The first meeting with the participants of the Experience Exchange Network, which took place in the Centre for Civic Activity in Dąbrowa Górnicza, was led by the Mayor's Plenipotentiary for Cooperation with NGOs, Magdalena Mike. It included a presentation of the system that has been operating since 2007 to develop civil society, and the Civil Society Development Programme in Dąbrowa Górnicza for 2023-2030 was discussed.

The meeting was followed by a workshop with network participants and representatives from Dąbrowa Górnicza, moderated by Ovre Eiker's Municipal Advisor for Citizen Participation, Line Therese Loken. The interactive workshop was an opportunity to compare the Polish and Norwegian approaches to open government and building a culture of participation.

During the visit to the Town Hall, Beata Pisarczyk, Plenipotentiary for Co-operation with the Community, introduced the network participants to the solutions applied in the Town Hall that have proved successful in serving customers. The participants visited the service room, which is equipped with ancillary rooms, and talked to the customer assistants employed there.

Participants also had an opportunity to meet the Mayor of Dąbrowa Górnicza, Marcin Bazylak, at the Town Hall meeting, who presented the main development goals and challenges faced by Dąbrowa Górnicza. The conversation with the participants revolved around environmental problems related to the operation of the steelworks, plans to build a nuclear power plant, activities concerning spatial order and the role of social capital in shaping the city's future. The Mayor also shared some ideas for encouraging young school graduates to stay in the city. Lastly, Piotr Drygała presented the Town Hall's cooperation programme with NGOs.

Those taking part in the SWD meeting had the opportunity to listen to a lecture in the City Council Room by a Norwegian expert on creating a framework for cooperation between local authorities, NGOs and residents in Norwegian conditions. The process of establishing councils and their importance for the local community was jointly discussed.

In contrast, the presentation by Marthe Berg Andersen from Norway was devoted to Critical Thinking. It is not criticism, but rather the ability to consciously, logically and impartially analyse information, arguments and problems in order to draw the right conclusions. It involves assessing the credibility of sources, identifying logical errors, questioning assumptions and seeking alternative solutions.

City representatives learned techniques for using CT principles in:

• ● verifying media information

• ● analysing local self-government decisions

• ● solving social problems

• ● writing argumentative articles and posts

The city's project known as ‘Fabryka Pełna Życia - Nowe Centrum Dąbrowy Górniczej’ [en. the Living Factory - The New Centre of Dąbrowa Górnicza] attracted a lot of interest among the city delegates visiting Dąbrowa Górnicza. It is one of the key development ventures, not only for Dąbrowa Górnicza, but also for the entire Dąbrowa Basin and the eastern part of the Upper Silesian-Dąbrowa Basin Metropolis (Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolia, GZM - the first metropolitan association in Poland). Since 2016, these activities have been carried out in a comprehensive manner, covering spatial, construction, infrastructural and social aspects, as part of the Model City Revitalisation. The aim of the investment is to transform the decayed area of the former ‘Defum’ machine tool factory, located in the downtown area of Dąbrowa Górnicza, into a dynamic urban centre.

The Living Factory is intended to become the space of an active city, where residents will be involved in social initiatives. According to economic analyses, the implementation of the project is expected to bring about 2,000 new jobs, which will have a significant impact on the development of the local economy.

The participants also visited the Pogoria beach, a recreational complex by the Pogoria reservoirs, and the Basin Palace of Culture [pol. Pałac Kultury Zagłębia], one of the most important cultural centres in the region. They also shared their reflections on the challenges in their daily work upon concluding the visit, and indicated which meetings had helped them to find ideal solutions.

The SWD meeting was held as a continuation of bilateral cooperation between Polish, Norwegian and Icelandic local self-governments, as an example of developing lasting relations after the Local Development projects and expanding cooperation in the preparation of the next financial perspective. The intention of the project is to support the continuation of cooperation between interested Norwegian/Icelandic cities/municipalities and the 53 Polish cities that participated in Phases II and III of the Local Development Programme under the EEA and the NMF 2014-2021. The activities under the Initiative are also a bridge to the new financial perspective of the EEA and the NMF.