Workshop F Outline

Consulting with respect to structural and communitarian aid programs in expanding EU

Chair: Mr. David Stulík, NROS, Czech Republic
David Stulík is Project Manager at the Civil Society Development Foundation (NROS), which is predominantly involved in the administration of PHARE programs aimed at the development of civil society in the Czech Republic. After the EU accession in May 2004 he has been appointed as a member of the European Economic and Social Committee, where he represents Czech non-governmental sector.
Previously, he worked for the independent Czech think tank, Europeum – European Policy Forum, which he has co-founded. Mr. Stulik also served as Project Manager and Executive Assistant to Senior Vice President of the East-West Institute, Euro-American think tank. During his studies he held the position of Vice President of AEGEE-Europe (European Students’ Association). In 1997 he received the award "Young European of the Year". Among his fields of interests and competence are: EU enlargement, development of civil society, socio-economic consequences of post-communist transition. Mr. Stulik has MA degree in Society and Politics from the Central European University and MSc. in International Economics from the Warsaw School of Economics.

Presenters:

Vladimír Sodomka, Interel, Czech Republic
Vladimír is European Public Affairs Expert specialized in instruments of EU financial assistance. Prior to joining Interel, Vladimír worked at the EUROPEUM Institute for European Politics as a researcher focused on economic impacts of European integration. He prepared his clients for drawing assistance from the EU funds. He also worked at the Centre for Regional Development of the Czech Republic, where he participated in preparations of the Phare Programme concerning economic and social cohesion. He was also an editor of the Integrace magazine.
Vladimír graduated from the Prague University of Economics where he specialized in Regional Studies and Public Administration. He also studied at the College of Europe in Natolin.

Presentation (ppt)

Katarína Vajdová, NPOA, Slovak Republic
Graduate of the St. Petersburg (Russia) University (1978), received her education in Slovakia, Russia, UK and USA. Being originally a journalist and journalism educator, she has developed her career through independent media and NGO related projects. During the last four years she was engaged into the European integration issues in Slovakia. Her professional accomplishments include: cofounder of the Radio Ragtime (the first independent student radio station), founder and director of the Center for Independent Journalism, Director of AI NOVA (social sciences and humanities post graduate school). Last four years she is the Director of the Civil Society Development Foundation that was established as PHARE implementing agency for the pre-accession funds for the NGOs in Slovakia. Currently the CSDF shifted its focus to the Slovak official development aid targeted on Serbia and Montenegro (since 2004).

Presentation:
Transfers of the Slovak Consulting Know-How to the Non EU Member States
The presentation focused on the role of NGOs as players of the public control over the public funds on national and EU level.
The following issues were discussed:
1. Current position of NGOs
2. Position and need for matching the EU funds for the development aid
The consultants' role (s) in that frame were discussed:
- facilitator of the cross sector approach
- data analyst
- monitor and evaluator

Branislav Orgoník, VVMZ, Slovak Republic
After the studies at the Slovak Technical University (Electro technical Faculty, Technical Cybernetics) he has worked for the National Democratic Institute for International Affaires on the Community Organizing project “Listen to people in Trencin Slovakia as a project manager. He is one of the founders of Trencin Informal Association – grassroots NGO, where he has worked as a Director and Project manager. He has managed various number of civil society development projects on local and regional level. Mr. Orgonik has worked as a Director of field operations on Magda Vasaryova presidential campaign. Since 2000 he is a Senior Manager at VVMZ, international consulting firm. He is certified international Project Manager (International Project Management Association). He is working as a consultant in the field of regional and local economic development, strategic planning, human resource development, civil society development, community development, transparency and the freedom of information, European funding and subsidy consulting. He also works as a senior project manager on the international development projects in Slovakia, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro and Macedonia.