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The Roma Integration Resource Provision Group Approved the First Integration Interventions.

 

The Interdepartmental Committee Group for resource funding of the Roma integration with EU funds held its third regular meeting on December 11, 2012. The chairman of the meeting was the Minister of EU funds Tomislav Donchev. The attendees to this meeting were: the Deputy Minister of labor and social policy Zornitsa Rusinova, Deputy Minister of education Petya Evtimova, representatives of the governmental authorities and intermediate units of the Operational Program Human Resources Development, Operational Program Regional Development, Program for Rural Areas Development, Secretaries of NSSEIV, and representatives of NGOs.

The Committee Group discussed the proposed plans for programs to support the National Strategy for Roma Integration; during the current and the next programming period. On behalf of NGOs that are executing the proposals, Deyan Kolev argued the need of the documents for the plan to target specific funds for integration activities under NSIR and Action Plan, which is part of it. Most of the activities require targeted resources and one of the most important sources for it are the European funds, Kolev said. He explained that almost all operations for the current programming period established in last year’s plan, have been announced, thanks to the good cooperation with the governmental authorities of OPHDR and OPRD. For the next programming period we are offering three key changes: 1. The focus to be center on the support for the implementation of municipal plans for Roma integration (i.e. projects that are integrated and are based on documents approved by the municipal councils), 2. A more serious role and responsibility on behalf of the NGOs participating in the process.  With activities that will engaged the Roma community at the municipal and regional level; 3.  Technical assistance in the implementation and monitoring of the implementation of municipal plans and increasing the capacity of the institutions involved in the coordination of integration policies are to be delegated to the NGOs.

The participants supported the need for the adoption of plans for the implementation of programs NSIR. Only clarifying questions were made on the proposed version of the current programming period. Discussion was held on the proposed operations for the next programming period. Only the most general guidelines for these operations can be identified, but not their specific parameters, because the new operational programs are not made yet and their budget is not clear. The Managing Authority of the OP HRD has requested more information about the process of creating the municipality plans for Roma integration, which was provided by Rosica Ivanova, Secretary NSSEIV. Minister Donchev made a call to the participants to submit written comments within one week, after which the proposed plans will be finalized and approved.

The Committee Group approved the first two integration interventions offered by NGOs: a community center and reducing the dropout rates among students. The intersectional interventions "Community Center" brings together the common features of health/social centers (developed by 10 Roma NGOs under the Prevention and Control of HIV / AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria), maternal centers (developed by Integro Foundation) and the Centers for Community Development (developed by Amalipe). The intervention provides mobilizing the Roma resource at a local level, creating support structures and services based in the community, conducting social fieldwork for increasing the educational, health and social status of the local Roma communities. The intervention for reducing the dropout rate of Roma children taken from the experience of Amalipe Center and other organizations that are implementing a complex of educational measures, establishing structures of student government and activating parental community to prevent early school dropout. In January 2013 will begin the development of specific parameters of the approved interventions; methodology and financial standards. This will be done by small working groups that include governmental and NGO experts, announced Minister Donchev.