New Public Consortia for Metropolitan Governance

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1 NARRATIVE REPORT 1 APRIL 30 SEPTEMBER 2008 New Public Consortia for Metropolitan Governance A Collaborative Initiative of The University of British Columbia and Brazil s Ministry of Cities Funded by Canadian International Development Agency Brazil-Canada KEEP Program October 2008

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3 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ACRONYMS... 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ANALYTICAL OVERVIEW REVIEW AND REVISION OF THE PIP PROJECT GOAL MAINTAINED SPECIFICS OF OUTCOMES BEING ACHIEVED Enhanced Institutional Capacity in the Five Regions Improved Living Conditions National Guidelines, Regulations and Manuals Strengthened Capacity of Civil Society MINOR CHANGES IN CANADIAN AND BRAZILIAN PARTNERS SHIFTS IN STRATEGIC APPROACH MINOR CHANGES IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT CLARIFICATIONS RELATED TO KNOWLEDGE SHARING, EQUITY RESULTS AND ACTION FOLLOWING THE OCTOBER ELECTIONS Canadian Knowledge Being Shared with Brazilian Partners Equity Results to Be Achieved by End of Project, and Related Activities Action to be Taken Following Municipal Elections GENDER-EQUITY RESULTS AND RELATED ACTIVITIES ACTIVITES PLANNED FOR THE NEXT QUARTER REGIONAL ACTIVITIES Recife Belo Horizonte Fortaleza Santo André Santarém CAPACITY-BUILDING MATERIALS KNOWLEDGE DISSEMINATION AND NETWORK-BUILDING PROGRESS TOWARDS RESULTS New Public Consortia for Metropolitan Governance Project 3

4 LIST OF ACRONYMS CIDA CIL CRSC EYA FBC GVRD IDRC ILO LMG NPC Project PAC PUC-MG SEDRU UBC IDR at UVic UFABC Canadian International Development Agency Centre for Intercultural Learning City-Region Studies Centre (University of Alberta) Environmental Youth Alliance Fraser Basin Council Greater Vancouver Regional District (now MetroVancouver) International Development Research Centre International Labour Organization Local Management Group New Public Consortia for Metropolitan Governance in Brazil Project Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento (Program for Accelerated Growth) Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais Minas Gerais Secretaria Estadual de Desenvolvimento Urbano University of British Columbia Institute for Dispute Resolution, University of Victoria Universidade Federal do ABC in Santo André 4 New Public Consortia for Metropolitan Governance Project

5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report describes the activities and outputs of the New Public Consortia for Metropolitan Governance in Brazil Project for the period 1 April to 30 September During this period, the Project Implementation Plan was revised to emphasize the twin emphases on near-term institution-building and long-term capacity-building, and to clarify the roles that the two lead partners will play in the final half of the Project: the Ministry of Cities will lead provision of support to near-term collaborative institution-building in the five regions; UBC will mobilize Canadian assistance for these efforts, and will work with Brazilian partners to develop and deliver capacity-building courses and materials. The Local Management Groups (LMGs), established by the Project in each of the five regions where it operates, continued to coordinate development of consortia and to identify lessons being learned, with the assistance of the Ministry of Cities, UBC, and other Project partners. Formation of the Regional Consortium for the Promotion of Citizenry: Mulheres das Gerais in the Belo Horizonte region was finalized in the period covered by this report. This achievement builds on the earlier success of the four participating municipalities in formulating and adopting the requisite Protocol of Intentions, and then preparing a mutually acceptable budget for the consortium. These experiences are proving to be instructive to other regions. In the Recife and Fortaleza regions, efforts continued to be directed toward institutionalizing inter-municipal and municipality-state collaboration. As a result of theses efforts, formal Management Groups were created in order to promote the sustainability of the work that is being undertaken in the Beberibe and Maranguapinho Basins. In the Santarém region, an initial draft of a Protocol of Intentions developed by the LMG was submitted to the participating municipalities. As well, possibilities for institutionalizing collaboration with the state of Pará were explored at a project-sponsored seminar in June, and on other occasions. New Public Consortia for Metropolitan Governance Project 5

6 Santo André, Diadema and Osasco continued to explore, with support from the ILO, possibilities for developing a formal convenio that would guide their collaboration in promoting decent work. Consideration was also given during this period to transforming the existing institution linking municipalities that constitute the Greater ABC Region into a consortium that complies with the 2005 federal law on public consortia. In the period covered by this report, workshops to capture lessons being learned, and other events to build capacity, were held in the Belo Horizonte, Santarém, Recife, and Santo André regions. As well, the Canadian partners held a number of meetings, often with Brazilian partners, to prepare capacity-building course outlines and materials. From March to June 2008, the project assisted in the development and delivery of a pilot continuing-education course on metropolitan governance by the Federal University of the ABC Region (UFABC), and collaborated with the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (PUC Minas) in developing an extension course on consortiation to be piloted in November Representatives of the Ministry of Cities, UBC, and other Project partners (such as the Prefeitura of Belo Horizonte, UFABC, and the University of Alberta) prepared presentations for the 4th World Urban Forum to be held in Nanjing in November New Public Consortia for Metropolitan Governance Project

7 1. ANALYTICAL OVERVIEW 1.1 Review and Revision of the PIP A Revised Project Implementation plan (PIP) was prepared by the Ministry of Cities and UBC in response to a request from CIDA following a meeting in Belo Horizonte on April 9 of the Ministry of Cities, UBC, CIDA and the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC). That meeting was facilitated by a Senior Learning Specialist from the Canadian Government s Centre for Intercultural Learning. The Revised PIP updates the original PIP which had been submitted in October Revision Process A draft Revised PIP was presented by the Ministry of Cities and UBC to CIDA and ABC at a Steering Committee meeting on August 14 in Brasilia. It provided updated information on: Specificities of intended outcomes Canadian and Brazilian partners The strategic approach of the project in its final two years Project management personnel and policies In response to information requests from CIDA following the August 14 meeting, a section was added to the Revised PIP. This section provided information on: Canadian knowledge to be shared with Brazilian partners Equity results to be achieved to the end of the Project, and related activities Scenarios for 2008 municipal election outcomes and Project courses of action. The Revised PIP was finalized on August 26 and provided to CIDA along with a memorandum providing further information relevant to the August 14 Steering Committee discussions. The material that follows in this Analytical Overview section draws from the Revised PIP. New Public Consortia for Metropolitan Governance Project 7

8 1.2 Project Goal Maintained The revised PIP confirms that there has been no change in the Project s goal which responds to Brazil s inequity and the well-documented problem that metropolitan governance in Brazil has not kept pace with that country s rapid urbanization. 1.3 Specifics of Outcomes Being Achieved The Project continues to be oriented to the outcomes that were defined in the original proposal to CIDA and the original PIP. However, as the Revised PIP points out, there is now more understanding of the specific forms in which the outcomes are likely to be achieved Enhanced Institutional Capacity in the Five Regions Due to local factors related to political cultures and priorities, the extent to which the Project has enhanced institutional capacity for improving conditions of marginalized people varies among the five regions. Belo Horizonte: In the Belo Horizonte region, formation of the Regional Consortium: Mulheres das Gerais by four municipalities in the Belo Horizonte region was finalized in the period covered by this report. There is provision for other municipalities to join. The consortium will advance gender equality in general, and aid victims of domestic violence in particular, by creating a systemic view of how to deal with violence against women, with shelters playing an essential role. This achievement builds on the earlier success of the four participating municipalities in formulating and adopting the requisite Protocol of Intentions, and then preparing a mutually acceptable budget for the consortium. The success has been achieved thanks to the work of many NPC Project partners, the more-than one million reais worth of in-kind contributions provided by the four cities, and the more than 280 meetings they jointly sponsored. The consortiation process in the Belo Horizonte region has been linked to a pilot project aimed at increasing youth awareness of violence in the metropolitan region and at involving youth in 8 New Public Consortia for Metropolitan Governance Project

9 violence prevention. Named Juventude Fazendo Gênero (Youth Doing Gender), the pilot project initiated workshops in, and with the support of, each of the four participating municipalities. It was actively supported by the full-time efforts of young Canadians sponsored by the overall Project. Participants in Juventude Fazendo Gênero contributed to production of the Youth Mapping Atlas. (see below) The pilot project was completed in May The educational potential of the Belo Horizonte region s consortiation experience is significant and this potential will be tapped by the Project s capacity-building courses and workshops. To begin this knowledge dissemination process, a two-day Lessons-Learned focus group was held in Betim in April. More than 40 people from the partner municipalities, state and federal governments, local universities, and Canadian partners participated. The rich discussions were captured through notes, flipcharts, audio transcriptions and film, which are currently being analyzed. Andrea Chelles, Coordinator for the Regional Consortium: Mulheres das Gerais, visited Canada from 8 to 11 September to give a presentation at the World Conference of Women s Shelters in Edmonton, Alberta. Drawing on her experience, she said that the regional approach has increased the efficiency and financial viability of women s policies and services, and that regional collaboration has provided sustainability, allowing women s organizations to reach long term goals. Fortaleza: In the Fortaleza region, efforts continued to be aimed toward facilitating and institutionalizing collaboration between the municipalities participating in this Project and the government of the State of Ceará. A formal Management Group for the Maranguapinho River Basin, established by the Ceará Governor and three mayors in the Fortaleza region, was created. The first meeting was held on 13 to 14 September to discuss ways to move forward in working inter-jurisdictionally and to discuss the sustainability of the upgrading works that are being developed with PAC money. Institutionalization will not necessarily be in the form provided for by the 2005 federal law on public consortia. Recife: A formal Management Group for the Beberibe River Watershed, designated by the Pernambuco Governor and three mayors in the Recife region, was recently created. The first New Public Consortia for Metropolitan Governance Project 9

10 meeting was held on August 14 to discuss ways to move forward in working interjurisdictionally and discussing the sustainability of the upgrading works that are being developed with PAC money. A seminar on Safe Urban Spaces was held in Recife in September. It brought together staff from governments of the state and several municipalities that are directly involved in a settlement upgrading program for the Beberibe River basin. Participants discussed the importance of promoting the sustainability of the upgrading works and the reduction of urban violence through the design of urban safe spaces. Santarém: In the region centred on Santarém, work has continued toward formation of a consortium for enhancing household water quality and supply. A seminar on New Public Consortia: Alternatives for Managing Environmental Health was held in June. The seminar enhanced understanding of the consortiation process and provided an opportunity for discussion of the impacts on equity that can result from a regional public policy on environmental sanitation. An initial draft of a Protocol of Intentions developed by the Project s Local Management Group in this region was submitted to the participating municipalities. As well, possibilities for institutionalizing collaboration with the State of Pará were explored at the project-sponsored seminar in June, and on other occasions. Consortium-building in Pará is being informed by experience in another northern state, Piauí, where a sanitation-oriented consortium of municipalities and the state government was established in Santo André, Diadema and Osasco: Santo André, Diadema and Osasco continued to explore, with support from the ILO, possibilities for developing a formal convenio that would guide their collaboration in promoting decent work. This could evolve into a consortium. The programming has the potential to be scaled up to the wider metropolitan-area level with ILO support. 10 New Public Consortia for Metropolitan Governance Project

11 Consideration was also given during this period to transforming the existing institution linking municipalities that constitute the Greater ABC Region, an institution that was created before the 2005 federal law on public consortia, into a consortium that conforms to the law. As in the Belo Horizonte region, a Lessons-Learned focus group was convened in Santo André/Osasco. Project participants described their experiences and understanding of consortiation processes, factors and strategies in their region. This focus group was held in May. The descriptions were recorded and filmed, and will be analyzed as capacity-building materials are prepared. The Director of the Institute for Dispute Resolution, University of Victoria, and a UBC professor of gender and development, participated in the focus group. Capacity-Building Courses: From March to June 2008, the Project assisted in the development and delivery of a pilot continuing-education course on metropolitan governance by the Federal University of the ABC Region (UFABC), and collaborated with the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (PUC Minas) in developing an extension course on consortiation which will be piloted in November 2008 over two weekends. These courses are designed to enrich understanding of consortiation benefits, limitations, challenges and strategies by professionals from the public sector (federal, state and municipal), universities and civil society. The courses will be further developed and delivered in co-operation with other Brazilian universities. Course deliveries will be managed by universities, the Ministry of Cities and training agencies. A module of the UFABC course was delivered in April by a team from UBC and the University of Alberta. Entitled Learning by Simulation: An Urban Laboratory Exercise in Developing Policy for Low Income Housing in Metropolitan Regions of Developing Countries the module introduced students to the main aspects of low income housing provision in metropolitan areas of developing countries. First, students were presented with the main policy options, and then were asked to take part in a role-playing exercise to develop a policy response for a project designed to provide low income housing being proposed for three municipalities within a hypothetical metropolitan region. New Public Consortia for Metropolitan Governance Project 11

12 The PUC Minas course is divided into two modules, with each to be delivered on one weekend. Employing case studies and other methods, it will critically evaluate institutional cooperation arrangements, present information on the legal aspects of consortiation and other arrangements, and will introduce methods and techniques for negotiation. A Senior Learning Specialist in the Canada s Centre for Intercultural Learning was introduced to the Project by including him as an observer of the Belo Horizonte region focus group in April. Possibilities have been explored for CIL to help with developing courses on consortiation process (planning, facilitation, dispute resolution, etc.) Capacity-Building Materials: As experience is gained from Project work in the five regions, increasing effort is being paid by Project partners to the development of case studies, exercises, films and other materials that can be used in capacity-building courses. In June, the Environmental Youth Alliance, a Project partner, published the 150-page Youth Mapping Atlas which draws on maps prepared with the aid of Canadian interns over the first two years of the Project in each of its five regions. The Atlas was very well received and IDRC gave additional funds to reproduce it for Canadian and International institutions interested in youth participation in governance and community building. The United Nations has also indicated a desire to reproduce it for distribution at the World Urban Forum in Nanjing, China. UBC prepared (and then led) a simulation exercise for the UFABC course. This included a workbook to guide students through the exercise as well as a compilation of relevant resources. Professors at UBC and the University of Alberta prepared papers and slide shows on metropolitan governance in Canada, which they presented in April at the UFABC course, to a seminar at PUC Minas, and to a major public event on metropolitan governance held in the São Paulo State Legislature. The Director of the Institute for Dispute Resolution, University of Victoria, and a UBC professor of gender and development, prepared materials on their respective specialties and 12 New Public Consortia for Metropolitan Governance Project

13 drew on them in presentations in May at Universidade São Judas Tadeu and other venues in the São Paulo area. Documentation of the Project s experiences to date in the five regions, as a preliminary step to preparation of case study materials, was systematically collected through focus groups and reports from Canadian interns. Films and videotapes that can serve as course materials were completed in the April to September period. The video on civil society perspectives on metropolitan governance in the Vancouver region was completed and vetted by those interviewed for the video. Material for a film on the Belo Horizonte process, focusing on the value of consortiation to people urgently in need of support (in this case victims of violence), was prepared. (The film was completed in October in time for the World Urban Forum session to be held in Nanjing in November.) Planning was advanced for production of other print and film materials Improved Living Conditions The improvements by 2010 will be most noticeable in the Belo Horizonte (improvements for women in dire need), Santo André (improvements in work opportunities and conditions), Recife (improvements in housing and security), Fortaleza and Santarém (improvement in housing and environment) regions. Because the Project aims to build sustainable institutions, however, it is expected that the Project will continue to be the source of concrete results well after it is completed National Guidelines, Regulations and Manuals Project experience in the Belo Horizonte region indicates that consortium-formation is possible and useful in advancing social inclusion at the regional level. At the same time, experience in that region, as well as in the other four, indicates that consortium-formation faces many hurdles, takes considerable time, and requires broadly-based understanding of the 2005 consortium law, its operational implications, and the formal and informal processes that lead to consortiation. New Public Consortia for Metropolitan Governance Project 13

14 Accordingly, the Project will put more emphasis in its final two years on strengthening the capacity of capacity-builders (e.g., university extension programs, government training programs, civil society movements, and all government levels officials) to enhance consortiation-relevant knowledge, skills and attitudes among government officials at all levels. This strengthening of capacity of capacity builders (akin to training-the-trainers) will produce, as outcomes: i) institutionalized education-extension programs for enhancing consortiationrelevant knowledge, skills and attitudes; ii) innovative, but tested, designs for courses and workshops that build consortiation capacity; iii) learning materials in the forms of case studies, problem-based exercises, manuals and videos. It is possible that the learning materials will be in forms that lend themselves to adoption by national agencies of how-to guidelines and/or regulations for forming consortia. The Ministry of Cities will take the lead in investigating and following up on these possibilities by working with suitable organizations Strengthened Capacity of Civil Society The capacity of civil society to contribute to the formation and implementation of consortia will be strengthened as the capacity of associations and movements national, regional and local to deliver courses and workshops on consortiation-building and regional-consciousness-raising to civil society and government officials. For example, materials on involving youth in regional activities are being produced on the basis of the Project s now-completed youth-mapping activities in the five regions. 1.4 Minor Changes in Canadian and Brazilian Partners Canadian Partners: UBC s initial Canadian partners in the Project were the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD - now renamed Metro Vancouver), the City of Vancouver Planning Department, the Fraser Basin Council (FBC), and the University of Victoria s Institute for Dispute Resolution (IDR). These agencies were all actively involved in the first two years of the Project. The GVRD, FBC, and UVic s IDR will continue to contribute to capacity-building activities. With recent retirements of key personnel from the City of Vancouver Planning Department, this agency might no longer be able to play an active role in the Project. 14 New Public Consortia for Metropolitan Governance Project

15 The Environmental Youth Alliance (EYA) based in Vancouver was actively involved in the Project during the first two years, supporting and guiding Canadian interns located in each of the five regions. In the final two years of the project, Canadian interns will no longer undertake these activities so EYA s role will be to contribute to the Project s long-term educational capacity-building efforts rather than to the consortiation efforts in each region. In the second year of the Project, UBC contacted the newly formed City-Region Studies Centre (CRSC) at the University of Alberta, to determine if it would be interested in assisting with the Project s capacity-building efforts. The CRSC, which has been studying and contributing to consortiation efforts in the Edmonton region, and investigating relevant regional governance experiences elsewhere in the world, agreed that its interests are aligned with those of the Project. CRSC leaders have been participating in Project activities since October CRSC is now recognized as a full secondary partner in the Project. Brazilian Partners: The original Brazilian partnership included, as stated in the proposal, five federal Ministries, five major cities, and two universities in the State of São Paulo. Staff from the National Secretariat for Women, the National Secretariat for Racial Equality, the National Secretariat for Public Safety from the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Labour have participated in various Project activities, and are expected to be interested in continuing to do so. The role of the two universities in the State of Sao Paulo was to support the Project s capacitybuilding activities directly, by enabling faculty members to contribute research and advice, and indirectly by helping to build a network of universities and/or academics who could similarly contribute. Individual faculty members from both universities have provided valuable advice at many points in the first two years of the Project. However, it now seems that it may be impractical for the two universities, as institutions, to contribute as partners to the Project. New Public Consortia for Metropolitan Governance Project 15

16 Several other universities, or units within them, have expressed interest in participating in the Project. These institutions are: Universidade Federal do ABC, Universidade São Judas, Universidade Catolica de Minas Gerais and the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. These institutions can be recognized as secondary partners. 1.5 Shifts in Strategic Approach There have been varied results from the consortiation action in each of the five regions, but in all cases the action has contributed to learning not only about the different kinds of consortia that can be aimed for (e.g., consortia on different themes, in different geographies, or with different jurisdictional levels), but also about the different kinds of opportunities and constraints to consortiation and other forms of inter-jurisdictional collaboration that present themselves in various contexts, and the effects of alternative consortiation/collaboration strategies. The learning has led to the decision to make two major shifts in the strategic approach of the Project in its final two years: 1) CAR is CLEAR: The collaborative action-research (CAR) approach has been expanded to collaborative learning through education-action-research (CLEAR), so that increased emphasis is placed on strengthening the capacity of capacity-builders (e.g., university extension programs, government training programs, civil society movements) to enhance consortiation-relevant knowledge, skills, and attitudes. 2) Division of Labour: A division of labour between the Brazilian and Canadian partners has been adopted. The Ministry of Cities, with the five Brazilian cities, is leading the continuing action (i.e., consortiation) component of the Project in the five regions. UBC and other Canadian partners are providing support as requested. UBC, with the Canadian partners and the Brazilian university partners, is leading the long-term capacity-building (i.e., education and research) components. The leads invite Brazilian governments and civil society to participate in and benefit from the long-term capacity-building activities. 1.6 Minor Changes in Project Management The Ministry of Cities and UBC are keeping each other informed of developments internal or external to the Project, which could affect the effectiveness of Project strategies and activities. 16 New Public Consortia for Metropolitan Governance Project

17 Each will continue to take initiatives to promote the Project, and to extend its benefits, externally. In addition to sharing responsibilities for, and collaborating in, preparation of Project reports, UBC and the Ministry of Cities plan to meet periodically throughout the next two years to monitor developments internal and external to the Project, to assess Project progress, and to develop and modify work plans accordingly. 1.7 Clarifications Related to Knowledge Sharing, Equity Results and Action Following the October Elections Canadian Knowledge Being Shared with Brazilian Partners The following Canadian knowledge is being shared with the Brazilian partners: Canadian inter-jurisdictional collaboration structures and processes (e.g., consensus oriented decision-making) in B.C.; metropolitan governance approaches in Alberta (the Edmonton regional governance challenge), Ontario (the consolidation of Toronto), and Quebec (the consolidation, then deconsolidation of Montreal); lessons learned by Canadians (e.g., University of Alberta Extension, UBC Geography) from a number of other countries experiences with metropolitan governance; lessons learned about vertical collaboration through the experience of the tri-level Vancouver and Winnipeg agreements; perspectives held by Vancouver s civil society organizations on the opportunities and constraints to involving civil society in metro governance; Canadian experiences with inter-jurisdictional collaboration for increasing metropolitan area equity in relation to such specific topics as water supply, protection of women victims of violence, and crime prevention, urban community economic development, and land use zoning for sustainability; internationally tested tools (e.g., conflict management, gender mainstreaming) for strengthening inter-jurisdictional collaboration for equity; innovative educational methods for increasing understanding of collaboration challenges and solutions (e.g., problem-based learning, case-study analysis, simulations and role playing, etc.). New Public Consortia for Metropolitan Governance Project 17

18 As a new Canadian partner, the CRSC is bringing knowledge from its studies of metropolitan governance in many jurisdictions, its action-research in Alberta, and its special interests in the roles women play in metropolitan governance. The above list deals only with the content of specific Canadian knowledge shared. Our overall approach to knowledge exchange is in accord with that described in Booklet 1 of KEEP where it is stated that knowledge refers to Canadian and/or Brazilian experiences, expertise, models, and know-how and knowledge exchange refers to a mutual sharing of these approaches between Canadian and Brazilian organizations. The mechanisms for sharing both the Canadian and Brazilian knowledge are courses, workshops and seminars, all of which are being designed in response to Brazilian requests Equity Results to Be Achieved by End of Project, and Related Activities In each of the five regions the Project continues to work toward establishment of consortia or other inter-jurisdictional mechanisms for promotion of equity. This is done by building capacity through courses/workshops tailored to the needs of the region, and by assisting as appropriate in meetings directed to facilitating inter-jurisdictional collaboration in forms that are as institutionalized as possible. In the Belo Horizonte and Santo André regions, the pilot projects have taken forms other than settlement upgrading. In the other three regions, the Ministry has linked the pilots to its PAC funds for settlement upgrading Action to be Taken Following Municipal Elections Following Brazil s October 2008 municipal elections, each of the central cities in the five regions will be contacted to define the scope of their participation during the project's final oneand-a-half years. The re-elected or new mayors will be informally contacted by the Ministry of Cities to arrange for the holding of formal meetings about the Project as soon as possible after the new administrations have been inaugurated in early New Public Consortia for Metropolitan Governance Project

19 2. GENDER-EQUITY RESULTS AND RELATED ACTIVITIES The establishment of the Regional Consortium for the Promotion of Equity: Mulheres das Gerais in the Belo Horizonte metropolitan region has been a major advancement towards supporting the development of a regional policy on women s shelters, as well as municipal policy-making in the areas of violence against women, non-sexist education, and improvement of working conditions and incomes for women The goal of the consortiation was not simply to make a direct intervention into the lives of a group of women and produce a concrete outcome such as a sewing cooperative or a neighbourhood garden. Instead the Regional Consortium: Mulheres das Gerais was designed to be more holistic in nature and have an impact over a long period of time by simultaneously providing immediate assistance and specific programs towards women who are most in need and working to build the capacity of institutional mechanisms so that they could address, also over the long term, the inherent systemic problems that perpetuate inequalities. A side-benefit of the consortium-formation process has been the development of closer working arrangements among municipal councils and offices, and increased sharing of information and learning. The process has also enhanced the capacity of municipal officials and strengthened the position and role of women in the public administrations. In cooperation with an NPCsponsored initiative directed toward youth in the Belo Horizonte region, Juventude Fazendo Gênero, the consortium-formation process has increased awareness about violence against women and highlighted it as an issue that deserves more attention. In all five of the Project's regions, a significant number of women have been directly involved in the Local Management Groups. Also, the engagement of municipalities women advisory councils and offices (where they exist) has been pursued with some success. After the October municipal elections, the Project will discuss with the new administrations how to support gender-related regional initiatives that could benefit women in all municipalities. New Public Consortia for Metropolitan Governance Project 19

20 The lessons learned during the process of forming and implementing the Regional Consortium: Mulheres das Gerais are being disseminated to the other four regions, and are expected to inform gender-related public policies in all the municipalities participating in the Project. 3. ACTIVITES PLANNED FOR THE NEXT QUARTER 3.1 Regional Activities In each of the five regions the Project will continue to work toward establishment of consortia or other inter-jurisdictional mechanisms for promotion of equity. We will do this work by building capacity through courses/workshops tailored to the needs of the region, and by assisting as appropriate in meetings directed to facilitating inter-jurisdictional collaboration in forms that are as institutionalized as possible. The work faces many challenges some common to all regions, some unique to each but every region has potential, and the experience in every region has learning value Recife In response to a request from the Ministry of Cities, a workshop on consensus-building will be conducted by UBC and the Fraser Basin Council on November 24 and 25. The Ministry of Cities is helping to organize the workshop. Participation is expected from all of the Project s municipal partners in the Recife region, as well as the state government Belo Horizonte A workshop entitled Regional Interface and Shelter Methodology: Building the Contract Program of the Consortium Mulheres das Gerais will be conducted in November in Contagem, with support from the National Secretary for Women Policies (Secretaria Especial de Políticas para as Mulheres) and UBC. This workshop will discuss the regional interfaces of the Casa Abrigo Sempre Viva, and the Consortium s relationships with regional and local institutions that address violence against women (for example, all existing Women s Reference Centres). Also, policies for sheltering women victims of violence and their children will be discussed and a draft of the conclusions will form the basis for a national policy on this issue. 20 New Public Consortia for Metropolitan Governance Project

21 A four-day course entitled Inter-institutional cooperation and regional governance will be held over the course of two weekends in late November at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais (PUC-MG) in Belo Horizonte. PUC-MG collaborated with UBC and other Project partners in developing this course. The Minas Gerais Secretaria Estadual de Desenvolvimento Urbano (SEDRU) was a key supporter of this course and will be fully engaged in its delivery. It is expected that technical staff from municipalities in the metropolitan areas, as well as from the state and metropolitan entities, will attend Fortaleza Recent developments indicated that there is a renewed interest by the State in this Project. A new action plan will be developed and representatives from the Management Group for the Maraguapinho Riber Basin will assist the consensus-building workshop that will be conducted by UBC and the Fraser Basin Council on November 24 and 25 in Recife Santo André Municipal election results will influence Project activities of Santo André and the municipalities with which it collaborates. A seminar on consensus-building entitled Federative collaboration: potentials and barriers/challenges and designed by the University of São Paulo and the UFABC, will take place in São Paulo on November 26 and 27. Participation is expected from municipal and university partners in the Project. The Seminar will continue the discussion initiated by Prof. Maureen Maloney in furthering mechanisms which could be used for resolving difficult issues around inter-institutional cooperation and collaboration. David Marshall, Executive Director of the Fraser Basin Council, will also take part in the seminar and discuss how to create consensus Santarém The Ministry of Cities will plan with Santarém the actions to be taken in this Project following the municipal elections. 3.2 Capacity-Building Materials Case studies from Canadian and Brazilian experience with consortiation and regional governance are being developed for use in the Project s capacity-building work. The Canadian New Public Consortia for Metropolitan Governance Project 21

22 cases to be studied include the Fraser Basin Council s approach to consensus-oriented decisionmaking, Metro Vancouver's approaches to decision-making and to social inclusion, the Vancouver Agreement's successes and limitations, regional amalgamations in Montreal and Toronto, and domestic water-supply management by consortia of municipalities in southern Ontario and of First Nations in northern Ontario. The Brazilian cases to be studied include the Project s consortiation experiences to date in its five regions of focus, regional governance experiences in other metropolitan areas, and the Consórcio Regional de Saneamento do Sul do Piauí (CORESA Sul do PI) in the North. The video team at the University São Judas has expressed interest in working with the Project to create and broadcast innovative educational materials on metropolitan governance. 3.3 Knowledge Dissemination and Network-Building The brochure describing the Regional Consortium: Mulheres das Gerais will be revised to produce updated information on its purpose, structure and points of contact. The longer and more detailed booklet describing the process followed to establish the consortium and the challenges that were faced will also be revised. In November, UBC and the City-Region Studies Centre at the University of Alberta, on behalf of the Project, will host a Habitat seminar at the Fourth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF4) in Nanjing, China. The seminar will provide an opportunity for exchanges of knowledge from Brazil, Canada, South Africa and other countries about experiences in developing mechanisms to promote social inclusion through inter-jurisdictional collaboration at the level of the urban region. The seminar will open with a short film and presentation on the Regional Consortium: Mulheres das Gerais consortium that has been created by the Project in the Belo Horizonte region, and will continue with presentations on lessons about metropolitan governance being learned from Edmonton (where regional governance has once again been reformed in the attempt to better manage urban growth), South Africa, and China. It is expected that the seminar will be a catalyst for continuing international exchanges of information and ideas on collaborative mechanisms for metropolitan governance after WUF4 is over. 22 New Public Consortia for Metropolitan Governance Project

23 An updated brochure and booklet on the overall Project will be produced in time for distribution at WUF4. These will be in both English and Portuguese. An edited and reduced version of the Youth Mapping Atlas will be developed to be more attractive and less daunting than the existing 150+ page publication. The Project s website continues to expand to be more user-friendly, informative, and dynamic, and to include a growing collection of project documentation and reference materials. The website continues to be developed in two languages. In August, it was moved to a new server to take advantage of new web technologies. New sections are planned for extension courses (to support the Project focus on collaborative learning and education) and information sharing (to support network-building initiatives such as those to be taken at WUF.) The Project has applied to participate at the World Social Forum in Belém in January/February 2009, and has also successfully submitted a proposal to present papers and hold a session at the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) Conference in Rio de Janeiro in June Preparation for these events will take place over the following months. 4. PROGRESS TOWARDS RESULTS The Project has made progress in i) exchanging existing knowledge related to consortiation, ii) taking action to promote and form consortia, and iii) researching and disseminating lessons to be learned from consortiation experience in the five regions in which the Project operates. In the Belo Horizonte region, establishment of the Regional Consortium for the Promotion of Cities: Mulheres das Gerais has been finalized. The Belo Horizonte experience shows what can be accomplished when there is a shared desire by municipalities to advance social inclusion by taking advantage of the legal opportunity provided by the 2005 law on public consortia. In each of the other four regions, efforts are progressing to define regional collaboration parameters and to explore possibilities for institutionalizing inter-jurisdictional collaboration. New Public Consortia for Metropolitan Governance Project 23

24 The Project s Local Management Groups are identifying and addressing the barriers to interjurisdictional co-operation, as well as the opportunities provided by the 2005 law. Each of these experiences provides instructive lessons which will be captured in engaging, accessible learning materials. 24 New Public Consortia for Metropolitan Governance Project