Past Projects
SGI projects 2008
(6th Framework Program of EC, Contact person: Katarína Staroňová)
[Donor: The Administration of Council of Ministers of Bulgaria through PHRD Grant for Preparation of the Second Social Sectors Institutional Reform Development Policy Loan (SIR DPL II), JPN 57777].
The project was implemented by SGI and its partners from Hungary and from Bulgaria. The aim of the project was to advise the Bulgarian government on the student loan scheme for higher education students. The outcomes of the project is the report. The main conclusions from the report for the Bulgarian government are following:
- avoid general state guarantee behind each student loan and avoid full coverage of operational costs by the state,
- avoid general (untargeted) interest subsidy since it is very expensive and inequitable,
- avoid fixed term repayment, (since it requires a state guarantee, interest subsidy and causes many other problems e.g. debt aversion, huge default losses etc. because it is inadequate for student loaning)
- allocate increased attention to the implementation of student loan scheme in terms of building the scheme in technical terms, allocated human resources to build and to implement the scheme and in terms of sufficient time for implementation of the scheme.
The report is available in English language here .
[Donor: Transparency International Slovakia].
The project was implemented jointly by SGI and Transparency International Slovakia. The goal of the project was to develop a methodology for assessing the quality of annual reports of public higher education institutions and to rank the higher education institutions based on the quality of annual reports. The outcome of the project is a report that covers the methodology, the outcomes of the analysis of the annual reports, the ranking of higher education institutions and the recommendations for the Ministry of Education of Slovakia as well as for the higher education institutions. The report is available in Slovak language here.
4. Start up of the network on Structural Funds Impacts and Transparency
Contact person: Ctibor Košťál
The project Start up of the network on Structural Funds Impacts and Transparency, implemented by Slovak Governance Institute (Slovakia) in collaboration with nonprofit organizations Praxis (Estonia), Providus (Latvia), Transparency International (Lithuania), Europeum (Czech Republic), and CPS - CEU (Hungary), with support of Local Government & Public Service Reform Initiative (LGI), lasted from 1 December 2007 until 31 June, 2008.
Seeing that amount of external financial assistance, which new members as a part of the new 2007-2013 Financial Perspective were to receive, was unprecedented in their history, there were several threats regarding the use of Structural Funds. The aim of the project was to stimulate and enhance the research on the implementation and evaluation of Structural Funds and thus improve the governance, transparency and impacts of Structural Funds in the new member states.
Project's four main objectives were:
1. Creation of a core network of organizations that would carry out detailed, accessible, and comparable research on Structural Funds and their implementation in the next EU budget period.
2. Stimulation of capacity building in research of Structural Funds with focus on the impacts and transparency by disseminating the accumulated knowledge among all participants and learning from more academically oriented institutions and experts from EU 15 countries at the conference.
3. Informing and enhancing public debate thus changing the terms of public debate and raising public awareness of this issue.
4. Provision of critical partnership to programming, implementing, monitoring, and evaluation on research outcomes and common knowledge in these areas.
Within the project Start up of the network on Structural Funds Impacts and Transparency, there was the International Conference Structural Funds Research - New Challenges for Research NGOs held on 16th and 17th June 2008 in Bratislava. The conference was organized by Slovak Governance Institute and the EC Representation in Slovakia, with support of the OSI-LGI.
Ms. Andrea Elscheková-Matisová, Head of Representation of the European Commission in Slovakia, Mr. Ken Davey, Member of the LGI Steering Committee, Mr. Ctibor Košťál, project manager and expert from SGI, Ms. Katarína Mathernová, Deputy Director-General for Regional Policy, EC, Mr. Wells and Mr. Tony Gore, experts from UK, Mr. Sergej Muravjov from Transparency International Lithuania, Mr. Gatis Litvins from Providus (Latvia), Mr. Vladimír Šárnik and Mr. Martin Plesch, lawyers from the NGO Eurea, Ms. Martina Kubániová from TA3, Ms. Agnes Batory and Mr. Andrew Cartwright, both performing in CPS-CEU, Ms. Eszter Kosa, independent researcher, and Ms. Renáta Králiková from SGI have contributed to the conference with their presentations.
For more visit www.civicwatch.eu
SGI projects during 2007-2004
The Slovak Voice in Brussels [Donor: The British Embassy in Bratislava]. The goal of the project was to analyze how Slovakia is successful in pursuing its interests on the EU level. The project looked at to what extent are the Slovak citizens successful in filling the positions in the EU institutions and how is then used the potential of people already working in the EU for pursuing Slovak interests. After analysis of documents and number of interviews with whole range of stakeholders in Slovakia, Brussels and Luxemburg, the project team prepared report. The report consists of three main parts: (1) description of the present state of affair in filling the positions on EU level by Slovak citizens and of the use of potential of Slovak citizens already working in the EU, (2) identification of the main problems and (3) proposing recommendations to improve the present situation. The complete report is available here. The report was presented during a conference taking place in Bratislava on June 29th 2007.
Civic Voice in the Public Policy 1995-2005 [Donor: CEE Trust via Ekopolis Foundation]. This project focused on the impact of advocacy, watchdog and public policy advocacy activities of NGO think tanks in Slovakia and chart potential course for the future. The project included data collection (quantitative and qualitative), cost-benefit analysis and several discussion fora. Carried out in co-operation with Ekopolis Foundation and Institute for Public Affairs.
Factors and Impacts in the Information Society: A Prospective Analysis in the Candidate Countries (Report on Slovakia)
Financing of Local Schools [Donor: Open Society Foundation in Bratislava].
Removing Barriers to Educational Mobility [Donor: Open Society Institute]. The project focused on barriers to education mobility as a key feature of reproduction of social inequalities. It was divided into three main components: two of them dealt with entrance exams for secondary schools and higher educational institutions, the remaining one was aimed at the access of marginalized groups to education.
Preparation of Master's Degree Course in Public Policy [Donor: Dutch Government - Matra]. Based on the agreement between the Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, the Slovak Governance Institute, and other institutions, SGI managed preparation of a Master's degree study programme in public policy, first of its kind in Slovakia. SGI provided managerial, but also substantive policy inputs. First graduates are now completing their course of study.
Preparation of the Strategy for the Roma Education Fund in Slovakia [Donor: Roma Education Fund]. SGI collaborated with the Roma Education Fund, created as a part of the Roma Inclusion Decade, on the Slovak strategy of the Fund. Based on the strategy, calls for proposals will be issued to assist Roma inclusion via education policies and projects.
SGI Award for the Best Annual Report of a Public Sector Organizations
SGI Award for the Most Innovative Approaches in Roma Children Education [Donor: Open Society Institute]. In 2004 and 2006, SGI awarded the most innovative approaches to Roma children education among the primary and special needs primary schools. Carried out within the project Removing Barriers to Educational Mobility.
SGI Projects during 2003-2001
Budgeting and Management of Public Expenditure - A realistic vision of reforms for the next four years
Support to Public Administration Reform in Slovakia [Donor: DFID]. SGI served as a chief subcontractor of the consortium led by the British consulting company Public Administration International (joined by the Civil Service College Directorate of the Centre for Management and Policy Studies, UK Cabinet Office and Northern Ireland Enterprises) to support public administration reform in the areas of policy management, performance auditing and civil service reform, public finance reform.
Communication of the Slovak Government with its Citizens
National Report on Sience and Technology Policy
National Report on Education Policy
Policy Options for Effective and Efficient Governing
Public Policy Manual
Removing Barriers to Educational Mobility [Donor: Open Society Institute]. The project focused on barriers to education mobility as a key feature of reproduction of social inequalities. It was divided into three main components: two of them dealt with entrance exams for secondary schools and higher educational institutions, the remaining one was aimed at the access of marginalized groups to education.
SGI Award for the Best Annual Report of a Public Sector Organizations
Slovak Policy Network
World Bank/OECD/CDE Joint Project on Subnational Statistical Capacity Building [Donor: World Bank]. SGI was the local partner for the needs assessment and action plan portion of this project. The project was in parallel being implemented in several other Central and Eastern European countries.
