Laps/Raps Interim Report

Introduction

Project Activities

Outputs

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Laps and Raps Interim Report

Introduction

Project Objectives
Project Partners
Policy Context

Project Aims and Objective

The overall aim of the Laps and Raps is to develop a framework and methodology for the creation of Local Action Plans (Laps) or Regional Action Plans (Raps) for Social Inclusion which will enable the more effective integration of area-based approaches with wider conurbation or regional and national-level strategies.

The need for such a connection is reflected in the fact that despite the centrality of the issue of social exclusion in terms of policy, the role of cities, towns and regions in the development of National Action plans for Social Inclusion (NAPs) has been ad hoc and somewhat marginal.

In order to achieve this overall aim the project has the following specific objectives :

• to develop and undertake four transnational peer review and development workshops. The first workshop would focus on developing a draft common framework and methodology. The three subsequent workshops would apply this methodology and focus on one of the six key policy themes of the NAPs . The peer review workshops need to be viewed as a rolling, cumulative process. The overall aim is to support the development of a common framework and methodology for developing LAPs /RAPs. The end result would be a template relating to each priority which would provide the means for each Local Development Group to develop their LAP/RAP.

• to develop an online good practice exchange and development forum, which will bring together access to resources, case studies connections with practioners and policy officers for developing local, regional and National plans. The online good practice exchange would focus on the six priority policy areas. The aim being to pool the experience within the partnership and beyond in order to create an online resource that can be useful in disseminating good practise and the outcomes of the project,

Following the introduction under Article 136 and 137 EC by the Amsterdam Treaty of the fight against social exclusion among the social policy provisions, the European Council of Lisbon in March 2000 recognised that the extent of poverty and social exclusion was unacceptable. Building a more inclusive European Union was thus considered as an essential element in achieving the Union's ten year strategic goal of sustained economic growth, more and better jobs and greater social cohesion. The Lisbon Council agreed to adopt an Open Method of Coordination in order to make a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty and social exclusion by 2010.

National Action Plans on social inclusion

The National Action Plans (NAPsincl) against poverty and social exclusion are a fundamental component of the open method of co-ordination as established in the conclusions of the Lisbon European Council.

Member States have been asked to draw up their own National Action Plans on Social inclusion. These should provide an opportunity for assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the main policy instruments already in place in the light of the common objectives and then focus on how the Member States' policies and actions, whether at national, regional or local level, will be further strengthened so as to meet the objective set in Lisbon of making a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty and social exclusion.

Thus, while taking into account the overall national situations and existing policy framework, the National Action Plans should identify what specific and concrete changes or additions are proposed to existing policies or programmes or what new initiatives are planned in order to address identified problems and weaknesses.

National Action Plans on Social Inclusion cover a period of two years - the first plans were adopted by the Member States in June 2001. A second round of plans was submitted in 2003. A third round of Naps are now in the process of being submitted for the period 2006-2008.

Following enlargement ten new Member States submitted their first National Action Plans/inclusion in July 2004. In these plans each new member state analysed the situation in relation to poverty and social exclusion, presented the strategy, objectives and targets it had established for the two year period from mid-2004 to mid-2006 and identified the specific actions it proposed to implement in order to achieve them.

Assessment of the National Action Plans for social inclusion (NAPs/inclusion)

The European Commission carried out an assessment of the National Action Plans for social inclusion (NAPs/inclusion) that all Member States submitted in July 2003 and which was formally adopted as the Joint Report on Social Inclusion in March 2004.

In its Joint Report on Social Protection and Social Inclusion the European Commission identified six priority issues for tackling poverty and social exclusion, as reflected in the policy approaches being adopted by Member States.

The Laps and Raps project seeks to address these six priority issues for NAPS by developing a common methodology for the development of Local and Regional Action plans for social inclusion which would focus on these policy themes. The need for a such a tool is reflected in a number of key contextual factors:

• Firstly, the need for such a tool is evident in light of the evaluations of the first two rounds of Naps. The overarching policy challenge that emerges is the need for Member States to ensure that there is a strong vertical and horizontal integration of economic, employment, lifelong learning, cultural, housing, health (including safety) and social policies and that a concern with preventing and eradicating poverty and social exclusion is mainstreamed across all these policy areas. Such a functional mix is essential if an integrated and co-ordinated approach to eradicating poverty and social exclusion is to be achieved.
  
• Secondly, too often the mainstream programmes and initiatives of various levels of government have different goals, budgets and timetables, and are targeted towards different geographical areas. Additionally, policy measures may have unintended consequences. Sometimes, measures intended to solve certain problems work against each other or create barriers to action at lower governmental levels. The result is fragmentation of effort, reducing the potential impact of programmes and resources. Better vertical integration is required.
  
• Thirdly, at a horizontal level, cities, towns and regions face the challenge of co-ordinating action across very different policy field such as local employment, education and training, housing, environment, planning, transport, health, welfare and finance. Functional segregation and traditional departmental specialisms often lead to ineffective and inefficient responses. New management approaches are needed for tackling the multi-dimensional and interconnected problems which cities, towns and regions increasingly have to deal with.
  
• Finally and relatedly, the need is reflected in the fact that despite the centrality of the issue of social exclusion in terms of policy, the role of cities, towns and regions in the development of National Action plans for Social Inclusion (NAPs) has been ad hoc and somewhat marginal.

The six policy priority issues identified for NAPs are:

• Promoting investment in and tailoring of active labour market measures to meet the needs of those who have the greatest difficulties in accessing employment;
• Ensuring that social protection schemes are adequate and accessible for all and that they provide effective work incentives for those who can work;
• Increasing the access of the most vulnerable and those most at risk of social exclusion to decent housing, quality health and lifelong learning opportunities;
• Implementing a concerted effort to prevent early school leaving and to promote smooth transition from school to work;
• Developing a focus on eliminating poverty and social exclusion among children;
• Making a drive to reduce poverty and social exclusion of immigrants and ethnic minorities.

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 This project is financed by the European Commission through the Community Action Programme to Combat Social Exclusion 2002-2006, Transnational Exchange Programme