QUATERNAIRE PORTUGAL ACTIVITY
EVALUATION
The policy and development programs evaluation has a particular relevance in Quaternaire Portugal’s activities. For that reason, our company waits with great anticipation the development of the Portugal 2020 Global Plan of Evaluation.
Meanwhile, it’s with a great pleasure that we reported that our company was selected by UNESCO (United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) as external evaluator of its project "Strengthening Capacities of Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa for Implementing the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage".
This is project will aggregate Quaternaire Portugal’s skills in evaluation and in cultural projects and policies, in a clear demonstration of our transdisciplinary integration capacity, which is reinforced by the company's work experience in different Portuguese-speaking countries, which was highly appreciated by the jury.
The final workshop of the project, which marks the beginning of its evaluation, takes place in Maputo (Mozambique), from 9 to 13 May 2016, and will have the participation of Quaternaire Portugal’s team.
CULTURE
Issues related to cultural heritage continue to take a high interest for the Quaternaire Portugal’s team and to represent a significant share of the company’s market. Besides the development of cultural heritage as territorial assets with clear potential for economic and social development, also a perspective on cultural development and quality of life of the population assumes relevance within this framework, contributing to strengthening identities and promote favourable conditions for expression, communication and creativity.
Quaternaire Portugal continues to invest, in a committed way, in the development of skills related to the UNESCO's global framework for Cultural Heritage, based on its core Conventions. Thus, it has maintained the development of in-depth work on Montado landscape application process for its registration in the World Heritage List as a Live and Evolutionary Cultural Landscape.
Moreover, supported the Mafra City Council in preparing the proposal for confirmation of registration from the National Palace of Mafra in the UNESCO’s National Tentative List.
More recently the Quaternaire Portugal team has been involved in the preparation of two applications to Cultural Heritage on North 2020 Regional Operational Program 2020 also related with the World Heritage. In one case, the company provided technical assistance to the preparation of Trás-os-Montes Intermunicipal Community application "Winter Rituals and Festivals in Trás-os-Montes" (which includes the preparation of its registration in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage and its inscription as World Intangible Cultural Heritage). In other case, our team work on an application for the Municipality of Sabrosa "Places and cultures in Magellan's Travel", which includes an inventory of the several Magellan's route components, the World First Circum-navigation Travel, the preparation of an international exhibition, and the application process for inscription on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, already proposed on the Tentative List submitted to UNESCO National Commission.
Montado’s Landscape in Alentejo Region)
Also within this same process of applications to North 2020’s Cultural Heritage call, Quaternaire Portugal elaborated the application "Trás-os-Montes’ Route of Arts", which was also promoted by Trás-os-Montes Intermunicipal Community. Currently it is being launched the preparation of another application: Creative and solidarity tourism project for Chaves’ Historical Centre, which is promoted by Santa Maria Maior Parish Council (in Chaves).
Quaternaire Portugal is also advising the Gulbenkian Programme Education for Culture and Science (Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation), aiming to prepare an application of the Project "TEM - School Time Museum".
Also the company provided advising to the Performing Arts and Music School (ESMAE) of the Porto Polytechnic Institute, concerning funding opportunities in culture.
EMPLOYMENT, COMPETENCES AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING
The company's activity in this area has been especially marked by involvement in studies and advisory services to regional deepening of the Qualification Needs Anticipation System, works that combine aspects of diagnosis and planning QNAS at regional level (NUTS 3).
This type of projects is highlighted in more detail in another section of this newsletter.
In another context, Quaternaire Portugal is collaborating with the School of the Guard in the organisation of the training process, according to the paradigm of skills. The main results expected from this project, which will run until the end of 2016, are to conceive skills and training references for a set of the National Republican Guard qualifications, alongside the capacitation of the Guard School team in the preparation of such products. It is also envisaged the development of a programme for the training of trainers in the competence approach, as well as the construction of a methodological guide.
QNAS discussion meeting in Middle Tejo
Douro’s Inland Waterway: workshop on “industrial policy and economic growth”, in Gondomar
Participation in this project is an opportunity to consolidate Quaternaire Portugal’s former work within the production of skill benchmarks and supporting training in institutional and activity sectors development. Examples of these are the most recently developed studies to the tourism sector, in collaboration with the Confederation of Tourism of Portugal, and to the trade and services sector, in collaboration with the Trade Portuguese Confederation, whose transposition to the National Qualifications Catalogue is underway.
Quaternaire Portugal is also supporting the design and monitoring of the Integrated Fight Plan to School Failure and Leaving for Alto Tamega Intermunicipal Community, which consists of a portfolio of projects aligned with the regional and subregional issues and needs, influencing school success and the quality of education.
Built through a proximity approach with regional actors, including schools and municipalities, the work includes two main components: (i) the identification and assembly of the project portfolio, from ideas already identified within the strategic planning processes of the ATIMC and (ii) the monitoring plan, which includes an information collection system related to the implementation and results of the projects.
We should also highlight the participation of Quaternaire Portugal in the Douro's Inland Waterway 2020 project, promoted by the Douro and Leixões Port Authority (DLPA), which recently assumed new responsibilities in the Douro navigability, sharing responsibilities with other entities with jurisdiction over the Douro river.
This is a European project, technically assisted by Magellan, involving other institutions and European regions. DLPA invited Quaternaire Portugal to take over the coordination of Crews Certification and Training Project (under the activity "Human Element"). Involving a large team of national and international consultants, coordination of these activities will allow Quaternaire Portugal team to apply knowledge in the identification of skills and training needs, training engineering and operative development of the core competences concept (in this case with the scientific and conceptual help of french expert Guy le Boterf). It is participation that will also enhance the 2015/2026 Strategic Plan of Leixões and Viana do Castelo Ports and Douro Waterway (see reference below).
STRATEGIC PLANNING
The initial quarter of the year was still characterised by the planning and programming of ESIF for Portugal 2020 and by public policies of territorial nature, with a great thematic diversity.
We begin by highlighting the great involvement of Quaternaire Portugal in planning of business hosting infrastructures and networks, whose mapping is in progress in the North and Centre Regions of the country.
Santo Tirso – Industrial Zones around Labour Road
In the case of the Northern Region, the company collaborated with Santo Tirso Municipality in the preparation of two business area projects; with the Association of Municipalities of Terras de Santa Maria, in defining the territorial model and programme of action for the consolidation of the business location system in this southern region of the Porto Metropolitan Area; and with the Intermunicipal Community of Alto Tâmega in the modernisation and upgrading of its network of business areas. These are distinct projects, with almost contrasting scales, objectives and contexts, but with a common spirit: optimise social gains through integrated planning, focused on the competitiveness of enterprises and territories. Equivalent planning processes are currently underway in the Centre Region, where Quaternaire Portugal collaborates with the City of Figueira da Foz in the project for expansion and upgrading of the Industrial and Enterprise Park, also providing technical support to the team that is developing the design of Business Areas in Mangualde.
Another line of work to highlight is related to the continuity in the approach to international markets, recently materialised thrpugh the approval of the National Sea Strategy for Cabo Verde, a project carried with a decisive participation of the company's spatial planning team.
Giving continuity to several works in the Algarve Region, we remind the conclusion of the project PADRE - Action Plan for Endogenous Resources Development, which has been widely presented in the previous newsletter.
Finally, as mentioned elsewhere in this newsletter, there is a great intensity in work related to sustainable urban development and urban renewal, themes that mobilise diverse teams through a strategic planning approach.
In addition to projects more directly related to the inner urban scale, which we detail further on, we refer to some processes related to the strategic approach to urban territories and networks. This is the case of the latest approval of the document for the Urban Agenda of the Eixo Atlântico do Noroeste Peninsular (see here) and of the participation in two consortia that submitted applications to European Programmes for research projects: KnowSCity - Knowledge Alliance for Smart Cities concept and practice (application to Erasmus +) and SITES - Smart and integrated transformations in the European Port-city interface (application to transnational programme JPI-Urban Europe - ERA-NET Smart Urban Futures).
The coming months will be marked by the completion of the projects of business location and the beginning of the 2015/2026 Strategic Plan of Leixões and Viana do Castelo Ports and the Inland Waterway of the Douro, following the international public tender that resulted in its award to the consortium of Quaternaire Portugal with TIS.pt.
SPATIAL PLANNING
The first quarter of 2016 was marked by the completion of a set of relevant projects within this field of expertise, highlighting the continuity of the company’s activity in international markets.
Within’ this, one should highlight the publication of legislation that ‘regulates the process of elaboration and implementation of development plans in the coastline and the adjacent sea’ (Decree-Law No. 14/2016, of March 1, BO Republic of Cape Verde), the approval of the National Strategy for the Cape Verde Sea, which is awaiting publication, and also the approval of the East Timor Spatial Planning Framework Law by the Minister Council meeting of the Democratic Republic of East Timor, held at 20 April 2016, the respective Planning Framework Law of Territory.
At a national level, one must highlight the approval of the proposal for public discussion of Corvo’s municipal masterplan revision, in Azores, which will take place between 17 May and 17 June 2016. Also, after two years of suspension, the Quaternaire Portugal’s team had the chance to develop a new proposal of Funchal’s municipal master plan, at Madeira, according to the new executive orientation.
Alongside these developments, Quaternaire Portugal continues to invest in both international and domestic markets, developing technical work in numerous projects and also presenting a significant number of proposals. Simultaneously we bet on updating our team’s knowledge and deepening tools able to respond to new methodological challenges resulting from the new legal framework on territorial management and also new market requirements.
Finally, one must also highlight the revision of the environmental assessment of Porto’s municipal master plan, which started in May 2016 and whose work will extend over the coming months.
URBAN PROJECTS AND POLICIES
National and European commitment in urban regeneration and rehabilitation policy has been a significant market opportunity for Quaternaire Portugal. The company has also made a significant investment in the development of specific skills in this area, relating them with the Quaternaire Portugal’s original expertise in fields such as strategic planning and spatial planning. Consequently, much of the recent activity of Quaternaire Portugal in the field of urban projects and policies is related to the preparation of Urban Strategic Development Plans (PEDU), Urban Regeneration Action Plans (PARU), Sustainable Urban Regeneration Integrated Plans (PIRUS) and Strategic Urban Rehabilitation Programs (PERU).
After a task force (completed in September 2015) in order to conclude the preparation of Arouca, Braga, Guimarães, Mangualde, Matosinhos, Porto, Santo Tirso and Vila Nova de Famalicão’s PEDU, followed by monitoring the negotiation between the Municipalities and North 2020’s Management Authority, Quaternaire Portugal’s team concluded Mora and Viana do Alentejo’s PARU applications to Alentejo 2020 and Albufeira, Loulé and Quarteira’s PARU application to Algarve 2020. It is still in progress the development of Póvoa do Varzim’s PARU. Moreover, in the Azores Autonomous Region Quaternaire Portugal is working in PIRU for Madalena, Vila do Porto, Pico, Graciosa and Lajes Corvo.
PARU and urban regeneration funding schemes presentation in Quarteira
Within the Legal Framework for the Urban Rehabilitation, Quaternaire Portugal has continued to work on the development of urban regeneration strategies (PERU), including general advice to municipalities in the delimitation of Urban Renewal Areas (ARU) and the definition of Urban Rehabilitation Operations (ORU), using our own methodology, which has had a good recognition by municipal officials.
It was concluded, by the end of 2015, the technical support of Maia’s urban center PERU, having recently been completed the public discussion period. Currently, it is under development and completion other PERU: Matosinhos, Leça da Palmeira, Arouca, Porto Carvoeiro (municipality of Santa Maria da Feira), Vila Nova de Famalicão, Povoa de Lanhoso and Matosinhos-South. Also, it is ongoing three new ARU in Braga city: Braga North, Braga South and Braga East.
Finally, Quaternaire Portugal developed, in partnership with the Quadrangle Association - involving the municipalities of Barcelos, Braga, Guimarães and Vila Nova de Famalicão, the University of Minho, AIMinho - Business Association and CITEVE –, an application to the European Programme Urban Innovative Actions, within the theme "Jobs and Skills in the Local Economy".
Matosinhos and Leça da Palmeira Urban Renewal Areas
Simultaneously, the Quaternaire Portugal’s team has invested in a continuous updating of their knowledge concerning the financing instruments which are or will find available to support
Square in Vila Nova de Famalicão
private and public interventions in the field of urban regeneration and revitalization, in particular, the Financial Instruments for Urban Regeneration and Revitalisation (IFRRU) and for Energy Efficiency (IFEN), the Efficient House Programme and the National Fund for Built Rehabilitation (FNRE).
In this way, Quaternaire Portugal believes it can support public and private investors in the preparation and negotiation of their applications to these different funding schemes.