- Sa acorde suport logistic formatorilor regionali;

- Sa faciliteze identificarea participantilor pentru unele activitati prevazute in proiect (tabere de vara, seminare informative, sedinte de consultare);

- Sa fie activi in promovarea principiilor de toleranta si a dialogului intercultural;

- Sa participe la procesul de planificare, monitorizare si evaluare a activitatilor proiectului;

- Sa identifice un coordonator de proiect si a echipei de voluntari.

Dosarul va include:

* CV-ul ONG-lui;
* CV-ul persoanei de contact pentru proiect;
* Formularul de aplicare completat;
* 1 -2 scrisori de recomandare (preferabil din numele APL sau altui ONG local).

Dosarul se va depune pana la data de 25 iunie 2010, ora 16.00, la adresa de e-mail: intercultural.dialog@gmail.com sau la numarul de fax: (0 22) 23 51 75.

Vor fi analizate numai dosarele complete. Doar candidatii selectati vor fi contactati.

Pentru informatii suplimentare puteti contacta: Vera turcanu, Coordonator de proiect.

Tel: (0 22) 23 30 88 sau GSM - (0)79402172.

Local Government and Public Service Reform Initiative (LGI)

Policy Fellowship 2010/2011

I. Purpose

LGI's Policy Fellowship Program supports practical policy reform in the region, builds the capacities of individuals who are well placed to influence policy, creates networks of multinational experts, and supports the mission of LGI. Through the Fellowship Program LGI explores emerging or insufficiently studied policy issues relevant for the regions where it works. Each year LGI selects talented professionals from Central, East and South Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union to participate in the one-year program. Fellows work in small teams under the guidance of a well-respected mentor to produce policy-oriented studies on a given topic. The completed studies are impact oriented; each contains an advocacy or implementation strategy and concrete policy recommendations. LGI provides its fellows with training on how to write effective policy reports, how to identify and analyze available policy options, how to formulate an effective advocacy campaign, and how to deliver a persuasive policy presentation. At the conclusion of the program LGI works with its fellows to determine what steps it can take to support the proposed recommendations in the completed studies. Fellows are generally policy researchers, policy advisors, civil servants and members of NGOs, advocacy groups or professional associations.


· To learn more about the Open Society Institute, see: http://www.soros.org/

· To learn more about the Local Government and Public Service Reform Initiative, see: http://lgi.osi.hu/



II. The project

The primary goal of the LGI Policy Fellowship program is to support policy research aimed at stimulating innovative and practical policy reform in areas that LGI is interested in exploring further. Each year broad topics are identified for candidates from different country groups. LGI is currently calling for fellowship applications for its 2010/2011 program, which will run from October 2010 to November 2011. For more background information about the fellowship program, please see: http://lgi.osi.hu/documents.php?m_id=127


This year LGI is featuring three topics:


Topic 1: Improving the Transparency and Efficiency of Public Service Delivery in Metropolitan Areas


Topic 2: Strengthening the Participation of Young People in Traditional Political Institutions - in cooperation with the OSI Youth Initiative


Topic 3: Developing Reintegration Initiatives for Returning Migrants - in cooperation with the OSI International Migration Initiative


III. Fellowship topics for 2010/11


Topic 1: Improving the Transparency and Efficiency of Public Service Delivery in Metropolitan Areas

Team Mentor : Hubert Heinelt, Professor of Political Science, Institute of Political Science , Darmstadt University of Technology, Germany

It is increasingly recognized that the delivery of public services in metropolitan areas brings about questions of democratic participation and accountability. In the environment of metropolitan areas, where complex institutional solutions are required and many residents have weak identification with their home municipalities, designing transparent and inclusive mechanisms of policymaking and service delivery is especially difficult. The current solutions to the problems of cross-jurisdictional coordination often raise the questions of the legitimacy of metropolitan governance arrangements and accountability towards citizens.

Large- to medium-size city regions often are administratively and geographically fragmented – with several municipal jurisdictions operating over a wide area that mostly tends to be a functional unit. Compared to other types of local governments, municipalities that belong to larger functional, mostly urban, regions cannot function as separate entities. Instead, they need to be involved in the joint management of various functions across jurisdictional lines if they want to effectively and efficiently deliver various public services to its residents. As for the residents of such metropolitan areas, a significant proportion of them live their lives at various locations throughout the whole functional urban region. Their homes, jobs, relatives and friends are scattered throughout the city region, just like their children’s schools and amenities like shopping centers or sports grounds within different municipal jurisdictions of the metropolitan area. One may expect that their spatial identity is primarily linked with metropolitan area as a whole, and then perhaps also with the neighborhood they live in, but not with the municipality of their residence. The necessity of metropolitan-wide coordination of public services is as important for some public services (public transport, roads system, waste management, specialized secondary schools etc.) as it is for wider functions related to the stimulation of economic development and competitiveness of the region. It all produces challenges for effective delivery of services and other functions the metropolitan area should provide.

The issues of effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery in fragmented metropolitan areas have been increasingly studied worldwide for over two decades. The most typical responses to this type of challenges in metropolitan areas have included:


* Annexation of suburb municipalities by a core city extending its boundaries;
* Creation of a metropolitan institution – the tier of local government covering the whole metropolitan area and delivering those services which require coordination;
* Voluntary intermunicipal cooperation in service delivery;
* Loose networks of cooperation between private and public actors.

Fellows working on this topic should explore both the organizational and democratic challenges of service delivery in metropolitan areas in Central and Eastern Europe and the countries of the former Soviet Union . The research and discussions on governing metropolitan areas in this part of the world typically focus on:

* the core cities, almost completely leaving out the suburban areas;
* effectiveness and efficiency, forgetting the democratic legitimacy of suggested solutions.

Examples of institutional solutions ignoring the democratic dimension are, for instance, systems in which the mayor of the core city plays a key executive role in the whole metropolitan area or in which metropolitan affairs are governed by functionally determined (single purpose) associations. In such cases, residents of metropolitan areas hardly stand a chance to influence decisions affecting their daily life.

These shortcomings of the research and current policy frameworks in the targeted regions should be addressed by the fellows. It is expected that a series of case studies on metropolitan areas in Eastern Europe would help to fill both of these gaps. The suggested cases may apply to regions surrounding both capital cities and other bigger cities in respective countries (such as for example Varna or Plovdiv in Bulgaria; Cluj or Timisoara in Romania; Brno or Ostrava in the Czech Republic; Krakow, Wroclaw, Poznan, or Gdansk in Poland; etc.), regardless of the formal definitions of metropolitan areas that may exist in the legislation in particular countries. The fellowship papers are expected to include:

· A diagnosis of the current situation in the analyzed country. What institutional solutions are applied (if any) and how are the studied areas governed in practice?

· One or more case studies that will help explore the current practice in more detail. Are there any innovative practices following from state policies or developed in spite of a lack of an explicit policy?

· The analysis should include different institutional and policy options for addressing the identified problems, especially addressing the question of how to arrange service coordination in a way that allows for democratic control, and transparent and accountable decision-making.

· Recommendations that stem from their analysis concerning both state and local level policies aimed at the metropolitan areas.


Applications will be considered from the EU member states of Central Eastern Europe, the countries of South Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union and Mongolia .



Topic 2: Strengthening the Participation of Young People in Traditional Political Institutions - in cooperation with the OSI Youth Initiative


Team Mentor : Andrew Russell, Senior Lecturer in Politics, School of Social Sciences , University of Manchester , UK

Young people are increasingly less likely to engage in traditional forms of political participation. They are less likely than previous generations to vote, run for office, or join political parties. At the same time, young people are far more likely to engage, at least episodically, in alternative forms of political activity, particularly those which involve the use of digital technology. Though less likely to vote than their parents, the first generation of “digital natives” have grown up with the Internet, mobile phones, and personal computers, and they are far more likely to comment on a blog devoted to local politics or sign an electronic petition. [1]

Those who see in blogs and tweets a new form of political engagement have argued that young people today are not less engaged so much as simply engaged differently. However, political power is still primary distributed through traditional means. While young people can sometimes indirectly influence public officials and policy through their creative use of new media, the political efficacy of the “digital natives” will ultimately depend in their active and sustained engagement in traditional forms of political activity.[2]


The aim of this fellowship is to examine under what conditions young people are more likely to participate in traditional political activity, particularly on a local level, and to consider ways in which the institutionalized political structures might be reshaped to encourage new generations to become more actively engaged in political life. Fellows will seek to identify how political institutions can encourage and enable youth participation in the formal processes of government, and they will also examine which institutional arrangements act as barriers to entry for young people. Fellows will seek to identify concrete steps that local and national governments can take to reshape political institutions in order to discourage the political disenfranchisement of young people.

Fellows may also look at trends in youth political engagement. For example, though youth membership in radical, nationalist, and xenophobic parties remains small, it is rising. Why are young people becoming more attracted to populist parties that are largely antagonistic to the working of existing political institutions? Is this largely a reflection of young people’s dissatisfaction with the responsiveness of these institutions to their needs? Are the same factors that are leading the majority of young people to become politically disengaged and apathetic working to radicalize a small minority of young people? Are there steps that governing parties can take to engage young people and respond effectively to the rise of right-wing populism?

Fellows will be encouraged to pay particular attention to the role political parties are assigned in the political process. With younger generations much less likely to join political parties, the continued distribution of political power through party structures works against the empowerment of young people.[3] Fellows will examine what party structures and institutional arrangements are most likely to encourage youth participation and which are becoming anachronistic and in need of reform.

Fellows are expected to develop and evaluate the options for reforming political institutions in order to make them more responsive to young people and the changing manner in which young people communicate. One obvious explanation for why young people fail to engage in political activity is their feeling that the formal structures of politics are largely unresponsive to them. The first generation of “digital natives” will not be the last. Changing forms of political communication will likely require modifications in the way political institutions are designed to respond to their constituents. Fellows will consider what mechanisms political institutions could employ to make them more responsive to young people and thus make young people more likely to engaged with. Finally, the fellows are expected to provide recommendations on how these mechanisms can be practically implemented in their home counties.

Applications will be considered from the EU member states of Central and Eastern Europe, the countries of South Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union and Mongolia .



Topic 3: Developing Reintegration Initiatives for Returning Migrants

- in cooperation with the OSI International Migration Initiative

Team Mentor : Zafir Behlic, Consultant, MigrationWork , UK

The economic crisis, and the long recovery to follow, has created greater interest among states in promoting the voluntarily return—and the subsequent reintegration—of immigrants to their countries of origin. Meanwhile, some EU member states are aiming to deport certain types of migrants. The objective of this fellowship topic is to investigate the efficacy and fairness of a range of programs related to these phenomena of voluntary and forced return, and to suggest new options for improving the return and reintegration initiatives, ranging from “pay to go” incentive schemes, to retraining and reintegration initiatives for returning migrants, to policies that seek to draw skilled emigrants home.

Countries of origin and destination are creating greater incentives for migrants to return home. For instance, Spain, the Czech Republic, and Denmark have initiated “pay to go” schemes whereby immigrants are encouraged to leave voluntarily (ceding their right to return for a predetermined number of years) in exchange for a one-time payment and certain benefits. In countries of origin, successful reintegration efforts rely heavily on government-led initiatives to expand employment opportunities, help returning migrants find alternative sources of income and fill existing gaps in the labor markets through retraining and certification. Job fairs in Bulgaria , for instance, have targeted those employed in sectors severely affected by the economic crisis.

Although the economic crisis has not yet precipitated the volume of return migration many predicted, limited opportunities abroad might compel increasing numbers of migrants to consider such an option. In many EU countries an increasing number of migrants are categorized as irregular, either due to illegal entry or a loss of regular status. The economic crisis has added to the already hostile attitudes towards such migrants, and states have responded with stricter enforcement. Detaining and removing irregular migrants is more expensive than assisted voluntary return schemes and raises moral and policy dilemmas. Involuntary return to countries of origin also creates the additional challenge of reintegrating returnees with a mindset very different from those who come back by choice.

Additionally, countries must grapple with the gender-based societal implications of migration. Analysts estimate that the majority of Balkan migrants are women, while the vast majority of Central Asian migrants are young men. This has a significant impact upon the services needed both for returning migrants and for the families left behind.

Applicants for this fellowship are invited to address some of the following policy questions:

1. What are the most fair, effective and sustainable incentives that governments could employ to prompt undocumented migrants to return? Beyond financial rewards, are there other useful tools being used by destination countries—e.g. retraining or the right to return after a certain period?

2. What are the characteristics of the most successful reintegration initiatives in countries of origin?

3. What effect have these return and reintegration programs had on specific groups, such as the poorest emigrants, women, and Roma?

4. How can governments work to reunite families and mitigate gender imbalances caused by migration?

5. Non-assisted returns account for a large number of returns and the sporadic evidence suggests that the level and quality of reintegration of returnees who go back on their own might be higher. What are the strategies employed by the non-assisted returnees? Capturing and evaluating these strategies would provide a significant benchmark for comparing the assisted return initiatives.

6. Despite the EU directive (Directive 2008/115/Ec of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008) on common standards and procedures in Member States for returning illegally staying third-country nationals, coordination among EU states on return initiatives is very weak. How can it be improved, given that coordination and common standards for the same country nationals would make assisted return more fair, effective and sustainable?

In the course of the policy research for this fellowship topic, fellows are expected to:


· Identify and analyze the major problems of return and reintegration in countries of origin;

· Evaluate existing policy solutions and reintegration initiatives;

· Suggest and evaluate policy options for addressing the selected reintegration problem;

* Develop recommendations for public institutions at the national and sub-national levels of government on how to design and implement better reintegration programs for their returning nationals in order to minimize unemployment and social unrest, and to draw upon the skills of migrants returning home.


Applications will be considered from nationals of the EU member states of Central and Eastern Europe, the countries of South Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union and Mongolia .


IV. Methods and procedures

Grant

LGI will award successful applicants with a stipend for a period of 12 months between November 2010 and November 2011. The stipend will cover monthly expenses related to research and travel costs. Additional funds will cover costs related to attending three fellowship workshops, at least two of which will take place in Budapest , Hungary .


Eligibility

Fellows are normally policy researchers, policy advisers, civil servants, and members of advocacy groups or professional associations. A graduate degree or equivalent is required. Applicants should be citizens of the countries noted under each topic. As a general rule, Fellows will be based in their home countries (for research and advocacy purposes) and will be required to attend three Fellowship workshops. Fellows are expected to continue with their current employment, spending only up to fifty percent of their time on the Fellowship program. Former LGI Fellows are not eligible to apply again for the Fellowship Program.


*Please note that LGI looks favorably upon applicants who can demonstrate in their application that they have secured practical institutional support from a governmental ministry/department, local government, or a reputable policy center or similar institution.


English Language: All applications must be in English and applicants must have excellent English-language skills. The English skills of finalists will be evaluated during personal or phone interviews to ensure they can actively participate in advanced, technical discussions in English with their team, mentor and others in the Open Society foundations network about their topic.

Please note that LGI also offers a fellowship program for Russian speaking experts. For more information about this program and the topics being offered please see: http://lgi.osi.hu/documents.php?id=1572

Methodology

LGI will group Fellows into teams of approximately 4-6 members. Teams will be led by an expert mentor. Mentors will guide Fellows in formulating their final research plans, draft reports, and implementation strategies. LGI and team Mentors will also facilitate professional cooperation and communication between members of the team. Fellows are encouraged to support each other’s work with their expertise and comments within their teams. LGI encourages teams of Fellows to develop joint or comparable research agendas.

Expected outcomes/ products

Fellows are expected to conduct high quality research according to a mutually accepted research protocol. As a final product, Fellows will submit a persuasive policy paper. Policy papers should be evidence-based, should include evaluation of policy options to address the given problem and policy recommendations. Implementation and advocacy plans will also be produced by fellows, to ensure forward thinking about the results of their findings.

Teams are expected to submit a joint report at the conclusion of the project. LGI may publish these studies in English and/or their respective local languages. Finally, LGI will seek ways to work with Fellows in the future on implementing aspects of their proposed policy recommendations.

Application procedure

Step 1. On-line submission of the application:



· Applications should be submitted online. Please make sure that you have ALL requested materials ready before you start the online application process. The online system requires that you enter all information and attach all documents in one round only!


Applications must include ALL of the following materials:

1. Statement of interest (1-2 pages)

2. Research proposal (3,000 words maximum) including a well-defined research problem, topic justification, research methodology, and expected outcomes of the research. See individual topic descriptions for specific requirements.

3. Professional CV.

4. English language writing sample composed by the applicant on any topic (published or unpublished).

5. The name and contact information of three people familiar with the professional capacities of the applicant.


**Please note that failure to submit all of the above documents will result in your application being immediately disqualified.


The deadline for submitting applications is June 30, 2010 (24:00 GMT). Late applications will not be considered.


Step 2. Review and selection:

Proposals must respond to domestic needs, be policy-oriented, focused and creative. LGI will check each submission to ensure that it meets the formal criteria and quality. Submissions will be reviewed by LGI (see timetable below) and the team mentors.

LGI will contact shortlisted candidates for a follow-up interview by phone.

Step 3. Feedback

All applicants will be notified by LGI of their status by August 15, 2010.

Step 4. Fellowship program provisional timeline

June 30, 2010 Deadline for fellowship applications.

August 15, 2010 Selection process finalized and applicants notified of their status.

September 2010 Selected fellows sign contracts with LGI.

October 15, 2010 Fellowship program begins, Fellows initiate their research.

November 11-16, 2010 Budapest Opening Training and Workshop

Fellows and Mentors will review the individual research plans and group approach to the project. They will develop a terms of reference for standardizing the individual reports (structure, language, key terms, approach, etc), and discuss possible conferences or workshops to attend during the year that would strengthen their research agendas. Fellows will attend the Policy Paper Writing Training.

December 7, 2010 Based on Budapest discussions, fellows submit final research proposals.

January 31, 2011 Fellows submit short progress reports.

March 20, 2011 Deadline for First Drafts.

April/early May 2011 Interim Team workshop. Groups meet to discuss and comment on each other's first drafts. Policy Analysis training.

July 1, 2011 Deadline for Full Drafts - including executive summary.

August 15, 2011 Mentors submit their review of full drafts.

October 1, 2011 Fellows submit final drafts and advocacy plans. Submission of final team manuscript.

October/November, 2011 LGI Fellowship closing conference in Budapest . Fellows present their Policy Recommendations. Training on Presentation Skills for Policy Advocacy.

November 2011/May 2012 Fellowship reports are reviewed and evaluated by external experts with regard to publishing. If deemed publishable, fellows may be asked to revise certain aspects of their reports.

*Note: dates are subject to minor changes.

In order to submit your application please go to

http://lgi.osi.hu/documents.php?id=3204&m_id=19

For more information on the LGI Fellowship Program contact the Program Manager Masha Djordjevic at mdjordjevic@osi.hu

„Forul Tinerilor Europeni”

Forul Tinerilor Europeni reprezinta o pltaforma virtuala pentru tineretul studios, absolventii institutiilor de invatamant si expertii incepatori, dezvoltata si coordonata de principalul portal pe tematica europeana din Republica Moldova – www.europa.md.

Initiativa data vizeaza tinerii moldoveni din tara si de peste hotare, din comunitatea academica, de experti sau cea a societatii civile, preocupati de subiectele europene si corelatia lor cu politicile de integrare europeana implementate de autoritatile moldovene.

Prin acest Forum virtual ne propunem sa incurajam activitatea analitica, jurnalistica si civica a celor mai activi si talentati tineri din Republica Moldova, oferindu-le oportunitatea de a publica materialele lor pe unicul portal specializat pe integrare europeana din Republica Moldova.

Astfel, Portalul Europa.md invita tinerii in varsta de la 18 pana la 30 ani de a se alatura initiativei „Forumul Tinerilor Europeni”. Pentru a face parte din respectiva comunitate va incurajam sa ne trimiteti materiale originale proprii, in limba romana sau l. engleza, pe tematici europene, care sa nu depaseasca volumul de 3000-5000 de caractere (cu spatiu), precum si CV-ul actualizat, la adresa electronica – coordonator@europa.md. Proiectul dat este prevazut pentru perioada noiembrie 2009 - iunie 2010.

Materialele elaborate de tineri urmeaza sa abordeze teme actuale si stringente despre politica interna si externa a Uniunii Europene; provocarile si oportunitatile Republicii Moldova in procesul apropierii de spatiul european; alte probleme europene relevante si utile pentru cititorii portalului www.europa.md si audienta moldoveana per ansamblu.

Articolele propuse spre publicare vor fi selectate in baza criteriilor calitatii, originalitatii si actualitatii lor.

Cei mai buni autori vor intra in posesia unor carti pe tematica europeana, oferite de Portalul www.europa.md si Programul Initiative Europene al Fundatiei Soros-Moldova.