Konstantinos
KARAMARKOS
Validated Lead Expert
Generic Skills
B.1. Understanding of integrated and sustainable urban development:
I work as a freelancer & I am a business expert in sustainable urban development (1992 – onwards). Ι studied mechanical engineer at the Thessaloniki Polytechnic University having economical direction in my curriculum. I am holding Postgraduate Diploma in Strategic Management and Master of Business Administration. Having extensive experience in development projects in the private sector until 2000, from 2001 onwards I mostly manage urban development projects of the Public Sector for Municipalities, Regions and other regional strategic stakeholders. I am expert in local development, urban strategic planning, entrepreneurship and competitive SME’s with the use of Information and Communication Technologies. During my carrier I was trained in Quality Management, Benchmarking, Project Management and more business subjects and tools. The last 10 years I am focusing on urban development projects (transnational and regional), in strategic planning & evaluating (OP’s and ROP’s funded mainly from ESRF), projects related with SME’s development & competitiveness and recently I am working on projects related on the strategic level of the new period needs (Europe 2020) like Regional Operating Programs & Smart Specialization Strategy (S3) plans. Since 2011 I am implementing & managing Interreg IVC transnational projects for the region of Western Macedonia, all related with sustainable urban development. As a technical advisor I have worked with many regional governors and mayors in Greece.
B.2. Understanding of exchange and learning processes at transnational level:
My up to now long-time experience in exchange & learning activities at transnational level, supported by my postgraduates studies, certifications and training (mostly in SME’s competitiveness sector), offers an important number of skills in cooperating, working and living with other people, in multicultural environments and in positions where urban planning knowledge, management and communication skills are important and situations where teamwork is essential, as they are required for the successful accomplishment of targets. I have worked successfully with EU personnel and several institutions during projects funded by EU. To these projects communication and social skills, competences and dynamic personality are very important for the successful accomplishment of them, in exchanging – learning activities, in administrative and of course financial level. Cooperating with agencies and organisations of Greece materializing IVC projects, consisting an international network and several European agencies-consisting transnational networks, offered me important experience in socializing. My work within international & multicultural environments was successful due to my high motivation and team work competence. Working continuously since 2011 as a project manager in 5 IVC projects, enriched further my considerable experience in regional and urban development. These projects were based on exchanging best policy practices among partners & implementing regional action plans.
B.3. Proficiency in English:
I can communicate fluently in English (oral and written) as I am holding a diploma of First Certificate in English from the University of Cambridge (Certification Grade: A), a Postgraduate Diploma in Strategic Management from the Chartered Management Institute, United Kingdom and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Sunderland, United Kingdom.
I have worked on several EU transnational projects, where English was always the official language and I have also participated in a big number of workshops, conferences, study visits and lifetime learning seminars in English (quality management, project management, benchmarking etc).
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 work as a freelancer in sustainable urban development since 1992.I worked as PM in 5 IVC pr. (Smart+, Locfood, Difass, Histcape, Inact). I was project manager of the RIS3 2014-20 for West Macedonia. I contributed to the delivery of exchange & learning activities through workshops, SVs’, web tools, platforms, on line surveys etc. I used a variety of methods & tools, in order to learn from other partners, understand their successful policies and transfer their experience. I have ability in team working -best policy practices exchanging and focused discussions and also : to work out the common interests of all partners & to engage & mobilize partners to use learning tools to reflect & inform planning & reports. I cover all strong capacities in leadership, mediation and conflict management needed in Urban projects. I have the ability to work on common interest of partners: to prepare & deliver transnational networking activities (incl. seminars, peer reviews, labs, study visits, etc.), coach & support all partners for preparation of transnational activities. I am very experienced in supporting partners in identifying & involving local key stakeholders and in adapting and embedding knowledge generated at transnational level into their local policies and practices. My org
Thematic expertise:
Theme / Policy:
Urban Strategic Planning
Summary Thematic expertise:
My long-time experience in regional & interregional projects since 2000, supported by my postgraduates studies, certifications & training (mostly in urban strategic planning & SME’s competitiveness sector), offers an important number of skills in working and living with other people, in multicultural environments & in positions where management & communication skills are important & situations where teamwork is essential, as they are required for the successful accomplishment of targets. My organizational skills & competences are based in both studies & experiences. My postgraduates’ studies were on Strategic & Business Management, whilst my continuous training in the field of Project and Quality Management & more led to a number of certifications. I worked on urban & regional projects for municipalities, Regions & other stakeholders mainly for operational programs funded by ERFC, but also for national funding projects & programs. I specialize in preparing of strategic plans for local government bodies & EU transnational projects I have the ability to produce thematic inputs to feed in the learning process of in projects which I have been involved. Also to produce concise reports that incorporate learning from exchange & learning activities, put forward good practice and policy messages. I can also capitalize project results as this is a key aspect of most EU projects in supporting the accomplishment of their objectives on local, regional, national and even EU level.
Theme / Policy:
Entrepreneurship and competitive SMEs
Summary Thematic expertise:
My long-time experience in regional & interregional projects since 2000, supported by my postgraduates studies, certifications & training (mostly in urban strategic planning & SME’s competitiveness sector), offers an important number of skills in working and living with other people, in multicultural environments & in positions where management & communication skills are important & situations where teamwork is essential, as they are required for the successful accomplishment of targets. My organizational skills & competences are based in both studies & experiences. My postgraduates’ studies were on Strategic & Business Management, whilst my continuous training in the field of Project and Quality Management & more led to a number of certifications. I worked on urban & regional projects for municipalities, Regions & other stakeholders mainly for operational programs funded by ERFC, but also for national funding projects & programs. I specialize in preparing of strategic plans for local government bodies & EU transnational projects. I have the ability to produce thematic inputs to feed in the learning process of in projects which I have been involved. Also to produce concise reports that incorporate learning from exchange & learning activities, put forward good practice and policy messages. I can also capitalize project results as this is a key aspect of most EU projects in supporting the accomplishment of their objectives on local, regional, national and even EU level.
Theme / Policy:
Local Economic Development
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 have been supporting local, regional and national authorities, other policy stakeholders in designing and delivering integrated and participatory policies since 2000 as project manager or member of project team of senior experts (f.e. technical advisor for OP “Information Society” 2000-2006, urban business plans for municipalities in RWM, clusters innovation action plans for the regional marble sector, business plans for young unemployment / municipality of Kozani, exante evaluator for national OP 2007-2013 and West Macedonia (RWM) OP 2007-2013, technical advisor for RWM OP 2014-2020. For this last one I was project manager for all thematic topics and responsible to inline the region’s policy with EU new guides and regulations for 2014-2020. I was ahead of a project team of 10 advisors and responsible to coordinate them with the Interim managing Authority, the regional government, national and EU officers responsible to approve the regional OP.I used a number of participatory methods and tools in designing and delivering integrated and participatory policy to the final business plan that cover all development needs of the region of Western Macedonia. These were: Risk analysis, PCM & Prince2 methods, Scheduling & monitoring methodology, Survey questionnaires, Quality management, Communication management, Change management, External environment analysis, SWOT analysis, structured consultation with local stakeholders and citizens, feasibility analysis etc.
E.2. Knowledge on integrated approach for the design, delivering, monitoring and evaluation of urban strategies/policies:
Region of Western Macedonia is the energy heart of Greece. Several lignite-fired power plants characterize the region as the centre of electricity in Greece contributing in the local economy. Since 2000 the national PPC yields in the regional government and in the municipalities 0.5% of its turnover for the implementation of urban development projects through an integrated local program. I worked on several action plans funded by this program the last 10 years (f.e. workshop and seminars of project management to freelancer engineers that are supporting projects funded from this local urban program, environmental business plans and actions). I was also responsible as project manager: 1. of the exante evaluation of the local program on behalf the region of W.Macedonia, Greece 2.of the on going evaluation of the same program. I was ahead of the (2) project teams and responsible to present the results to regional and municipalities councils. I prepared all evaluation tools and methods, I coordinated the project team and I was fully responsible for the evaluation deliverables. I used the following monitoring tools: Risk analysis, PCM & Prince2 methods, Scheduling & monitoring methodology, Survey questionnaires, Quality management, Communication management, External environment analysis, SWOT analysis, structured interviews with local stakeholders, feasibility analysis etc
E.3. Awareness of the main policy and funding schemes for sustainable urban development at EU and national level:
Working on projects related with and urban regional development requires constant updating to the new conditions, regulations, guides, trends etc at European level. I keep up to date about sustainable urban development policies, trends and funds in many ways. First of all, by working in EU projects like Interreg C, where best practises, urban policy recommendations and strategies are on the centre of all project tasks. Attending to related workshops, conferences, seminars, consultations, social media team groups (LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter) contribute to update also. I am also participating to web forums about urban / regional policies and to our regional committee under the supervision of the Greek Technical Chamber as coordinator. Since 2010 I am working with our regional research and innovation institutes to update my knowledge in urban planning. In order to prepare and evaluate of our regional operational programs (funded by ESRF) since 2005 I reed and update all related EU and national regulations. I am also a member of the Regional Consultation Committee since 2011 where all strategic urban plans and policies are being under consultation (during the preparation of the local and regional operational programs).
E.4. Ability to understand specific local situations and adapt tools and content to different local realities:
Situational analysis in urban and peri-urban policies is often a starting point for programmes and projects supporting interventions to improve the contribution of urban economy to income, family nutrition, social and environmental conditions and wellbeing. Working on many transnational projects I exploited my ability in understanding the specific local situations in many European regions and adapting tools and content to different local realities, so as to ensure consistency in the delivery of expected outputs by the different partners involved. One relevant project that I was project manager for Western Macedonia and where I adapted tools and content at local level was IVC Locfood. I adapted the tool of Benchmarking existing levels of innovation using data from Eurostat Community Innovation Survey results, Field survey and Eurostat results. The outcome was to identify extent of innovation in Food Sector and also identify gaps in related knowledge in order to prepare urban action plans to support entrepreneurs and SME’s. One of the action plans included all preparation steps necessary to establish an urban food sector cluster including SME’s, municipalities and other stakeholders. This action plan was consulted and finally it was integrated to the regional smart specialization strategy plan as a priority.
Summary Expertise:
I support local, regional & national authorities, other policy stakeholders in designing and delivering integrated & participatory policies since 2000 mainly as PM (urban business plans, clusters action plans, exante evaluator for national and regional OPs 2007-13, business plan for OP 2014-20). I was responsible as project manager of the exante & ongoing evaluation of the biggest local funded urban program on behalf my region. Working on many transnational projects I exploited my ability in understanding the specific local situations in many European regions and adapting tools and content to different local realities, so as to ensure consistency in the delivery of expected outputs by the different partners involved. Working also on projects related with urban regional development requires constant updating to the new conditions, regulations, guides, trends etc at European level. I keep up to date about sustainable urban development policies, trends and funds in many ways. First of all, by working in EU projects like Interreg C, where best practises, urban policy recommendations and strategies are on the centre of all project tasks. Also, by attending to related workshops, conferences, seminars, consultations, social media team groups. Tools and methods I use: Risk analysis, Prince2, Scheduling & monitoring methodology, Survey questionnaires, Quality management, Communication management, Change management, External environment analysis, feasibility analysis etc
Informations
Residence location:
Greece
Languages:
Greek - Mother tongue
Foreign Languages level:
Foreign languages:
Email:
kostas@kkc.gr
Unavailable - already performing the role of Lead Expert for an URBACT network