CONNECT needs you! !!!NEW DEADLINE!!!
20 February 2017
CONNECT – the new exchange mechanism developed by PLATFORMA and VNG International – is looking for European municipalities with practical expertise which may be shared with municipalities in Cambodia, Colombia, Ghana or Uganda.
CONNECT is aimed at providing a quick and adequate response to towns and regions in partner countries looking for a specific expertise. Therefore, PLATFORMA and VNG International are looking for European municipalities interested in engaging their municipal practitioners in short-term exchanges with their peers from municipalities in Cambodia, Colombia, Ghana or Uganda throughout March and April 2017. The deadline for expressing interest in the exchange CONNECTions is Thursday 2 March 2017.
Five local government associations in four different partner countries participate in the current pilot phase of the mechanism. They have formulated individual requests for practical European municipal expertise in the areas of:
- food security (Uganda)
- human resource management (Cambodia)
- ecotourism (Colombia)
- environmental health and sanitation (Ghana)
Four possible methodologies of know-how exchange connections are foreseen:
- an expert assignment to take place in the partner country where a solution is found
- a temporary work placement
- a round table expert meeting when the challenges addressed are complex and concern several local or regional governments
- a group exposure visit in Europe
The strength of the CONNECT approach is based on the “colleague-to-colleague” methodology, whereby an exchange of knowledge, experience and skills takes place between local or regional government staff or elected officials with the same job or in a comparable position, with similar tasks and responsibilities.
All European municipalities are invited to express interest in participating in such short-term exchanges with municipalities in partner countries. Selected municipalities will be accompanied by the CONNECT Secretariat in defining their expertise: nominated European municipal practitioners or representatives will be trained in the selected exchange methodology. The exchange CONNECTion will be financially supported by the Secretariat.
European Municipalities should apply before 2 March 12.00 pm. In case they face difficulties with filling out the entire application form, municipalities can send an email to connect@ccre-cemr.org stating in which call they want to take part. The CONNECT secretariat will contact them for further details.
The selection of participating municipalities and their practitioners will be based on the technical quality, previous international experience and the quality of the technical proposal. However, prior experience with an international exchange or cooperation is an advantage, but not a prerequisite!
- Discover the four concrete requests in details (Cambodia, Colombia, Ghanaand Uganda)
- More information on CONNECT
- Supply form
- Discover CONNECT in video
