“THE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR THE LODZ REGION, for the years 2007-2020”

Lodz, January 2006

Working Group for the Update of the Development Strategy for the Lodz Region: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.

Zbigniew Łuczak – Deputy Marshal of the Lodz Voivodship Stanisław Olas – Member of the Management Board of the Lodz Voivodship Jadwiga Kawecka - Treasurer of the Lodz Region Waldemar Podhalicz – Department of Health Policy Stanisław Fontański – Department of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Aleksander Bielicki - Department of Geodesy and Cartography Dorota Pisarska - Department of Promotion and International Cooperation Małgorzata Kowalska - Department of Culture, Education and Sport Andrzej Dzierbicki - Department of Economy Mirosław Kwiatkowski – Regional Employment Office Ewa Paturalska – Land Use Planning Office of the Lodz Voivodship Anna Mroczek - Regional Centre of Social Policy Paweł Żuromski – Lodz Agency of Regional Development Ryszard Podladowski - Lodz Voivodship Office Wojciech Michalski – Municipal Council of Lodz Aleksandra Nowakowska – University of Lodz Andrzej Woźnicki – Medical University Łukasz Waszak – Centre of Promotion and Development of Civic Initiatives OPUS

Editorial Board – Regional Policy Department of the Marshal’s Office: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Włodzimierz Mielczarek – Director Jacek Skwierczyński – Deputy Director Marcin Podgórski – Head of Unit Małgorzata Zakrzewska Adam Kobylański Joanna Migdał Janusz Przywojski

2

1. INTRODUCTION. ............................................................................................................... 4 2. SWOT ANALYSIS............................................................................................................... 8 3. THE VISION OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LODZ REGION ........................ 13 4. MISSION............................................................................................................................. 14 5. MAIN OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................ 15 6. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITY AREAS............................................... 17 7. SYSTEM OF IMPLEMENTATION................................................................................ 41 8. FINANCING....................................................................................................................... 44 9. SCHEDULE........................................................................................................................ 46 10. MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF THE STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION 47

3

1. Introduction The next several years are an important period for the Lodz Region. The increase of competitiveness of the region, the improvement of life conditions for its inhabitants and the assurance of the increase of its attractiveness for investors require planned, systematic and coordinated measures to be taken within the entire region. They should be based on a clearly specified policy of the authorities in connection with consistent efforts to establish long-term and realistically described development objectives which will allow efficiency of operation and ability to react quickly for changeable situations and new social and economic phenomena occurring both in the country and worldwide. Priority measures should be initiatives aiming at enhancing the competitiveness of the region in the international arena and the elimination of barriers and disproportions in development. This issue is essential, as, in the result of Poland’s accession to the European Union and the introduction of new programming periods, the region gains a unique opportunity to become a significant area not only in Poland, but also in Europe. The proper use of regional development instruments proposed by the European Commission will enable the creation of the basis for functioning in the era of globalisation and growing competition in economy. Making the most of the advantages of the region and polarising the measures for achieving particular objectives of the Strategy, it will be possible to obtain the synergy effect, which can give the region a possibility of shaping reality in this part of Europe. By obtaining a strong position in the regional structure, the proper living conditions for the inhabitants will be created and the quality of life, in the broad sense, will be enhanced. In turn, investors will find here attractive conditions for investing and business proceedings. The general civilisation level of the region will be improved and the life standard will reach the level similar to the European standard. This, in turn, will assure a sustainable and constant development based on modern and competitive economy. By its central location at the intersection of the European transport roads, the region will integrate with the European and global social and economic space, as the centre of development of Central Europe.

1.1. The essence of the development strategy The document that specifies the policy of the authorities is a strategy that is a conception of intentional and systematic management of a long-term development of the region. The Strategy, in itself, has a general character, since it must be concentrated on the most important matters. It presents conditions and describes objectives and directions of development. In further stages it will be the basis for elaborating detailed regional programmes essential in respect of the performance and development of the entire region. The implementation of these programmes will, at the same time, be the implementation of the Strategy.

1.2. Stages of elaboration of the update of the development strategy for the region ‘The Development Strategy for the Lodz Region’ was resolved by the Council of the Lodz Voivodship in September 2000. It was supposed to be an open document, expressing the need of gradual adjustment to the constantly evolving environment. The period of 5 years of the implementation of the strategy is too short for the assumed main objectives to lose their immediate sense. Several circumstances, however, indicate the need of its update. 4

They are related to some external and internal conditions resulting from the changing social and economic situation in the country. The most important factors include Poland’s accession to the European Union and the assumptions of the Lisbon Strategy. 1 These factors caused the necessity to verify the strategy and the re-identification of possibilities and directions of the region development. What is equally important is the extension of the scope of instruments of support for regional development, offered by the European Union. The particular role is played by the new programming period of 2007 – 2013. The conditions, objectives and directions of support for regional development provided by the state have also been changed, which resulted from the regulations of ‘The National Development Plan’ 2 and ‘The National Strategy of Regional Development’ 3 . Regardless of the foregoing conditions, in the course of implementation of the previous strategy, the Regional Government has received a number of proposals from various institutions in regard to the modification of its contents. The review of the contents of ‘The Development Strategy for the Lodz Region’ and their comparison with the implemented programmes, as well as the analysis of some social and economic processes within the region, were done in the second half of 2004. That was the basis to make ‘The Assumptions for the Update of the Development Strategy for the Lodz Region until 2020’. The conclusions from the above mentioned measures made the Management Board of the Region to start working over the update of the previous strategy. In November 2004 the Management Board of the Lodz Region approved ‘The Assumptions for the Update of the Development Strategy for the Lodz Region until 2020’. At the same time the Marshal of the Region appointed the Working Group for elaborating the update of the development strategy for the Lodz Region. The Group held meetings successively in the period from December 2004 to November 2005. In order to identify the developmental conditions and the strategic situation of the region some working meetings were held in March 2005 in all districts of the region. Representatives of the local government units and the local communities participated in the meetings. There was also a survey conducted to identify the most important support areas as well as to distinguish and evaluate their influence upon the plans of the local government units in the nearest future. The main purpose of the meetings was to determine mechanisms of achieving strategic and detailed objectives, which determined the scope and the process of the update of the strategy. In the period from June to September 2005 the diagnosis of the Lodz Region 4 was prepared upon the order from the Marshal’s Office, which constituted the basis for elaborating ‘The Preliminary Project of the Update of the Development Strategy for the Lodz Region, the years 2007 – 2020’. The document was accepted by the Working Group and sent for social consultations. In November 2005 social consultations of the project of ‘The Update of the Development Strategy for the Lodz Region, the years 2007–2020’ began. The project was introduced to the representatives of the local government, public administration, entrepreneurs, university circles and non-governmental organisations. In December there were also consultations with the adjoining regions. The final stage of preparing ‘The Update of the 1

The Lisbon Strategy was approved during the summit of the Council of the European Union in Lisbon, in March 2000. 2 The NPR Project for the years of 2007-2013 was approved by the Council of Ministers on the 6th of September 2005 (www.npr.gov.pl) 3 The NSRR Project for the years of 2007-2013 was approved by the Council of Ministers on the 6th of September 2005 (www.nsrr.gov.pl) 4 The Diagnosis of the Lodz Region, collective work under the direction of Prof. Aleksandra Jewtuchowicz PhD; Lodz, September 2005. 5

Development Strategy for the Lodz Region, the years 2007-2020’ was the elaboration of the analysis of the strategy’s impact on environment.

1.3. The method of elaboration of the development strategy for the region The work on the whole document was divided into two basic stages. In the first stage there was a detailed diagnosis including the description of the current state of the region. The SWOT analysis, which determined the weak and strong points of the region, was verified and the basic problems of its development were identified. The presented document is the second stage of the work, which is the specification of the appropriate strategy for the Lodz Region. The evaluation of the assets of the region and its internal potential helped to formulate the vision and mission of development of the region. In fact, these are the answers to the question of what we would like to be and what tasks we should fulfil. The vision as the image of the region in the future is created in the context of the mission that includes all the main objectives, which enables the future concentration of planning and implementation efforts. The mission is based on the real possibilities resulting from the description of the current state and the analysis of challenges offered by the environment. In the light of the formulated vision and mission one should have answered the question of what should be done in order that the achievement of the assumed objectives could become real. It was the choice of a particular strategy. In the result of the work three strategic areas were established. Within these areas some priority areas were specified, and, in the scope of them, the main measures were determined. In the process of updating, the regulations were reviewed and the support areas were taken into consideration, which resulted, among other things, from the regulations of the Lisbon Strategy. The specified tasks are at different level of details, which depends on the nature of a problem, the number and independence of the entities involved in settling them and possibilities of the direct involvement of the regional authorities. Subsequently, the rules of implementation of the strategy were formulated. It was established who would participate in particular enterprises. The potential sources of financing were determined and the general schedule of steps was specified.

1.4. The source materials In choosing a method of elaborating the strategy and the form of its presentation, the theoretical achievements, both Polish and foreign, were used, taking into account the progress of knowledge in this field, experience of the teams elaborating strategies for different local units as well as the methodology and rules of presenting strategic plans recommended by the European Union and used by the regions of the countries that are the members of the Union. The basis for the analysis of the majority of phenomena was ‘The Diagnosis of the Lodz Region’ created in 2005. The important role was played by the documents that were made available by the Marshal’s Office in Lodz, governmental documents and those of the European Commission, as well as the data from the Statistical Office in Lodz. The programmes and strategies of development prepared for the region and for particular districts and towns have been used to a great extent. The statistical information refers mostly to the quantitative aspect of the phenomenon. There is little data that enables qualitative analyses, that is why some available analyses (both published and non-published), prepared by various independent research teams, were also used in the document.

6

1.5. Time scope The development strategy has a long-term character, without a strictly established time limit. However, because of planning periods for the budget of the European Union, the assumed time limit must comply with the programming periods of the regional policy, i.e. the years of 2007-2013 and 2014-2020. It means that this document constitutes the development strategy for the Lodz Region for the years 2007-2020 and is valid for this period of time.

1.6. Implementers of the strategy The development of the region is a common interest for the whole community. The strategy is elaborated so that it could be accepted and implemented by as many participants of social and economic life as possible. The self-government of the region has a particular role to play here as the initiator, coordinator and, frequently, also implementer of particular measures.

7

2. SWOT Analysis

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

STRENGTHS OF THE REGION ECONOMIC a significant national centre of electrical energy production in the region logistic facilities as the basis for creating a network of logistic centres in the region the business in the region concentrated on the production of building materials, ceramic tiles, household equipment and medicines location of some ‘famous brands’ in the region, i.e. big foreign companies of European and worldwide competitive capabilities increasing attractiveness and competitiveness of the Lodz Special Economic Zone, the Kleszczow Industrial Zone and the Industrial Park of Boruta Zgierz high level of entrepreneurship of the inhabitants of the region, particularly in the Metropolitan Area development of food industry created on the basis of agriculture with it’s scientific and research base, working simultaneously in favour of agriculture dynamic development of the services sector such as business process off-shoring relatively cheap labour force growing dynamics of export of the modern economy branches (e.g. cosmetic products, metal products, optical equipment, plastic products) great research potential with a developed scientific cooperation with domestic and foreign R&D units (Advanced Technology Centres) the region is close to and co-operating with the scientific centres of Warsaw growing access to the Internet for small and medium enterprises considerable innovative resources (patents, certificates) of big companies in the region social consensus of entities of the public and commercial sector in favour of improvement of economic innovation within the region -

WEAKNESSES OF THE REGION SPHERE domination of traditional industrial branches as well as those of low marketability (textile and clothes industry) insufficient transport accessibility in the region for the location of large investments depending on transport obsolete machines and high depreciation of production means of the industry from the region growing, yet still insufficient, engagement of foreign capital in the Lodz Region lack of coordination in the field of attracting foreign investors and promotion of the region as the best place for investments a relatively small number of institutions that provide advice and training for entrepreneurs and their irregular distribution low level of technical equipment of villages and farms with modern agricultural tools and machinery slow pace of development of the service sector the educational offer not adjusted to the needs of the labour market low level of competitiveness of export poor initiative of R&D centres towards the commercialisation of their research and innovative activity, which results in the prevalence of external sources of innovations transferred to firms and companies of the region lack of any institutions for financing innovations and new technologies, such as venture capital prevalence of branches of low innovation in the economy of the region low level of development of infrastructure for transfer of technologies unfavourable agrarian structure in the agriculture of the Lodz Region (domination of farms that manage multidirectional production) insufficient availability of unoccupied 8

- diversification of type and branch structure premises equipped with installations in in the economy of the region districts for investment needs - areas of high concentration of vegetable and - excessive individualism and competition fruit production (particularly in the northbetween business supporting institutions eastern part of the region) - insufficient hotel accommodation - high level of industrialisation of the region (particularly in the Lodz Metropolitan - development of furniture industry Area) - low level of extra-agricultural employment in the rural areas - relatively low level of equipping villages and farms with installations, in particular sewage and gas systems - low level of specialisation in regard to cattle breeding and the fall in cattle stock - low level of identification of the inhabitants with their region - unfavourable state of public finances of the local government units - loss of economic base of many industrial centres of the region - intra-regional differentiation of development: central areas versus those endangered with marginality SOCIAL SPHERE

- increase in educational level of young people - high population density in the territory of the region - great number of medical specialists of worldwide significance - decreasing number of crimes against life and health of inhabitants of the region - relatively big number of institutions of social infrastructure in towns of the region in comparison to the number of inhabitants - qualified social assistance personnel - low price of housing, both in the secondary and primary market - activeness of the non-governmental organisations in various problem areas, offering their assistance to different social groups - services of public administration are complemented by non-governmental organisations in spheres of public tasks by providing extra-statutory forms of support - activeness of members of the nongovernmental organisations; usage of personal potential of inhabitants - growth in the inhabitants’ interest in social

- low level of education of the society of the region and growing disproportions in the access to education - poor demographic situation (negative birthrate and a negative balance of permanent migrations, excessive death rate for men, average lifetime shorter than the national average) - differentiation of the access to special health services - low effectiveness in preventing and fighting common delinquency - irregular distribution of institutions of social infrastructure within the territory of the region and problems in communication, coordination and cooperation between social assistance entities - low rate of social work in activities within the scope of social assistance - insufficient availability of housing in the real estate market, relatively low quality of housing accommodation and high level of tenants’ debts - insufficient cooperation of nongovernmental organisations at the branch level

9

activities - small number of strong non-governmental organisations - an infrastructure of organisations that support non-governmental sector - low level of awareness and civil activeness - wide access to education of inhabitants of the region - increasing long-term unemployment and unemployment among people with higher education - poor health condition of inhabitants of the region - decline in the inhabitants’ interest in participation in cultural life - large sensitivity of the labour market to economic fluctuations - progressive economic stratification of the society (worsening of social consistency) - large percentage of people who support themselves on non-earning sources - decreasing ratio of activeness in the labour market for inhabitants of the region, increase of passive labour potential and latent unemployment in the rural areas FUNCTIONAL AND SPATIAL SPHERE - high level of urbanisation - the process of urbanisation of the suburban - formation of the Lodz Metropolitan Area areas not controlled sufficiently - dense network of vehicular roads (indicators - asymmetry in the size structure of towns of road density considerably exceed the and cities - low level of using railway lines for national average data for the whole country) - the network of bus service has been and regional connections developed relatively well, particularly in - insufficient level of railway communication international connections (regular links with in the system of Inter and Eurocity because most European capital cities) and regional of peripheral routes of main railway lines connections (connections of the capital city of higher parameters of the region with all the towns and most - poor technical state of road and railway districts). infrastructure - development of airplane communication in - small proportion of energy acquired from the territory of the region (Lublinek, Łask) alternative sources - very good supply of cheap electrical energy - pollution of water reservoirs and rivers - well developed high voltage lines and - deficiency of surface water resources electro-energetic stations - insufficient number of small water - great potential of energy acquired from reservoirs renewable sources (biomass, geothermal - lack of ring roads for most towns water, wind energy) - gradual deterioration of cultural and - rich resources of underground water landscape advantages of the region - cultural advantages of the region (the - many degraded areas that demand district of Łęczyca and Sieradz, the region revitalisation of Łowicz, towns connected with the - big disproportions in infrastructure industrialisation age) development of the rural areas - big potential of cultural infrastructure of the - unsatisfactory state of telecommunication capital city of the region infrastructure and computer science - landscape and natural advantages of the development in the region

10

region (e.g. reserves)

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

landscape

parks,

nature - unsatisfactory state of waste management - low level of development and use of water reservoirs for tourist and recreational purposes - increase in the total area of fallow lands and problems with their development - low level of woodiness in the region and tree monoculture - big dispersion of rural settlement OPPORTUNITIES THREATS favourable location of the Lodz Region in - unfavourable structure of national railway the spatial structure of the country and network, which causes a bad quality of Europe, at the intersection of transconnections of the capital city of the region European transport routes with other cities in the country decision to implement the plan of express - low rate of air transport of the Lodz Region trains (Lodz-Warsaw, Lodz-Warsawin external transport links Wroclaw) - decreasing significance and prestige of the development of services connected with real capital city of the region in comparison estates with other cities in Poland building of an international airport between - dependence of local economy in the region Lodz and Warsaw on minor kinds of business activity of low creation of economic clusters added value high rate of export to the markets of the - emigration of graduates of higher schools former USSR countries, in comparison to and highly qualified human resources to other regions cities of a stronger economic position growing inflow of big foreign investors of - lack of coordination in spatial land use production and service sector (market planning at both regional and national level services of higher order) - low profitability of agricultural production development of the Lodz Metropolitan Area on external markets and strong foreign growing awareness of entrepreneurs of a competition range of processes of necessity to develop cooperation with - restricted restructuring and modernisation of research and development institutions cooperation of companies, administration, agriculture business support institutions and R&D zone - high proportion of traditional agriculture in under clusters the structure of agriculture management of considerable opportunities of using foreign the region financial instruments - poor external availability of availability of education system of the EU communications links in the region (road for young people transport) creation and implementation of programmes - growing tendency in using individual of comprehensive revitalisation of posttransport and, at the same time, decreasing military and post-industrial areas importance of public transport preparation of integrated strategies of - insufficient level of consistency of public development for the rural areas by the local administration activity in relation to the 3rd government units sector and support for organisations from development of housing, including social public sector facilities - lack of cooperation of various mass media development of new economic activity, that promote social activeness namely a logistic and storage function - irregular distribution of measures to discounting the central location of the implement public tasks by non11

-

-

-

region freight railway stations of great transport potential, which is not used facilitation of access for citizens to public services by increasing the number of nongovernmental organisations providing public services growth of interest in volunteer activity as a form of social activation gradual increase in the number of nongovernmental organisations growing significance of disease prevention in the region specificity of the region of Lodz, as a prewar multi-culture centre development of cooperation with partner regions the society is gradually becoming rich realisation of the influence of civic activeness upon the situation in the local environment and in the whole society local and national initiatives that show possibilities of solving problems together

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

governmental organisations in the region lack of stability of legal regulations and an efficient policy at central government level in the field of organising and financing health service insufficient number of promotional actions at national level organised by institutions responsible for promotion of Poland lack of financial stability for families with many children lack of trust to local authorities and initiatives taken big disproportions between the Metropolitan Area and other parts of the region in regard of computer science infrastructure and services insufficient local government resources for delegating public tasks in small and medium districts the process of ageing of inhabitants of the region danger of maintaining economic and other type of stagnation in some parts of the region, and increasing disproportions in the level of social and economic development inside the region the prevailing high level of prices of telephone-information and telecast services incoherent and changeable social law, which makes it difficult to provide effective help unstable financial policy of the state towards local governments

12

3. The vision of the development of the Lodz Region The vision of the development of the region represents the image of the future shape of this region. The analysis of its social and economic situation shows that the Lodz Region is still not an internally integrated area. In many fields its intra-regional disproportions not only have not been stopped, but they have even strengthened. The basic reason for this is an uneven economic development, inconsistent infrastructure, weak cooperative links in economy, particularly at local level, or a disintegrated system of public intervention. At the same time the region is one of the most competitive areas in Poland and has potentially wide possibilities of development in the view of the European integration process. Central location of the Lodz Region and convenient infrastructure connections create favourable conditions to expand activity and progress into the territory of the whole country. What is particularly significant is the fact that the region is situated at the intersection of important international communication routes of east and west as well as north and south directions. By implementing the multidimensional process of social integration and consolidation of activities of public and social entities, it is possible to shape the Polish pole of Central Europe so that the national social and economic activity, in the scope of the European economic sector, could be concentrated in this region. The main centre of this polarisation in the 2050s can be the bi-polar structure of Warsaw and Lodz. This vision, as a destination point for development of the Lodz Region in 2020, presents this region as: -

open to the world, with its educated and active society,

-

an area of competitive economic sector, open to international cooperation,

-

easily available, yet having its own cultural and economic identity.

13

4. Mission The mission is a brief and realistic formulation of philosophy, objectives and rules of regional development that includes identification of basic problems and results of the strategic analysis that has been prepared earlier. It is both a declaration of intentions of the authorities in regard to development of the region and a clear message to all the entities engaged in its development. This mission gives motivation and inspiration for people to work together in the right direction. The particular role in the implementation of the contents of this strategy lies with the local government of the Lodz Region that holds together all the entities implementing the contents of this strategy. The current state of the region showed in the diagnosis and expected changes of external conditions result in formulating the following mission for the region: Enhancement of attractiveness of the Lodz Region in the regional structure of Poland and Europe as a region favourable to living and economy, while aiming at creation of its internal coherence and maintaining the variety of its places. The mission formulated in this way draws the attention to the use of unique opportunities the region can enjoy in the nearest period of time. The proper use of possibilities created after Poland’s accession to the European Union and instruments for development of the region proposed by the European Commission will enable the creation of the bases for functioning in the era of globalisation and growing competitiveness in the economic sector. Making the most of the advantages of the region and polarizing the measures for achieving particular objectives of the strategy, it will be possible to obtain the synergy effect, which can give the region a possibility of shaping reality in this part of Europe. By obtaining a strong position in the regional structure, it is possible to create proper living conditions for the inhabitants, and the quality of life, in the broad sense, will be enhanced. In turn, investors will find here attractive conditions for investing and business proceedings. The general civilisation level of the region will be improved and the life standard will reach the level similar to the European standard. This, in turn, will assure a sustainable and constant development based on modern and competitive economy.

14

5. Main objectives CHOICE OF THE DEVELOPMENT OPTION While choosing the strategy, there are two basic development options that can be considered: Option based on external drive forces of development In this case the development is connected with the inflow of external capital, mainly from abroad. Thus, the fundamental role is fulfilled by external promotion of the region and encouragement for foreign companies to start their business here. The admission of this variant is connected with mobilisation of public resources to create properly developed industrial zones, to increase the availability of the region and to offer considerable investment allowances. It is not always the best solution to associate the development mainly with the inflow of external investors (in practice, first of all, foreign investors). The strategy of such investors in a short period of time is often connected with aiming at earning profits out of current comparative benefits offered by developing towns and regions. It refers mainly to salaries and the interest in the local market and technology. However, comparative benefits, especially in regard to salaries, are, as a rule, temporary, because salaries tend to become equal gradually. The loss of these benefits may result in the outflow of investors, unless the local system of production is modernised as a whole, and the qualification of labour force, the quality of communication infrastructure as well as life quality and the openness of the society to technological culture, etc., are all improved. There is also a danger of creating a dual economic sector where external investors create isolated enclaves with high usage of technology, which are, however, not connected with the rest of the territory. Option based on internal drive forces of the region In this case the measures are focused on the strengthening of the local economic potential through advising, assistance and development of services for entrepreneurs. The strong emphasis is put on the mobilisation of the local community and education. The basic advantage of this approach is that external forces are released to impart the dynamics of the development. It can be assumed that in a long time-span this has the greatest influence upon the state of employment, production and income level. The important task in this case is to create a network of local and external enterprises on partnership basis. THE OPTION PROPOSED FOR THE LODZ REGION The experiences of other countries prove that it is not a good approach to consider these variants separately. The sensible policy should use and join these two solutions. Taking into consideration potential effects and threats connected with the foregoing variants, as well as opportunities and limitations resulting from the presented diagnosis of the region, the accepted option is supposed to unite elements of external and internal development, whereas the development based on the internal dynamics of the region has been regarded as more important. With this approach it is necessary to mobilise the region’s own strengths maximally and, at the same time, to increase the attraction of the region for external investors, including foreign ones. The condition of success for this strategy will be the ability of connecting the local environment with external investors and the proper use of instruments of regional development. ‘The Update of the Development Strategy for the Lodz Region, the years 2007–2020’ is based on identifying three strategic spheres: social, economical as well as functional and 15

spatial. They result from the diagnosis and strategic balance statement of the region (confrontation of opportunities and threats of development and identification of strengths and weaknesses). Their analysis helped to establish a new vision and mission for the development of the region and to identify priority areas and detailed objectives which were translated into basic measures of operational character. The important element of the update was to indicate the methods of monitoring and evaluation of the development strategy during the implementation period. To implement required changes specified in the mission, considering the current state and development tendencies of the region, it will be necessary to concentrate efforts on many areas. The most important of them have been identified as three strategic areas of the region: SOCIAL SPHERE: Main objective: Improvement of the general civilisation level of the region. ECONOMIC SPHERE: Main objective: Improvement of the competitive position of economy in the region. FUNCTIONAL AND SPATIAL SPHERE: Main objective: Creation of a real social and economic region that has its own cultural and economic identity. In each of the spheres defined in this way there are priority areas specified under which the basic measures were established.

16

MISSION

ENHANCEMENT OF ATTRACTIVENESS OF THE LODZ REGION IN THE REGIONAL STRUCTURE OF POLAND AND EUROPE, AS A REGION FAVOURABLE TO LIVING AND ECONOMY, WHILE AIMING AT CREATION OF ITS INTERNAL COHERENCE AND MAINTAINING THE VARIETY OF ITS PLACES

Social sphere Improvement of the general civilisation level of the region

Economic sphere Improvement of the competitiveness of the economy of the region

Functional and spatial sphere Creation of a real social and economic region possessing its own cultural and economic identity

PRIORITY AREAS KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

AVAILABILITY

CHANGES (SETTLEMENT SYSTEM)

QUALITY OF LIFE

ECONOMIC BASE

SPATIAL ORDER

SOCIAL POLICY

INFORMATION SOCIETY

REGIONAL IDENTITY

CIVIL SOCIETY

RURAL AREAS

ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION

LABOUR MARKET

IMAGE

17

6. Strategic objectives and priority areas SOCIAL SPHERE Main objective: TO IMPROVE THE GENERAL CIVILISATION LEVEL OF THE REGION If the Lodz Region intends to play a significant role in Poland and Europe, it must overcome the effects of civilisation delay as quickly as possible. It is necessary to take quick and consistent measures, also because the challenges offered to the region due to Poland’s membership in the European Union and the necessity of shifting from industrial to information society will decide about the position and significance of the region both in Poland and in Europe, and, in consequence, about life and management conditions of the community in this region. In order to eliminate delays and meet new challenges in accordance with the contents of the Lisbon Strategy, it is necessary to support the development of education, science and culture and to increase capabilities of the regional community to adapt to constantly changing external conditions through, e.g. modernisation of social care system, improvement of health condition and creation of active, civil society. It is the basic condition to maintain contact with the developing world as well as to assure civilisation and cultural progress and the general development of the region.

18

PRIORITY AREA: KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS Strategic objective: To enhance the level of education of inhabitants of the region The qualitative development of human resources is regarded as a necessary condition for economic growth and social development. The tendency commonly noticed in developed countries is the improvement of employees’ qualifications and a decreasing proportion of manual workers. In the contemporary world skills and knowledge possessed by people are the main wealth of regions they live in. The situation of the region, considered from the point of view of the quality of human resources, is rather difficult to be estimated explicitly. The capital city of the region is a strong scientific and research centre with many schools of university-level education and other scientific institutions. In the whole region private schools of higher education are developing dynamically, also schools of secondary education have been developed relatively well 5 . However, at the same time, a big number of the inhabitants possess only primary level education and do not have any professional qualifications suitable for the needs of the modern, developing economic sector. In comparison to other regions with big metropolitan areas and universities, here the ratio of people with higher education is too low, whereas the proportion of those who have elementary education or have not even completed a primary school is too high. In particular, the shortage of people with secondary and higher education can be found in the rural areas. This affects not only the level of culture and life quality of inhabitants, but also economic effects and the pace of structural changes. Moreover, the low level of education and lack of proper professional qualifications of the considerable part of the society is one of the basic reasons of low income and high level of unemployment, which is becoming more and more structural in its character. The equalisation of chances in the access to education (as an element emphasised in the Lisbon Strategy, and, at the same time, necessary to be implemented within the Lodz Region) should be understood in wide terms, both as the creation of the same conditions and level of education in the town and in the country, and the provision of opportunities for education for any people, regardless of their age and social status, which should indirectly contribute to the decrease of social stratification and the improvement of the level of so-called social coherence. Detailed objectives: - To enhance the level of using the potential of educational institutions, schools of university-level education as well as scientific and research centres, together with promoting activities in the international education space and strengthening links between science and economic development of the region. - To equalise chances in the access to education at each stage of education by creating optimal conditions to satisfy educational needs of the inhabitants. - To improve the quality of education at each level, provide effective management of education and promote the conception of life-long education. - To improve qualifications of the inhabitants and adjust them to demands of the labour market.

5

The plan of schools and institutions of regional significance, pursuant to Article 5 of the Act of 7 September 1991 on education system, is specified in Appendix 1. 19

Basic measures: - To stimulate the quality of education and to support qualitative development of educational institutions at each stage of education (primary, secondary, higher) as well as to strengthen the role of pre-school education. - To stimulate the quality of education by providing access to schools in physical terms (school buses, subsidies for transport). - To develop and promote various forms of acquiring new professional qualifications and changing those already possessed as well as life-long education. - To equalise chances for education by developing financial instruments of support (selfgovernment education). - To remove barriers obstructing the access to education for people with special educational needs. - To modernise and equip educational institutions. - To introduce the system of occupational guidance and initiative in all schools of secondary and higher education. - To introduce the system of coordination and monitoring of educational directions in regard to the region, district, community, in the context of the labour market needs and the migration in search of a job within the region. - To promote science (export of educational services; international scientific cooperation).

20

PRIORITY AREA: LIFE QUALITY Strategic objective: To enhance the level of life quality The inhabitants’ life quality comprises many elements, the basic ones include health condition, conditions of living, work and rest. What is also very important is the sense of citizens’ safety in the broad sense, e.g. the reduction of crime threat level, sense of stabilisation, employment, reduction of fear of unemployment, efficient performance of health care system and system of prevention of natural disasters and their effects. The life quality in the Lodz Region is relatively low in comparison to many other parts of the country. It results from, among other things, poor health condition of the inhabitants, low health consciousness, a low level of income, a high unemployment rate, a great number of inhabitants who live in poverty, insufficient quality and quantity of housing resources, a high level of tenants’ debts, the insufficient equipping of settlement units with infrastructure for sport and recreation, the environmental pollution and a high crime rate. Detailed objectives: - To improve the health condition of the inhabitants of the Lodz Region. - To increase the level of housing resources in the region. - To improve safety and public order for the inhabitants of the region and improve road traffic safety. - To increase the significance of sport, culture, tourism and recreation for the inhabitants of the region. Basic measures: - To improve the access to medical services by modernising the infrastructure of health care centres and rationalising the arrangements of special health services. - To improve the quality of health services by introducing quality systems and procedure certification. - To initiate and implement tasks and programmes within the scope of health promotion and disease prevention. - To develop and modernise housing, including social buildings. - To develop the infrastructure for sport, tourism and recreation. - To support cultural infrastructure by investments. - To stimulate and support local initiatives aimed at the improvement of aesthetic qualities and equipment of settlement units. - Cooperation of the local government with institutions founded to protect public safety. - To create local safety systems. - To implement preventive and educational initiatives aimed at the improvement of road traffic safety.

21

PRIORITY AREA: SOCIAL POLICY Strategic objective: To reduce the number of social exclusion cases and modernise social assistance systems The measures in regard to social policy are mostly based on the activity of government administration units and local government units that cooperate, on partnership basis, with social and non-governmental organisations, churches, religious associations, as well as legal and physical entities in order to perform social assistance tasks. Entities that are active in the field of social assistance and preventive measures provide help to individuals and families because of, in particular, poverty, orphans, homeless status, unemployment, disability, persistence of a serious disease, domestic violence, danger of juvenile delinquency, maternity protection or support for families with many children, incapability to raise children and run a household, especially in single-parent families or families with many children, incapability of young people who leave state educational institutions or orphanages to adapt to life, difficulties to integrate faced by people with a refugee status, difficulties in adapting to social life experienced by former prisoners, alcohol or drug addiction, any accidents and crisis situations as well as natural or ecological disasters. 14,4 % of the inhabitants of the region benefit from social assistance system. In the Lodz Region there is a noticeable decrease in population, in particular in regard to underage group, which is the lowest ratio in the country. At the same time the region has the highest proportion of elderly people in the whole country and the highest rate of feminisation, while its birth rates are negative. It can be expected that the role of active social work is to be growing, which is expressed by the needs of special education in regard to care for elderly people, as well as active support for people and families after a crisis situation. At present, the focus of social assistance forms is being removed from a simple distribution of material and immaterial help for the poor, to preventive actions in many spheres of social life. It demands not only social workers to be constantly educated, but also the efficient system of distributing information and inter-institutional cooperation to be created. The particular group of recipients of active social policy measures consists of people endangered with social exclusion, i.e. those unemployed for a long time, the disabled, the addicted, people mentally ill, the homeless and prisoners. The increase of employment chances as well as complex activity and support for these groups are inseparably connected with the improvement of social order and reduction in the amount of social pathologies. Detailed objectives: - To introduce active social policy. - Systematic assistance for individuals and families. - To create favourable conditions for people socially excluded or those endangered with social exclusion to help them participate in social life. - To prevent and struggle with addiction problems. - To increase the possibilities for disabled people to live independently. - To propagate active life style and support for elderly people. - Social integration of immigrants. Basic measures: - To reduce the volume of poverty by equalisation of life level of inhabitants, including children and young people. - To inspire and promote new solutions in social policy.

22

-

-

To improve the efficiency and cooperation of social policy institutions and services. Qualitative and spatial development of systems in the sphere of social assistance, support for disabled people and their families as well as addiction prevention and therapy. Social and professional integration of people socially excluded or those endangered with social exclusion. Undertakings in order to increase possibilities of social, professional and medical rehabilitation of disabled people. To increase the availability of public facilities and institutions for people disabled, elderly and chronically ill. To take initiatives in order to increase the availability of medical treatment and rehabilitation services and to reduce health damages of drug addicts. To create and support a network of inter-sector cooperation of public institutions (social assistance institutions, schools, medical institutions, non-governmental organisations, centres of therapy and rehabilitation, courts, public prosecutors, police, etc.). To modernise and equip facilities of social infrastructure.

23

PRIORITY AREA: CIVIL SOCIETY Strategic objective: To increase the level of social activeness The creation of civil society in the Lodz Region is one of the factors that can contribute to the increase in abilities of the regional community to adapt to changing external conditions. Recipients of initiatives taken within this area include, for example, individual citizens, members of non-governmental organisations or administrative sector working in favour of the cooperation with non-governmental organisations and the development of civil society. What can be mentioned among main weaknesses of the non-governmental sector in the region is e.g. a small number of strong non-governmental organisations, insufficient cooperation between organisations at branch level, insufficient development of district infrastructure of support for the non-governmental organisations, poor financial condition of the organisations, insufficient consolidation of the non-governmental sector, insufficient organisational base, insufficient preparation of personnel in such organisations to use funds (both foreign and national) and incompetence to use support programmes (training, advising). The inhabitants of the region can be described in terms of low civil consciousness and small activeness, little interest and wish to solve problems on their own, as well as insufficient capability to use available information. In result of the measures taken here, their effects can include, among other things, the increase of inhabitants’ knowledge about civil initiatives, the strengthening of potential and the development of cooperation of the local non-governmental organisations, the development of partnerships for structural funds and the preparation of personnel to take actions in regard to the citizens’ education. Detailed objectives: - To support social initiatives that can lead to the increase of social integration. - To create and support the development and cooperation of civil society institutions. - To support measures and mechanisms for the improvement of efficiency of community activities based on the rules of social dialogue. Basic measures: - To develop common education of citizens. - To support local initiatives of citizens. - To support the creation of the local infrastructure for development of activity. - To create conditions for integration of the non-governmental sector in the Lodz Region. - To introduce a system of local partnership development at community and district level.

24

ECONOMIC SPHERE Main objective: TO IMPROVE THE COMPETITIVE POSITION OF ECONOMY IN THE REGION Economy of the Lodz Region can be described in terms of its low level of competitiveness in comparison to other parts of the country. This is proved, among other things, by a relatively low rate of foreign capital invested here, a low technical and technological level of economic entities as well as the industrial structure that is not very modern. At the same time, the region has been classified high in the ranking of attractiveness for investments. The measures aimed at increasing the competitiveness of the region should be concentrated on creating conditions for its development in the most important areas. The elaborated RIS LORIS Innovation Strategy of the Lodz Region indicates that the biggest chances of development can be found in such economical fields as medical biotechnologies (BioTechMed), modern agricultural technologies (AgroTech) and modern textile technologies (Pro Humano Tex). Besides, the authors of the RIS LORIS Strategy mention also such branches as production of household equipment, ceramic goods, furniture, and food products. The basic problem for economy of this region to function properly is its availability. The creation of favourable conditions involves not only the increase of availability in result of development of transport system, but also widely understood access to the technical infrastructure designed for the economic development. The area shaped in this way will enable the development of a modern economic zone. Moreover, the important element in creating a modern and competitive economic zone is to support the development of knowledge-based economy and the development of information society. These elements will together make the basis for the efficient and sufficient labour market to exist. It is also necessary to work to improve the image of the region to encourage both local and foreign entrepreneurs to invest here. These problems will be solved, among other things, by: - modernisation of the basic communicational and technical infrastructure to increase the availability of the region for investors and improve development conditions; - support of innovative character as a basic element for creation of competitive prevalence by enterprises; - development of information society; - stimulation of multi-functional development of the rural areas; - development of active employment policy in order to increase adaptation abilities of the regional community; - creation of the image of the region as an area friendly to investors and promotion of local enterprises The necessary condition to solve these problems effectively is also an improvement in methods of the management of the region, which will improve the quality of local (production) resources and increase its economic efficiency.

25

PRIORITY AREA: AVAILABILITY Strategic objective: To increase the economic availability of the region The Lodz Region has a very good, strategic location in the centre of the country. However, the advantages resulting from this are not used sufficiently. In respect of the communications availability, the centre of the region, Lodz, has been classified low for years, especially in railway and air transport. The solution to this problem will be the development of the Central Communication System around Lodz. Within this system it is planned to build motorways (A1, A2), dual carriageways (S8, S14), a dual carriageway S74 from Lodz to Kielce, the express railway (from Lodz to Wrocław and Warsaw), a transcontinental central airport for Poland situated between Lodz and Warsaw, and the development of regional airports (Lodz Lublinek, a cargo airport in Łask). The problem for the Lodz Region is also a poor technical condition of the road and railway infrastructure, as well as the lack of good external links. The discount of future benefits resulting from the intersection of motorways in the territory of the region will be quite difficult (or even impossible) without the development and modernisation of the regional road system closely connected with the national and European systems. The chances of development are created by a gradual diversification of the structure of economic kinds and branches and the introduction of a new type of economic activity, namely a logistic and storage function, which takes advantage of the central location of the region. The prevention of negative factors and support for positive tendencies require a new approach to the notion of the economic availability of the region, understood as the creation of conditions for economic activity in the area that is communicated well (in the scope of the transport and information infrastructure) with the national and European economic area, and has wide and easy access to investment areas equipped with installations and technical media. Detailed objectives: - To increase the internal and external availability of the region by the development and improvement of economic and organisational efficiency of the transport and communication infrastructure. - To develop enterprises connected with the central communication system. - To increase the availability to technical media and to provide energetic safety for the region. - To increase the availability to investment areas equipped with installations. Basic measures: - To develop and modernise the transport, communication and technical infrastructure. - To develop road, railway, airway, urban and public transport. - To promote the development of the transcontinental airport for Poland between Lodz and Warsaw. - To increase the use of information technologies in transport and communication. - To provide possible investment areas with installations. - To adjust the technical infrastructure and power system to the increased demands from the economic sector. - To promote the development of environmentally friendly means of transport. - To introduce the system of a regional service centre for investors. - To introduce the system of district and community economic zones. - To introduce the system of community enterprise zones.

26

PRIORITY AREA: ECONOMIC BASE Strategic objective: To create a modern, developmental and innovative economic base The restructuring and diversification of the regional economic base is regarded as one of the priorities of the National Strategy of Regional Development. First of all, it refers to the regions, including the Lodz Region, that have traditional industrial centres with the concentration of sectors of low competitiveness and low innovative level. The Lodz Region is an area of a considerable scientific and industrial potential, which is manifested by great dynamics of establishing new companies. However, most of them are small enterprises, with a weak market and financial position and a low technological level. The production system of the region is not stable. Its chief quality is a big susceptibility to changes of the economic situation. The industrial structure is changing too slowly. The economy of the region is marked by a lower pace of service provision than the average rate in the country, which has a negative effect on the general level of its modernity. In the structure of the sector there are still traditional industrial branches prevailing, as well as branches of low marketability (power and mining industry). Enterprises of the service sector are concentrated only in small areas of the region (Lodz together with the Lodz Metropolitan Area and the other two town districts). The former source of the competitive prevalence for most enterprises (including small and medium ones) is a low labour cost. As the dynamics of the development of small and medium enterprises has been noticeably curbed and the liquidation rates are relatively high (especially in case of small firms), this gives a basis to assume that without a radical improvement of management, an inflow of technical knowledge and the increased access to financial resources, the enterprises will not manage to maintain their competitive prevalence in the long run. At the same time, gradual interconnections, growing access to information resources, as well as development of science and technology nowadays make knowledge and ability of using it basic factors for the economic development. Competitive economy is the economy developing basing on knowledge, as this is possible only when knowledge can be fully absorbed and can be used to create innovations. In order to encourage steady developmental tendencies for the region, both in social and economic terms, it is necessary to start a dialogue between the sphere of science and technology and the sphere of enterprises. While aiming at the improvement of competitiveness, it should be remembered what is its main indicator, namely the innovation level. The most effective carriers of innovations are enterprises. However, the economic entities of the Lodz Region have a relatively low innovation level, thus, it is necessary to support it, with the use of the great scientific and research potential located in the Lodz Region. The infrastructure of technology transfer within the region is poorly developed, there is a shortage of both institutions and elaborated, effective mechanisms of technology transfer. The weak point of the regional business support infrastructure is that there is an excessive concentration of business support institutions in the Lodz Metropolitan Area as well as excessive individualism and competition existing between these institutions. The measures taken in this scope are aimed at shaping the area of research and innovations within the region by creating so-called innovative enterprise environments, supporting the formation of modern labour resources (human capital) and supporting knowledge transfer mechanisms. Apart from the priority objectives, it is necessary to support good, existing and newlyfounded enterprises within the region that are based on traditional production methods and maintain their competitiveness.

27

Detailed objectives: - To support the adaptation of enterprises to changing external conditions and to strengthen their competitiveness and investment capabilities. - To increase the research and development potential of the region and enhance the efficiency of the transfer of technology and know – how from the sphere of science and research to the sphere of enterprises. - To develop and strengthen business support institutions by supporting the cooperation between enterprises and business support institutions. - To use the potential and to strengthen the positions of significant enterprises in the economic sector of the region with the use of technology. Basic measures: - To create favourable conditions for the establishment, modernisation and development of enterprises and their concentration areas (clusters). - To support restructuring processes, in particular for industrial branches that are permanently connected with the economic sector of the region. - To stimulate the development of business support infrastructure. - To support the innovative potential of enterprises from the region. - To support financial instruments directed to small and medium enterprises (e.g. loan funds, guarantee funds, venture capital, seed capital). - To create the platform of cooperation for enterprises and the science and technology sphere (e.g. technology transfer, science and technology parks). - To popularise and promote modern technological processes, products and services based on R&D, especially in the fields that are within the scientific and industrial specialisation of the region. - To support the research and development sphere of the region (promotion of innovative and modern solutions and support of investments). - To create innovative approach in the society. - To introduce a system of facilities and allowances for investors. - To develop small and medium enterprises within the scope of tourism and recreation.

28

PRIORITY AREA: INFORMATION SOCIETY Strategic objective: To create the information society Nowadays one of the basic indicators of development, in both economic and social terms, is information, the access to it and the ability to use it. That is why the contemporary society is now filled with and dependent on technology, more than it used to be in the past. In the developed world the role of computer and the Web is realised by all social groups. The information society is the one in which information is intensely used in economic, social, cultural and political spheres of life. Therefore, it is advised that the Lodz Region should, as soon as possible, start to fully use chances and possibilities carried by the participation in the Web. While taking advantage of favourable opportunities, it is necessary to take care of the variety and availability of means of communication and information processing. Detailed objectives: - To involve information and communication technologies in all social and economic spheres of life. - To provide common access to the electronic infrastructure and services. - To connect information and communication technologies with the tendency to build e-platforms and the use of electronic signature. Basic measures: - To support and implement innovative, interactive public services. - To support and introduce telephone-information systems of the electronic economic sector in business and administration. - To develop the telephone-information and telecommunication infrastructure. - To promote innovative forms of education as an element of the creation of the information society (e.g. e-learning), with providing the efficient access to data resources. - Further development of the Regional Information System of the Lodz Region. - To support and promote activities aimed at creation of commonly available information resources in the Internet.

29

PRIORITY AREA: RURAL AREAS Strategic objective: Steady and balanced development of the rural areas The environmental conditions for development of agriculture in the Lodz Region are worse than the national average. At the same time, however, this form of activity is, apart from industry, the main economic specialisation of the region. In the region there is a prevalence of small and very small farms of low productivity level. The rural areas are marked with insufficient economic activity and poor social activity, are insufficiently equipped with network systems and have restricted access to social services. Therefore, for the rural areas and agriculture prevailing there, it is so important to restructure agricultural production and improve its quality, which is aimed at the increase in its economic efficiency as well as the improvement of civilisation conditions of the inhabitants. The specificity of farms in the region and environmental conditions indicate possibilities of creating a strong agricultural sector orientated to eco-agriculture, which will improve the ecological situation of the region. Detailed objectives: - To improve the competitiveness of farms by supporting processes of the revival of the rural areas and the improvement of developmental instruments and the cooperation with scientific centres. - To improve the quality of the agricultural production area by developing entrepreneurship, creating a net of connections and cooperation, and improving economic and production efficiency of agriculture and food industry. - To support local partnership with the use of the rule of grassroots support as a tool to implement development strategies for the rural areas. - To improve attraction level of the rural areas by the development of the technical infrastructure. - To create conditions for the multifunctional development of the agricultural areas. Basic measures: - Sensible use (including revaluation) of the production and agricultural areas that have the best environmental conditions. - To stimulate the process of concentration of grounds (consolidation of grounds). - To restructure agricultural production in the region (adaptation of agricultural production to changing needs of the market; modernisation of tools and machinery; support for the development of ecological crops including bio-fuels; growth in the specialisation of cattle breeding) and to initiate the creation of modern forms of organisation of agricultural producers. - To improve the technical equipment for the rural areas and farms. - To support the development of agricultural production (support for markets), agriculture and food industry in the Lodz Region and to promote regional products and brands. - To stimulate extra-agricultural activity (e.g. agricultural tourism). - To support the development of ecological farms. - To support processes of the restructuring of the rural areas by promoting and facilitating employment outside the agricultural sector.

30

PRIORITY AREA: LABOUR MARKET Strategic objective: To improve the general level of employment and labour mobility for the inhabitants of the region The unfavourable demographic situation in the Lodz Region has great influence on the regional labour market. People at an economically productive age (potential labour resources) in the Lodz Region are, on average, older than in the other parts of Poland. Problems connected with this include the limited mobility of employees and the decreased ability of flexible reaction to changes occurring in the economic sector and labour market. Labour deactivation difficulties with re-employment result in the low employment rate in older age groups. Another problem is the falling number of the inhabitants of the region due to the negative birth rate and the negative migration balance. In case of the deepening tendency of this phenomenon, the region can be endangered (hypothetically after 2010) with the deficit of labour force in the regional labour market. In the region there is a growing level of unemployment of people with higher education and long-term unemployment. What is also unfavourable is the strong spatial differentiation of unemployment level in particular districts as well as agrarian unemployment. The implementation of measures in this area is aimed at creating the efficient labour market that can fully use the existing labour resources, assure their smooth and effective allocation and cause the development of human capital. The improvement of conditions for starting business activity (which is to great extent managed by the state and includes, for example, the improvement of legal and administrative as well as legal and financial support for enterprises, the development of capital market, the provision of access to financial capital) will contribute to the creation of new vacancies, including highly productive jobs that can be maintained in spite of the growing price competition (e.g. the development of enterprising attitudes). The measures should also be focused on the stimulation of spatial mobility of labour resources in the region, the facilitation for passive labour force to return to the labour market and the adaptation of qualifications and professional skills of the unemployed to the needs of constantly changing demand of labour. As there are several target groups (women, graduates, disabled people, pre-retirement age group), it will be necessary to develop separate instruments to stimulate them. Detailed objectives: - To create mechanisms and conditions for employment increase. - To support processes that increase the mobility of the inhabitants in regard to their adaptation to the needs of the labour market. - To develop an active labour market policy, to promote self-employment and to prevent unemployment. - To create conditions for the growth in human resources (increase in birth rate, migrations) at an economically productive age. Basic measures: - To develop the cooperation of educational, training and labour market institutions by coordinating their activities, strengthening the role of information, orientation as well as educational and professional advising.

31

-

To strengthen capabilities of employment services (public and private) to efficiently affect the labour market. To create and develop solutions aimed at combining professional career with family duties. To activate people from groups that remain in a particularly unfavourable situation in the labour market, to activate the unemployed and to bring them back to professional activity. To support entrepreneurship by creating favourable conditions for employment in small and micro-enterprises, social economy entities and self-employment.

32

PRIORITY AREA: IMAGE Strategic objective: To create the image of the region as friendly and attractive for cooperation, investment and living In recent years there has been a noticeable phenomenon of strong competition not only between enterprises but also between countries and regions. The struggle of regions for attractive investments has begun to take various and increasingly sophisticated forms. In consequence, it has been necessary to employ professional regional marketing to promote the resources and values of the Lodz Region. It is also essential to take measures in order to increase attractive qualities of the region as a place of living and work. Detailed objectives: - To correlate measures aimed at economic promotion, investment possibilities and natural attraction and tourist appeal of the region in order to increase their coherence and efficiency. - To increase the consciousness of significance of the consistent promotion of the region and to increase the participation of the local community in the actions promoting the region. - To increase the level of aesthetic visualisation of the region, taking into account, in particular, the Metropolitan Area. Basic measures: - To promote the region in the country and abroad as an element of increasing the attractiveness of the region, - To develop the regional cooperation in the country and abroad, - To promote the region by supporting extra-regional trade, cultural and sport events, - To use tourist and cultural values to promote the region, - To develop the tourist and recreational sector to spend free time in the region, - To revitalise the urban and post-industrial areas, - To identify and gather data connected with the image of the region, - To support export from the territory of the Lodz Region (e.g. by developing economic management institutions and other institutions to support the export activity of entrepreneurs).

33

FUNCTIONAL AND SPATIAL SPHERE Main objective: TO CREATE REAL SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC REGION WITH ITS OWN CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC IDENTITY The Lodz Region is an administrative unit with contiguous area and the capital city conveniently located in its central part, which is an important advantage in its spatial integration. The present boundaries of the Lodz Region were demarcated almost in accordance with the scope of spatial influences of Lodz. Thus, it is a classic example of a functional region for which the basis of spatial integration consists in various centripetal intentional connections of the inhabitants and institutions with the biggest city. It can be assumed that a weakness of the region is the fact that its organic unity is based on centripetal connections (functional) and, at the same time, on poorly developed connections between the other towns of the region, which together do not create a regional settlement system. The territorial consciousness of people was achieved in the process of the historical development of particular areas of this region. Therefore, its inhabitants have relatively well-developed territorial consciousness at local or, at most, sub-regional level, whereas their sense of regional identity is poorer. The measures taken in the nearest future should lead to the transformation of the functional region existing in Lodz into a social and economic region whose basis will be the regional consciousness of its inhabitants, apart from already developed (at local and regional level) functional connections. The creation of a real social and economic region must be conducted in harmony with natural environment. Thus, any measures taken in favour of the region development should not be limited only to economic but also to ecological and social benefits.

34

PRIORITY AREA: CHANGES (SETTLEMENT SYSTEM). Strategic objective: To stimulate changes in the settlement network connected with the increase of the role of towns in the functional and spatial arrangement of the region The settlement network of the Lodz Region has been shaped in result of dynamic processes of industrialisation, in the area of watershed of first order and on the border of stretch of lowlands of Central Poland and highlands of Southern Poland, on bordering areas of the main historical regions of our country. It is a collection of various, both in social and economic sense, settlement systems (local and sub-regional), integrated by metropolitan functions of Lodz and formal administrative boundaries. The region can be characterised by asymmetry in size structure of its towns. Small towns are prevailing (with the population of up to 20 thousand), and there is a big disproportion between the biggest city (Lodz), the second biggest one (Piotrków Trybunalski) and the smallest town (Szadek) (proportion of 1:10:270). It is necessary to take efforts to transform the poorly integrated settlement network into a settlement system in which all the towns in the region will undertake, more than it has been so far, the role of initiators and organisers of social and economic life in the region. These measures are supposed to contribute to the improvement of the inhabitants’ life quality, the restoration of spatial order as well as the economic recovery and the reconstruction of social bonds. The most important elements of the settlement structure of the region are developing: - the Metropolitan Centre – Lodz, - Regional centres: Piotrków Trybunalski, Sieradz, Skierniewice, Kutno and Radomsko, - Supra-local district centres, i.e.: Zgierz, Pabianice, Łęczyca, Łowicz, Rawa Mazowiecka, Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Zduńska Wola, Wieluń, Opoczno, Brzeziny, Łask, Pajęczno, Poddębice, Wieruszów, - Specialist industrial and service centre of Bełchatów Industrial Area (BIA) – Bełchatów and the Lodz Metropolitan Area that generates development of the central part of the region. The foregoing centres require financial support to help them fulfil the assumed supralocal functions (expenditures for the technical and social infrastructure). The great development chance of the region can be seen in the bi-polar structure of Lodz and Warsaw, which can become a competitive area in the European space. Detailed objectives: - To shape and develop the Lodz Metropolitan Area and strengthen associations with regional and supra-local settlement centres and Metropolitan Area. - To activate the centres of development and to promote the network cooperation between towns. - To support the development of inter-regional connections of ‘parallel’ regional centres and the other towns and the rural settlement.

its functional the Warsaw model of the type between

Basic measures: - To elaborate a scheme of site planning of the Metropolitan Area. - To create instruments for the management of the Metropolitan Area.

35

-

To introduce and modernise the system of transport in order to improve links between the settlement centres, To promote the conception of the bi-polar structure of Lodz and Warsaw, To support the development, in regional and supra-local centres, of new functions of services and production, To create conditions for the social and economic cooperation of individual areas of the region in the form of territorial intentional connections, in favour of spatial integration, To introduce the system of the regional migration in order to gain income.

36

PRIORITY AREA: SPATIAL ORDER Strategic objective: To arrange the spatial development The arrangement of the spatial development, resulting in the form of spatial order, is one of the basic elements facilitating conditions of life and business of the inhabitants. The research and surveys show that the Lodz Region is not considered to be a very attractive place for life and work. One of the main explanations for this (apart from economic factors) are historical reasons which result from numerous administrative changes of the area of the present Lodz Region, whose individual parts developed at different levels and directions. The dynamic development of urbanising processes, in particular in its central part, created numerous spatial conflicts demanding big investment expenditures to reduce the existing problems and dangers. Detailed objectives: - To support processes of concentration of buildings in towns and prevent processes of suburbanisation, while maintaining the rules of a balanced development. - To support measures aimed at protection against covering the existing and planned transport and infrastructure corridors with buildings. - To identify problematic areas and stimulate their transformation in order to activate them or eliminate the existing and possible conflicts and dangers. - To preserve valuable advantages of nature, culture and landscape of the region. - To increase the territorial integrity of the area. Basic measures: - To update the scheme of site planning of the region. - To revitalise degraded urban, post-industrial and post-military areas. - To support the local governments, protecting the area as a public property, while preserving its aesthetic, cultural, natural and social values. - To indicate corridors to introduce the planned transport and infrastructural structures of supra-local significance. - To elaborate schemes of site planning for strategic development areas (motorway junctions, logistic centres, the international airport). - To elaborate programmes of social and economic activation for problematic areas. - To provide systematic legal protection for territories of the highest values of nature and landscape.

37

PRIORITY AREA: REGIONAL IDENTITY Strategic objective: To strengthen the inhabitants’ identity with the region One of the basic reasons to create the regional identity of the society is the authenticity of its culture, which distinguishes the region among the other areas and makes it a cultural region. Within the region there are deep traditions and cultural individualities of some of its sub-regions (sieradzki, łęczycki, łowicki, rawski and opoczyński areas) and local districts (e.g. Spycimierz, Gidle, Grabów Łęczycki, Lipce Reymontowskie, Parzno, Studzianna Poświętne), which constitute the basis of territorial identity of their inhabitants. Individual sub-regional cultures have autonomous character, yet their traditions are connected with the cultural inheritance of adjoining historical districts of Poland, first of all of Mazovia and Wielkopolska. The essential element also consists in numerous institutions of high culture such as theatres, the concert hall and museums. The significant role in organising and propagating cultural life in the region is played by the activity of artistic schools of higher education. These institutions have supra-regional significance. In the Lodz Region resources of cultural properties of industrial inheritance, which have won international fame, comprise 581 objects out of which 117 are listed in the register of historical monuments. There are numerous ethnographic areas, frequently called ‘little fatherlands’. It is necessary to aim at the development of the ‘new’ regional consciousness of the inhabitants of the Lodz Region on the basis of the already existing cultural values of these areas. The development of this consciousness is the purpose fulfilled by creating the cultural community, establishing common norms and customs, as well as activating and integrating the local communities. These measures should lead to creation of the cultural unity of the Lodz Region in its whole variety and complexity of its local and sub-regional cultures. The formation of territorial consciousness of the local community is also achieved by education of regional character. It mostly refers to children and youth, but some forms of this education can be also used for adults. Through increase of knowledge about their own region, its past and present functions, the inhabitants should change their views of the sense and need of existence of the region and this should strengthen their sense of bonds and solidarity with other cohabitants. This will increase the inhabitants’ motivation to act in favour of their region, for the sake of their own and public best interest. Detailed objectives: - To support and initiate measures for restoration, protection and cultivation of historical values of the region. - To form and strengthen a culture-creating function of the Lodz Metropolitan Area the regional identity centres (Sieradz, Łęczyca, Łowicz, Opoczno, Rawa Mazowiecka). - To develop and promote culture and tourism in the region. - To stimulate, form and strengthen a culture-creating function of settlement centres. Basic measures: - To elaborate rules and programmes of culture protection. - To revalue historical urban structures and monuments, together with their surroundings and protection of exhibition, including the development of buildings and facilities connected with the regional history for cultural purposes. - To support the activity of institutions performing culture-creating functions. - To develop the tourist and recreational infrastructure within the region.

38

-

To support the cultural infrastructure by investments. To support and initiate the activity in regard to the creation of regional products. To support the development of various forms of cultural life, as well as organisations and regional movements promoting cultural identity of the region. To support the activity of cultural and scientific institutions performing culture-creating and educational functions of the Metropolitan Area and the regional centres in favour of the whole region and to promote interregional and international connections.

39

PRIORITY AREA: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Strategic objective: To improve the inhabitants’ life conditions by improving the quality of environment The former development of the Lodz Region resulted in maladjustment of the existing technical infrastructure to contemporary environmental protection standards. By using the balanced development rule, it is necessary to take measures aimed at the substantial improvement of the situation in this field. This will provide better life quality for next generations and increase attraction level of the region as a place of living and work. The most serious problems of the region include an insufficient level of sewer systems and sewage treatment (especially in the rural areas), the insufficient waste management, air pollution, local cases of excess of noise norms, surface and underground water pollution, an insufficient number of small water reservoirs, a low level of woodiness and tree monoculture in the region. Detailed objectives: - To protect and improve the condition of environment and to prevent natural and anthropogenic dangers. - Balanced development of natural resources management. - To increase the ecological consciousness of the society. Basic measures: - To support measures in regard to: i) implementation of systematic water and sewage management, ii) use of renewable sources of energy, iii) selective collection, recycling and neutralisation of waste, especially communal and dangerous waste, iv) protection against floods, v) protection against noise, vi) protection against non-ionising radiation, vii) reduced release of pollutants into the atmosphere, viii) improvement of purity level of surface and underground water, ix) increase of woodiness, x) soil protection. - To support measures in favour of: i) recultivation of post-exploitation and degraded areas, ii) improvement of woodiness level in the region and actions for the regeneration of forest areas damaged by industry, iii) increase of water resources of the region. - To promote ecological education.

40

7. System of implementation The local government of the region is responsible, in accordance to the Act of 5 June 1998 on local governments 6 for the implementation of a regional development policy, including, among other things, the elaboration and implementation of the development strategy for the region. Pursuant to the contents of this Act, regions have particular instruments to implement regional policies which specify main strategic guidelines introduced by regional plans and programmes. By specifying the development strategy for the region the local government bears responsibility for its implementation, monitoring and coordination of measures taken in regard to the regional policy, taking into account internal and external conditions in the long period of time. The new rules of creating a regional policy were established at the moment when the Act of 20 April 2004 on the National Development Plan became effective7 . Regions have become a real partner in the state and local government process of creation of new social and economic reality, obtaining real possibilities of the optimal use of available sources of financing for the regional development. The basic instruments include the Regional Operational Programme of the Lodz Region, the years 2007-2013, prepared by the local government and negotiated directly with the European Commission and regional contracts implemented in agreement with the state. Another, equally important element in the creation of the regional policy by local governments is the Act of 27 March 2003 on site planning and spatial development, 8 which specifies the competence of local governments in regard to directions of the social and economic development in spatial terms. The strategy is to be implemented in accordance to institutional bases created by the Act on the NDP and the following rules: -

-

-

-

Rule of a balanced development – orientation at the lasting improvement of life standard for the inhabitants of the region in result of the economic development achieved in the long run, with the maintenance of a social, ecological and spatial balance. Rule of assistance (subsidiarity): i) maintenance of autonomy and partnership in relations between the local government structures and non-governmental organisations and the state administration; ii) local governments’ own resources intended for the regional development are supported by public resources; iii) local governments of the region implement only these projects that cannot be implemented at local level. Rule of coherence – correlation of measures between strategic national and Union documents that enables the proper implementation of objectives. Rule of partnership – assumed tasks are fulfilled by all levels of the local government in the region by public entities, non-governmental organisations and private sector in order to increase the efficiency of spending public resources. Rule of concentration – efforts of participating entities are concentrated on the implementation of development priorities specified by the strategy.

6

Journal of Laws of 2001 no. 142 item 1590, amended Journal of Laws no. 116 item 1206 8 Journal of Laws no. 80 item 717, amended 7

41

-

Rule of openness – the strategy is implemented in a dynamically changing environment; the systematic evaluation process enables its correction in order to increase its final efficiency. - Rule of equality – assurance of equal participation for all entities that take part in the process of creation of the regional reality. The foregoing rules will be used by all the public institutions while implementing the contents of the strategy.

7.1. Entities implementing the strategy The entity responsible for achieving objectives of the strategy is the local government of the region. It performs a role of the coordinator of measures in cooperation with partners implementing regional objectives such as the local governments of communities and districts, state institutions, economic local government and business support institutions, schools of higher education, non-governmental organisations and local governments of other regions, international organisations and institutions. The local government of the region plays a role of the coordinator and organiser in the process of implementation of the strategy. Taking into consideration legal competence, the local government implements developmental tasks independently, in cooperation with partners, or plays a role of the inspirer of measures undertaken by other entities. The essential aspect will be the support for civil initiatives as well as the support for contacts and agreements between the local government, non-governmental organisations and the private sector. In order to implement objectives and priority areas of the strategy efficiently, it is necessary for the local governments of communities and districts to cooperate with the local government of the region. It is important to include the main priorities specified in the strategy for the region in local strategic documents. The important role while implementing the objectives of the strategy will be performed by cooperation between local governments and non-governmental organisations. The main areas and rules of cooperation are specified by the Act of 24 April 2004 on activity performed for public good and voluntary work 9 . Another equally important intervention area of the local government will be to inspire cooperation on the basis of public and private partnership (PPP). The essential task for implementing particular public tasks is cooperation with private entities. The evaluation of the progress in achieving objectives is the responsibility of the local Council of the Lodz Region, which, in every two years, will receive a report on progress in achieving objectives of the strategy together with propositions of amendments to the document. The development strategy as a long-term document presents objectives without specifying the order, pace and place of achieving them. The details of this type will result from the programme instruments (regional programmes, national programmes, local development programmes) and individual reactions of particular public and private entities. The foregoing propositions do not exhaust the catalogue of instruments intended for the implementation of the development strategy for the region. There is a wide range of regulatory delegations and legal instruments that have not been mentioned earlier and are left to be used (resolutions, contracts, agreements, programmes, sector strategies, etc.). The basic task of the process of implementation of the strategy will be the optimal use of public

9

Journal of Laws of 2003 no. 96 item 873, amended 42

resources engaged in the process of the regional development in order to use the endogenous potential of the region and gain additional financing sources. In large part, the responsibility for providing financial resources to implement the contents of the strategy rests with public sector entities, i.e. the local governments of the region, districts and community. The cooperation with non-public economic, social and nongovernmental institutions has great significance in this area. What is also important in the implementation of the strategy is to develop proper relations between the local government of the region and state administration at regional and national level. The development strategy will be implemented in accordance with the rule of subsidiarity with the use of the local government’s own resources and external financing, including resources from the state budget and the EU funds. Thus, it is necessary to correlate the strategy with the strategic guidelines specified in the state and EU documents.

43

8. Financing 8.1. Legal instruments The implementation of the development strategy for the region is based on two fundamental legal acts: - the Act of 5 June 1998 on the local government of a region (Journal of Laws of 2001 no. 142 item 1590 with further changes), - the Act of 20 April 2004 on the National Development Plan (Journal of Laws of 2004 no. 116 item 1206). The development strategy for the region is implemented in accordance with Article 11 section 3 of the Act on the local government of a region by regional programmes approved by the local council of the region. They are the implementation of measures necessary to achieve assumed objectives. Due to the considerably bigger level of details and constantly changing social and economic conditions, the regional programmes are expected to be implemented within a shorter time than the strategy. They are connected with regional contracts (legal instruments in the form of civil and legal agreements concluded between the Management Board of the region and the government of the Republic of Poland) that define the rules of cofinancing the measures taken by the regions from the state budget resources. The new legal instruments to implement the strategy are regional operational programmes based on the Act on the National Development Plan. The Integrated Operational Programme of Regional Development is valid till the end of 2006. In 2007 the regional operational programmes prepared separately by each region will become effective, which makes it even more possible to correlate the flow of support from the Union with the needs of the region. The preparation of these programmes is the basis of applying for the co-financing of projects and tasks from the EU resources. The regional policy for regions specified by regional programmes and operational programmes enables long-term planning of public expenditures for the development of the region, in accordance to the rules of transparency, concentration and economic rationality.

8.2. Financial instruments The improvement of the situation in the region is affected by each amount spent within its territory both under public interventions and private investments, as well as by the inhabitants. The identification of the entrepreneurs and inhabitants with their region is significant for the participation of private resources in the implementation of the provisions of the strategy. Apart from special funds intended to support some areas selected under the regional policy, it should be remembered that it is the inhabitants of the Lodz Region that are first of all responsible for its competitiveness. For the most part, the provision of financial resources for the implementation of the provisions of the strategy lies with the public sector entities, namely the local governments of the region, districts and communities. The cooperation with non-public economic, social and non-governmental institutions has great significance in this area. What is also important in the implementation of priorities of sector and horizontal strategies within the region is to develop proper relations between the local government of the region and the state administration at regional and national level. The development strategy will be implemented in accordance with the rule of subsidiarity with the use of the local government’s own resources and external financing,

44

including resources from the state budget and the EU funds. Thus, it is necessary to correlate the strategy with the strategic guidelines specified in the state and EU documents. The general source of the co-financing of tasks resulting from the strategy will be structural funds (the European Fund of Regional Development, the European Social Fund, the Coherence Fund, and the European Agricultural Fund for Development of Rural Areas) which are to complement the national public resources, the local government units’ own resources, special funds and private resources. The national public resources will be received from the state budget under a new form of regional contract and from financial resources of central funds and agencies. The additional source of financing will be vouchers and guarantees of the State Treasury granted by the National Management Bank with help of the Union Guarantee Fund, the Minister of Finance or the Council of Ministers, the Fund of Communal Investment Development, guarantee funds and loan funds for SME, the National Capital Fund as well as loans for pre-financing of projects from the Union resources. At present the volume and structure of national public resources that will be intended for the implementation of the strategy is difficult to estimate. This is mostly influenced by postulated changes in the system of state public resources, the budgeting system for the local government units and the modification of national purpose funds. Other potential sources of the financing of the development strategy for the region can include: - the European Investment Bank – New possibilities for financing of projects have been created here, i.e. credit lines for the private sector, loans for the government to support the pre-financing of projects implemented with help of the co-financing from the EU public funds, direct loans for the local governments to support infrastructural projects, commercial credits and loans granted with the help of banks for the local governments and enterprises; - the Norwegian Financial Mechanism and the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area – Support will be provided in the form of grants in the years 20042009 to reduce economic and social differences within the territory of the EEA; - national instruments to support the process of the implementation of projects cofinanced from the EU resources: • Public and private partnership in order to initiate the implementation of projects in regard to infrastructural investments of the public sector in co-operation with private partners; • New development instruments for the development of towns with the population of up to 100 thousand, referring to the conception of the EU initiatives of URBAN;

45

9. Schedule The present ‘Development Strategy for the Lodz Region’, as a long-term document, was elaborated without a strictly defined time limit. In order to specify particular tasks, the period of 6 years was assumed. When its contents became effective, there have been fundamental changes to external and internal conditions of regional development together with a necessity to adapt regional development programmes to programming schedule applied in the European Union. The present and prospective rules of long-term planning in the European Union call for application of uniform time scope so as they could become the basis of planning the regional development in subsequent financial prospects. The process of the implementation of the strategy can be divided into three stages connected with the EU programming periods. - the years 2004 – 2006 10 , the preparatory period when the processes of modernisation and development of communicational and communal infrastructure, enterprise support and human resources development were started; - the years 2007 – 2013 11 , the implementation period when, in accordance with assumptions contained in the National Development Plan, the region will have several times higher possibilities of absorption of the EU resources; in the years of 2007 – 2009 the basic financial flow will be intended to implement infrastructural tasks and communal projects; in the years of 2010 – 2013 the bigger support will be intended to implement innovative and pro-social projects; o the years 2007 – 2009 – the basic financial flow will be concentrated on the implementation of strategic objectives: I. Social sphere, strategic objective: 1 and 2; II. Economic sphere, strategic objective: 1 and 2; III. Functional and spatial sphere, strategic objective: 1 and 2; the intervention will cover projects regarding investments in the region (communication availability, regional infrastructure, financial availability for SME, investment projects to improve the condition of the natural environment) and soft instruments directed to small and medium enterprises; o the years 2010 – 2013 – the basic financial flow will be concentrated on the implementation of strategic objectives: I. Social sphere, strategic objective: 3 and 4; II. Economic sphere, strategic objective: 3, 5 and 6; III. Functional and spatial sphere, strategic objective: 3; o Strategic objectives: 4 in II. Economic sphere and strategic objective 4 in III. Functional and spatial sphere will be treated as horizontal objectives and their support in both periods will be divided evenly. - the years 2013 – 2020, when the region will have the developmental potential that will enable it to reach the level of development similar to the EU average and possibilities to fully implement the rules of a balanced development.

10

In accordance with the rule of n+2 that enables the financial implementation of operational programmes for up to two years since the moment of project selection, this period will actually be completed in 2008. 11 As above, until 2015. 46

10. Monitoring implementation

and

evaluation

of

the

strategy’s

The monitoring of the development strategy for the Lodz Region is one of the elements of the strategic planning process. It is the research of progress in the implementation of the strategy. It is connected with the systematic observation of qualitative and quantitative changes of indicators specified in the strategy. The monitoring is necessary in the active implementation of the regional development strategy. The basis for the efficient implementation of the Strategy is a possibility to react to any problems appearing while achieving assumed results. It demands an efficient monitoring system to be built on the one hand to enable the current evaluation of progress in implemented measures, and, on the other hand, it requires a system of the objective evaluation of effects of these measures. The efficient monitoring system makes it possible to make relevant corrections in case when the progress in the implementation differs from the assumed one, react to any changes to the situation in the region and introduce to public opinion information about using public financial resources intended to support the regional development. The efficient monitoring system enables the proper allocation of financial resources directed to individual tasks, which is significant in case when they are limited. The monitoring comprises such measures as: - systematic collection of figures in regard to implementation of strategic objectives, - comparative and thematic analyses, - periodical reports that indicate the level of implementation of the strategy in main social and economic spheres of life, - evaluation of achieved results and estimation of the level of implementation of assumed objectives and measures, - evaluation of discrepancies between assumed objectives and measures and achieved results, - analysis of reasons for discrepancies and identification of areas that require interventional measures to be taken, - planning of changes in the strategy and assumed measures. The subject of monitoring is the social and economic situation in the region taking into account regional community, management, environment, infrastructure and external surroundings. Due to the fact that the strategy will be implemented through operational programmes, they will be the basic elements for monitoring. The monitoring system of the Strategy will include: - social and economic situation, including development conditions - implementation of priority areas and strategic objectives specified in the Strategy - implementation of particular operational programmes The scope of the monitoring system of the Strategy should not be too wide. The implementation of the Strategy as a general document will enable the evaluation of its influence upon the total level of development of the region. The responsibility for the monitoring of the Strategy lies with the Management Board of the Lodz Voivodship, which will conduct this task with the help of the Regional Policy Department of the Marshal’s Office, in cooperation with other departments of the Marshal’s Office, the Statistical Office in Lodz, the state administration of regional level, the local government units, science and research centres and regional institutions.

47

Also the Regional Monitoring and Steering Committee will participate in the process of monitoring. Its functions include: - monitoring of the process of implementation of the Strategy - evaluation of efficiency and performance of implementation of the Strategy - control over the correctness of implementation of the Strategy - receipt of reports on implementation of the Strategy - propositions of updating changes for the Strategy The most important source of information about changes occurring in the region should be data collected, gathered and elaborated by the local government of the region which, at the same time, is responsible for their analysis made in cooperation with special institutions that function in the Lodz Region. The monitoring system of the Strategy is supposed to provide the efficiency of spending resources to implement the strategy, and, in result, to evaluate the efficiency of its implementation. That is why the basic document in the process of the monitoring of the Strategy will be a monitoring report on implementation of the Strategy which will be prepared on the basis of the data that come from general statistics and the data that come from partial reports on implementation of individual operational programmes. The partial reports will be made by the relevant subject departments responsible for the implementation of individual operational programmes. The monitoring report, by presenting achieved indicators, will describe the level of implementation of the Strategy and will be the basis for possible corrective measures. Suggested indicators: I SOCIAL SPHERE – to increase the general civilisation level of the region Priority Area 1. Knowledge and skills: - Percentage proportion of people with higher education, - Number of children that go to kindergarten in relation to the total number of children in a pre-school age group, - Number of secondary school graduates in relation to the total number in this age group, - Investment expenditures in the educational base at various levels, - Number of teachers who improve their qualifications, Priority Area 2. Life quality: - Death rate for infants, - Number of civilisation diseases detected, - Average life-span, - Number of people included in health education, health promotion and disease prevention programmes, - Functional housing space in square metres per person, - Percentage of flats and houses equipped with sewage system, - Rate of crime detectability, - Number of deaths in road accidents and number of road accidents per 100 kilometres of roads in the region, - Number of sport and recreation facilities per 10 thousand of the inhabitants in the districts, - Real disposable income of inhabitants of the region. Priority Area 3. Social policy: - Number of people benefiting from social assistance per 1,000 inhabitants, - Number of people resigning from social assistance system due to improvement in their living standard,

48

-

Number of people addicted to drugs and benefiting from therapeutic programmes financed by the National Health Fund, - Number of people co-addicted benefiting from therapeutic programmes financed by the National Health Fund, - Number of students provided with free meals in relation to the number of those qualified to this form of support. Priority Area 4. Civil society: - Number of projects co-financed from external sources under public partnership, - Attendance in the local elections, - Number of non-governmental organisations per 1,000 inhabitants in relation to the national average. II ECONOMIC SPHERE – to improve the position of competitive economic sector of the region Priority Area 1. Availability: - Number of economic entities per 1,000 inhabitants, - Length and density of hard surface public roads in the region in total, - Length of newly-built and modernised roads, - Annual number of road accidents and people killed or injured in road accidents, - Condition of road surface, - Number of passengers that use public transport, - Use of electrical energy by groups of recipients (households). Priority Area 2. Economic base: - Number of innovative enterprises, - Amount of the expenditure for innovations, - Number of business support science and research as well as research centres, - Number of business support institutions, - Number of companies with foreign capital (value of contributed capital), - Level of sold products, - Number of SME per 1,000 inhabitants. Priority Area 3. Information society: - Percentage of households and companies with access to the Internet. Priority Area 4. Rural areas: - Percentage of households with access to sewage system and waterworks, - Number of waste treatment plants / water treatment plants in the rural areas, - Percentage of agricultural tourism farms, - Level of the income of people in the rural areas, - Average dimensions of a farm, - Level of employment in the rural areas, - Amount of granted structural allowances in the rural areas. Priority Area 5. Labour market: - Number of working people (including those working in individual agriculture and in firms that employ less than 9 people) within the region, - Number of people that start business activity, - Amount of regional GDP per capita, - Balance of internal/external migrations within the region, - Number of disabled people that start employment, - Employment rate within the region, - Unemployment rate.

49

Priority Area 6. Image: - Number of people that use hotels within the region, - Amount of foreign investments in the region, - Number of companies with foreign capital. III FUNCTIONAL AND SPATIAL SPHERE – To create a real social and economic region that has its own cultural and economic identity. Priority Area 1. Changes (settlement system): - Number of students in the Metropolitan Area, - Number of active bus routes in the region, - Number of investments in the area of services and production, - Relation of people employed in the service sector to those employed in industry. Priority Area 2. Spatial management: - Volume of revitalised and legally protected areas in relation to the surface area of the region, - Awards for the best-managed public area, - Number of resolved local site planning projects that protect transport and infrastructural corridors against buildings. Priority Area 3. Regional identity: - Expenditures for culture and protection of cultural inheritance per one inhabitant, - Number of re-valued historical monuments and urban structures, - Number of regional products, - Number of events that propagate historical and cultural values of the region, - Number of members of regional associations, - Expenditures of households for education and culture. Priority Area 4. Environmental protection: - Level of release of dusts and gases, - Power of energy produced from alternative sources, - Volume of neutralised communal and dangerous waste, - Rate of air pollution, - Level of river purity class, - Volume of re-cultivated areas, - Level of woodiness of the region, - Capacity of water reservoirs, - Number of waste treatment plants in the region.

50

Appendix no. 1 Plan of the network of schools and institutions of regional significance 1. The Special Primary School for Children with Protracted Diseases in Rafałówka 2. The Tytus Chałubiński Vocational College no. 4 of the Local Government in Lodz 3. The Mikołaj Kopernik Vocational College of the Local Government in Łowicz 4. The Vocational College no. 1 of the Local Government in Lodz 5. The Maria Curie – Skłodowska Vocational College no. 2 of the Local Government in Lodz 6. The Maria Stencel Vocational College no. 3 of the Local Government in Lodz 7. The Mikołaj Kopernik Vocational College of the Local Government in Piotrków Trybunalski 8. The Vocational College of the Local Government in Tomaszów Mazowiecki 9. The Vocational College of the Local Government in Sieradz 10. The Vocational College for Social Workers in Lodz 11. The Social Worker College in Lodz 12. The Teacher Training College in Łowicz 13. The Teacher Training College in Wieluń 14. The Teacher Training College in Zgierz 15. The Foreign Language Teacher Training College in Łowicz 16. The Foreign Language Teacher Training College in Sieradz 17. The Educational Library in Piotrków Trybunalski 18. The Educational Library in Sieradz 19. The Educational Library in Skierniewice 20. The Regional Educational Library in Lodz 21. The Regional Teacher Training Centre in Piotrków Trybunalski 22. The Regional Teacher Training Centre in Sieradz 23. The Regional Teacher Training Centre in Skierniewice 24. The Regional Teacher Training Centre in Lodz

51