Working Group to Reinforce the Open Method of Coordination in the Field of Social Inclusion

We are inviting you to join the first Working Group aimed at reinforcing the Open Method of Coordination in the field of social inclusion in Romania

The PACT Foundation – Partnership for Community Action and Transformation , together with the Resource Center for Public Participation (CeRe) and the Resource Center for Non-Profit Organizations in Oltenia (CRONO) are inviting all Romanian NGOs, active in the field of social inclusion, to participate in the project    “Promotion of Debates on Social Inclusion in Support of the Reinforcement of the Open Method of Coordination on Social Protection and Social Inclusion", financed by the European Commission through its PROGRESS Programme, implemented by the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities

The Open Method of Coordination (OMC) is an inter-state governance method, rather new in the European Union, based on voluntary cooperation between Member States.

OMC provides a framework of political coordination without legal constraints, based on “soft law” mechanisms, such as guidelines, indicators, reference values and principles, and good practice sharing.  Within this process, “Member States agree to identify and promote their most effective policies in the fields of Social Protection and Social Inclusion with the aim of learning from each others’ experiences”[1].

Romanian NGOs, active in the field of social inclusion are invited to participate in this process and join the Government representatives in a Working Group meant to contribute to the development of a National Plan of Social Inclusion which meets both EU requirements and international good practice in the field.

15 NGOs will be selected for the Working Group and given the opportunity to offer their expertise acquired while working directly with disadvantaged/ marginalised groups, and work together with the Government representatives for streamlining  the implementation of the policies in the field . During the project, all partners will facilitate the approach to relevant difficulties which disadvantaged and/or marginalized groups are dealing with, in order for these to be included on the Government’s agenda.

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The outcomes of the Working Group will be included in a good practice guide to be distributed to all relevant stakeholders in the EU Member States

Participating in this project means, for all selected NGOs, an opportunity to: 

- put to good use both their expertise and capacity to develop and implement efficient policies in the field of social inclusion, at the national level;     

- to assimilate knowledge and experience in using the Open Method of Coordination, promoted by the European Commission, as an efficient alternative in the field of social inclusion.

The interested NGOs are invited to fill in the participation form and send it by 15 September 2009 at the latest, by e-mail, to georgiana.dragu@fundatiapact.ro  or by  fax  to:  021/410.10.58.

You can also download the invitation to participate in the project, togrther with supplementary information on the Open Method of Coordination.

For further information, you may contact us by phone:  031/690.09.61.  Contact person: Georgiana Dragu.