Local government representatives focusing on finance and development as part of their municipal authority duties shared their experience in the field of strategic and project management. The meeting opened with president of Konin Piotr Korytkowski welcoming all attendants. Deputy president for social affairs Witold Nowak presented the “Development Strategy for the City of Konin 2020-2030 – New Quality in Strategic Management”. He spoke of how strategy was developed (issues = successes); municipal treasurer Ewelina Ostajewska-Szwankowska discussed the circulation and proper specification of accounting records at the Konin Municipal Authority. Deputy manager at the Department of Development and Investment Katarzyna Rejniak delivered the next subject – “Introducing the New Development Path in Konin. Updating and monitoring process in the Development Strategy for the City of Konin 2020-2030. Strategy Co-ordination System”.

Day two kicked off with a “Project management” workshop, a practical class in step-by-step project management based on reference laws (ordinances, resolutions, budgetary motions to make projects part of the general budget and Multiannual Financial Forecast), procedures, management-targeting Excel spreadsheets, and good practices. The class was delivered by deputy manager at the Department of Development and Investment Katarzyna Rejniak, and Anna Żabińska-Pioterek of the Association of Polish Cities, the city’s advisor for “Local Development” Programme purposes.

The drafting of governance reports for executive bodies (presidents, mayors, vogts/bailiffs) was the next item on the agenda, duly presented by Association of Polish Cities advisor Daniel Budzeń. This part involved the development of a Network product – workshop effort in two groups (“finance people” and “non-finance people”), the first stage involving identification of key data (according to process participants) essential to executive bodies when drawing conclusions and/or making decisions. At this point in time, priority shall be assigned to information potentially constituting annual summaries, and thus helpful to Local Government Unit administrators when making strategic decisions and drafting e.g. diagnoses, strategies, or reports on the condition of the cities/towns, and other crucial documents.