FINAL ACTIVITY REPORT
INTERNATIONAL POLICY FELLOWSHIPS, 2003
By
Milena Minkova
Issue area: Building Institutions
Title: Defining the New Role of the Regions in Overseeing and Coordinating
Regional Development in Bulgaria
1. With regard to my IPF research in the period March, 2003-April,
2004, I undertook the following research activities:
Background research of the existing political, economic and legal
framework related to regions, regional governor and regional administration,
and regional development policy, based on the surveyed various primary
and secondary sources including review of the existing literature, legislation,
and main social and economic indicators /Results are reflected in the final
research paper/;
Refining methodology with mentors;
Preparation of a map for conducting the quantitative analysis to
be applied to each level of government. The following stakeholders in regional
policy in Bulgaria have been identified: Central Government Ministries
/ Regional Development and Public Works (MRDPW), Finance (MoF) and Economy
(MoE)/ and the Council of Ministers, Members of Parliament and Political
Parties, Regional Governors and Regional Councils, Municipal Mayors and
Municipal Councils, Non-Governmental Organizations, including the National
Association of Municipalities in Bulgaria, the Foundation for Local Government
Reform, Regional Development Agencies and the Bulgarian Association of
Regional Development Agencies (BARDA), Association of Urban Planners in
Bulgaria, Associations presenting the Bulgarian Business Community, The
Agency for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, the Bulgarian Industrial
Association and the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, European
and International Organizations, the media.
Preparation of the interviews to be conducted as a part of the qualitative
analysis;
Fieldwork in Bulgaria: data collection through personal interviews
with various stakeholders, in this relation I conducted a substantial part
of the structured interviews at central, regional and local level of government
as to get feedback from the real world implementation of regional policy
in Bulgaria. On this basis a stakeholder analysis has been prepared. Its
results are assessed against the results of recent stakeholder analysis
performed by USAID.
Analysis of the data from the fieldwork research and preparation
of results.
Preparing of a draft research paper and draft policy paper
Dissemination of the draft policy paper to major stakeholders participants
in the working group on decentralization at the Ministry of Regional Development
Analysis of the feedback from the stakeholders and incorporation
of the results in the policy paper
Discussion of the findings with major stakeholders and
their presentation at a working session of Group 21 Regional development,
which leads negotiations with the EU on regional development issues.
Incorporation of the results
Discussion of the proposed policy paper with group mentor and working
group in institution building in Budapest at the IPF seminar in March,
2004
Presentation of the paper at Conference in Regional Development,
april 2004
Presentation of some findings at NISPACee seminar in Bratislava,
in May 2004
Finalization of a policy research paper and policy paper
Publication activities
Article on the new Regional Development Act published
Findings to be incorporated in a comparative studies book on the
situation of local democracy to be published in September, 2004 by LGI
Publication of the findings in a discussion paper
Other activities
Participation in the three seminars organized by IPF;
Participation in the working group on regional policy in Bulgaria.
Participation in the working group on decentralization in Bulgaria
Participation in the GDN Annual Conference on Bridging Policy and
Research in January, 2004, New Delhi, India
Participation in the NISPACee seminar ToT for Building Advisory
Capacities in the Accession Countries in Bratislava, May, 2004
Participation in the NISPACee Annual Conference in Vilnjus, 2004
-
Home page