Nelson
Dias
Validated Lead Expert
Generic Skills
B.1. Understanding of integrated and sustainable urban development:
Graduated in Sociology and have a Master’s Degree in Planning and Development Processes Assessment, with focus associated with the sustainable development of cities. In professional terms: - Member of the mission team, created by the Portuguese Government, responsible for ex-ante evaluation of the construction of a new bridge on the Tagus River in Lisbon metropolitan area. It was responsible for evaluating the social impacts; - Consultant to the Government of Cape Verde and the United Nations to implement pilot experiences of participatory budgeting in 4 cities; - Consultant for numerous municipalities of Portugal for the design, management and evaluation of citizen involvement policies in urban development processes; - Creator of the 1st software at worldwide level for the design, management and evaluation of participatory budgets; - Consultant to the Lisbon City Council for the design and evaluation of the "BIP/ ZIP Program - Local Partnerships" which aims to promote sustainable urban development of 67 neighbourhoods and Priority Intervention Areas; - Consultant to the World Bank for the design, monitoring and evaluation of citizen involvement processes in the development of the poorest neighbourhoods in three cities of Mozambique, namely Maputo (the capital city), Nampula and Quelimane (both provincial capitals) - Coordinator of the Observatory of participatory democracy in Portugal; - Coordinator of the Network of Participatory Municipalities in Portugal.
B.2. Understanding of exchange and learning processes at transnational level:
Lecturer in many countries: Spain, Germany, Ireland, France, Brazil, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe, Cap Verde, Senegal, Tunisia, Argentina, Colombia, Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.
He has coordinated and participated in several transnational projects:
- Team member in EQUAL transnational cooperation
- Coordinated the project "Local Products - Cooperation with S. Tome and Principe"
- Team member of the European project DEAR STUDENT - STrengthened and sUstainable Development in Educative centers and Network of local sTakeholders through DEAR
- Coordinates the Portuguese participation in the project COMPARTE - Participatory democracy for Coexistence, Development and Good Governance - Nicaragua
- Member of the European project "Youth Moves Europe"
- Coordinates the project "Participatory Budgets for improving municipal governance in Mozambique" - World Bank
- Coordinates the Portuguese participation in the European project "Don't Waste Our Future".
He has organized several international meetings:
- Associative movements and European Citizens Against Racism
- II European Meeting of Young Lusodescendentes
- I, II and III Iberian Meeting of Participatory Budgeting
He collaborates with various international organizations:
- Local Authorities Forum for Social Inclusion and Participatory Democracy
- United Cities and Local Governments
- Andalusian Fund of Municipalities for International Solidarity
- International Observatory of Participatory Democracy
B.3. Proficiency in English:
The expert has an extensive internationally working experience, allowing him to master different languages, including English. Without this knowledge he could not exercise the various consultant functions for several international organizations, among which stands out the United Nations and the World Bank, as well as holding conferences in different countries.
He took English classes from the 5th to 10th grade. Participation in transnational cooperation projects allows him to expand vocabulary and keep actively training the English language. The reading of technical documents and newspapers in English are also part of his work.
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:
The expert has extensive working experience in international cooperation with countries in Europe, Africa and Latin America. He has been invited to give lectures and provide training for political and technical decision-makers in different countries of these three continents.
He has organized and boosted various international meetings to share experiences and show good practices.
His wide international experience allows him to have a vast knowledge on different political cultures, administrative, cultural and social, which facilitates his work of animation and moderation of transnational cooperation partnerships. He has extensive experience working with elected officials, policy makers, technicians, citizens and social organizations and businesses. He specializes in the use of facilitation methods and participatory animation, ensuring the involvement of participants in all phases of projects.
His experience allows him to adapt working methods to each local, institutional and political context.
He is the author of several books, articles and reports, often produced based on knowledge and work experience acquired in these different work contexts.
Thematic expertise:
Theme / Policy:
Local Governance
Summary Thematic expertise:
The expert has extensive experience working as a consultant for different organizations on the subject of participatory municipal governance (2006-15):
-Government of the Republic of Cape Verde
-United Nations
-World Bank
-About twenty municipalities of Portugal, Cape Verde and Mozambique.
He has assured training on participatory governance for about two thousand technicians, politicians and members of social groups in Portugal, Germany, Spain, Cape Verde, Mozambique and Brazil (2006-15)
He has been invited to give lectures at conferences, meetings and seminars in 15 countries from different continents.
He has organized and boosted various international meetings to share experiences and presentation of good participatory governance practices.
He is the author of several books, articles and technical reports on participatory governance.
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 :
The expert participated in the project “São Brás Solidário” (EQUAL), having coordinated the design and experimentation of a participatory budget process in a city in the south of Portugal (Action 2). From this trial produced a methodological guide for national dissemination of participatory budgeting (Action 3), giving rise to the project “Orçamento Participativo Portugal” (Participatory Budget Portugal), which was coordinated by the expert. Also assured transnational cooperation with other European cities. The expert coordinates the project “Portugal Participa”, which ensures an intervention in multiple Portuguese municipalities to design policies and local regulations for the participation of citizens. Under this project also ensures a permanent relationship with other partners and international experts. He has been a consultant for about 20 municipalities in various countries, for the design of participatory budgeting methodologies. In this context he has also produced many articles, books and methodological manuals for the dissemination of the theme and methodologies. He has been a consultant to the Lisbon City Council to design an external evaluation of “BIP / ZIP” program since 2011. Coordinated an online training course on participatory budgeting, aimed at technicians from different Portuguese municipalities. Coordinates the “Rede de Municípios Participativos” of Portugal, a community of practices, which currently comprises about 45 municipalities across
E.2. Knowledge on integrated approach for the design, delivering, monitoring and evaluation of urban strategies/policies:
The expert has been consultant and external evaluator of participation policies in several cities of Portugal and Mozambique. In this context ensures the regular study of different practices of participation, creating for this purpose various work instruments, collection and analysis of information. For each city annually produces a monitoring and external evaluation report, which also incorporates recommendations for improvement of political participation. In this work, the expert has designed instruments that:
-allow citizens involvement in the evaluation of public policies on participation of their cities;
-aim to increase the level of transparency in the actions of municipalities;
-allow permanent monitoring of the execution of public investments.
Currently supports the creation of the first “municipal councils of participation” in four Portuguese cities. They are recognized as institutional structures to promote the participation of citizens and their organizations in the design and monitoring of urban participation policies.
Coordinates the participation practices observatory in Portugal, available in www.portugalparticipa.pt, ensuring constant monitoring of existing processes in the country.
Regularly holds conferences in various countries and is the author of several publications on the evaluation of municipal participation policies.
E.3. Awareness of the main policy and funding schemes for sustainable urban development at EU and national level:
The expert has a constant concern to keep up to date on his areas of expertise, particularly participatory governance associated to sustainable urban development. This update effort is ensured through complementary mechanisms:
-privileged relationship with various networks established in multiple countries, promoting international cooperation;
-coordination of transnational cooperation projects in which he has been involved;
-coordination of publications that allow a knowledge update on participatory governance processes in multiple countries (xample of the book "Hope for Democracy - 25 years of Participatory Budgeting Worldwide, which he coordinated and invited about 40 authors from all continents);
-participation in conferences, seminars and international meetings;
-reading books, articles and reports produced by other experts;
-regular consultation of international reference websites on work related topics, among others
E.4. Ability to understand specific local situations and adapt tools and content to different local realities:
The wide experience of working in different countries allows the expert to have the sensitivity to understand the political, institutional, social and cultural differences and needs of each territory. It’s in this context that he has been a consultant for participatory governance processes in different countries, working directly with elected officials, policy makers and technicians of multiple local authorities.
Before starting any process, the expert performs an institutional and territorial diagnosis, which allows him to understand the action scenario where he will intervene. Due to the facts diagnosed and validated by local actors, the expert prepares and negotiates a draft of methodology for each participatory governance process. He creates the instruments of labour, ensures the training of the teams involved in each territory (knowledge transfer), supports the development of practices and monitors the entire process, producing the final external evaluation reports.
Based on this work he develops methodological manuals of good practice, aiming its dissemination in different territories.
Summary Expertise:
The expert is consultant to local authorities of several countries for the design, implementation and evaluation of urban citizen participation policies. In this context he:
-ensures regular study of different practices of participation, creating for this purpose various work instruments, information collection and analysis.These instruments aim i) to promote citizen participation in the evaluation of public policies on participation of their cities; ii) increase the level of transparency in the actions of municipalities; iii) monitoring the execution of public investments.
-produces many articles, books and methodological manuals for the dissemination of the subject and methodologies.
Coordinates the “Rede de Municípios Participativos” of Portugal, a community of practices, which currently comprises about 45 municipalities across the country.
Coordinates the “Portugal Participa” website that contains a national observatory (http://portugalparticipa.pt/Monitoring) and an international observatory (http://portugalparticipa.pt/International) of good participatory governance practices. Each practice has a useful technical information page for processes of dissemination and transfer of knowledge between municipal administrations.
Informations
Residence location:
Portugal
Languages:
Portuguese - Mother tongue
Foreign Languages level:
Foreign languages:
Foreign Languages level:
Foreign languages:
Email:
nelson@nelsondias.org