THE DESIGN OF A POVERTY PLAN Local approach by the city of Kortrijk
FIGHTING POVERTY AT THE LOCAL LEVEL? TACKLING POVERTY
• • • • •
Employment Minimumwages Social protection Pensions Taxes
EU - National - Regional
LOCAL LEVEL = complementary = intervention in people’s lives
4 GOOD REASONS TO TACKLE POVERTY AT LOCAL LEVEL • high level of credibility • local identification => less tolerance for poverty nearby • local goodwill = social capital • customized interventions
KORTRIJK – FLANDERS - EUROPE
KORTRIJK: 2 REALITIES REALITY 1 • 75000 inhabitants – 15,5% age < 15
– 30,7% age 15-39 – 32,8% age 40-65 – 14,2% age 65-79
– 6,8% > age 80
• Kortrijk, one of the 13 center cities in Flanders, Belgium • A prosperous city in a rich region
KORTRIJK: 2 REALITIES REALITY 2 • 15% live in poverty (AROPE) • 36% of the people on social benefits are age < 25 • 131 different nationalities: colouration of poverty •
KORTRIJK: 2 REALITIES REALITY 2
• • • •
Working poor Families on one salary Single parent families Ageing
• => more & complex needs for social services • => need for new approach
NEW PARTICIPATION METHOD • 2013: new local government • New style of governance
Give the city back to the residents Active involvement of all citizens
• “Kortrijk Spreekt” • “Iedereen Spreekt”
• 3RD PRIORITY: FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY!
KORTRIJK’S RESPONSE TO POVERTY • Fight against poverty as an explicit local policy domain • Coordinated by: – 1 alderman for poverty reduction – POLITICAL – 1 poverty coördinator – ADMINISTRATION • Program management approach – The city as director: program management – Integrated approach of all related policy domains – Transition – Strong external focus
OUTLINE • users perspective • stakeholders involvement • integrated approach • 2 key objectives • tackle consequences • tackle causes • 2 levels • organisational • individual
OUTLINE
CO - DECISION DEFINITION OF A FRAMEWORK • 3 pillars of EU inclusion strategy • National and regional policy on poverty • Facts and figures (data from different sources: national social report, regional social numbers, national deprivation statistics … ) • “ieders stem telt” => participation campaign • Kortrijk Spreekt – Iedereen Spreekt
Result: open framework defined from users perspective
CO - CREATION DEFINITION OF THE CONTENT Content • More than 100 local (internal & external) stakeholders • Engagement of people living in poverty (A‘kzie) • Usual and unusual suspects Permanent dialogue & active cooperation • Intensive but necessary process Result: widely supported plan with sustainable engagements from different local actors
CO - PRODUCTION ELABORATION Actions • Almost 200 actions • Delete + Alt + Ctrl City wide • Transition from classical to innovative approach • Everyone involved
POVERTY PLAN 10 FRONTS
INCOME & SOCIAL PROTECTION 25 ACTIONS
Example: Consumer policy
HEALTHY FOOD – HEALTHY LIFE 9 ACTIONS
Example: Zero Food Waste
ACTIVE WELFARE CITY 28 ACTIONS
Example: Trash design-workshop STAL13
HOUSING 34 ACTIONS
Example: Renovation support
HEALTH 18 ACTIONS
Example: Neighbourhood Health Centre
ACCESSIBLE & QUALITATIVE SERVICES 28 ACTIONS
Example: Wiseguys
CHILD POVERTY 25 ACTIONS
Example: “Brugfiguren” (mediators)
LITTERACY, @LL DIGITAL 12 ACTIONS
Example: @ll digital
CULTURE, LEISURE, SPORTS 6 ACTIONS
Example: The leisure pass UiTPAS
CHAPTER 10: PEOPLE GENERATED ACTIONS Examples: Ruilwinkel Mama’s voor Mama’s
COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGN POWER TO THE PEOPLE – 11 227
IMPLEMENTATION IN THE FIELD • Permanent dialogue & active cooperation • Formal cooperation agreements, incl. budget IN GOVERNANCE • Poverty plan implemented in formal ‘Strategic planning for local governments’ (SMJP) 2014-2019
IN BUDGET • ± 32.000.000 € for 75.000 inhabitants area, • Allocated from and through different local policy domains
IMPLEMENTATION
OUTPUT • Publication: composite map of objectives & concrete measures in 10 areas. • 197 actions – 165 in action or ongoing • 110 partners (growing) • formal cooperation agreements with local stakeholders and unusual suspects – incl. budget.
OUTPUT: STATE OF PLAY Ongoing
In progress
To start
Total
Income & social protection
6
15
6
27
Healthy food - healthy life
6
3
2
11
Active welfare city
10
19
6
35
Housing
17
10
6
33
Health
4
7
Accessible & qualitative services
15
14
2
31
Child poverty
3
21
7
31
Litteracy, @ll digital
5
5
3
13
Culture, leisure, sports
3
2
69
96
11
5 32
197
OUTCOME MONITORING • 10 fronts • Action level • 10 examples of progress IMPACT • evidence based monitoring = challenge! AMBITION • EaSI • Integrated approach => integrated delivery of services
RECOMMENDATIONS
Define the fight against poverty as an explicit policy domain on the local level.
Transcend the traditional level of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;welfareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.
Interfere in all policy domains, implement a horizontal approach.
Provide a budget, coordination alone is not enough.
Make your citizens co â&#x20AC;&#x201C; owners of your strategy.
Involve all stakeholders from the beginning.
Start from a users perspective instead of traditional administrative / political approach.
Invest in permanent communication on all levels.
Build in flexibility.
Start from local realities but frame the fight against poverty within regional, national en European strategies.
CONTACT Local authority Philippe De Coene philippe.decoene@ocmwkortrijk.be 0032 477 45 32 32
Local administration Maarten Franรงois maarten.francois@ocmwkortrijk.be 0032 473 86 26 95
EU funding officer Hanne Denoo hanne.denoo@ocmwkortrijk.be 0032 473 86 24 02