SIMPLA common capacity building package with national adaptations

The SIMPLA common capacity building package is a training concept largely based on the outputs of WPs 2 and 3 (SIMPLA manifesto, guidelines, observatory) addressed to public officers working for cities, towns and their aggregations with a population between 50.000 and 350.000 inhabitants. Capacity building actions entail in-class training for a restricted number of local authorities (12 per country for a total of 72 in the 6 countries involved) selected for the purpose of involving the most promising local authorities, each appointing two officers (for a total of 144) in relevant positions and with a status enabling them to influence decision-making processes. A common training program is developed internationally and then adapted at a national level to better respond to each country’s specificities and features (with the exception of Austria, where, as described above, due to national peculiarities, a road show concept aimed at the harmonization of KEMs and e5s with regional mobility plans will be implemented). The standard common capacity building program, entailing 50 hours (corresponding in general terms to 7 full days of in-class training (6 days in months 15-18 and 1 in month 36 for the final sessions to be held after the mutual learning event), then undergoes fine-tuning and adaptation at a national level to house national peculiarities and respond to specific requirements raised for instance by experts, stakeholders, representatives of public authorities. The main contents of the lectures will be outlined, the didactical methodology illustrated and the description of exercises and simulations included. Reference to key documents to be used as training materials will be also considered, but no training materials will be developed. The document will include also the guidelines for the selection and appointment of trainers as well as for the recruitment of beneficiaries. The plan for international webinars will be also drafted, but the final programme will be based also on the feedback collected during the implementation of the training.