international strategy
Background
We live today in a globalised society in which national boundaries have become blurred. More people travel, study or live abroad, many com- panies operate on a global scale and internationalisation has become a natural part of everyday life.
It is therefore important for our organisation to embrace an interna- tional perspective, with a special focus on co-operation in Europe. The international strategy provides guidance on working internationally.
By setting out objectives, priorities and working methods we can im- prove our chances of success in our international endeavours.
Many of our tasks and challenges are shared with other cities and local authorities in Europe and, by actively co-operating with them, we can take advantage of the knowledge and experience they have to offer, thus benefitting the continued development of our own municipality.
The professional development of our employees is also enhanced by working in an international environment, helping to make the City of Lidingö an attractive employer.
Purpose
The purpose of the City of Lidingö’s international activities is to contribute to the fulfilment of the City’s overall vision and strategic objectives. International efforts should be seen as a tool to promote operational and professional development and as a means to create added value for residents and businesses in Lidingö. Another aim is to provide residents and employees with the opportunity to gain a new perspective on their own lives.
international strategy
Objectives
l International contacts should contribute to greater understanding between people and cultures. Interest in international issues among children and young people is to be increased through school and youth exchanges, as well as twinning. Such contacts are also intended to contribute to the attainment of schools’ educational objectives.
l We will take initiatives to start more projects together with international partners; and we will more often make use of
opportunities to seek co-financing from EU funds and programmes, as well as from other sources of external funding.
l We aim to increase the number of our international contacts continuously, for example through participation in European networks and conferences.
l We will provide residents and businesses with good access to EU information.
Priority areas
The City’s vision and strategic goals govern the priorities we make in developing our international activities. Our particular priorities are:
Health; Schools and young people; Environment and sustainable urban development.
Health
Health is a core value of the Lidingö brand and is central to our vision of Lidingö - the Healthy Island. In Lidingö we want to provide people
with the means of attaining good health. By learning from, and being inspired by, the efforts of other municipalities, we can make improve- ments to our work in the field of health and strengthen our profile as a healthy island. By working strategically with relevant partners, we can develop and refine our methods, helping us to find those success factors that lead to a good and secure life for the elderly.
Schools and young people
In order to generate interest in, and understanding of, other cultures and languages, it is important that children and young people learn about the world outside of Sweden. Our role is to prepare young people for a society characterised by contacts across cultural and
national boundaries. It is therefore essential that schools and other youth services work to promote exchange programmes and other forms of internationalisation – initiatives which should lead to further improvements to our methods of working and in the quality of the services we provide.
Environment and sustainable urban development
Many of the world’s towns and cities are, like Lidingö, facing the challenge of managing sustainable growth. Municipal authorities can support and inspire each other by sharing experiences and knowledge in environmental and sustainability issues. The City’s international activities related to the environment should therefore focus on issues concerning sustainable urban development. This not only concerns the practical issues of how the city can be built in a sustainable manner, for example in terms of energy efficient and non-toxic building methods, but also relates to the issue of how urban planning and the City’s various services can be made to promote sustainable lifestyles.
Working methods
A number of opportunities for working together with other cities in Europe are open to us, including seeking financial support for various projects from EU funds and programmes. Lidingö’s efforts in the field of international co-operation, as regards both visits for study purpo- ses and participation in collaborative projects, should be needs-based, characterised by curiosity and goal-oriented.
l Development projects and exchanges must have a strategic purpose – with the aim of generating a mutually beneficial exchange of information, as well as the development of our own organisation.
l The aim of our participation in twinning is to increase cultural understanding and cultivate international contacts between peoples. In addition, we wish to see our twinning agreements evolve into more strategic partnerships.
l In order to increase the profile of Lidingö in Europe, and make new contacts for future collaborative endeavours, it is important for us to seek new and wider opportunities for acquiring international contacts, such as through goal-oriented and active participation in European networks, or by making and receiving study visits.
l The City’s environmental scanning shall include an international perspective, with particular focus on the EU.
with the means of attaining good health. By learning from, and being inspired by, the efforts of other municipalities, we can make improve- ments to our work in the field of health and strengthen our profile as a healthy island. By working strategically with relevant partners, we can develop and refine our methods, helping us to find those success factors that lead to a good and secure life for the elderly.
Schools and young people
In order to generate interest in, and understanding of, other cultures and languages, it is important that children and young people learn about the world outside of Sweden. Our role is to prepare young people for a society characterised by contacts across cultural and
national boundaries. It is therefore essential that schools and other youth services work to promote exchange programmes and other forms of internationalisation – initiatives which should lead to further improvements to our methods of working and in the quality of the services we provide.
Environment and sustainable urban development
Many of the world’s towns and cities are, like Lidingö, facing the challenge of managing sustainable growth. Municipal authorities can support and inspire each other by sharing experiences and knowledge in environmental and sustainability issues. The City’s international activities related to the environment should therefore focus on issues concerning sustainable urban development. This not only concerns the practical issues of how the city can be built in a sustainable manner, for example in terms of energy efficient and non-toxic building methods, but also relates to the issue of how urban planning and the City’s various services can be made to promote sustainable lifestyles.
Working methods
A number of opportunities for working together with other cities in Europe are open to us, including seeking financial support for various projects from EU funds and programmes. Lidingö’s efforts in the field of international co-operation, as regards both visits for study purpo- ses and participation in collaborative projects, should be needs-based, characterised by curiosity and goal-oriented.
l Development projects and exchanges must have a strategic purpose – with the aim of generating a mutually beneficial exchange of information, as well as the development of our own organisation.
l The aim of our participation in twinning is to increase cultural understanding and cultivate international contacts between peoples. In addition, we wish to see our twinning agreements evolve into more strategic partnerships.
l In order to increase the profile of Lidingö in Europe, and make new contacts for future collaborative endeavours, it is important for us to seek new and wider opportunities for acquiring international contacts, such as through goal-oriented and active participation in European networks, or by making and receiving study visits.
l The City’s environmental scanning shall include an international perspective, with particular focus on the EU.
Responsibilities
The Municipal Executive Committee manages and co-ordinates the City’s international activities and is responsible for long-term relations with the City’s twin town partners.
Other municipal committees monitor international developments in their respective fields and strive to ensure that all activities are informed by an international perspective.
Heads of department are responsible for integrating an international perspective into their organisation and for selecting a member of the department to deal with international efforts.
The international co-ordinator is responsible for the co-ordination, both internally and externally, of international efforts, information dissemination, environmental scanning and project support.
The international contact persons represent their respective departments in an international working group. The contact persons shall, with the support of the international co-ordinator, be responsible for sharing information and knowledge with their colleagues in order to encourage international efforts within their departments.
Follow-up and time scale
Each department is to give an account of international activities in their annual report to their municipal committee. These reports must contain:
l On-going EU and other international projects
l Other international activities
l The tangible effects of these activities on our services and organisation
An annual compilation of good examples is to be made in order to il- lustrate the lessons learned as a result of international activity. This is done by the international co-ordinator in collaboration with the inter- national contact persons for each department.
The strategy is valid for 2011-2014.
in ter na tio l str na ate 8 gY
