Problems and purpose

The process is part of the choice of the Municipal Administration to reactivate the local participation of the inhabitants of the hamlets in the public and political life of the country through the re-establishment of the District Councils . These are a tool that has been out of use for several years and reintroduced with the establishment of the new council and consist in holding periodic meetings of the City Council in the main hamlets of the country. They aim to reach the inhabitants again in the places where they live and that they care for to promote knowledge and understanding of local situations and facilitate accessibility to the meetings. & Nbsp;

The participatory process, gathering the sense of this choice is amplified and addressed to the mutual encounter between the inhabitants of the area and their daily life. After the conclusion of the process, it is hoped that the decision-making body's acknowledgment will provide guidelines on the following aspects (for each fraction and for the capital):

• the space identified as a Welcoming Place ( where possible also intended as a safe place for the community in case of need) which will have to host a tool (such as a bulletin board) to facilitate the exchange of information between the inhabitants of the different areas;
• the methods chosen by the various locality and in concert with the Municipality to take care of it (with the intervention of the inhabitants and, when necessary, of the Administration);
• the methods of organization and management of the initiatives / moments of aggregation and reception chosen by the local inhabitants (Reyes, S., 2018, p. 2-3)
• 1 trip to each of the 4 hamlets (Ib., P. 5).

History and background context

The Municipality of Monghidoro is part of the Union of Municipalities Savena-Idice in the area of the Metropolitan City of Bologna. It is located at an altitude of 841 m.s.l. with peaks up to 1300 m.s.l., on the border between Emilia and Tuscany. It has 3,689 inhabitants with an average of 1.96 members per family (as of 31 December 2017). 27.8% of the inhabitants are over 65 years of age and 10.4% under 14, while the birth rate has been growing since 2013. As of January 1, 2018, foreigners residing in Monghidoro were 9.5 % of the population. & nbsp;

The territory of Monghidoro historically and symbolically represents an important place for aggregative culture for the people of the Bolognese mountains. For centuries it has hosted one of the main mountain markets, it is the cradle of dance and party traditions that represent a unicum of popular culture widespread in Europe and represents an example of coexistence and solidarity between different inhabitants in difficult conditions. The municipal territory consists of a central town with respect to a large area dotted with over one hundred smaller villages including 5 larger ones that have a parish. In recent years, various social changes have reduced the aggregation of inhabitants in minor villages: the closure of commercial activities, the spread of private entertainment tools in homes (pay television, internet), the transfer of many inhabitants to the outskirts of the main town . These transformations on the one hand lead to the progressive abandonment of the hamlets with a consequent reduction in the care of the territory, on the other hand they reduce the frequency of meetings and, consequently, the habit and ability to stay and build things with others. The isolation that is created is therefore both of the hamlets with respect to the central town and of the inhabitants within the same hamlets. In another type of isolation are the inhabitants of the new peripheral areas of the town who, due to the characteristics of the internal urban design and the distance from the town, often find themselves not developing an autonomous local life even though they do not participate in that of the town. In this context there is also a new migratory wave that struggles to integrate and is positioned precisely in the hamlets where at the same time the elderly bearers of the traditional culture that once was transmitted on the occasion of the vigils in which others participated are found, more and more isolated. local inhabitants and that today hardly exist anymore (Ib., p. 3-4). & nbsp;

Political tradition

Center-right and center-left since 1985 they contend for consents. Currently, a center-right political attitude seems to prevail as in the Europeans held on 26/5/19, Lega-Salvini obtained 40%, Berlusconi-Forza Italia 8% and Meloni-Fratelli d'Italia 5.39% [1 ].

In the last municipal elections of 6/6/2016, the civic list "Passione Comune" by Barbara Panzacchi (current mayor) prevailed. In its program, a chapter is dedicated to "Transparency - participation - enhancement of citizen support" with the following aims: to publicly disseminate any administrative policy act on the web portal; maintain constant fraction meetings; set up work consultants to be divided by areas of competence, guaranteeing majority and opposition participation (budget, production activities, associations, etc.); & nbsp; create a smartphone / tablet application, for real-time reporting of any information of public interest , both by and for the Municipality (e.g. closure of roads, temporary suppression of services, etc.); & nbsp; strengthen a newsletter service of the Municipality, with the creation of sector mailing lists (productive activities, associations, schools, etc.) ); & nbsp; strengthen the digital infrastructure (ultra-broadband and optical fiber broadcasting); & nbsp; keep the minutes and records of the municipal councils in force on the web portal of the Municipality "[2]. & nbsp;

< p> Regarding the case in question, it is not reported who and how conceived the project, when and how the idea of elaborating it and applying for the call was born. In-depth interviews would be needed.

< h2> Organizational, support entities o and funders

Emilia-Romagna Region . With the regional law 15/2018 the region promotes, supports and certifies the quality of the participatory processes of the territory. Through a dedicated call, every year, it evaluates the ex-ante quality of the projects that apply and after having drawn up a ranking based on the requirements and quality of the projects, assigns the applicant a maximum of 15,000 Euros. The contribution requested from the region in this case is 12,750 euros.

Municipality of Monghidoro is the promoter and the subject requesting regional support and contributes with a 15% share of 2,250 Euro. & Nbsp;

Project staff

Stefano Reyes , independent architect-urban planner, co-designer, facilitator and coordinator of the project. & nbsp;

Eubios SrL , is a participatory engineering and design company based in Bologna. It includes: Tiziana Squeri, co-designer, facilitator; Chiara Ghedini, communication and web; & nbsp;

Municipality of Monghidoro , Some officials of the municipality collaborate directly on the project for administrative management and logistical support. & Nbsp;

Project partner

Loiano-Monghidoro State Comprehensive Institute of Monghidoro . It is an educational institution that incorporates, in various school buildings, kindergartens, primary schools and lower secondary schools. In short, the new generations from 6 to 13-14 years of age. The school is directly responsible for the cognitive and educational development of the new generations and represents an important means of contacting families and different local communities (Reyes, p. 7). & Nbsp;

Subscribers the preliminary formal agreement to share the path [3]

Cultural Association "E bene sia Maggio" (promoter of activities for the protection and transmission of traditional local, with training and aggregation activities); & nbsp;

Associazione Oltr'Alpe (promoter of activities for the knowledge of the local natural territory and for the aggregation, through trips, explorations and other initiatives). & nbsp;

"These are organized entities that, through the activities they carry out, involve a considerable portion of the population. They are both companies that have been strongly rooted in the territory for decades and have numerous partners scattered around in many hamlets for statutory purposes, they have an interest in the participatory process taking place and are willing to provide their previous and specialized knowledge. The representatives / delegates of these subjects constitute the founding nucleus of the Negotiation Table "(Ib., P. 7). & Nbsp;

Selection and recruitment of participants

1 - First negotiating table (Tdn) (Tuesday, 1/15/19, 6:30 pm Municipal Council Hall, Monghidoro Town Hall). & Nbsp;

A representative was present for each of the two associations signing the preliminary agreement (Ass. E bene sia maggio; Ass. Oltr'Alpe), the mayor (Barbara Panzacchi), the person in charge of the procedure (Cristina Teglia), the facilitator-manager of the Reyes project and the co-facilitator Squeri. In the introduction of the report it is stated: "For organizational, formal and administrative problems, the meeting was only publicized a few days earlier. The publicity actions were: the publication of a news on the institutional website of the Municipality of Monghidoro and the posting of posters (see Annex 1) in bars and supermarkets of the country. The bar managers were explained what it was, imagining them as a vehicle for information to fellow villagers. A direct invitation was sent, by e-mail and by telephone, to the two project partner associations ”[4]. In the attached poster, the invitation is addressed to "Local associations and citizenship", however direct invitations by e-mail or telephone to the other 6 associations / committees or schools already identified in the project have not been declared and no communications have been prepared for the hamlets. & nbsp;

2 - Meeting with the pupils' parents (Monday 1/3/19 at 18: 00-19: 30 - Conference Room, Monghidoro Town Hall ).

Were present the mayor, the person in charge of the procedure, the representative of the Ass. Beyond the Alps, 4 teachers, 17 parents, 1 citizen, 3 pupils and the facilitator Reyes. & Nbsp;

Advertising has taken place. starting from 20/2/19, by the schools that sent a copy of the flyer to all the parents of the pupils [5].

3 - Presentation of the initiative (Tuesday 7/5/19 8: 30-22: 00 - Conference room, Monghidoro Town Hall).

The mayor, the person in charge of the procedure, the facilitators Reyes and Squeri and no one were present. other participant. "The meeting was heavily publicized through the widespread dissemination of the project posters (see attachment 1). During the week several people had asked Reyes to better explain the content of the meeting, as (probably) they considered the content of the meeting, stated in the posters, to be smoky). The assessment of the project leaders is that more precise and clear communications are needed regarding the activities that will take place. In fact, at the first meeting with the parents, they had come in large numbers, as they were directly involved through their children who were interested in the trips being organized. Even at the meetings held in the two hamlets of Cà di Fiori (6 participants) and Fradusto (12 participants) to organize the reception of the trips, there were many people who came. In this meeting with a less concrete content, people did not intervene ”[6]. It was therefore decided, in view of the meeting of the first workshop already scheduled for May 13, to disseminate a new leaflet that better specifies the content of the activity. & Nbsp;

4 - First workshop public (Monday 13 May 2019, 8: 30-23: 00, Sala Stargate, Monghidoro).

The head of the Association "And well May May be" attended, a another citizen and the two facilitators Reyes and Squeri. & nbsp;

“Attendance at the meeting was extremely low. The participants first of all shared the assessments made also with the representatives of the Administration in the last meeting on 7 May, adding that the weather of the last few weeks (which keeps the country in a late-winter season for more than a month beyond its usual period) shocked everyone. To such a situation we add that the invitation to "design the Stargate Hall together", declared in the leaflet (attached), although more concrete, is so outside the customs of the country that people probably thought it was in the interest of only specialists in the sector. For this reason, those present thought of redesigning the next meeting both in terms of communication and content "[7].

5 - Gita a Fradusto (Monday 3/6/19 hours 11: 00-17: 00 - surroundings of Fradusto, Monghidoro). & Nbsp;

Participants: 34 children, 3 teachers, 21 inhabitants (from 6 fractions), 15 parents, 1 driver and the facilitator Reyes . The trip was organized during a series of activities and preparatory meetings : a first meeting was held which was attended by the family of a pupil from one of the classes involved; a subsequent meeting (May 2) with the local committee and the inhabitants of the area; an inspection led by a local resident; a one-hour meeting with each of the two classes IV of the Primary School, during which some traditional local dances (partly already known to them) were taught to children and teachers "[8].

< strong> 6 - Second public workshop (Wednesday 5 June 2019, 6:30 pm, Sala Stargate, Monghidoro). & nbsp;

There were 4 elderly ladies and 2 children and the two facilitators. "The low attendance at the previous meeting on May 13th, made us reconsider the organization of the workshop on June 5, planning the evening in the form of a public aperitif, in which to show the room open and partly set up according to the functions that we would like to attribute to it. . On this occasion, the Forno di Calzolari sponsored the event, donating pizzas and sweets. Despite the new measures, participation was still very limited. The numerous people who had declared that they were interested in the topic or who had even helped organize today's appointment also did not participate. Only 4 elderly ladies and 2 children from the neighborhood showed up, arrived out of curiosity and to take part in the aperitif. These people stayed there for about three quarters of an hour, ate something of what was offered and reiterated the importance of opening a space where they could meet, also useful for revitalizing the country. During the appointment, as a reminder and advertising of the event, a mobile blackboard was placed on the main road with the printing of the invitation and communication via whatsapp was postponed, without achieving results. In the meantime, at the nearby Bar Centrale, several young people from the town were having an aperitif "[9]. & Nbsp;

Communication plan accompanying

< p> Some dedicated web pages were planned and created which were hosted in the portal of the municipality of Monghidoro, the appointments were disseminated through the facebook profiles of institutions, civic list "Monghidoro Passione Comune", "I participate" of the Region, IAT (Tourist Information) of Monghidoro. 1000 promocards (size A6) and 50 posters (in A3) were produced. & Nbsp; The websites of the participating actors do not seem to have spread any news (eg "Ass. E bene sia maggio" did not post any posts on the subject).

Methods and tools used

Negotiation table (TdN) . The TN is foreseen by the ex-regional law 3/10 (art.13) then repealed and replaced by 15/2018 (art.17), it is a discussion group accessed by the actors to discuss and reach an agreement on a common goal. By actors we mean those able to mobilize resources (positively or negatively) of various types (cultural, economic, political) on a given issue. & Nbsp;

The goal of a TdN can be:

• an agreement on the participatory process related to a common political problem / objective. The agreement concerns the adhesion or the commitment to participate in an organized discussion path on a common problem; & nbsp;
• an agreement on the objective: in this case the actors, in addition to sharing the process, propose different scenarios on which the same actors find a mediation or a compromise, selecting a single shared scenario; in this case it would be preferable to also carry out a passage of enlarged verification with citizens through tools that favor greater representativeness;
• an agreement on the conflict: in this case the actors propose different scenarios on which, however, they do not agree . However, having accepted the participatory / deliberative process, they are involved in the discussion with the citizens and undertake to accept the outcome of this process, through instruments of enlargement of representativeness. & Nbsp;

In this case the TdN has held only one meeting at the moment and has not expanded its composition beyond the two actors already involved in the preliminary formal agreement. & nbsp;

Public laboratories . Similar to focus groups, they are very common ways to bring together a group of people and start a discussion with them around a desired theme, thanks to the conduct of a moderator who is called to stimulate the discussion and verify that everyone can express their opinion. Through this methodology it is possible to collect different opinions, stimulate a comparison between different positions and explore different points of view or reach an agreement. To facilitate the discussion, you can resort to the use of post-its, maps and sheets, which allow those who are not comfortable speaking in public to express their opinions and those who have difficulty summarizing to reflect on which is the fundamental concept they want to express. Focus groups typically host 12-14 participants. & Nbsp;

What happened: process, interaction and participation

1 - First Negotiation Table ( 15/1/19). Here the two participants (actors already involved in the preliminary agreement) provided some ideas for the school trip: a) view the school public transport plan to identify the hamlets in which to develop the project, ie those where more children reside; b) be careful not to "offend" the fractions not involved and not be invasive in those where the initiatives will develop [4]. No initiatives were discussed for the enlargement of the table and the involvement of new actors.

2 - Meeting with the parents of the pupils and teachers (1/3/19). The meeting saw a high attendance. The facilitator presented a diagram / mapping of the areas with the number of children present and proposed some possible itineraries for the school trip. The Fradusto fraction was chosen but the report of the meeting is inexplicably incomplete, probably due to an online upload error [5].

3 - Public meeting to present the initiative (7/5/19). The meeting went deserted, changes were made to the methods of subsequent advertising, focusing on more concrete content to always be transmitted via flyer.

The logistical steps for the organization of the school trip envisaged by the project, already prepared by some inspections by the facilitator, to organize the reception of the inhabitants in the hamlets [6]. & nbsp;

4 - First public laboratory (13/5/19 ). Attendance "was extremely low", so it was thought that "the invitation to design the Stargate Room together was too out of the way of the country's habits" and to redesign the next meeting both in terms of communication and content [7]. A series of proposals for room management rules have also been made (eg access to the room will only be possible via an electronic key, which will record the access of users and whose data will not be transferred to third parties; use of the Notice Board.

5 - Gita a Fradusto (3/6/19) The first fraction where the children were welcomed and danced typical dances taught by the elderly is Vergiano. From there on foot, the group reached Cà Novetta. Sitting on the trunk of an old walnut tree, in the shade of the trees, Mr. Campelli told them how he restored the village, how people lived there in the past and what he would have done. in the future. The children, even if tired from the sun, followed him with great interest. Another inhabitant (Casa Vecchia) showed the children the ducks and geese he owned, adding explanations. The parents prepared a picnic. At Acqua Chelda the group listened to the stories told by 2 others elderly inhabitants and danced other traditional local dances. Finally, in Fradusto the local committee has prepared a refreshment banquet, and again dances with the children. We have proposed for the next trips to deepen the theme of hospitality [8].

6 - Second public workshop (5/6/19). Despite the new measures, the invitation to an aperitif, the setting up of the playroom, the library, the multipurpose room, the bulletin board, only 4 elderly ladies and two children from the neighborhood entered the event. There was no discussion. It was thought that "the inhabitants are not interested in formal proclamations until the content of what is proposed is made clear and tangible with a practical example. In fact, it is believed that, given the results, it is better to start the practical use of the room and possibly modify the details in progress, also thanks to the consultative involvement of the users who, through its use, could adapt its functions and form as they deem most appropriate " [9]. & Nbsp;

Influence, results and effects

The process is not finished. The site reads "After the summer, new meetings to take stock and continue the activities" (Link 1 - Calendar of Meetings; ril., 22/10/19). Summer has been over for a month and the trial website is updated on 7/26/19. No explanation is given for the delay .

The spaces that you wanted to physically find have been found and set up (see photos attached to the reports) however something happened, probably before the start of the path which blocked the inhabitants and associations. Surely the issue is not one of the most conflicting and urgent from the point of view of individual interest; as long as it comes to involving children, everyone is available for a bit of entertainment and socialization, another issue is adolescents, young people and adults. The use of funded participatory processes does not seem entirely justified when it comes, as in this case, to activities that can and should be carried out by spontaneous human inclinations. Some interviews would be needed to deepen the dynamics of the case. & Nbsp;

Analysis and lessons learned

The relevance of the public decision in this case seems modest, the objective of generating trust and socialization, moments of conviviality, also aimed at the recovery of traditions and memory is not easy to activate because it is based on family and friends networks that are often closed and not very communicating with each other and distrustful when the promotion comes from the public administration . Failure to expand the TN may be due to closures and mutual distrust between member associations and associations / groups not involved at the start. It is also necessary to actually understand what kind of exploratory notice was made when local actors were invited to learn about the project and to sign the preliminary formal agreement, what kind of interest was expressed at the base of the associations involved and what representative consistency it had. Some interviews would be needed to deepen the dynamics of the case, also considering that in the project document there is no information on who, how and when it was decided to process it.

The path is transparent , apart from some incomplete documents [5]. The times of the project (6 months from 1/15/19 - "New meetings after the summer") are not respected and there are no explanations and documents certifying this expansion. The sharing of the path was based only on 2 actors, compared to a number of at least 6 potential (without considering the informal ones). The outreach activities aimed at inclusiveness towards elusive and weak subjects were not there apart from the reasonable inspections to organize the trips. & Nbsp;

At the moment (ril. 22 / 10/19) the representativeness of the process refers to a non-existent participation as well as outreach activities (such as snowball interviews, stations during parties and gatherings, etc ...) to solicit and obtain at least some opinion or a verification of what was going to be achieved.

See also

Laboratory

References

[1] Municipality of Monghidoro, European elections results of 5/26/19.

[2] Bertossi, E., Elections in Monghidoro: the candidate Barbara Panzacchi of "Monghidoro Passione Comune", Bologna Today, 30/5/2016, ht tp: //www.bolognatoday.it/politica/elezioni/comunali-2016/monghidoro-barbara-panzacchi-candidata.html (ril. 22/10/19). & Nbsp;

[3] The preliminary formal agreement is a document that certifies the adhesion and sharing of the project by key players who will be involved in the process. This attestation, according to the l.r. 15/2018 is an indicator of consensus and denotes an effort already in place by the applicants for support, therefore it assigns an additional score for the purposes of ranking.

[4] Reyes, S., Report 1st negotiating table, 24/1/19, https://comune.monghidoro.bo.it/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019_01_15_TBT_Report-TdN_1.pdf (ril. 22/10/19).

[ 5] Reyes, S., Report Meeting with parents on 1/3/19, https://comune.monghidoro.bo.it/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/TELA_BELLA_TELA_Incontro-genitori_1_marzo_REPORT.pdf (ril. 22/10/19). & nbsp ;

[6] Reyes, S., Report of the presentation meeting on 7/5/19, https://comune.monghidoro.bo.it/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/TELA_BELLA_TELA_Presolazione_7_maggio_REPORT.pdf (ril. 22/10/19). & Nbsp;

[7] Reyes, S., Report of the first public laboratory of 13/5/19, https://comune.monghidoro.bo.it/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/TELA_BELLA_TELA_1 % C2% B0Laboratorio_13_maggio_REPORT.pdf (rel., 22/10/19).

[8] Reyes, S., Report of the trip to Fradusto dated 3/6/19, https://comune.monghidoro.bo.it /wp-content/uploads/2019/07/TELA_BELLA_TELA_Gita-a-Fradusto_3_giugno_REPORT.pdf (ril. 22/10/19). & nbsp;

[9] Reyes, S., Report of the second public laboratory of 5/6/19, https://comune.monghidoro.bo.it/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/TELA_BELLA_TELA_2%C2%B0L aboratorio_5_giugno_REPORT.pdf (ril. 22/10/19). & Nbsp;

External links

1- Municipality of Monghidoro, Participatory project “Tela Bella Tela, Let's mend the community”, https://comune.monghidoro.bo.it/progetto-partecipativo-tela-bella-tela/ < / a> (ril. 22/10/19).

Reyes, S. (2018), Project “Tela Bella Tela!”, Emilia-Romagna Region, Call 2018, https://comune.monghidoro.bo.it/wp-content /uploads/2019/04/Schema-Progetto-Partecipativo_TBT.pdf

Notes