Results

Results

Publication for summary of results of MANORKA project: Avaiable here

Publication on Hungarian system of local governments

• Detailed introduction on associations of local authorities in Hungary

The Hungarian National Association of Local Authorities (TÖOSZ) as an interest-representing organization – besides its main focus of interest-representation – recognized more than fifteen years ago that the continuous training and education of mayors and elected local government representatives was unsolved since 1990 in Hungary. There exist various trainings of ad hoc nature concentrating on specialized areas but they are not integrated into one uniform educational system, structure. TÖOSZ conducted surveys on the needs of mayors and local government leaders related to trainings on several occasions. In order to respond to these needs, TÖOSZ made attempts at the general transformation of the training system of the association for several times. In this process, our project titled „Local Government capacity-building program based on Norwegian examples 2009-2010”, financed by the EEA and Norway grants and implemented with the partnership of the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS) and the Department of Economic Science of the Corvinus University – where TÖOSZ was the promoter – brought about a significant change. As a result of the successful project, the Mayor’s Academy was created, the Norwegian Experience Exchange Program, the Councilor Training Program – a training of local government elected representatives – were implemented in Hungary. With the introduction of various trainings, courses, experience exchanges and further programs of the Council of Europe, the local government knowledge program was created in our Association. From all of our services and activities of service-provision type, the most significant one is our knowledge program, thus it is not a coincidence that the further development of local government capacity building received an outstanding place in our work. Following the successful Mayors’ Academy project implemented together with our Norwegian counterpart organization, KS, from 1 December, 2012 to October 30, 2014, we conducted the project „Prevention of third-party violence on a local level” financed by the EEA and Norway Grants 2009-2014, Decent Work and Tripartite Dialogue program. One of the main objectives of the project was the exchange of Norwegian-Hungarian experiences for the benefit of the development of three-partite dialogue and the creation of decent working conditions in the local government sector. TÖOSZ was the promoter of the project that undertook project activities in partnership with the Trade Union of Public Servants and Municipal Employees (MKKSZ) from the Hungarian side and the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS) and the Norwegian Trade Union of Municipal Public Servants (Fagforbundet) from the Norwegian side. Following these precedents, we gladly welcomed the idea that the EEA and Norway grants – at the initiative of KS- and based on negotiations with us – provided the Hungarian national associations of local authorities with the possibility to strengthen their partnership and capacities. Whereas the possibility of the call for proposal was open, the conditions set, made it clear that only the cooperation of local government associations may be successful. It seemed plausible that the eight national associations should hand in a proposal together. TÖOSZ took 2 up the role of the promoter. Following the first meeting, it became obvious that three of the associations, – the National Association of County Local Governments (MÖOSZ), the Association of Towns with County Rank (MJVSZ), the Association of Budapest Local Governments (BÖSZ) do not wish to participate in a joint project. The five other associations started to write the proposal together but did not manage to reach an agreement on certain details, as a result of which the National Association of Communes and Small Municipalities (KÖSZ) and the Hungarian Association of Hungarian Local Governments (MÖSZ) handed in a separate proposal in a joint consortium. The other three associations – the National Association of Small Cities (KÖOÉSZ), the Hungarian Village Association (MFSZ) and the Hungarian National Association of Local Authorities (TÖOSZ) under the leadership of TÖOSZ handed in a separate proposal in extensive partnership and won.