Amato

Paola

Amato

Validated Lead Expert

Generic Skills

B.1. Understanding of integrated and sustainable urban development:

My 20 year professional career spans across different experience; researcher in urban/territorial integrated planning for JP and IT institutions; professional designer in JP; PR, technical adviser for an Embassy; since 2003 I have worked as public official expert in strategic planning, urban renewal schemes, EU cohesion policies, project manager of various EU funded initiatives for 2 Provinces and now for a city. Soon after graduation, whilst declining a work as junior technical lobbyist in Milan, I joined the CNR working 5 years as assistant to the project manager of a large Building National Research Program. Along with research I was peer reviewer conducting audits on various research contracts. Later on as EU STA researcher, I worked for a huge Jap research institution of the Jap Ministry of Construction. There I conducted experimental research onJap decentralization strategies, programs&policies, experimental urban integrated regeneration plans promoted in early 1990s in order to make outmost territories more attractive and prevent brain drain. Back to Italy I have been involved in various Interreg 3c,4c,MED, ENPI ItalyTunisia projects strongly related to cohesion policies, EE, RES. I've advised the Mayor and city managers on: new EIB finance; new forms of PPP; new ESIF FIs; Integrated Sustainable Urban Dev (CP ERDF); participation to 2013 Eu-China Urban Sustainable Forum in Beijin.I got an external contract from a law firm on EU financial support and H2020 FTI

B.2. Understanding of exchange and learning processes at transnational level:

As univ student and national Secretary European Arch. Students Assembly I took part to specific urban regeneration/design participative workshops across Europe. At CNR I was in charge of coordination weekly technical&reserch meetings aimed at monitoring overall results and attended each time by20 different stakeholders among academics, professionals, industry executives. This required a lot of preparatory&assessment and benchmarking work. When I joined the BRI in Japan, since most literature on decentralization policies/projects was mainly in Jap, I had to rely on direct interviews, field visits, vis a vis meetings/workshops with professionals, civil servants, executives,top architects&planners of design companies, politicians. Most of the work in small cities was conducted in Japanese while in general I had to provide a lot information or written questions far in advance as it was the norm. Such abilities combined with psychological skills of non verbal communication typical of Japanese culture, has so far helped my current activity as project manager of EU funded projects especially addressing technical workshops in a wide range of fields: civil protection, EE, RES, sustainable land uptake, Youth policies, prevention of violence against women etc. Getting involved in strategic planning and in many policy dev. design at city level has also deepened my understanding in integrated urban development and in exchange&learning at transnational levels

B.3. Proficiency in English:

EN is my second language and is versatile. It spans from minutes for building site meetings as I did for the Embassy down to translating papers in the field of medicine for friends.I started learning English at age 10, thanks to my grandmother an fluent EN Russian & FR an my high school EN teacher a former interpreter for the European Parliament. At 22 I already got a Cambridge certificate while as Secretary of the EASA I attended several international workshops being able to speak EN, IT, ES and understanding FR. In Japan my fist language was EN (then JP) as all my presentations, conference papers, working documents as the same was for the overall documents and communication at the Embassy in Rome. Even now in Italy as public official in charge of managing and writing EU funded proposals 90% of my work is in EN. Since 2013 I am Europe Direct Communication officer in charge of producing articles and general communication mainly EN IT. As for other languages: I studied Spanish in Spain and Italy and was homestay in Almeria. I was homestay in France on several occasions but never took proper courses so my written knowledge remains very basic. With Japanese I enrolled the Rome Jap Culture Inst. and was homestay in Japan for 3 months. In Japan the second time I took 3 classes a week including a free Councils course open mainly to Asian immigrants. I passed twice in 1997 and 2011 with top marks the Nihongonoryikushiken the only recognized proficiency test by Jap Govnm.

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:

My 20 years professional career spans across different experience; researcher in urban/territorial and integrated planning for JP and IT institutions; professional designer in Japan; PR, technical adviser for an Embassy; public official expert in strategic planning, urban renewal schemes, EU cohesion policies, project manager of various EU funded initiatives for 2 Provinces and now for a city. Over the years I’ve become aware of the importance of horizontal and vertical integration: these combined with a strong political commitment determine successful application of models originated in other contexts but adapted to fit local needs. Understanding vertical integration (esp barriers) in each and one context and in very technical and complex fields (environm, Energy etc) is no easy task and might end up to be an self referencial exercise if addressed without experience on the ground. My biggest professional asset remains my experimental research onJapanese innovative decentralization strategies and urban regeneration programs/plans in order to make outmost territories more attractive and prevent brain drain. It still represent a compass to understanding and designing local solutions to support Europe's balanced poly centric urban model. Along my on the on the ground experience as public official it has largely helped me being involved as project manager in many EU funded projects and in experimenting various level of informative, cooperative and active participation methods

Thematic expertise:

Theme / Policy:

Urban Strategic Planning

Summary Thematic expertise:

My experience in urban strategic planning got a wide understanding during my experimental research in Japan on decentralization national programs and urban renewal mechanisms for rural regions and small cities. Over decades various attempts had been done in order to reverse centralization ranging from entire new science cities,theme parks, gigantic sport&leisure resorts, to small scale projects in rural regions led by governors and using brand architectural landmarks by famous designers. I conducted comparative analysis of the various impacts projects had on social env and econ contexts. This has helped me understanding today's debate&practices on integrated strategies and projects.Back to Italy I was able to work on planning, policy design and regulatory provisions of general comprehensive sustainable plans but also on specific sectoral plans: non energy extracting industry, commercial activities and distribution;risk&specific risks assessment plans. My latest experience is in city strategic planning, smart city,PPP schemes esp EIB opportunities for urban areas, including the Juncker Plan (IIW). As external consultant of an ENPI Italy Tunisia I worked at defining a clear picture of EU Energy policies and financial mechanisms in the frame of external coop.More recently along with academic publications on CP and Urban Agenda, 2 contracts as expert by EFDD in the Eur Parliament, I have been invited to many thematic conferences of EU funded projects, including UIA MAC(2017)

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 :

Over the past 20 years I have taken part to mandatory and non mandatory consultations related to the revision of provincial plans or sectoral plans. Strategic Env Impact Assessment has been the norm and process to incorporate contributions to formal consultations are strictly defined by legislation. On the other hand I have also taken part to more active participative process as the world cafe or conversation cafe workshops (see§3.2.3) Although appearing quite simple to participants these tools require quite a lot of preparatory work, activity on the spot, feedback acquisition and followups. More recently in the frame of Interreg4c E-coop project I have also participated in the definition and launch of the first on line platform used by the City Council to engage citizens in debates around relevant challenges and policies in order to set the basis for co production. For such task I have also reviewed various active participation tools set by OECD and adapted by other local contexts.

E.2. Knowledge on integrated approach for the design, delivering, monitoring and evaluation of urban strategies/policies:

My best and direct experience has been with Province territorial plans and with province sectoral plans. All plans were subject to Sustainable Development Impact Assessment and thus subject to a mandatory set of monitoring tools. I was not directly entrusted with this specific task but in all cases I was involved in the drafting of technical and regulatory provisions and in collecting and assembling information and various contributions by internal and external experts.

E.3. Awareness of the main policy and funding schemes for sustainable urban development at EU and national level:

I have been advising city managers, Mayors and Presidents on the available EU funding schemes on sustainable urban development either grants or non grants. I have been in charge or writing working papers for formal of informal negotiations with MA on the activation of Jessica in the frame of SF OP ERDF 2007-2013, new ELENA and other EIB technical assistance related especially to EE . More recently in the frame of ENPI Italy Tunisia DUEDERNET project and as part of my collaboration as external expert I have provided technical inputs on possible financial schemes such as PPP and EPC for EE renovation of public buildings and private building stocks. In such frame I have been analyzing the new fi.compass platform set by the EC proving guidance and exchange to MA and Pas on new Fis and in particular off the shelf instruments

E.4. Ability to understand specific local situations and adapt tools and content to different local realities:

Over the years I’ve become aware of the importance of horizontal and vertical integration: these combined with a strong political commitment determine successful application of models originated in other contexts but adapted to fit local needs. Understanding vertical integration (esp barriers) in each and one context and in very technical and complex fields (environm, Energy etc) is no easy task and might end up to be an self referencial exercise if addressed without experience on the ground. On the other hand through transnational exchange I have been able to fine tune possible models and appreciate the possibility to exchange ideas and lesson learned. All the above however require various level of informative, cooperative and active participation methods. For that I have relied on my expertise developed after years of mandatory consultative processes associated to spacial planning. These have been a good starting point for more active participatory tools such as focus groups, world cafe, conversation cafe or web-based consultation processes as the case of the Interreg4c E-coop Prendo Parte platform

Summary Expertise:

Over the past 20 years I have taken part to mandatory and non mandatory consultations for revision of provincial plans or sectoral plans. Strategic Env Impact Assessment has been the norm while processes to incorporate contributions to formal consultations are strictly defined by legislation.This has been a sound starting point for more active participative process as the world cafe or conversation cafe workshops, web based consultations. Although appearing quite simple to participants these tools require a lot of preparatory work, activity on the spot, feedback, followups and evaluation. For such task I have aso reviewed various active participation tools set by OECD and adapted by other local contexts. I have been advising city managers, Mayors and Presidents on the available EU funding schemes on sustainable urban dev either grants or non grants. I have been in charge of writing working papers for formal of informal negotiations with MA on the activation of Jessica (SF OP ERDF 2007-2013), ELENA and other EIB technical assistance related especially to EE . More recently technical reports refer to PPP and EPC schemes for EE renovation of existing building stocks. In such frame I have been analyzing the new fi.compass platform set by the EC to favor and exchange across MA and PAs on new Fis as off the shelf instruments.I have participated in June 2015 to the Urban Dev Network seminar representing my administration which has been designated Urban Authority.