Object and Problem
The Rafaela Strategic Agenda 2010 - 2016 is a participatory process to build a long-term shared vision for the city and a series of recommendations for its development.
It is a participatory process that aims to replace the future as a random question. Setting up a strategic agenda is also thinking about the problems that we do not have today and what we would have to do today to avoid having them. The idea is to be able to anticipate so as not to always run from behind, says Roberto Mirabella, Secretary for Management and Participation of the Municipality of Rafaela.
The problems, from the most elementary to the most complex, are multidisciplinary.
The question that gave rise to the process was: what do we have to do today so that the city is competitive in 30 years, more humane, fairer, more livable?
History
The city of Rafaela, which in 2010 exceeded 100,000 inhabitants, has been experiencing throughout its young history, a high economic-productive dynamism where the institutional framework has played an important role. There is a very strong identity and pride of the "Rafaelino" with his city and a commitment to its development, based on consolidated values such as work, effort and collective sacrifice.
The Local Government has tried to accompany the expansion of the industrial sector and the sustained SME business culture.
The construction of the city is one of the most fascinating processes that emerges from human activity. It is in the city where this crossroads between determination and chance occurs, between the global and the local, between culture and economy, between government and citizenship, and all this mixed with a heterogeneous set of logics, which sometimes end up being completely illogical. As Jordi Hereu, current Mayor of Barcelona, would say, all cities apply the same language, with different accents, but not all cities work the same and not all cities work.
PARTICIPATORY PROCESS
Strategic Planning Phase: Diagnosis, Learning
It was an experience of full community participation. Sectoral workshops were held where various topics of interest arose, and then conferences and seminars were held to specifically address them, and achieve a diagnosis that provides reflections and data for a strategic development agenda.
Then, and according to the input provided by the workshops, 5 challenges were formed to work on in the construction of the EA: "Integrated Territory", "Greater economic competitiveness", "Social cohesion", "Innovation and Knowledge", finally, “Citizenship and democratic governance” (links to the reports of the workshops, in ANNEX I - Links).
Within this framework, work was carried out on the compilation, systematization and processing of basic information for the construction of a diagnosis that serves as the basis for the subsequent formulation stage of the Agenda.
Participatory Planning Phase: Citizen Workshops, Deliberation, Agreements
In mid-2009, a new stage of this process begins, with full community participation, in the construction of a consensual diagnosis and in the propositional formulation of the Strategic Agenda.
Along this path, between May and December 2009, various Thematic Citizen Workshops were held with the participation of technicians and specialists, representatives of local institutions and citizens in general: Agriculture, Commerce, Services-Industry-Tourism, Social, Urban-Environmental; Neighborhood Workshops and a Workshop with Students.
The product of these workshops, in which representatives of 115 institutions and more than 500 residents participated, was a questioning of the main problems that must be addressed and a series of recommendations in each matter.
Then, meetings of the Coordination Table were held, made up of the Monitoring Commissions (local institutions, NGOs, schools, etc.), as a space for agreements and consultation between actors, where the diagnosis was debated and approved, synthesized in a matrix SWOT -Weaknesses, Threats, Strengths and Opportunities- and the Development Model, Strategic Guidelines, Objectives, Programs and Projects that give content to the Strategic Agenda.
At this stage, it was considered appropriate to sign an agreement through which the community actors undertake to carry out the actions that emanate from the Agenda, through an associated management body that will be responsible for conducting, monitoring and management control of the Agenda, which was called the Social Consultative Council, currently made up of the following institutions: Government Bodies and public officials; Public-Private areas of articulation; intermediate entities; educational institutions; institutions represented in the different workshops for the elaboration of the Strategic Agenda 2010 - 2016.
The process developed, led by the Community of Rafaela and its institutions, led by the municipality and accompanied by Universities, with the active participation of more than 500 residents, constitutes a paradigmatic experience for the municipalities of the province of Santa Fe.
Results and Effects
These are some of the results and effects that were produced from the Strategic Agenda, in relation to each axis of action. A brief description of each will be given below, according to the line of action.
INTEGRATED TERRITORY AXIS
SEMINAR "THE OLD TERMINAL IN DEBATE" [DEAD LINK]
It aims to contribute to the public debate on the future use of the old Bus Terminal, its interaction with the surroundings of the Rafaelino center, the resolution
architecture and management and financing mechanisms. It is strategically relevant to collect various opinions and proposals that help to evaluate the definition of your future destiny.
The "Rafaela + sustainable" Program is born from the vision of a city that adapts and responds to the new needs of the environment and is nourished by the idea that, in the medium to long term, all the activities that are developed must be consistent socially, environmentally and economically with the environment that sustains us.
MAJOR CORE ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS
MASTER CONFERENCE BY DR. PATRIZIO BIANCHI [DEAD LINK]
The prominent Italian economist and current rector of the University of Ferrara, Dr. Patrizio Bianchi, visited the city of Rafaela in December 2009 and gave a keynote address within the framework of the Rafaela Strategic Agenda 2010-2016.
The keynote conference on "The new challenges of globalization" was held.
In it, he pointed out how the global financial crisis has demonstrated the need to base development on production, work and knowledge. The opening of international markets opens up great opportunities for growth, but it is necessary to insert itself with a strong identity of its own.
PRODUCTIVE INNOVATION SEMINAR [DEAD LINK]
Within the framework of the Rafaela Strategic Agenda 2010-2016, Innovation and Knowledge challenges and Greater Economic Competitiveness, the Productive Innovation Seminar was held on Tuesday, November 10, in the auditorium of the Catholic University of Santiago del Estero (UCSE).
Gabriel Yoguel, a recognized specialist in the field, participated in the event, who elaborated on topics related to productive innovation with an orientation to environmental and biotechnological issues. Also present was the Director of Yeruvá SA, Miguel Requena, who presented the case of his company dedicated to the development of animal proteins from by-products. In addition, an institutional presentation of the Argentine Technology Fund (FONTAR) was made by María Laura Olocco, who analyzed the main innovation projects financed through the entity.
SOCIAL COHESION AXIS
SOCIAL INNOVATION WORKSHOP [DEAD LINK]
With a broad participation of entrepreneurs and cooperatives, to whom it was aimed, the Social Innovation Workshop was held yesterday, Wednesday, August 4, at 12 noon by Magister Juan de Dios García Serrano in the Green Room of the Municipality of Rafaela .
WORKSHOP-SEMINAR: TOWARDS A NEW FORM OF SOCIAL ARTICULATION [DEAD LINK]
With the participation of more than 130 people, representing 70 institutions in the city of Rafaela, the Seminar - Workshop: Coordination Experiences was held. Towards a new form of social articulation, moderated by Mr. Sebastián Bertucelli.
This activity was developed within the framework of the Social Cohesion Challenge of the Strategic Agenda 2010-2016. During the first part of the activity, a brief presentation of the Seminar and its objectives was made. In the second, cases of social articulation related to the Community Integration Center that operates in the
Monsignor Zazpe neighborhood; the Educational Inclusion Program; to the Angela de la Casa School; the Arteentapiales Program; to the San Francisco de Asís community kitchen in the Villa Podio neighborhood and to Social Responsibility
Businesswoman. To end this meeting, the debate was opened with triggering questions that invited reflection and that enriched this meeting with the contribution of the different views present.
INNOVATION AND KNOWLEDGE AXIS
FIRST MEETING OF EXPERIENCES WITH ICT IN THE CLASSROOM [DEAD LINK]
Dr. Antonio Battro, director of the worldwide educational area of the "One laptop per Child" Program, in which the Municipality participates promoting a pilot test in two local schools since October 2007, gave a talk to the teachers present at the " First meeting of experiences with ICT in the classroom ".
Regarding the problem that the boys who, having finished their primary education and are not going to continue their studies, do not go to work because of their early age. There are 150 boys in the program, who are accompanied with scholarships, school support, tutorials with specialized teaching help, to carry out homework, control attendance, and interact with families. In this way, 150 boys were helped to enter secondary schools.
CITIZENSHIP AND DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE AXIS
CITIZENSHIP TO ASSEMBLE DAY [DEAD LINK]
Within the framework of the Citizenship and Democratic Governance Challenge of the Strategic Agenda 2010-2016, the Conference called ̈Citizenship for Arming̈ was held. It had the participation of representatives of different educational institutions of the city.
This activity stems from the conclusions reached in the participatory Citizenship workshops held in 2009. In them, the need to deepen the learning mechanisms in the classroom on issues related to the construction of citizenship, citizen rights and mechanisms was evidenced. of participation.
CONFERENCE: WHAT A GOVERNMENT, WHAT A CITY BY JOAN SUBIRATS [DEAD LINK]
Within the framework of the 2010-2016 Strategic Agenda, Joan Subirats, Doctor in Economic Sciences and Professor of Political Sciences at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, gave a conference entitled "What government for what city? Participation and democratic governance".
With the presence of more than 100 people, Dr. Joan Subirats, specialist in public policies and in matters of democratic management and innovation, offered a deep analysis of the social dynamics and the expansiveness of the urban and of the public policies implemented in his city , Barcelona. In addition, he highlighted the elements of change in urban policies and pointed out the importance of the participation of different social actors in the construction of cities.
ANALYSIS AND REVIEWS
According to observations from the Secretariat for Management and Participation, during the first stage there was a moderate commitment from the institutions that make up the Social Advisory Council. Perhaps this attitude is due to their immaturity to take charge of a highly complex process, a shortage of human resources to specifically allocate to the process, or a lack of interest in them. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account that instead of assuming in the design of a certain project that among the participants there is unity of interests and the same intensity of commitment, we must start with the idea of their divergence of interest, emphasis, delivery.
In any case, various organizations, as has been observed during some of the activities presented in this case, have accompanied the process, providing their facilities and suitable personnel. The balance carried out shows that the leadership of the local State becomes fundamental for the development of this policy, as it assumes the role of operational arm.
Another issue to take into account is that the implementation of this project involves two forms of planning: strategic planning and participatory planning.
Strategic planning conceives others as different, with whom alliances or strategies must be established as they exercise different quotas of power.
The perspective of participatory planning, on the other hand, conceives the other as a similar, a citizen whose knowledge is complementary, with rights and responsibilities, and with the ability to intervene in posing problems and alternative solutions.
Although these two planning perspectives are used in a combined way, their implementation presents complexities, as well as the diversity in the conception of the participants. This difference at the time of raising the alterity, can present risks for the management of the project, while the discussions can be copied by old battles or be reduced to the bidding of sectoral interests, a space where the common citizen, little accustomed to these logics of power, you can walk away.
For this, the promotion of the autonomy of the process of construction of the Strategic Agenda and the consolidation of the Social Advisory Council as a leader in conducting, constitute extremely important measures.
SOURCES
Institutional
STRATEGIC AGENDA
https://www.rafaela.gov.ar/nuevo/BibliotecaVirtual.aspx
Youtube
CONFERENCE: PABLO COSTAMAGNA, THE CASE OF RAFAELA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdjC-jRX9GE
JOAN SUBIRATS CONFERENCE
http://rafaela.gov.ar:90/agendaestrategica/challenges_videos/index_video/5 [DEAD LINK]
Other sources
THE YOUNG LOOK OF THE STRATEGIC AGENDA
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=111657604579&ref=share [DEAD LINK]
SUSTAINABLE RAFAELA
http://rafaela-sustentable.com.ar/
http://www.youtube.com/user/RafaelaSustentable
NEWS
http://www.rafaela.com/cms/news/ver/23393/16/Agenda-estrat%C3%A9gica-Rafaela-2010-2016.html
ANNEX I: LINKS
Reports on the results of the workshops according to challenges:
1.- Integrated territory: REPORT ( link ) [DEAD LINK]
Presentation made in the workshop that took place on May 22, 2009 in the auditorium of the University of Business and Social Sciences (Rafaela headquarters).
2.- Greater competitiveness: REPORT ( link ) [DEAD LINK]
Presentation made in the workshop that took place on June 3, 2009 in the Centennial Hall of the Rural Society of Rafaela.
3.- Social cohesion: REPORT ( link ) [DEAD LINK]
Presentation made in the workshop that took place on May 27 at the Municipal Cultural Center - Sala Sociedad Italiana. It had the participation of 140 representatives of different institutions of the city that addressed topics related to culture, education, health, sports, the elderly, childhood, neighbors, disability and access to housing.
4.- Innovation and knowledge: REPORT ( link ) [DEAD LINK]
Presentation made at the workshop that took place on June 26 at the National Technological University (Rafaela headquarters).
5.- Citizenship and governance: REPORT ( link ) [DEAD LINK]
Presentation made at the workshop that took place on May 29, 2009 at the Universidad Católica de Santiago del Estero.