Re: Bursa per Shqiptaret
<font color="brown"> Announcement of LGI's 2006/7 Fellowship Program -- Call for
Proposals -- Deadline: June 21, 2006
Dear Colleagues,
The Local Government and Public Service Reform Initiative of the Open
Society Institute is pleased to announce two topics for its 7th annual
policy fellowship program.
Topic 1: "Assessing the 'New Public Management' reforms in Eastern
Europe
and the former Soviet Union"
Topic 2: "Spatial Analysis in Addressing Concentrations of Vulnerable
Groups"
Detailed information about the topics, the application procedure, the
target fellows and regional focus can be found in the attached
document. I
would be grateful if you could forward this announcement to those who
you
think may be interested in applying for this opportunity.
Best regards,
Scott Abrams
Project Manager
LGI / Open Society Institute
Hungary-1051 Budapest, Nádor utca 11.
Phone: (36 1) 327 3100 ext. 2268
Fax: (36 1) 327 3105
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OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTE
LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM INITIATIVE
Nador utca 11, 1051 Budapest, Hungary
Mailing Address: H-1397 Budapest, P.O. Box 519
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Call for Proposals
Local Government and Public Service Reform Initiative (LGI)
Policy Fellowship 2006/2007
I. Purpose
LGI's fellowship program supports practical policy reform in the
region,
builds the capacities of talented individuals who are well placed to
influence policy, creates networks of multinational experts, and
supports
the mission of LGI. Each year LGI selects talented professionals
from Central, East and South-East Europe and the Newly Independent
States
to participate in the one-year program. Fellows work in small teams
under
the guidance of a well-respected mentor to produce policy-oriented
studies
on a given topic. The completed studies are impact oriented; each
contains
an advocacy or implementation strategy and concrete policy
recommendations.
LGI provides its fellows with training on how to write effective,
concise,
fact-based, practical policy reports. Other training modules LGI offers
its
fellows are public speaking, presentation skills and advocacy methods.
At
the conclusion of the program LGI works with its Fellows to determine
what
steps it can take to support the proposed recommendations in the
completed
studies. Fellows are generally policy researchers, policy advisors,
civil
servants and members of NGOs, advocacy groups or professional
associations.
To learn more about the Open Society Institute see:
http://www.soros.org/
To learn more about the Local Government and Public Service Reform
Initiative see:
http://lgi.osi.hu/index.php
II. The project
The primary goal of the LGI Policy Fellowship program is to support
policy
research aimed at stimulating innovative and practical policy reform.
Each
year broad topics are identified for candidates from different country
groups. LGI is currently calling for Fellows for its 2006/2007
program,
which will run from October 2006 to October 2007. For more background
information about the fellowship program see:
http://lgi.osi.hu/documents.php?m_id=81
This year LGI is featuring two topics:
Topic 1: "Assessing the 'New Public Management' reforms in Eastern
Europe
and the former Soviet Union"
Topic 2: "Spatial Analysis in Addressing Concentrations of Vulnerable
Groups"
III. Fellowship topics for 2006/7
Topic 1: Assessing the 'New Public Management' reforms in Eastern
Europe
and the former Soviet Union
Team Mentor: Professor Guy Peters, University of Pittsburgh.
Governments have been attempting from their inception to make their
bureaucracies more efficient and effective. Any number of ideas have
been
tried to achieve that goal, but during the past several decades the
ideas
of the New Public Management (NPM) have become a dominant approach to
improving performance in the public sector. While the ideas of NPM have
been characterized a number of different ways, the basic concept has
included greater use of market-type programs to manage personnel and
programs, the creation of greater autonomy for public organizations and
public managers, greater attention to the “customers” of public
services,
and the use of alternative forms of service delivery. These reforms
also
tend to enhance the role of public managers in governance, and to some
extent reduce the control of politicians. Not all governments have
adopted
all of these instruments, but a variety of packages have been adopted.
The countries of Central and Eastern Europe were gaining their
independence
at about the time that these ideas became central in the reform of the
State. Both through their own decisions and through pressures from
various
international organizations such as the World Bank many of these states
implemented the ideas of the New Public Management in their public
sectors. In addition, some of the reforms came from within central
government while some represented innovations by local and regional
governments. Although there were some severe doubts whether this style
of
public management was appropriate for these countries emerging from
decades
of authoritarian government, the programs were implemented. In many
cases
these methods of administration have been in place for a decade or more
and
it is now appropriate to assess their effects on governance and
consider
alternatives to this style of management. Some of the same
reconsideration
is taking place in the more established governments of Western Europe,
North America and the Antipodes, and it is important to assess the
options
for continuing improvements of governing. Some specific questions
might be:
1) Have the expected improvements in efficiency within government
been
realized, and how do we know? If not, what have been the major
barriers to
enhancing efficiency? How can any such barriers be overcome?
Has the emphasis on autonomy of organizations produced difficulties in
coordination and managing across the whole of government? If so, what
are
possible solutions?
"How effective have been attempts to make public services more
"user-friendly" and how far has this influenced bureaucratic
behavior?" What strategies can be used to enhance the access of public
services by citizens?
4) How have citizens responded to changes in the manner of
delivering
services? Are the expected improvements in citizen satisfaction being
achieved? What can be done to enhance citizen satisfaction, and how
can
this dimension of performance be related to more “objective” measures
of
government performance.
5) Some aspects of NPM depend upon the existence of a strong civil
society and the using the private sector to implement and evaluate
policy. Have these changes been occurring and are there effective
alternatives to direct government provision of public services? Can
the
public sector be effective in fostering civil society?
6) What accountability problems have been created by the
implementation of NPM reforms? What remedies have been created to
address
those problems, and how effective are those remedies?
These questions, and many others, have been raised by the
implementation of
the NPM, and it is important to understand the implications of these
management reforms. In particular, it is crucial to examine what
further
reforms may be needed in public administration in these countries, and
whether the perpetuation of the NPM style of governing is the best
option
for these cases.
Target Fellows:
Policy researchers, especially those connected to prominent policy
institutes and think tanks
Members of professional associations
3. Select civil servants
Applications will be considered from Central and Eastern Europe, South
East
Europe, the former Soviet Union and Mongolia.
Topic 2: Spatial Analysis in Addressing Concentrations of Vulnerable
Groups
Team Mentor: Katalin Pallai, International Expert and Advisor to
Budapest
Mayor
Population groups, resources, services, and positive and negative
assets
are rarely distributed evenly across the territory of a municipality.
Neighborhoods with high concentrations of impoverished and/or
vulnerable
groups often have the weakest endowments of assets and services. Thus,
constraints resulting from income poverty and/or social marginalization
are
sometimes compounded by decisions made in the public domain. This
process
can constrain social mobility and lead to deteriorating opportunities
for
already deprived groups.
Informed municipal spatial analysis-of population clusters, their
respective economic endowments/constraints, and the public services (or
lack of) that are provided to them-is one useful tool that can aid
policy
makers in their approach to ameliorate conditions in deprived
areas. Experience shows, however, that often times in East and South
East
Europe, municipal economic, capital investment, social and
environmental
development strategies have been formulated without a thorough spatial
analysis being considered by the contributing stakeholders (i.e. local
government, business community, NGOs, etc.).
Fellows interested in this topic would analyze attempts by 2-3
municipal
governments in their respective countries to improve public service
delivery and economic opportunity. The focus should be on such policies
and
responses in neighborhoods with a high concentration of poor and/or
vulnerable households. Fellows would begin by undertaking a spatial
analysis of each selected municipality to reveal the clustering of
different population groups, local conditions and services. The
results
could then be compared with the strategies that have been recently
formulated by those municipalities to see if their intended goals and
objectives adequately address the needs of impoverished/vulnerable
groups. Where formal strategies have not been elaborated, the results
of
the mapping exercises can be analyzed in the context of municipal
expenditure allocations. In doing so, the “undeclared dimension” of
governmental decisions, like group interests, affiliations and
prejudices
may also be exposed, and recommendations to combat those biases can be
offered.
The analysis should include a description of the methods used to
identify
the target neighborhood, the investments and other interventions
undertaken
by the city government and any other partners involved, and of the
impacts
achieved. Based on that analysis, the ultimate findings should point
to
practical policy recommendations for local authorities with regard to
intervention strategies to address pockets of vulnerable groups. For
example, fellows might point to the need to refine service delivery
schemes
in order to accommodate different needs and demands in such areas.
Research proposals for this topic should include a shortlist of
proposed
municipalities that will be assessed (with justifications of why those
locales have been selected), and the methodology by which you might
undertake this policy study. Final approaches and methodologies will
be
jointly elaborated with the group Mentor.
Target Fellows:
Policy researchers, especially those connected to prominent policy
institutes and think tanks
Members of professional associations
Select civil servants
Applications will be considered from Central and Eastern Europe, South
East
Europe, the former Soviet Union and Mongolia.
IV. Methods and procedures
Grant
LGI will award successful applicants with a stipend for a period of 10
months between October 2006 and July 2007. The stipend will cover
monthly
expenses related to research and travel costs. Additional funds will
cover
costs related to attending three international workshops, at least two
of
which will take place in Budapest, Hungary.
Eligibility
Descriptions of ideal applicants follow each topic being offered.
Fellows
are normally civil servants, members of advocacy groups or professional
associations, policy researchers and policy advisers. A graduate degree
or
equivalent is required. Applicants should be citizens of the countries
noted under each topic. As a rule, Fellows will be based in their home
countries and will be required to attend three international Fellowship
workshops. Fellows are expected to continue with their current
employment,
spending only up to fifty percent of their time on the Fellowship
program.
*Please note that LGI looks favorably upon applicants who can
demonstrate
in their application that they have secured practical institutional
support
from a governmental ministry/department, or a reputable policy center
or
similar institution.
English Language: All applications must be in English and applicants
must
have excellent English-language skills. The English skills of finalists
will be evaluated during interviews to ensure that they can participate
actively in discussions in English with the expert committees and
others in
the Soros foundations network about their area of expertise.
For information about LGI's Russian-language fellowship program see:
http://lgi.osi.hu/documents.php?m_id=107
Methodology
LGI will group Fellows into teams of approximately 4-6 members. Teams
will
be led by an expert mentor. Mentors will guide Fellows in formulating
their
final research plans, draft reports, and implementation
strategies. Mentors will also facilitate professional cooperation and
communication between members of the team. Fellows are encouraged to
support each other’s work with their expertise and comments within
their
teams. LGI encourages teams of Fellows to develop joint or comparable
research agendas.
Expected outcomes/ products
Fellows are expected to conduct high quality research according to the
mutually accepted research protocol. As a final product, Fellows will
submit a research report that is a persuasive policy document. Reports
will be fact-based and will include policy recommendations.
Implementation
and advocacy plans will also be produced by fellows, to ensure forward
thinking about the results of their findings.
Teams are expected to submit a joint report at the conclusion of the
project. LGI may publish these studies in English and/or their
respective
local languages. Finally, LGI will seek ways to work with Fellows in
the
future on implementing aspects of their proposed policy
recommendations.
Application procedure
Step 1. Submission of the Application:
Applications should be emailed to LGI at the following address:
lgprog@osi.hu
The subject heading must identify which Fellowship Topic you are
applying
for.
Applications must include ALL of the following materials:
Statement of interest (1 page maximum)
Research proposal (2,000 words maximum) including a well-defined
research
problem, topic justification, research methodology, and expected
outcomes
of the research. See individual topic descriptions for specific
requirements.
Professional CV (which includes: full name, email and telephone number
of
the applicant, country of origin and residence)
English language writing sample (maximum 5 pages)
The name and contact information of three people familiar with the
professional capacities of the applicant.
**Please note that failure to submit all of the above documents will
likely
result in your application being immediately disqualified.
The deadline for submitting applications is June 21, 2006 (17:00
GMT). Late applications will not be considered.
Step 2. Review and selection:
Proposals must respond to domestic needs, be policy-oriented, focused
and
creative. Each incoming application will be registered by LGI upon
reception. LGI will check each submission to ensure that it meets the
formal criteria and quality. Submissions will be reviewed by LGI (see
timetable below) and the team mentors.
LGI will contact shortlisted candidates for a follow-up interview
either by
phone or in person in the applicant's respective country.
Step 3. Feedback
All applicants will be notified by LGI of their status by July 31,
2006.
Step 4. Fellowship program
June 21, 2006 Deadline for submitting applications
July 31, 2006 Selection process finalized and
applicants
notified of their status
Summer/Autumn 2006 Selected Fellows sign contracts with
LGI
October 1, 2006 Fellowship program begins, Fellows submit their
detailed
research plans.
Oct/Nov, 2006 Budapest Opening Trainings and Workshop
Fellows and Mentors will discuss the research they have undertaken thus
far, develop a terms of reference for standardizing the individual
reports
(structure, language, key terms, approach, etc), and discuss possible
conferences or workshops to attend during the year that would
strengthen
the reports. Fellows will be offered training seminars of policy paper
writing.
March 1, 2007 First Drafts and
advocacy/implementation
strategies due
March/April 2007 Interim Team workshop. Groups meet to
discuss and comment on each other's first drafts.
July 1, 2007 Deadline for full drafts - including
executive summary, policy report, policy brief - of Fellowship projects
September 1, 2007 Mentors submit their review of full
drafts.
October 1, 2007 Submission of final team manuscript.
Oct/Nov, 2007 Closing workshop in Budapest
October/December, 2007 Fellowship reports are reviewed and evaluated
by
external experts with regard to publishing. If deemed publishable,
Fellows
may be asked to revise certain aspects of their reports.
*Note: dates are subject to minor changes.
Step 5. Follow-up
Fellows will have the opportunity to have their reports translated and
published in their respective countries. Fellows may also suggest
concrete
project ideas to LGI that would support their findings. Alumni-Fellows
are
often invited to participate in various LGI initiatives including
curriculum development, technical assistance, consultancy work and
publishing activities.
Applications should be submitted via email to:
The Local Government and Public Service Reform Initiative:
lgprog@osi.hu
In the subject line please include:
"LGI Policy Fellowship 2006/7" AND the name of the topic you are
applying
for.
Project Manager: Scott Abrams:
ascott@osieurope.org
Project Coordinator: Angela Radosits:
aradosits@osi.hu
<<LGI Fellowship cfp 2006-7.doc>>
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