PWG - Practitioners Working Group on Community Economic Development is a group of Polish and Central European organisations, supporting local economic development. PWG was founded in 1997 initiated by the Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI), within the framework of a programme financed by the Ford Foundation
PWG Members:
Caresbac - Polska S.A
00-635 Warsaw, Poland
40 Polna street
T +48 22 825 62 05
F +48 22 825 46 50
e -mail:
Foundation for Social and Economic Initiatives
Foundation for the Development of Polish Agriculture
Rural Foundation (presently Rural Development Foundation)
Foundation for Water Service Support (presently Rural Development Foundation)
Hajdu-Bihar County Foundation for Enterprise Promotion
PWG was responsible for two programmes:
1. Expansion of the Financial Institution Sector for
Organisations Supporting Local Development in Poland and in Central
and Eastern European countries. The programme was sponsored by the
Ford Foundation and consisted of two major components:
Comprehensive Local Community Development - this
was a pilot project, addressed to local communities and to local
governments designed to provide complex assistance in order to
achieve sustainable socio-economic growth.
A coalition was set up to create support groups to
enhance local economic initiatives by strengthening communication
and cooperation among organisations.
2. Promotion of Best Practice Methods for Local Economic Development. The project used American and Polish best practise to verify activity methods and mutual cooperation of various sectors, as well as mechanisms encouraging local growth. At local level the programme was addressed to local governments as well as to organisations and institutions engaged in socio-economic development of their region.
Comprehensive Local Community Development
The major tasks of this project included:
- development of entrepreneurship' support,
- initiation and assistance to implement of concrete projects and
local initiatives,
- assistance in development of local non-governmental
organisations,
- organising and running training for local communities in chosen
subjects.
The programme was based on co-operation among all partners and
local community leaders including commitment from organisations,
institutions, local government authorities and entrepreneurs. The
representatives of these groups could count on the following
support:
- technical advice - while carrying out local investment; specific
advice while designing and implementing local projects;
- training to crate and develop small enterprises, environmental
protection of rural areas; the creation and functioning of social
organisations; training for the unemployed; for individuals setting
up or running private businesses, for Supervisory Boards of
companies; and for local leaders;
- financial assistance: loans for the unemployed setting up a
business activity; for entrepreneurs; venture capital in local
investment.
Accessible advice, training and financial assistance was aimed to stimulate the unemployed to activity, to expand existing enterprises, to create a favourable environment for economic growth and to improve the living standards of the municipalities' citizens.
The projects took place in:
- BARCJA - Municipalities' Union in Ketrzyn Province (Coordination:
FISE, Warsaw)
- Bawrice - rural municipality located in north-western Poland
(Coordination: Foundation for the Development of Polish
Agriculture)
- ZAGORZ - rural municipality located in south-eastern Poland
(Coordination: Fundacja Rolnicza, Lublin).