ACTive NGOs – Transfer Network of 6 European Cities for the Development of Cooperation between NGOs and Local Governments

What are the main features of ACTive NGOs project? 
In 2017, the NGO House of Riga was granted the URBACT Good Practice status, and, currently, 5 European cities are adopting the best practice of the Riga NGO House. In this URBACT project – ACTive NGOs – we, Riga, are the leading partner. The experts, who assessed applications for URBACT Good Practice competition recognised that the experience of the NGO House was of interest for many European cities looking for better ways of supporting and developing their non-governmental sector. Moreover, an integrated approach to development and participatory approach is used in the work of the NGO House, involving NGOs’ representatives.

What is the ACTive NGOs partnership like? 
We found the first cooperation partners – Syracuse in Italy and Santa Pola in Spain – already last year. Both cities approached us immediately after URBACT cities’ festival in Tallinn, where the Riga NGO House gained international recognition – the certificate of the Good Practice Example. The representatives of Syracuse and Santa Pola were genuinely interested in getting to know the operational model of the NGO House and in improving cooperation with the non-governmental sector in their cities. This interest reinforced our confidence to participate in the URBACT Good Practice Transfer Network project competition.
In April, upon launching the project, one of the most important objectives was to broaden the partnership. We succeeded in this – 3 excellent cooperating cities joined us – Brighton in the United Kingdom, Dubrovnik in Croatia, and Espoo in Finland.
An interesting and uniting factor is the fact that all 6 cities involved in the ACTive NGOs network are seaside cities.

What is the experience of partner cities that you have had the chance to get acquainted with in the framework of the ACTive NGOs project, what are the main findings?
During Phase 1 in summer 2018, together with the Lead Expert of the project, I visited all five partner cities to get to know the situation there, etc. Each involved local government has a site or premises, where NGOs engage in their activities; however, they do not receive as extensive support as Riga’s organisations at the NGO House – premises free of charge and technical equipment, free of charge seminars and events, advice and support for various activities. In this project, the cooperation cities have the possibility to re-examine the approach to cooperation with the non-governmental sector, it is advisable to provide greater support, by adopting the good practice of the Riga NGO House. 
We see that, compared to the situation elsewhere, the NGOs of Riga can feel appreciated and supported – not only through the NGO House as a support platform but also through project competitions and other involvement possibilities. There are a number of cooperation types and ways, through which the Riga municipality reinforces the initiatives of the non-governmental sector and the active residents of Riga. 

Have the partner cities visited Riga and the NGO House already? Which aspects in the operation of the NGO House were appreciated the most by cooperation partners from other cities?
During the Phase 1 of ACTive NGOs project, two meetings took place in Riga. These events developed into fruitful working sessions and sharing of opinion, getting to know the project partners. Invariably, we spoke about the main “suspect” of this project – the NGO House, its model of operation, the associations and foundations that join the circle of the House’s members. The guests favourably assessed the opportunities offered to NGOs – accessibility of premises for the most diverse activities of the organisations, the offer of educational seminars, and information support. 

What are the outcomes that you plant to achieve in the ACTiveNGOs project?
We’ll be happy to share our knowledge and experience, as well as to identify other successful examples of cooperation between a municipality and the non-governmental sector. We hope that, in the course of implementing the project, “ younger brothers” of the NGO House will be born and grow up in the cities of cooperation. It is clear already now that these will not be 1:1 copies of the House; rather, by taking into account the local context, a stable support platform for NGOs will develop in each city, taking diverse shapes and highlights. Each partner will forge its own key to cooperation.
The transnational exchange seminars will also add value, allowing to get to know the best practices and practical examples of others, through reciprocal learning.
The Good Practice Example – the NGO House – will also benefit, since together with the members of the local support group – representatives of NGOs, departments of the municipality and other institutions – we shall gather good ideas and proposals for improving the functioning of the NGO House. It is intended to open two branches of the NGO House in Riga in the coming two years. 

What is your assessment of the URBACT programme? 
The projects and events of the URBACT programme stand out for their creative atmosphere and the emphasis on searching for innovative solutions. Participation in URBACT organised events always brings positive emotions and inspires new ideas. One of the advantages of this programme is the possibility to find like-minded people from the whole of Europe, to learn from others, to share successful examples.

How do you feel, working as the Lead Partner of the URBACT programme project ACTive NGOs?
This is the first time when the Riga Municipality participates in the URBACT programme with the project ACTive NGOs as the Lead Partner. That is a tremendous challenge and, at the same time, – responsibility. It is very valuable practice for the whole project working group and also a possibility to get to know our partner cities and their experience in project implementation. We feel satisfied that really good cooperation and a trustworthy partnership has developed in the network of ACTive NGOs. Each of our partners has a rich “dowry” filled with knowledge and experience, worthy of studying, learning, and identifying. All project partners are experienced and knowledgeable; we shall gain from them valuable lessons and examples. In the project, we are supported by URBACT expert Levente Polyak, who will help to develop the ideas that are important for all cities.
Moreover, participation in this project is very valuable for the team of the NGO House, as it will provide the possibility to study diverse forms of cooperation between municipalities and NGOs, shared activities, initiatives. In this respect, the partner cities are in different situations; however, interesting solutions to the issues of citizen participation, supporting various initiatives can be seen already at this point.
The slogan of our ACTive NGOs project states – “Active NGOs – wings to empower citizens!” We hope that, during the implementation of the project, our partners and all those involved in the project will be empowered.