METODA ANIMACJI SPOŁECZNOŚCI LOKALNYCH NA RZECZ DOBRA WSPÓLNEGO

14 | The objective of the program is to initiate and develop cooperation between active participants of different PAFF projects, i.e. non-governmental organizations, libraries, cultural centers, and local leaders. These very entities form the Initiative Group which stands at the core of the partnership. This nucleus is then joined by local governments, businesses, media, organiza- tions, and institutions which have yet to participate in a PAFF program. Partnership leadership is open to organizations enrolled in one of the following PAFF programs: “Act Locally”, “English Teaching”, “Equal Opportunities”, “Learning School” (LES), “PAFF Leaders”, “Library Develop- ment Program”, “Region in Transition” (RITA), and “Seniors in Action”. Project implementation attracts the involvement of numerous rural commune and municipality residents and volunte- ers. The seven 2009–2020 program editions held to date have led to the creation of 54 “PAFF Local Partnerships” covering 100 rural communes and municipalities, and eight budding “star- t-up” partnerships operating in nine rural communes and municipalities. To date, more than 150,000 residents have become involved in the joint projects run by local partnerships set up by PAFF program beneficiaries. For the purpose of implementing such joint projects, program participants are equipped with the civic activation method for the common good, and related substantive support from the ARFP. Each local partnership works for the common good , the civic activation method’s key element. As the focus of “PAFF Local Partnerships” is on what the locals themselves identify as vital for their community, the Program deals with a swathe of different common-pool resources. These range from public spaces (parks, rural day-care centers, schools, cultural centers), through natural reso- urces (forests, water, air) and local traditions (bread baking, pottery, ritual towels) to the residents themselves (mutual neighborly relations, volunteering, children and youth, senior citizens). PAFF and ARFP monitor the implementation of the Program on an ongoing basis, and it has been subjected to three evaluations. In late 2018, early 2019 the means of implementing the civic activation method were evaluated to verify the method’s usability and effectivness. The conc- lusions and outcomes thereof, along with those following from the evaluation and monitoring of the “PAFF Local Partnerships” program, served as the basis for this publication. The evaluative study of the means used for implementing the civic activation method, bac- ked by past study findings, validated the adopted theoretical framework. The method pro- ved to be of practical use, meaning that it serves the purpose of stimulating local commu- nities to act for the common good in line with local expectations and needs. What is more, this method delivers extra benefits to local communities. To give some examples: it aligns re- sidents around shared goals, improves awareness of local identity, and awakens the “dormant” potential of local organizations and institutions.