Helene
Brewer
Validated Lead Expert
Generic Skills
B.1. Understanding of integrated and sustainable urban development:
Educational background: teacher training. Methodology for learning and sharing experiences, explorative and inclusive methods. Sustainable development is integrated in the training and educational system.
Courses regarding gender and power issues, central for understanding gender equality as one key aspect of social sustainability. (Advanced level)
Courses on methodology
Master thesis on experience of resistance amongst pedagogues working with gender equality amongst adult students. (Advanced level)
Professional background: equality expert and strategist s gender equality – local level, local municipality. Close work with the political level regarding policy development and implementing perspective in the city.
Senior adviser Gender equality at regional government level - strategic development work, policy level and implementation through gender mainstreaming.
Integration developer at regional government level – strategic development work, policy level and implementation.
Process leader national level for cities and regions: implementation of gender equality and social sustainability goals. Mainstreaming as strategy and method.
For several years, I was part of a unit at the City of Umeå called Strategic development at the city department of development where all planning on sustainable urban development took place. I worked as an adviser on the main town planning projects, the town general plans as well as a range of smaller and larger projects.
B.2. Understanding of exchange and learning processes at transnational level:
Sweden-Russia regarding gender equality and empowerment, development. This gave me important experience regarding the immense differences between regions and the possibilities to make a change.
European Capital of Culture Umeå 2014 project gave me excellent experience on the many phases of complex transnational collaboration comprising many stakeholders with their own agendas. My role was that of a "demanding diplomat".
Exchange County of Västerbotten (Sweden) and Highland and Islands county council (Scotland) on rural and urban development and inclusion, how to democratize planning issues. This exchange involved several stake holders and by mutual experiences we gained new knowledge, not only of the various projects but also of how our organizations differ, and where we need to learn more.
Project using transversal dialogue as method: Umeå & Lund (Sweden), Universities of London and Umeå. Creating inclusion on town planning for marginalized groups. This work gave me crucial experience on methodologies for including marginalized groups with gained respect and trust.
Transnational project within the URBACT-program, Women, enterprise, education in local development. This work gave me experience and insight into the dynamics of transnational collaboration and its pros and cons. The importance of all partners feeling part of a process is crucial as well as seeing all partners potential to both learn and contribute to the process of the project.
B.3. Proficiency in English:
My mother tongue is English, and I am a fluent native speaker. My oral English has been used for voice over for film on urban development for the City of Umeå, and for film on migration issues for the County Administrative Board of Skåne.
My master thesis is written in English and I would be glad to send it if required. I have been translating texts from Swedish to English and vice versa for several years – working texts as well as academic texts.
Expertise for the design and delivery of transnational exchange and learning activities:
Summary Expertise for the design and delivery of transnational exchange and learning activities:
I use several methods to facilitate meetings and learning sessions, since a variety of methods enable more people to feel included, and bring knowledge home. The use of maps, dialogue groups, images and film are some of the tools I use. I have vast experience of arranging meetings, conferences, interactive workshops, dialogues, preparing background material enabling a beneficial exchange. I benefit from my pedagogical education as well as from my gained experience "learning by doing" over many years.
My expertise is gained from facilitating and teaching within the field for many years, in a wide variety of settings and for many different kinds of stakeholders. From NGO´s to high level political level and CEO´s, from small community groups to transnational projects and collaborations.
I have participated as a speaker at numerous conferences from local to international level within the field of active inclusion of target groups, urban strategic planning and local governance over many years. I believe an active and open dialogue where all partners feel equally valid, inconsiderate of the knowledge or experience, is an important part of enabling an exchange.
Preparing, organising and carrying out the planned learning activities in an interesting, reliable and professional way is a key aspect to a successful exchange. The partners can feel confident about the follow-through and focus on working with their challenges and questions adressed in the project.
Thematic expertise:
Theme / Policy:
Active Inclusion of Target Groups
Summary Thematic expertise:
My expertise within this filed is gained from many years of experience as well as knowledge learned from education within the field. My masters thesis focused on facing resistance as an agent for change, knowledge useful in any work creating change.
I have been involved in many projects and activities where the goal has been to increase inclusion from marginalized groups and /or create interest from local citizens who are not familiar with being part of a public conversation. Communities increasing their ability to be part of a democratic town are corner-stones for social sustainability.
Transversal dialogue, local workshops and community walks, open meetings regarding town plans, on-line questionnaires and mapping of experiences of marginalized groups are some examples of methods that I have been involved in. I have facilitated and been teaching within the field for many years, in a wide variety of settings and for many different kinds of stakeholders. From NGO´s to high level political level and CEO´s. I have participated as a speaker at numerous conferences from local to international level within the field of active inclusion of target groups, over many years.
The use of statistics and facts combined with an ability to discuss and have awareness-raising dialogues. One important aspect within the field is to meet the stakeholders at the level of knowledge that they have, and start the learning process there, working side-by-side in a transformative way.
Theme / Policy:
Urban Strategic Planning
Summary Thematic expertise:
Functional urban areas, town plans, transport planning under urban strategic planning.
Part of the Department of development in City of Umeå for several years working on the above issues as an adviser linked to gender perspective. Several projects on urban strategic planning and creating a growing town and city centre for all groups in society, such as children, youth, women, elderly.
Tunnels, bicycle planning, social areas incorporated in urban planning, recreation areas are some of the areas I have been involved in. Meeting target groups, preparing workshops for inclusive planning, undertaking experiments with sound/light as increasing the feeling of safety in the city. Safety walks as a way to gather information on neighbourhoods and how they are perceived. Incorporating gender aspects into adopted town plans. Examples represented in publications from the National Board of Housing, Building and Planning.
Theme / Policy:
Local Governance
Summary Thematic expertise:
My work experience has provided me with skills required for understanding local governance and its many and complex issues. In my role as gender equality officer, I was responsible for the Gender equality Committee, and prepared all back-ground material, PM:s and other matters that the political level might need in order for them to be able to do a good job. Part of my job was also to keep updated on City Council matters. The understanding of the political level and how matters are handled at local level are very clear to me and this is an environment I have been working in for many years.
I have been involved in many projects and activities where the goal has been to increase inclusion from marginalized groups and /or create interest from local citizens who are not familiar with being part of a public conversation. Communities increasing their ability to be part of a democratic town are corner-stones for social sustainability.
Transversal dialogue, local community workshops and community walks, open meetings regarding town plans, on-line questionnaires and mapping of experiences of marginalized groups are some examples of methods that I have been involved in.
Expertise support to local authorities and other stakeholders in designing & delivering integrated and participatory policies
E.1. Knowledge on participatory methods and tools for co-production and implementation of local polices :
Local policy gender equality,Umeå (2008-2011) My role design, plan & lead process. Design of project process including participatory methods & tools for co-production and implementation of new policy:
1. Political decision to go ahead with policy work, decision to create multi-sectoral working group. Vital steps for early-on conflict resolution within organisation. Conflicting interests will be put on the table and can be resolved in group or managerial level.
2. Facilitating working group through process. One member from each department secures anchorage early on. Participatory approach with statistics & SWOT in all departments followed by in-depth discussions of goals for policy.
3. Community dialogue: brain-storming & dialogue café for inclusive dialogue local stakeholders & citizens.
4. Multi-sectoral working group to write policy draft, all members being involved.
5. Meetings with reference group for new policy: experts, researchers, colleagues in Sweden, peer-review.
6. Report process to political level securing implementation.
7. Political decision at local municipality.
8 Implementation with the help of the working group who is now deeply committed in the work and can take ownership.
9. Implementation through political & managerial groups, info campaign, monitoring at all departments.
Methods used: statistics, SWOT, community dialogue, brain-storming & dialogue café, peer-review, info campaign, participatory design for co-production through entire project.
E.2. Knowledge on integrated approach for the design, delivering, monitoring and evaluation of urban strategies/policies:
Local municipality project for integrating all sustainability into one urban policy (2008-2010). Monitoring tools integrated in the annual monitoring system. My role in a strategic multi-sectoral working group was to ensure integration of social sustainability issues into urban policy, and how issues could be monitored & evaluated. Indicators for social sustainability were used, inspired from CEMR European Charter for equality & JAMindex. Indicators must be adopted & relevant for the local urban policy.
Examples of monitoring tools and methods used in the project for integrated urban policy:
*Quarterly monitoring with the help of produced question package. Examples: Are we achieving what we intend? What are implementation obstacles? Implementation gaps found?
*Valid indicators that can be used for monitoring and can also be part of evaluation tool.
*Impact indicators & performance indicators.
*Working group meetings throughout the project to stay on track with the goal.
*Statistical monitoring seeing possible changes.
*Mainstreaming in to the municipalities´ regular system as methodology. Ensure tool is used.
The work was incorporated in a data-base for sustainable development goals for the municipality, where the monitoring and evaluation results were placed. Each goal and indicator was linked to the urban policy. The indicators were linked to local, national and international policy documents securing an integrated approach.
E.3. Awareness of the main policy and funding schemes for sustainable urban development at EU and national level:
I keep up to date about sustainable urban development at EU and national level in several ways .I follow news-feeds, EU- and national websites for funding programs, as well as national authorities and government websites. I go to conferences and meetings where these matters are discussed. I also follow the field through my network of colleagues and former colleagues who are participating in various projects, fundings, calls.
I am currently also part of a working group at regional level linked to the European fund for social investments regarding labour market issues, enabling me to follow and participate in this work at close range, getting up to date on implementation issues, follow-ups and similar areas.
I have been involved in the regional development strategy in Skåne where these questions are on the table, enabling me to keep up to date. The areas within labour market and education are very much on my desk regarding migration issues at my current position working with these questions.
E.4. Ability to understand specific local situations and adapt tools and content to different local realities:
Example from Union of Baltic Cities project.(2008-2011) The cities are very different with varied possibilities to work locally. Work with the CEMR European Charter and how this strategic policy document/tool for change, could be adapted into different local realities. My role to facilitate discussions, create questions to help partners move forward in process to see how local level could use charter. For instance, how can child care be organised? Different in Sweden, Poland & Lithuania, but core q. remains: how create child care enabling both women & men to participate in work life in our community? Local statistics, knowledge & local policies are used, partners work with charter questions, but making it relevant for local level without losing track of main goal. In this way, local goals become linked to charter creating consistency across the participants in the project.
Example from project Community Planning and Scottish-Swedish-Russian exchange how engage local communities & encourage active citizenship in urban planning. Method deals with common problems and similar stakeholders in all countries, but different local situations. My role to adapt the tool to our local communities and how they could benefit from it, based on local planning regulations and specific local situation. This work was processed with stakeholders involved and tested to see how it could be adopted to local needs. The tool was adapted to the local realities and local level incorporated.
Summary Expertise:
My expertise as support to local authorities and other stakeholders in designing and delivering integrated and participatory policies mainly stems from experience of working with being responsible for producing several strategies, action plans for implementation, and similar. Gender mainstreaming as strategy is about integrating issues into the main organisation or for example integration a gender perspective into a new town plan. Urban development policies including sustainability perspective is vital for future in local municipalities and some of the most important aspects of making this happen is: deep knowledge of the area, integrating the perspective from the beginning (not "after the house is built"), getting stakeholders to feel involved an to take active ownership of the outcome for long-term implementation.
Informations
Residence location:
Sweden
Languages:
English - Mother tongue
Foreign Languages level:
Foreign languages:
Foreign Languages level:
Foreign languages:
Email:
equalitybrewer@gmail.com