Promoter: The National University of Physical Education and Sports Bucharest

Partner: Norwegian School of Sports Science (NSSS)

The value of the financing: 4,450,000 euro

Implementation period: May 2019 – May 2023

Website: www.integraresustenabilaprinsport.ro

Social media: Sustainable integration through sport (Facebook)

Early school leaving generates educational exclusion among children, which can lead in the long run to a limited professional and social horizon, characterized by material deprivation. The implementation of the project aims to increase the number of students who access from the gymnasium cycle (grades V-VIII) to upper secondary education (grades IX-XII), promoting a type of inclusive education based on sports activities.

2,600 children (of which 520 Roma and 260 with special educational needs), selected from 32 schools, distributed in 24 counties in all regions of the country, are included in the project activities. Of these, 1,200 children will benefit for 3 years from assessment, counselling and mentoring services, non-formal education for the development of integration skills will participate in inclusive activities based on sports, will have a hot meal, and will participate in sports competitions and camps.

An information caravan and 4 awareness campaigns on the importance of education and combating exclusion through sport are the tools through which parents of children and education staff working directly with them are involved in the project. 760 educational experts (teachers, school inspectors, other experts with relevant expertise in this field) will be trained in working with children at risk through inclusive teaching methods, and 800 parents will participate in counselling sessions and workshops where to they learn to support their children’s education.

A new methodology for social integration, according to which sports activities are a tool for empowering children and young people at risk, will be developed within the project. Thanks to the partnership with the Norwegian School of Sports Science (NSSS), the research will use Norwegian experiences and best practices in the field. In this regard, the Norwegian experts had a series of working meetings on school dropout with Romanian education specialists. The academic component of the project will be complemented by the organization of four International Scientific Congresses for the dissemination of the main research, conclusions, and results of the project. The newly developed methodology will be submitted to the authorities with the proposal to become public policy.

A significant communication process will complement the project activities. Three major public events (launch conference, presentation of interim and closing results), eight regional informative seminars, press releases, participation in radio-TV shows, a website dedicated to the project in Romanian and English, and information materials and will publicly promote the project and its results. The impact of the project and its activities will lead to an increase in the awareness of public authorities, decision-makers, and education professionals about the need for an inclusive national education system.

Partial results (October 2020)

Promoter: Association of Romanian Communes (ACoR)

Partners: Association of Local and Regional Authorities of Norway (KS); Association of Romanian Municipalities (AMR)

The value of the financing: 3,277,088 euro

Implementation period: October 2019 – September 2022

Website: https://e-tic.ro/

Social Media: E-TIC  Information Center (Facebook)

The local public administration in Romania faces problems aimed at low transparency during the decision-making process, poor management of human resources, excessive bureaucracy, and reduced capacity to provide public services. Based on these weaknesses, the project aims to strengthen the capacity of local government through training, greater decision-making transparency, and the assimilation of key information on legislation in the areas of incompatibility and conflict of interest.

Addressing 3,300 representatives of local administrations (mayors, deputy mayors, local councilors, civil servants, and heads of departments), from 103 municipalities and 1,000 communes, the project provides information, training, and exchange services and good practices in transparent and efficient governance and public administration. Local government representatives will be trained in key areas for their work such as conflict of interest, incompatibility with function, decision-making transparency, and integrity.

An online information center open to all representatives of communes and municipalities will provide updated information on legislation in the field of conflicts of interest, integrity, decision-making transparency, and incompatibilities. The online helpdesk will have a real-time alert system, which will send updated information in the four areas of interest, regarding the legislative changes.

Through its partner, the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS), the project offers a special opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations between Romania and Norway, by developing exchanges of experience and promoting models of good practice in good governance and decision-making transparency.

Partial result (october 2020)