24 February 2009 – international technical assistance (ITA) seminars were held in Gomel and Mogilev.

It is not just a coincidence that regional seminars on international technical assistance programmes were held in February. According to the statistics, it is in the beginning of the year that international donors launch new support programmes and announce new calls for proposals (see News). The seminars, organised by the Coordinating Unit for the European Union’s TACIS Programme in the Republic of Belarus and the Project on enhancing effectiveness of the international technical cooperation of Belarus, were intended to inform Belarusian organisations about how to draft project proposals and implement ITA projects in Belarus. On 10 February, representatives of local authorities, universities, public organisations of Brest, Gomel and Grodno regions took part in a seminar in Gomel. On 17 February, a similar seminar was held in Mogilev, with participants from the Vitebsk, Mogilev and Grodno regions.

Participants of the seminar in Gomel, including Polesskij Agrarian-Ecological Institute of NSA, Lida business incubator, Gomel agency of regional development (IURI Gomel) and Institution “Interaction” (IURI Belarus), exchanged their ideas on how to develop and implement ITA projects in Belarus. Mr. Ivan Shchadranok, Director of the Institution “Interaction”, was invited to share the experience of his organisation and inform the participants about the ways of obtaining grants, drafting project proposals, and implementing EU projects. In his presentation, Mr. Shchadranok concentrated on practical issues that arise on each stage of the project lifecycle and presented the “Re-Enact” initiative as a convenient tool for dealing with these problems. Mr. Shchadranok described possibilities offered on www.eu-belarus.net and disseminated information materials, Project Management Handbook being a particular success. According to the participants of the seminar, this guide is of great help for anyone who intends to develop and implement ITA projects, especially for organisations that lack relevant experience and have to start from scratch. “Generally, the seminar was a positive experience,” Ivan Shchadranok said. “It was nice to meet the colleagues who are interested to participate in the ITA projects, and it was a pleasure to share our experience in this sphere. I am also glad that I had a chance to discuss our future partnership with the representatives of the IURI Gomel.”

The seminar in Mogilev featured experts from the Grodno University, Euroregion “The Country of Lakes”, ZAO “Technology Park Mogilev” and other organisations. Mr. Igor Zagrekov, Lead Specialist of the Department of Physical Training, Sport and Tourism, presented experience of the Polotsk City Executive Committee in the development and implementation of the joint Belarusian-Latvian project “Bella Dvina – crossing the border, discovering the culture, enjoying the nature of the Western-Dvina Daugava space.” The project is co-financed by the European Union within the Baltic Sea Region IIIB Neighbourhood Programme INTERREG IIIA Priority South. Currently, among all other actions implemented in Belarus, “Bella Dvina” is the only project where a local authority acts as the Lead Partner. In his presentation, Mr. Zagrekov reported on the problems that arise in the course of the project implementation and the measures to address them.

The seminars in Gomel and Mogilev demonstrated that Belarusian organizations are eager to take part in ITA-programmes, while local authorities, such as regional and city executive committees, are becoming more active in developing and implementing international projects. This is definitely a good sign, especially in light of new EU programmes that put special emphasis on the involvement of local authorities in the implementation of joint projects.

Sources: Coordinating Unit for the European Union’s TACIS Programme in the Republic of Belarus, IURI Belarus, Polotsk City Executive Committee.

The participants of the seminar in Mogilev are getting aquainted with the opportunities of taking part in ITA-projects. 

 In the seminar in Gomel Ivan Shchadranok, the Director of the Institution "Interaction", is sharing the experience of his organisation and informing the participants about the ways of obtaining grants, drafting project proposals, and implementing them.