| Project management costs: Project management includes coordination of all project implementation activities, financial management and control, internal monitoring. The organization and management of the project is carried out by a team consisting of representatives of the Municipal Administration in Stara Zagora. It includes a manager, a coordinator, an accountant and a technical assistant with proven administrative and operational capacity. With regard to the project management team, the goal is to coordinate people's efforts and use of resources, to improve interaction among project team members by developing people's individual and group skills and competencies for the project implementation.
In the framework of the Project Management Costs activities, control over the implementation of the planned activities will be performed to achieve the expected results and indicators.
The project management team is committed to:
- Performance reporting - preparation and dissemination of regular project status reports;
- Integrated change control - coordinating all necessary modifications throughout the project in scope, timetable or the costs incurred due to changes in requirements or due to external factors and conditions during the implementation of the project;
- Quality control - monitoring project-specific outputs and evaluating their compliance with the standards adopted by the funding authority, identifying ways to eliminate the causes for poor performance;
- Risk control - monitoring of identified risk factors and the effect of their manifestation on the project goals, identifying new risks arising in the course of the project, taking action to reduce and avoid risk.
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149 720.09
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173 808.27
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| Improvement of conditions for the target group and activities scope through infrastructure expansion: The International Youth Centre in Stara Zagora is reknown on a local, national and European level with successful practices in the implementation of social inclusion of young people at risk with a focus on ethnic minorities. In this regard, Stara Zagora Municipality aims to extend the activities of the Youth Centre through the renovation and furnishing of an adjacent 120 m2 multi-purpose building. By creating an alternative place with appropriate furnishing at the youth centre, where young people can meet and interact freely, conditions will be provided for interactive activities according to the interests of the target group, which will create prerequisites for attracting and retaining more young people at the centre.
The expansion of the infrastructure is based, on the one hand, on the needs of the target group and, on the other, on the recommendation of a Council of Europe expert team for obtaining a Quality Label for youth centres, highlighting the need for a multifunctional room offering the opportunity for implementing a wide range of training and leisure activities.
In order to successfully integrate the premises to the existing building, the conceptual design was entrusted to the architect who designed the Youth Centre in its present state. The reasons for choosing a contractor for the conceptual project are related to the fact that architect Vasilev is a proven professional in his field. He is the author of the current vision of the Youth Centre building (awarded with a prize from the National Building of the Year 2015 competition). The main objective of the implementation will be to successfully integrate the new space from a visual and functional point of view of the already existing infrastructure.
In the extended period of the project, additional activities will be implemented as follows:
- equipment and furnishing of a new music room /studio/, including sound isolation
- art equipment and consumables for art activities
- civil works for establishing a photo-voltaic /PV/ system for clean solar power - The PV system will consist of PV panels, battery storage, PV invertor, mounting construction and smart management system which will prioratize the consumption of direct sun radiation and battery stored power before using grid energy.
The guarantee for the subsequent maintenance and sustainability of the renovated premise should be the decision of the local municipal council, which will commit itself to the managing authority for good and quality management.
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549 532.42
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382 234.42
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| Information, publicity and audit: The purpose and target groups, strategy, means and content of the information and publicity measures, including activities, communication tools and timetable for their implementation, are detailed in the enclosed "Information and Communication Plan" of the project “International Youth Centre - Think locally, act globally". The document also describes the evaluation indicators for information and communication measures, as well as the beneficiary's commitment.
The main task of information, publicity and audit activities is the information for the project and the project activities to reach out to the widest possible range of people, organizations and institutions, as well as representatives of the target groups on a regional, national and international level. It targets at least 1,650 children, young and elderly people, of whom approximately 50% are female and 50% male.
Within the framework of information, publicity and audit activities, information campaigns and activities will also be implemented in the community in order to reach the information on the activity of the centre to all stakeholders. Community awareness campaigns and activities cover both educational institutions and places where young people gather. Within the campaigns, the youth centre team liaises with both the main target group and all stakeholders - parents, relatives, teachers, mediators, social workers and others. Through community activities, a trusting relationship is formed and initial contacts with the target group are built. In view of the heterogeneous ethnic composition and the target group socio-cultural specificities, the experience of the youth centre team shows that a successful practice is the visit on spot and organisation of campaign activities in the community. In order to attract a target group, it relies on recreational activities (sports, art activities, discussions, workshops on current topics, consultations, etc.), and then in the already established relations with the target group, it is gradually attracted and engages in educational activities at the centre. Community information campaigns and activities aim not only to inform, but also to explore the interests and needs of young people from vulnerable groups.
The audit involves actions to collect and analyses financial and non-financial information to evaluate budgetary management and transparency in spending funds.
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63 776.58
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35 973.51
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| Developing bilateral relations, exchanging experience and good practices: Activities for developing bilateral relationships, exchanging experience and good practices include expanding partnerships with organizations from the donor countries and other EU countries, as well as on a national level with existing and newly established youth centres within the National Network of Youth Centres.
With regard to bilateral relations, Stara Zagora Municipality received a letter of intent from a Norwegian organization - Glemmen videregående skole. The school is one of the largest vocational education and training schools in Norway. It has about 1400 students and approximately 280 employees. The students are mostly aged between 16-19, but there are also adults. The institution offers various trainings - health and social care, food and beverages, electronics, mechanics and arts and crafts. The district on which the school is located is one of the poorest in the country and has one of the highest dropout rates from the education system on a national level. The school is therefore focused on preventing dropouts and motivating students to finish with good results. The unemployment rate in the district is quite high as the education level of the population is low. The school has a focus on adapting to the 21st century skills.
Within the project the aim is to exchange good practices, both at staff level and with the participation of young people.
With a view to expanding its affiliate network and participating in a number of international youth networks, the International Youth Centre team aims to implement activities to exchange experiences and good practices with other European organizations eligible under the EEA Financial Mechanism Regulation and the Guidelines for Applicants. These will include visits by the project management team and the Youth Centre team to organizations with similar vision, mission, goals and activities.
Within the activities of the National Network of Youth Centres an exchange of experience and good practices will be effected with representatives of already existing and newly established centres. In addition to the youth centre team, the target groups will be included in the activities as well. The main objective of the activities of the National Network of Youth Centres is to increase the confidence and affirmation of NNYC as representative for the organizations, to attract new youth centres in the network and to involve them in joint initiatives and sharing good practices on a national level.
National Meeting "Youth Participation in Action"
The meeting aims to increase participants' understanding of youth inclusion and empowerment and to present a model for local youth policies that promote youth participation. During the meeting, it`s expected the participants to generate ideas for the practical application of the recommendations for youth participation. It comes out from the Revised European Charter for young people involvement in the life of municipalities and regions;
The meeting will gather participants for a 4-day event in Stara Zagora. The target group of attendees will consist of representatives of youth organizations, youth workers, representatives of local youth councils and parliaments, representatives of local authorities, experts on youth policies.
The expected outcome of the meeting is the creation of new partnerships between NGOs and institutions/local authorities, as well as the planning of specific proposals for local youth policies to be implemented by 2030 – the term of action of the national youth strategy. Another result of the meeting will be a document with practical guidelines for youth participation at the local level and in support of the target groups for youth participation at local level.
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434 184.07
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179 545.28
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| Educational activities: Educational activities include several main areas:
Non-formal education in support of formal education. The format aims at organizing activities based on non-formal education and supporting the formal educational system. By organizing hourly classes at the youth centre and at schools, support and assistance will be provided in the acquisition of new knowledge and skills, and young people at school age who for one reason or another do not find their place in the school environment will be included and socialized. The topics of the activities will be tailored and based on the syllabus and curriculum of the educational institutions. The activities will enable sharing of good practices between the youth centre team and pedagogical specialists and improving the interaction between them.
Youth camps. It is envisaged to organize camps inside and outside the youth centre with a diverse target group - children, young people, parents and other stakeholders with the aim of training and learning new knowledge and skills, personal development and strengthening the intergenerational connection.
The target group will include both young people from the core of the target group and their parents and families, who will be able to interact with each other in a different and unfamiliar environment.
The purpose of the out-of-site training sessions is to get the participants out of their comfort zone, to learn and interact with their peers within the framework of not only the training but also the daily duties and responsibilities.
The organization of out-of-site youth camps enables the centre team to establish a trusting connection with the target group, to promote the values of the Council of Europe in an informal environment, to involve parents and teachers in the learning process. In their program, the camps will focus mainly on building practical, craftsmanship, artistic skills, in-depth knowledge and soft skills formation, teamwork, leadership, emotional intelligence, empathy, communication and presentation skills.
- Regional visits - Through regional visits and trainings, the aim is to reach young people, children and adults from vulnerable groups permanently residing in towns and villages distant from the regional centre. Expanding the network of activities through support, information and consultation will enable the expansion of the target group and facilitate the access of vulnerable groups to the activities of IYC. The focus of regional visits is not only informing, but also educating young people through trainings and workshops. The target group will mainly include young people of school age.
The organization of regional visits and trainings enables the youth centre team to reach a target group that does not have or has limited opportunities to participate in the regular activities of IYC. This will not only affect the students, but also create new partnerships with schools, culture centers and social organizations, promote non-formal educational approaches to work and form a core of volunteers sharing the vision and values of the youth center. In the future, these young people will play the role of multipliers locally in the activities of the youth centre.
Locally based trainings and workshops will cover a variety of topics, such as reflecting the interests and needs of young people and students in small settlements
Budget for consumables and supplies for the implementation of the educational activities is planned.
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120 774.05
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102 747.65
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| Non-formal youth trainings: Non-formal training for young people includes several main areas:
Workshops and discussions. Workshops and discussions are an integral part of the activities of the youth center and reflect the current problems and interests of the target group. The activities cover topics from a wide variety of fields - social and youth work, policy development and implementation, health, education and economic issues, employment opportunities and professional realization. The broad format of the activity allows for constructive dialogue and confidence building between the youth centre team, potential target groups and the official and informal partners of the centre. Workshop topics are structured around the needs of the target group and provide an opportunity to involve both young people and parents, teachers and other stakeholders. Workshops and discussions will enhance the general culture of the target group on current and important topics, enable seminar activities that will be led by specialists in the specific field, rise discussions and dialogue with experts that young people identify as interesting and helpful interlocutors
Long-term training courses. These activities form the training and educational sphere of the activity of the youth centre. In view of the practice so far, the youth centre team will retain some of the approved formats, complementing them with new, attractive trainings, provoked by the interests and needs of young people and adapted to their needs. The training will be based on a modular system to cover more and more diverse topics. The training courses will cover a target group of at least 20% of participants from vulnerable groups (including parents and adolescents under the age of 15). The basis of the training is to create social and emotional abilities, leadership, oratorical and personal competences, as well as to provoke the process of social inclusion and activation of socially passive young people. For the successful organization and conduct of the trainings, the youth centre team will use the available resource from volunteers and its network of partners on a local level. The frequency of trainings will be tailored to the target group's workload and commitment. In terms of timing and frequency of training, the youth center team is flexible and able to respond adequately to the needs of the target group
Training seminars and conferences. Training seminars and conferences are an opportunity to improve the competences of the youth centre staff and the target group on various topics. They also include a number of local, national and international partners and are an excellent basis for developing local youth policy as a reflection of the European agenda in this area. Sharing experiences and good practices gives rise to new priorities and approaches in the work of youth workers and mediators. Such formats also allow youth leaders appointed by the centre team to be present.
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53 325.61
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28 277.78
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| Activities for expanding the scope of project activities: Activities for expanding the youth centre scope include several areas, including innovative initiatives for IYC.
Regular interest clubs - Regular interest clubs are a proven way of attracting and retaining, at the youth centre, a target group of young people at risk of social exclusion. Under the guidance of a specialist in the field, and through the methods of non-formal education, interactive activities are conducted at a frequency specified (once - twice a week). In the long run, as a result of organizing regular clubs, sustainable attendance of activities by the young people is achieved and new knowledge and skills are acquired in the respective field. The specific topics of club activities are formed on the basis of the interests and needs of the target group and range from leisure and sports activities to training and specialized ones. In view of the diverse ethnic composition and socio-cultural specifics of the participants in the activities of the centre, regular interest clubs are a prerequisite for the formation of groups of young people with similar interests, for the socialization and adaptation of new visitors to the youth centre.
Intergeneration meetings are an innovative activity for the youth centre. Intergeneration meetings include formats that expand the age range of the youth centre activities. These include lectures, seminars, and workshops and informal meetings on various topics. The informal and entertaining element of the meetings will be the exchange of culinary practices, games, storytelling, and hands-on activities in various fields. The training element of the meetings will be implemented in the form of lectures, discussions, discussions between specialists, parents, teachers, young people and children. Special focus will be future parents and those experiencing problems in raising and communicating with their children. To implement the format, the youth centre team is expected to act as a mediator and moderator of the meetings and the youth centre building to serve as an attraction place to foster and build relationships of trust and understanding between different generations.
Entertainment activities - include all activities that are of a larger scope and are intended to attract and enrich the centre target group. These include concerts, festivals, balls, as well as sporadic sports activities, competitions and activities. The entertainment activities organized by the team of the Centre, will aim to fill in the free time after young people's classes after 2020, when the students in Bulgaria are expected to switch to a one-shift studies. By organizing entertainment activities, the risk target group will be engaged at the youth centre, which will create conditions for the prevention of deviant and delinquent behavior. The organization of activities will attract young people from the centre target group who will be empowered by specific tasks and commitments. In this way, the fun and entertainment element is combined with the formation of responsibility skills.
Project team includes youth workers, Roma educational mediators, educational staff, etc. Expanding the scope of activities increases the workload of all staff at the youth centre, which is why additional budgetary remuneration for the staff is allocated.
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499 673.91
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340 343.85
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