History of partnership in Posázaví

Agent 001 – or: who actually started it?
The first contacts that can be called partnership collaboration can be dated from the year 2000, when closer negotiations between CHOPOS, the business community and neighbouring micro regions took place. The first initiative was taken by the founder of an information centre in Vlašim, with a view to generating collaboration in tourism. Thus started the collaboration between CHOPOS and the Podblanicko information centre. The first outcome was a positive assessment of a meeting in November 2000 at Monínec near Sedlec-Prčice, where active entities from the Posázaví region, for whom tourism development had become a part of their work or business, participated. In the build up to this, other business people, associations of local authorities and NGOs, had already been intensively involved. Conclusions from that meeting were the basis for the Declaration of Co-operation in Tourism. All other activities in the region have been based on these agreed principles and are continuously linked to them.

The famous CHOPOS or: the era of the association of local authorities
In 2001 collaboration was extended to include other entities, and further business people appeared on the scene. The main aim of the improved teamwork was tourism. CHOPOS also started working successfully with  individuals who instigated and, in collaboration with the associations, organised joint cultural events. In the course of time a civic association was established by these active individuals. The next step was a meeting of these enterprising and creative partners with other members of the business community. In that year collaboration between regional information centres also started to develop successfully.

Other partners or: a business courtship
This initiative was taken up by CHOPOS, who started to develop collaboration with the business community.  In 2002 the first projects were completed, e.g.: a joint promotion; the MADI trade fair; and a presentation in Switzerland. In October 2002 the founding deed of Posázaví o.p.s was signed, the aim of which was to give legal form to work directed towards regional development in tourism, and to create a service organization for safeguarding all development activities. The agreement was signed by CHOPOS and seven other business entities. CHOPOS also submitted an application for a subsidy for preparation of the Leader programme. In that year closer collaboration with the micro region of Želivka began.

Who is missing at the table? or: NPMOs having equal rights
At the beginning of 2003 CHOPOS entered into negotiations with potential individual partners, and gradually approval was given to work jointly on the preparation for the Leader programme in tourism. Intensive discussions began on the preparation of documents and gradually other partners were added. Another enterprising party came into the partnership picture, the Podblanickem civic society, which became a driving force for activities directed towards young people. In that year a Development Strategy for the Posázaví Region was worked out following close collaboration of all partners. Also, equipment for service organisation requirements was purchased. CHOPOS succeeded in gathering a quantity of funds from partners – businesses, local authorities and council associations – to cover expenditure; even so, they had invested a sizeable amount of their own funds and provided their own employees.

2004 was a year of division: the work of CHOPOS was separated from the work of the regional service organisation – Posázaví o.p.s. The organisation was registered and began its own activities. All development and co-ordination activities were taken over from CHOPOS. In May the statutes of the organisation were approved, by which all the separate bodies and their powers were defined. Within the Framework Agreements a Local Action Group was established, which took over all the work concerning development strategy and planning of the next stage of regional development.

Europe is on the horizon or: Leader is coming
The implementation of the Leader ČR programme has been a great achievement of regional teamwork. Other projects which have been launched are: an information campaign, and the education of information centre workers. Towards the end of the year preparation for the Leader+ programme was started. New joint collaboration contracts with other parties were signed. By the end of 2004 the Posázaví Local Action Group had, altogether, 23 members, and the non-profit-making organisation had one full-time and one part-time worker.

And now it’s going
2005 was a year full of activity for the Posázaví region, the Local Action Group and for Posázaví o.p.s. During preparation of the budget, the first little squabbles occurred, as a result of which important action plans were clarified. The choice of the region as one of ten in the Czech Republic, which will implement the Leader+ programme in full, was a great achievement. However, paperwork and the number of service organisation workers increased.

The baby of the family or: mothers’ centres, children and schools
The results of completed projects within the Leader+ programme cannot be counted only in terms of money and events. Thanks to them the number of partners, who want to be actively involved in the work of regional development, started to increase. The most surprising and valuable for us was the involvement of mothers’ centres, when three became involved in collaboration straight away. We have also started to try working with schools more actively. This project is still at its beginning, although we have now had a little experience.