Human dignity in a more liveable city - social innovation tackling the problems of Miskolc - the 4iM project
Drawing on international examples of integration in deprived areas, the 4IM consortium is bringing about structural changes in the city's social and employment services, focusing on the segregated Roma neighbourhoods of Bábonyibérc and Tetemvár.
To address the fragmented institutional structure and the high number of organisations linked to the neighbourhoods, the city has set up a pilot organisation for coordination. The Social Innovation Resource Centre (SIRC) that will take a new approach, based on the specific needs of the residents of Bábonyibérc and Tetemvár with a common goal in mind.
The SIRC will focus on deprived neighbourhoods, coordinating the resources of existing public and municipal institutions, NGOs and professional organisations for joint intervention and action, and managing processes. This approach will improve process management, cooperation and service packages.
The work of the first months shows that there is a receptiveness to the new institutional approach in the targeted segregations, as the first joint programmes and events enjoyed an unprecedented attention.
Actions based on local understanding
A household-level survey was carried out before preparing the Action Plans to complement the available and spatially relevant databases. The survey focused on the housing, education, employment, and community needs of local people. In the spirit of learning, the project used the UNDP (United Nations Development Programmes) methodology for the survey, which has already been tested in other cities.
An important tool for cooperation with local people - an innovative approach in itself - has been the involvement of community coaches. The coaching methodology helped the local people to identify and articulate their community’s needs. This is in line with the community participation processes launched by the city in 2020 and the participation concept adopted by the assembly of the Municipality.
Sustainable change
The mission of the 4IM project is to help residents of Bábonyibérc and Tetemvár understand that they can work together to improve conditions, and that nothing will change without them. In close collaboration with the consortium partners of the project the Integrated Development Consortium, they have the chance to improve their economic and living conditions. By empowering local actors, the project is facilitating change that will continue beyond the lifetime of the project.
Andrea Varga, Deputy Mayor for Human Services, on behalf of the consortium leader, the City of Miskolc said:
“Tackling the legacy of the past and the problems that are recurring today are the most important social tasks of Miskolc. We need to do something about this for the future of the city. To be able to integrate all the lagging areas, we need to know what to do and how to do it. The project is about developing a methodology in two selected neighbourhoods, together with local people, which can then be used in all the areas concerned. The aim is to make people become an integral part of the city's society. To build mutually beneficial connectivity and coexistence through initiatives that create dialogue at individual and micro-community levels. If we can achieve a sense of achievement and progress for all actors, then with the developed methodology we will have a chance for change in other lagging neighbourhoods."
To address the fragmented institutional structure and the high number of organisations linked to the neighbourhoods, the city has set up a pilot organisation for coordination. The Social Innovation Resource Centre (SIRC) that will take a new approach, based on the specific needs of the residents of Bábonyibérc and Tetemvár with a common goal in mind.
The SIRC will focus on deprived neighbourhoods, coordinating the resources of existing public and municipal institutions, NGOs and professional organisations for joint intervention and action, and managing processes. This approach will improve process management, cooperation and service packages.
The work of the first months shows that there is a receptiveness to the new institutional approach in the targeted segregations, as the first joint programmes and events enjoyed an unprecedented attention.
Actions based on local understanding
A household-level survey was carried out before preparing the Action Plans to complement the available and spatially relevant databases. The survey focused on the housing, education, employment, and community needs of local people. In the spirit of learning, the project used the UNDP (United Nations Development Programmes) methodology for the survey, which has already been tested in other cities.
An important tool for cooperation with local people - an innovative approach in itself - has been the involvement of community coaches. The coaching methodology helped the local people to identify and articulate their community’s needs. This is in line with the community participation processes launched by the city in 2020 and the participation concept adopted by the assembly of the Municipality.
Sustainable change
The mission of the 4IM project is to help residents of Bábonyibérc and Tetemvár understand that they can work together to improve conditions, and that nothing will change without them. In close collaboration with the consortium partners of the project the Integrated Development Consortium, they have the chance to improve their economic and living conditions. By empowering local actors, the project is facilitating change that will continue beyond the lifetime of the project.
Andrea Varga, Deputy Mayor for Human Services, on behalf of the consortium leader, the City of Miskolc said:
“Tackling the legacy of the past and the problems that are recurring today are the most important social tasks of Miskolc. We need to do something about this for the future of the city. To be able to integrate all the lagging areas, we need to know what to do and how to do it. The project is about developing a methodology in two selected neighbourhoods, together with local people, which can then be used in all the areas concerned. The aim is to make people become an integral part of the city's society. To build mutually beneficial connectivity and coexistence through initiatives that create dialogue at individual and micro-community levels. If we can achieve a sense of achievement and progress for all actors, then with the developed methodology we will have a chance for change in other lagging neighbourhoods."