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Golak

Malgorzata

Golak

Ad-Hoc Expert

Generic Skills

B.1. Understanding of integrated and sustainable urban development: 
My core values: a city based on trust, partnership and socially responsible business. I strongly believe that in order to see existing resources and possibilities we all need new development ideas. Due to my experience in business and public institutions, I have know-how to link traditional and innovative approach. I graduated in European Politics at the University of Strasbourg, France (DESS) and in Foreign Languages (specialized in Economics) at the University of Wroclaw, Poland (Master Degree). I work in the Strategy and Development Department of the City of Wroclaw, with entrepreneurs, NGOs, residents, helping to co-create favourable conditions for the development of local business and to improve the quality of public space. I coordinated a lot of international projects including URBACT: URBAMECO (socio-economic revitalization), URBACT MARKETS (urban markets, local fairs), BoostINNO (social innovation) as well as INTERRREG and Polish-German Cooperation (participative approach, Quadruple Helix Model). I co-worked out the programmes of shopping streets renewal in a big city - the model of social innovation involving young people in co-creating the city (one of the best projects in Poland). I initiated the programme of artistic neighbourhood: cooperation of entrepreneurs and designers in order to improve the quality of public space, involving citizens to regeneration process. I always respect partners and give them possibility to exchange and integrate ideas.
B.2. Understanding of exchange and learning processes at transnational level: 
Building partner relationships and international exchanges is the basis of my work. I know both the conditions o Central and Western Europe, which is very important for intercultural dialogue, mental and historical conditions. I can easily communicate in several languages (Polish, French, English, communicatively German). I have experience in transferring knowledge from the local level - as an animator and coordinator of support groups - to the international level: e.g. presentations in the European Parliament in Brussels during the Week of Cities and Regions (2014), the Congress of Regions in Wroclaw (2018). I presented the European best practices and their local use for Polish and international groups many times. I presented the experience of Wrocław regarding supporting entrepreneurship in the form of cognitive walks, discussions and design thinking debates. Thanks to this, I have achieved a high level of competence necessary in exchange and learning activities at transnational level. I avoid theorizing, I have practical knowledge. I know modern forms of cooperation on the business-local government-residents line. I used to work in the interdisciplinary teams – the area of development and strategy, with many levels of local government, government, chambers of commerce and business environment institutions. I combine a business approach with responsibility for a shared space. I use various communication tools, including visual, video, and social media.
B.3. Proficiency in English: 
I have Advanced English Diploma (C1). I have been cooperating with international groups for 20 years. I coordinated many international projects and organized intercultural cooperation workshops where the work language was English. I can easily prepare reports, materials and presentations in English, especially those intended for international environments. I am an author or co-author of many reports in English for the Office of Economic Development in the Municipality of Wrocław. I prepared Wroclaw's contribution to the URBACT MARKETS publication "Urban markets: heart, soul and motor of cities" (2015) and for other URBACT projects where the City of Wroclaw was partner. I have presented many international exchange reports for partners in Poland, France, Belgium, Hungary, Romania and Germany.

Expertise for the design and delivery of transnational exchange and learning activities:

Thematic expertise:

Theme / Policy: 
Local Economic Development
Summary Thematic expertise: 
I studied European Politics, had worked in business sector for 8 years (international envirement) and have been working in Public Sector – Economic Development Office and Social and Economic Regeneration for 12 years, dealing with strategic issues for SMEs. I presented the methods resulting from URBACT to local governments and shared knowledge with other Polish cities. I co-created local support groups. As a coordinator of strategic projects in our city, I co-designed the outputs and have an impact on maximization of the project results. The policy makers, recipients of the reports, should be persons who create local policies, scientists, local government, but also residents. They will gain stimulation to combine traditional and modern methods of capitalization of knowledge, to work on solving socio-economic problems, an innovative tool for promoting change. I have capacity to organize the participatory activities starting from the needs, requests of the residents, local authorities and stakeholders. My fields of expertise: - social and economic regeneration - solutions for strengthening the centralizing functions of space; - solutions for reviving central public spaces; - tools for managing central public spaces; - cross-sectoral cooperation mechanisms; - mechanisms to strengthen the competitiveness and entrepreneurship of local communities; A different look at economic development, a view combining business and social is very important.
Theme / Policy: 
Entrepreneurship and competitive SMEs
Theme / Policy: 
Integrated Urban Renewal
Summary Thematic expertise: 
I studies European Politics, had worked in business sector for 8 years (international envirement) and have been working in Public Sector – Economic Development Office and Social and Economic Regeneration for 12 years, dealing with strategic issues for SMEs. I presented the methods resulting from URBACT to local governments and shared knowledge with other Polish cities. I co-created local support groups. As a coordinator of strategic projects in our city, I co-designed the outputs and have an impact on maximization of the project results. The policy makers, recipients of the reports, should be persons who create local policies, scientists, local government, but also residents. They will gain stimulation to combine traditional and modern methods of capitalization of knowledge, to work on solving socio-economic problems, an innovative tool for promoting change. I have capacity to organize the participatory activities starting from the needs, requests of the residents, local authorities and stakeholders. My fields of expertise: - social and economic regeneration - solutions for strengthening the centralizing functions of space; - solutions for reviving central public spaces; - tools for managing central public spaces; - cross-sectoral cooperation mechanisms; - mechanisms to strengthen the competitiveness and entrepreneurship of local communities; A different look at economic development, a view combining business and social is very important.

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 : 
I worked in the following working teams, which prepared integrated and participatory policies: - Wrocław Regeneration Programme - Renovation of shopping streets programme - Providing opinions on civic budget projects - Changes regarding restaurant terraces - Changes regarding the ban on the sale of alcohol in the city center I am the coordinator of the projects of social and economic revitalization and renewal of shopping streets in the old town of Wrocław, which assume a participatory approach, work in interdisciplinary teams and inclusion of young people in consultations and building urban spaces. The projects were awarded between the best in Poland when it comes to social innovation. In each team we had psychologists, architects, urban planners as well as sociologists. These young people met with citizens and entrepreneurs, they learned about different perspectives on the problem and analysed it from different points of view. Thanks to the project, the city has gained a few important things. Namely, a group of young citizens of Wrocław who developed their analytic, negotiating and cooperative competences through the project. Secondly, we have gained credible research of the street, including a diagnosis supported by this research.
E.2. Knowledge on integrated approach for the design, delivering, monitoring and evaluation of urban strategies/policies: 
I was co-author of the social innovation model in the project: FROM VIRTUAL TO REAL project. A shopping street - urban space co-created by the youth, which can be replicated by other local governments and organizations. We invited young people entering the labor market to solve social problems in a real urban environment and thus to gain professional experience. Evaluation of the project was very important, we examined the competences of young people at the beginning and at the end of the project through surveys, interviews, meetings with an expert, and public presentations. The assumptions of the project have worked well and are now used the model In different urban spaces. We also monitored the project in terms of social participation, which has increased in the last two years, and municipal authorities are today more open to the voices of various social groups. The proposed model is universal, not only aimed at solving urban or economic problems, but all, at the general level (we exclude technical problems requiring specialist knowledge), eg. problems of elderly people or single mothers. It can be used in the implementation of various urban policies. Inviting, depending on the problem discussed, groups of young people not directly related to the problem and enabling them to diagnose the problem and the potential ways to solve them is possible in almost all conditions. We presented it to the decicion makers at the beginning, at the middle and at the end of the project.
E.3. Awareness of the main policy and funding schemes for sustainable urban development at EU and national level: 
I am very active in discussion clubs and forums, I cooperate with chambers of commerce, consulates, careers' offices. I maintain wide international contacts, I participate in meetings organized by EU institutions. I am a member of evaluation commitees for EU funds in our organization. At the same time, due to many international projects, I keep up to date with the latest European trends. I participated in the URBACT City Festival and in some workshops cncerning URBACT, UIA, Horizon 2020, RPO, Europe for Citizens and other funds. I initiate cooperation with social innovators and with businesses. I am a member of the social dialogue group and I evaluate economic projects - innovative in the Civic Budget. I am a member of the Parents' Council and I work intensively with schools within new trends of entrepreneurship education.
E.4. Ability to understand specific local situations and adapt tools and content to different local realities: 
To exchange good practices at the local level, we adopted the URBACT method to co-create solutions to urban challenges with help of local support groups. By building the potential of these groups, we have developed its work in smaller teams, including to each smaller group of residents. When capitalizing on knowledge, we used the most-targeted tools for a given group - for example, technological or more traditional ones. While working on the project BoostINNO - Boosting Social Innovation (URBACT III) - the very effective local tool turned out to be the involvement of a social organization that together with us conducted workshops among local traders (external expert rule). At the same time, individual meetings with entrepreneurs were necessary, which resulted in the implementation of the method at the local market.
Summary Expertise: 
I worked in the following working teams, which prepared integrated and participatory policies: - Wrocław Regeneration Programme - Renovation of shopping streets programme - Providing opinions on civic budget projects - Changes regarding restaurant terraces - Changes regarding the ban on the sale of alcohol in the city center I am the coordinator of the projects which assume a participatory approach, work in interdisciplinary teams and inclusion of young people in consultations and building urban spaces. The projects were awarded between the best in Poland when it comes to social innovation. To exchange good practices at the local level, we adopted the URBACT method to co-create solutions to urban challenges with help of local support groups. By building the potential of these groups, we have developed its work in smaller teams, including to each smaller group of residents. When capitalizing on knowledge, we used the most-targeted tools for a given group - for example, technological or more traditional ones. In each team we had psychologists, architects, urban planners as well as sociologists. These young people met with citizens and entrepreneurs, they learned about different perspectives on the problem and analysed it from different points of view. Thanks to the project, the city has gained credible research of the street, including a diagnosis supported by this research.

Informations

Residence location:
Poland
Languages:
Polish - Mother tongue
Foreign Languages level: 
Foreign languages: 
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Foreign Languages level: 
Foreign languages: 
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Foreign Languages level: 
Foreign languages: 
Email:
ggolak@o2.pl

Area of expertise