institute for territorial economic development (inter) - basic facts

InstituteForTerritorial InstituteForTerritorial EconomicDevelopmentEconomicDevelopment

www.lokalnirazvoj.org

InTER has been established with he mission of promoting and advancing sustainable socio-economic territorial development in the Western Balkans.



GENERAL INFORMATION InTER – the Institute for Territorial Economic Development – was established in 2006 as a not-for-profit independent non-governmental think tank, with the mission of promoting and advancing sustainable socio-economic territorial development in the Western Balkans.

InTER is registered with the Ministry of Public Administration and the Local Self-Government of the Republic of Serbia under no. 3959/11298, and by the Ministry of Public Services of the Government of Kosovo under no. 5111399-3. This twofold registration gives InTER legal status to provide its services in all countries of the Western Balkans.

InTER has two offices, the main office in Belgrade, Šajkaška 29/12 and the field office in Zubin Potok (Kosovo), Kolašinskih kneževa bb. More information about InTER is available at the official website: www.lokalnirazvoj.org.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Prof. dr Blagoje Paunovic: Mr. Paunovic is a professor at the Faculty of Economics, University of Belgrade, where he teaches a group of courses on SME and Entrepreneurship Development. Prof. Paunovic has a long experience with providing advisory services and technical assistance to public and private sector entities in Serbia. He is author of many books, studies and publications. Prof. Paunovic served as an Assistant Minister at the Ministry of Economy within the first Democratic (Djindjic’s) Government of Serbia, being in charge of SME Development. Prof. Paunovic is a President of InTER. Mr. Dragisa Mijacic. Mr. Mijacic is a PhD Researcher at the Maastricht University, doing his research on decentralization and regional/local economic development in the Republic of Serbia. Mr. Mijacic has an extensive record in local/regional development, cluster development, institutional building, strategic planning and project cycle management, serving as consultant to numerous international donors and national development agencies. He is also author of many publications and researches in the field of local development and related issues. Mr. Mijacic is an Executive Director of InTER. Mr. Tomislav Novovic. Mr. Novovic is governance and institutional development expert with a long-lasting experience in working on senior positions with international development organisations such as UNDP. He has a great record working in the field of local governance, strategic planning of local development, institutional building at the local level and project cycle management. Mr. Novovic is a member of the InTER’s Board of Director.

FIELD OF EXPERIENCE The central focus of our work is to support capacity building of civil society organisations and the public sector (principally public administration organisations and local self governments) across a



broad spectrum of socio-economic territorial development. We conduct capacity building through training and mentoring, based on needs assessment and a wide range of research and analysis. The support offered by InTER is primarily focused on organisational development and institutional strengthening of partner organisations, identifying and exploring funding opportunities, preparing project proposals and implementing projects. InTER's core characteristics are our multi-disciplinary approach and our ability to meet and adapt to the changing needs of our clients. We have considerable expertise in setting up teams of specialists to meet specific needs, which we have gained working in countries throughout the Western Balkan region. Drawing on our extensive experience, skilled staff and versatility, InTER has built a reputation for delivering outstanding quality together with on-time and on-budget performance. We also attach great importance to the environment and sustainable development issues in all of our research and projects. Having provided technical assistance on a range of developmental projects, including structural and social cohesion programmes for international funding agencies in a large number of countries in the Western Balkans, we also have extensive experience in the implementation of the latest international practices, procedures and regulations. The main areas of InTER's activities focus on: Regional and municipal sustainable socio-economic development: providing support to a variety of organisations, including regional development agencies, business support organisations and entrepreneurial associations; supporting the process of strategic planning at regional and municipal levels; area-based development; project design, development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation; urban development projects; and municipal management. Organisational reform and public sector development at the local and regional level: strengthening the capabilities of organisations within the public sector; improving performance; training and coaching; and developing financial management and operational systems. Cluster and private sector development: capacity building of cluster initiatives; network and cluster mapping analysis; value- and supply-chain analysis; support to private sector development; and strengthening of public-private partnerships at local and regional level. Organisational capacity building and management: assessment of businesses' administrative and operational capacity; assistance in developing business plans and strategic and operational planning; and provision of market analysis; Human resource management and training: analysis of training needs; organising and conducting training programmes; study tours; and providing assistance to training centres.



LIST OF PROJECTS Archeopark - a Celtic Settlement Singidunum at Ada-Huja in Belgrade. The City Municipality of Palilula (Belgrade) and InTER has signed a strategic partnership in developing a first Archeopark in Serbia, a reconstruction of a Celtic Settlement Singidunum at the locality of the Ada Huja in Belgrade. Other partners in the project are the Institute of the Archaeology of the University of Belgrade and Serbian Chamber of Commerce. Although the project is still in the phase of programming, the Belgrade Port has granted the land for the Archeopark at Ada Huja, Belgrade. Besides, the promotional movie has been developed and the project has been promoted on the International Tourist Fair in Milano (Italy) and Belgrade (Serbia). Total value of the project is estimated to 400,000€. The project has been seen as a support of the Belgrade’s candidacy for EU Capital of Culture 2020. Technical Assistance to Local Self Government Reform in Montenegro. The main objective of the project EuropeAid/128307/C/SER/ME entitled «Technical Assistance to Local Self Government Reform in Montenegro» funded by the European Commission, is to improve the absorption capacity of Montenegrin municipalities for the use of EC funds for local economic development through better identification, development and management of priority municipal investments in line with the EU best practice. InTER’s role is to provide assistance in development of a training program for local self-governments in Montenegro. Training program is consisted of the following modules:

Project identification in line with EU standards: Project Preparation Framework, Stages in PCM, Logical Framework Matrix, Methodology for Prioritization of Municipal Investment Projects, Demand Analysis Methodology, Stakeholders Analysis, Tools for Problem Analysis, Objective Formulation and Strategy Development, Cross-cutting Issues;

Formulation and Appraisal of EU funded projects: Application writing standards, Indicators, Budgeting, Partnership, Project appraisal

Preparation of technical documentation for EU funded investment projects: Key Elements of a Feasibility Study, Cost-Benefit Analysis, Environmental Impact Assessment

Implementation of EU funded projects: Role of Project Implementation Unit (PIU), Rights and Obligations of a Municipality as Employer, Introduction to PRAG Guidelines (visibility, contracting), Guide through PRAG Grants, Supply and Service Contracts, Project Monitoring and Evaluation, Risk Management and Cost Control Issues, Reporting

Implementation of EU funded investment projects (Work Contracts): PRAG - Procurement and Tendering Procedures for Work Contracts, FIDIC Guide Books for Construction, FIDIC Contract Rules – Red Books.

The project intervention started in June 2010 and it is foreseen to last until June 2011. Writing Project Proposals and Successful Project Cycle Management InTER has been awarded with the grant within USAID FORECAST programme in Kosovo to implement a project which targets to increase capacity of local NGOs and municipal administrations from northern



municipalities in absorbing available granting schemes through training activities in the field of writing project proposals and successful Project Cycle Management (PCM). Within the project, InTER trained 25 representatives of local NGOs, informal groups and municipal representatives, combining in-class and distance learning techniques. Besides, as a part of the project, InTER organised an event “Meet your donor” where the participants could directly present their projects to the donors’ community in Kosovo. The project intervention lasted from December 2010 to March 2011. Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis and Research of the Serbian ICT Industry and market InTER has been engaged by GTZ WBF programme to provide technical assistance in assessment of the Serbian ICT industry and market in 2010. The main focus of the assignment primarily focused on five complementing objectives:

Connection and complementation of the already existing ICT Directory 2009 and its implementation as a online database; Research and understanding of baseline documents available on the ICT industry and market; Stakeholder analysis; ICT Sector Study 2010; SWOT Analysis; Recommendations;

The completion of the assigned tasks and deliverables provided an overview of ICT industry and market in Serbia and understanding of the key players, trends and status quo, which were translated into concrete recommendations for further steps to be implemented by GTZ/WBF and its partners in the ICT Sector. The main result of the project is the Study “ICT in Serbia - at a Glance”, which was published by GIZ ACCESS Program in January 2011 (see bellow the list of publications). Preparing a Cross-Border Development Concept: Foca - Pluzine InTER has been contracted by GTZ Open Regional Fund in Montenegro to provide technical assistance in developing a cross-border development concept for two bordering municipalities: Foča (BiH) and Plužine (Montenegro). The intention of the cross-border development concept is to define possibilities for an enhanced economic development in the frame of improved and effective protection of natural resources. It includes also institutional and structural requirements to establish proper management, coordination and cooperation conditions on the base of existing cross-border potentials and limitations and following the approach of sustainable development. Existing and planned initiatives of other international organizations will be considered and efforts coordinated. The outcome of the project is the Concept for Cross-Border Cooperation that is adopted by local assemblies of two municipalities as their development document (see bellow the list of publications).



The period of engagement lasted from May 2010 to March 2011. SEENET Programme: A trans-local network for the cooperation between Italy and South East Europe The SEENET Program aims to foster dialogue among states, institutions and local communities in the South East Europe for the effective development of the territories involved in the Program and in a long-term partnership at regional level and with the Italian system of decentralized cooperation. InTER participate as a partner to the Centro Studi di Politica Internazionale (CeSPI) on a horizontal program component: Research, which aims to implement policy oriented action-research activities, to disseminate knowledge and to valorise experiences of governance for local development. The subject of the InTER’s involvement is development of five research studies, prepared within the period of 30 months (one research per six months). The first research has been finished in October 2010 and it is available for download at the InTER’s website www.lokalnirazvoj.org (see bellow the list of publications). Training of local stakeholders in applying for and management of EU/IPA funds in Montenegro and BiH InTER has been contracted by GTZ Open Regional Fund in Montenegro to provide technical assistance in providing technical assistance to the PCM and project proposal writing to representatives of public and private sector from two bordering municipalities: Foča from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Plužine from Montenegro. The project included designing and implementation of the training courses on project proposal writing for EU IPA CBC Programme between Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. There were three modules, each lasting 3 days. Participants are 23 members of local governments, NGOs and private sector associations from two municipalities. Outcome of the assignment is 4 project proposals developed in line with the EU IPA CBC Programme objectives. The project was implemented from March to May 2010. Training on Area-Based Development Approach InTER’s experts were invited by the EC Joint Research Centre (JRC) to provide a 2-day seminar on the Area-Based Development Approach, organized for participants from Joint Research Centre, Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (Seville, Spain), OECD, UNDP, UN FAO, University of Trento and other stakeholders of the potential area-based cross-border cooperation project on rural development in the Western Balkans. The seminar was held at the European Commission, SDME building, Brussels, from 6 – 7 September. Technical Assistance to the annual planning process in four clusters in Serbia InTER’s experts were contracted by GTZ WBF to provide technical expertise for developing action plans for 2010 for four clusters (AC Serbia, IT Cluster Serbia, MTD Forum and Dom Dizajna) that are institutionally supported by GTZ.



The action plans were developed using participatory planning methods, where cluster managers and cluster members were encouraged to identify and plan all their activities in 2010. The project also included a development of software for monitoring implementation of the action plans throughout the year. The project lasted from December 2009 to January 2010. Mapping of Serbian Youth NGOs in Kosovo InTER has been assigned by Forum Syd Office in Kosovo to conduct a study that will identify Serbian NGOs in Kosovo active in the field of youth work. The assignment included the following objectives: (1) Identification of Serbian Youth NGOs in Kosovo; (2) Map out areas, working methods, and general features of the youth NGOs; (3) define the youth work concept among the identified Serbian youth NGOs; (4) providing with the summary reports with findings and recommendations. The final result of the project is a Mapping Study of Serbian Youth NGOs, which is available for download at the InTER’s website www.lokalnirazvoj.org (see bellow the list of publications). The project was implemented in December 2009. Mapping of SME and Entrepreneurship Support Programs in the Republic of Serbia InTER has been engaged by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to provide services in identifying SME and Entrepreneurship Support Programs in the Republic of Serbia for 2009 and 2010. The study is later used as a part of a training programme for providing Mentoring Services in Serbia, which was implemented in cooperation with the Serbian Agency for SME and Entrepreneurship Development. The final outcome of the assignment is a Report on SME and Entrepreneurship Support Programs, which is available for download at the InTER’s website www.lokalnirazvoj.org (see bellow the list of publications). The project was implemented in August and September of 2009. Cost-Benefit Comparison Analysis of Inclusive Education Models in Serbia InTER has been contracted by the Save the Children UK Fund in Serbia to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the implementation of the Index for Inclusion in the education system of the Republic of Serbia, following the results the Save the Children achieved with implementation of two pilot projects, in Pirot and Subotica. The analysis was conducted between October 2008 and March 2009 and the outcome is the report that was distributed to all key stakeholders in Serbia in the field of education. The report is available for download at the InTER’s website www.lokalnirazvoj.org (see bellow the list of publications). LED Strategic Planning in Bar Municipality: Municipality of Bar (Montenegro) and SNV Netherlands initiated a process of strategic planning in local economic development where InTER was invited to provide technical assistance on the following assignments:

to propose methodology for the strategic participatory planning of Local Economic Development (LED) of Bar Municipality; to train local stakeholders in LED and Project Cycle Management issues;



to provide technical support to LED team for creating LED strategy; to monitor a process of designing LED Strategy; to provide a review of LED assessment and LED strategy papers; to propose institutional framework for implementation of the Strategy; to evaluation and quality assurance of overall process;

As a result of InTER’s couching, Municipality of Bar developed and adopted a five-year LED Strategy for period 2009-2013. Capacity building of Cluster Associations in Serbia: InTER was contracted by the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Serbia to provide technical assistance for capacity building of cluster associations in Serbia. The assignment included curriculum development and organising of 4 cycles of capacity-building workshops, each composed of 7 modules of training courses on the following topics:

(1) clusters and tools for regional development; (2) strategic planning of cluster development; (3) project cycle management and EU project development, (4) organisational capacity development, (5) risk management and risk analysis, (6) marketing and (7) lobbying, networking and conflict mediation.

Target groups were participants from clusters and business support organisations such as Chambers of Commerce, local/regional development agencies, national employment services, private consultancy companies, municipalities and NGOs. In total, 26 training modules were organised within 50 training days. The project was implemented from October to December 2007.



LIST OF PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS

ICT in Serbia - At a Glance The study presents an overview of the ICT sector in Serbia, designed to serve as a tool for policy makers, business support organisations, international development organisations, individual companies and other parties interested in the topic. The Study is structured into six thematic fields: (1) Statistical Overview of the Serbian ICT sector, (2) General Business Environment, (3) Education and Human Recourses Development, (4) Research and Development, (5) Networking and Cooperation and (6) Current Situations, Trends and Potentials.

The Study also provided a SWOT Analysis of the ICT Sector in Serbia and Conclusions with main findings and recommendations. Stakeholder analysis of key players in ICT sector in Serbia is provided as an annex. The Study has been published by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH Program for Private Sector Development in Serbia ACCESS and Vojvodina ICT Cluster in January 2011.

Cross-Border Development Concept Foča (BiH) - Plužine (Montenegro) The publication represents a Concept for Cross-Border Development of two municipalities Foča from Bosnia and Hercegovina and Plužine from Montenegro. It is a baseline document that provides an overview of the potential for cross-border cooperation, accompanied by practical recommendations to local authorities of the two municipalities, as well as public and private sector representatives, civil society activists and professionals from international development cooperation agencies.

The Concept has been developed by InTER under the auspices of the GIZ Open Regional Fund project on Cross-Border Economic Development of Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina and it should be published in April 2011.

An Overview on Governance for Local Development in SEENET Territories The publication is the first report of a series realised within the SeeNet Programme by a research network coordinated by CeSPI and composed by seven research organisations from South East Europe. The report is published in December 2010. The unit of analysis of the research is the territory. Seven territories in South East Europe have been selected for the Research, each being assigned by one research organisation. Institute for Territorial Economic Development (InTER)

has been selected on a competitive ground to conduct research activities in Vojvodina, which is the territory of concern from Serbia.



InTER’s Research in Vojvodina has been covering the topic of Local Productive Systems and it is given on pages 251-277.

Local Employment Action Plan 2011 for Zubin Potok Municipality The report represents the action plan for implementation of the local employment strategy of Zubin Potok municipality in 2011. The report is published in December 2010. The report provides the statistical overview of territory, demography, natural resources, economy and employment and gives recommendations for implementation of applicable active labour measure policies, including the budget assessment.

The report is available only in Serbian Language.

Guidelines for Assessment of EU IPA CBC Application Packages The publication represents a guideline for assessment of project proposals received under Calls for Proposals for EU IPA Component II on Cross-Border Development. The Guidelines is primarily developed as a tool to assist Assessors in assessing each criterion of the proposal evaluation grid. However, the Guidelines does not have intention to restrict the Assessors in grading the applications, neither to advocate normative standards for assessment of IPA CBC Applications to EC and respective national authorities. The Guidelines might also be used by the

applicants in checking the quality of their applications prior to the final submission to the authorities. The Guidelines is developed by Dragisa Mijacic, Director of InTER, based of his direct experience of assessment of more than 200 applications received under EU Neighbourhood Programme 2004 - 2006 and EU IPA CBC.

Mapping of Serbian Youth NGOs in Kosovo The publication represents a mapping study of Serbian NGOs in Kosovo working in the field of youth, published in December 2009. The Study is part of a larger Forum Syd peace‐building project which aims to provide opportunities for youth in Kosovo through strengthening: (1) youth organisations and networks, (2) community youth work practice and (3) community youth work education. The Study identified 22 civil society organisations active in Serbian communities of all regions in Kosovo. The

identified organisations are not primarily youth organisations, yet in their work they are very much focused on young groups of all ages. The Study has been written the Institute for Territorial Economic Development (InTER) and funded by Forum Syd office in Kosovo.



Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and Entrepreneurship Support programs in the Republic of Serbia The publication was prepared to assist the Serbian Agency for Development of Small and Medium-size Enterprises and Entrepreneurship and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to train professionals for providing mentoring services in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in Serbia. The publication identified support programs to SMEE sector in 2009/2010, either financed by Serbian Government or by international organizations. In total,

twelve programs were identified and elaborated in details. The publication is available in Serbian, with the provided short executive summary in English Language.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Implementation of Index for Inclusion in the Education System of the Republic of Serbia The Report analysed the cost of Implementation of the Index for Inclusion in two pilot municipalities, Pirot and Subotica, and make projections of costs and benefits of applying the Index to all schools in Serbia. Main focus of the analysis is inclusion of Roma population in mainstream education, as they are the most vulnerable group in Serbia. The Index for Inclusion was developed at the Centre for Studies of Inclusive Education (UK), in collaboration with University of Manchester and University of

Christ Church College Canterbury, with the intention to support schools in a process of inclusive school development. The Index provides a framework for school review and development on three dimensions: school culture, policy and practice. The research has been supported by the Save the Children Fund UK and was published in 2009. The publication is available in Serbian and English Language.

2008 SME Policy Index 2008 - National Report of the Republic of Serbia The SME Policy Index is a benchmarking tool in countries in South East Europe (SEE) and Kosovo under UNSCR 1244/99 that monitors and evaluates progress in implementing the main policy framework for small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) development elaborated by the European Union: The European Charter for Small Enterprises. The OECD Investment Compact for South East Europe develops the Index in a joint effort with the European Commission, the European Bank for

Reconstruction and Development and the European Training Foundation. The publication presents an annual assessment of the SME Policy Index in Serbia for 2008 of two policy dimensions: (1) education and training for entrepreneurship and (IV) availability of skills. Beside the assessment on the SME Policy Index, the Study also provides results of the survey among key stakeholders in Serbia about the establishment of a Regional Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning in Zagreb (Croatia).

All publications and reports are available at InTER’s website www.lokalnirazvoj.org



Contactus:InTER

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institute for territorial economic development (inter) - basic facts

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