15. 2. 2019 | ENTRi, PR
Centre for European Perspective (CEP) organised a four day training on mentoring and advising in civilian crisis management and peacekeeping missions this week in Kenya. The course was organised in the framework of the ENTRi project, which is 90% financed by the European Commission. It gathered 22 participants, mainly working for EUCAP Somalia, African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), EUCAP Sahel Niger, African Union – United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) and other missions.
In the past years, mentoring has been increasingly applied by the UN and EU as an approach to capacity building in civilian crisis management and peacekeeping to facilitate the transfer of expertise from mission staff to local counterparts. The terms of reference for experts, particularly in the areas of rule of law, justice system reform, corrections and police often include mentoring as an instrument to support national authorities in their progress toward sustainable democratic change and accountability in further developing and strengthening their institutions.
Mentoring is a process that requires building of trust between mentor and a mentee. This is challenging in face of fragile, conflict contexts in which peace operations are set, frequent staff turn-over and power relations between international mission personnel and local counterparts. Cultural aspects can further create obstacles to building constructive working relationships.
The course aimed to consolidate the understanding of the role of a mentor and processes of mentoring in peace operations with the necessary shift of mind-set and attitude: from being a ‘doer’, therefore a professional with authority and decision-making and executive functions in their area of work, into being an observer, listener and resource person to assist local officials and stakeholders in enhancing their ability and facilitating the identification of problems and possible solutions.
The course was practical in nature and equipped subject matter experts with knowledge in mentoring skills and ability to successfully build a working relationship with their local counterpart and implement their mission mandates.
12. 2. 2019 | PR, U-LEAD: with Europe
Executive Director Katja Geršak is participating at the meeting of the Joint Committee on Trade and Economic Cooperation organised today in Kiev, Ukraine. She is participating at the opening of the Ukrainian-Slovenian Business Forum, opened by both co-chaired presidents, Mr. Aleš Cantarutti State Secretary at the Ministry of Economic development and Technology of the Republic of Slovenia and Mr. Hennadiy Zubko Deputy Prime Minister at the Government of Ukraine also holding the position of the Minister for Local self-administration. Later on, she will attend a bilateral meeting with the leaders of the ULEAD project, with whom CEP will successfully participate in the organization of study visits in Slovenia for Ukrainian officials . The ULEAD project is supporting the decentralization reform in Ukraine.
Click here to read more about the project in Slovenian language. 
11. 2. 2019 | PR, U-LEAD: with Europe, Waste management
Last week the third study visit “Travel to Know – Travel to Change” in the framework of „U-LEAD with Europe – Ukraine – Local Empowerment, Accountability and Development” programme concluded with a closing ceremony in Ptuj.
The visit took place between 3rd and 8th of February 2019 with 18 public officials from Ukraine visiting Ljubljana, Vrhnika, Celje and Ptuj, under the patronage of U-LEAD with Europe Programme. The project on the topic of waste management – “Upgrading Municipal Waste Management Services” – helps key actors of 36 selected amalgamated hromadas (AH) in three Ukrainian regions (Dnipropetrovsk, Volyn and Zhytomyr) to implement green approaches in the waste management sector and to obtain knowledge about the best practices of transparent and accountable waste management services, which is responsive to the needs of population.
The third international study visit has had, alongside theoretical approach, a strong emphasis on practical cases of the Slovenian communities’ experience in municipal waste management planning, municipal waste collection, treatment and disposal options, so the participants visited Snaga Ljubljana, Kemis Vrhnika, CERO Celje, Toplarna Celje, Javne službe Ptuj and Saubermacher Kidričevo. Visiting a modern incineration and a waste treatment plants gave the participants an opportunity to get acquainted with new technologies that could be taken into consideration for further contribution of AHs to the regional waste management planning.
The multi-donor action U-LEAD of the European Union and its Member States Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Poland and Sweden was established in order to carry out demand-driven and targeted training for officials at the national, regional and local level.
See the photo gallery of the project below.
5. 2. 2019 | PR, Public administration, U-LEAD: with Europe, Waste management
U-LEAD with Europe: Ukraine – Local Empowerment, Accountability and Development Programme third international study visit that Slovenia is hosting kicked off on Monday, 4th of February with 18 public officials from Ukraine beginning the study visit at Jable castle. The main topic of the visit is waste management and the visit is a part of the project “Upgrading Municipal Waste Management Services”, which helps key actors of 36 selected amalgamated hromadas in three Ukrainian regions (Dnipropetrovsk, Volyn and Zhytomyr) to implement green approaches in the waste management sector. Participants began their visit with an introduction day at Jable Castle, where they were welcomed by CEP director Ms Katja Geršak, administrative director Mr Andrej Vrčon, the participants were also greeted by Mrs Andreja Purkart Martinez from the Ministry of foreign affairs and Mr Andrii Borodenkov first secretary from the embassy of Ukraine. First day at Jable castle continued with an activity organized by the moderators of the visit, Ms Lara Habič and Ms Tina Krošelj and three lectures on the topic of waste management in Slovenia and EU and extended producer responsibility by Dr Lucija Jurić Soršak from the Ministry for environment and spatial planning and Mag Radovan Tavzes, former director general of the directorate for environment. In the following days the participants will have lectures on circular economy and the role of NGOs in efficient waste management and later on they will be able to see Slovenian waste management in practice, as they will visit Snaga Ljubljana and Kemis Vrhnika, followed by a visit to RCERO Celje, Saubermacher Slovenija and Javne službe Ptuj. The visit is taking place in the framework of the multi-donor action U-LEAD established by the European Union and its Member States Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Poland and Sweden. It is aimed to contribute to the establishment of multilevel governance that is transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs of the population of Ukraine. U-LEAD with Europe is supporting the Ukrainian Government, represented by the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine (MinRegion) as a key political partner, in the coordination and implementation of the decentralisation and regional policy reforms. The Programme carries out demand-driven and targeted trainings for officials at the national, regional and local level.
3. 2. 2019 | PR, Slovenian Development Assistance, U-LEAD: with Europe, Waste management
U-LEAD with Europe: Ukraine – Local Empowerment, Accountability and Development Programme continues with Slovenia is hosting the third international study visit on the topic of waste management.
The visit will take place between 3rd and 8th February 2019 with 18 public officials from Ukraine visiting Ljubljana, Vrhnika, Celje and Ptuj, under the patronage of U-LEAD with Europe Programme. The project on the topic of waste management – “Upgrading Municipal Waste Management Services” – helps key actors of 36 selected amalgamated hromadas in three Ukrainian regions (Dnipropetrovsk, Volyn and Zhytomyr) to implement green approaches in the waste management sector.
Participants will begin their visit with an introduction day at Jable Castle, meeting a number of representatives of Slovenian administrative and governing bodies and NGOs. In the following days, the workshops will take the participants to the field, visiting Vrhnika, Celje and Ptuj.
The visit is taking place in the framework of the multi-donor action U-LEAD established by the European Union and its Member States Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Poland and Sweden. It is aimed to contribute to the establishment of multilevel governance that is transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs of the population of Ukraine. U-LEAD with Europe is supporting the Ukrainian Government, represented by the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine (MinRegion) as a key political partner, in the coordination and implementation of the decentralisation and regional policy reforms. The Programme carries out demand-driven and targeted trainings for officials at the national, regional and local level.
16. 1. 2019 | LET4CAP, PR
Project partners of Law Enforcement Training for Capacity Building – LET4CAP project, namely Arma dei Carabinieri – Project Leader from General Command in Rome, Italy; Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units (CoESPU) in Vicenza; Centre for European Perspective (CEP), Slovenia; Polish National Police HQs (POLICJA), Poland; Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (SSSA), Italy and Studiare Sviluppo (STSV), Italy have gathered in Ljubljana, on 15th and 16th of January 2019 for the Third Project Coordination meeting.
LET4CAP aims to contribute to more consistent and efficient assistance in law enforcement capacity building to third countries. The Project consists in the design and provision of training interventions drawn on the experience of the partners and fine-tuned after a piloting and consolidation phase. Project has so far benefited from the existing knowledge base, good practices and lessons learnt on law enforcement capacity building training within the EU and the UN, taking into consideration, among others, the materials and doctrine developed within CEPOL, ESDC, the ENTRi and EUPST projects. LET4CAP is organized in four main components:
- Stocktaking of existing good practices and lessons
- Development of the training course curriculum
- Piloting Training implementation
- Other dissemination & outreach activities.
CEP has so far created an evaluation plan, tailored to the goals and context of this project, provided guidelines for the evaluation of cooperation, project products, efficacy and impact on target groups, end beneficiaries and stakeholders, and defined quality criteria for the success of the project. CEP has also been present at three trainings carried out so far, as an evaluation expert, providing feedback on the content and execution of the trainings.
Partners have through a very successful meeting evaluated the work and achievements done so far, as well as planned future activities and things to be done by the end of the project.
