Developed for the West Inter-municipal Community, the Cesaredas Plateau Themed Route Design and Implementation Study seeks to improve an area shared by the Lourinhã, Óbidos, Peniche and Bombarral municipalities.

The Mozambican Ministry of Transports and Communications has recently developed, together with a group of partners, an online Interinstitutional Platform – the Mozambican Geographic Information System Network (Rede Nacional do Sistema de Informação Geográfica – RNSIG) – for the purpose of making geographic information (interactive data and maps) and land management tools and applications available to government institutions, the private sector, NGOs and the general public.

The RNSIG is hosted by the Geographic Information System Development Programme, which has been implemented under the scope of the National Statistics and Data for Development Programme for the following purposes: (i) defining and implementing a Mozambican Geographic Information Data Infrastructure Strategy aimed at increasing the capacity of the existing geographic information system; (ii) promoting the acquisition of adequate skills in all sectors in order to foster the use of geographic information tools in the formulation of land use policies; programme design; planning, monitoring and evaluation of activities; and provision of support to evidence-based decision-making processes; and (iii) strengthening the institutional land management framework by improving leadership and ensuring effective governance.

In this context, the consortium Mundi Consulting / Quaternaire Portugal have developed the 2019-2023 Business Plan, which aims to ensure the viability and sustainability of the GIS development programme. The first stage of the project involved a diagnosis, on which a subsequent proposal was based. The proposal presented included a portfolio of products to be developed and the respective business model, as well as a list of critical factors identified and strategic goals to be achieved within the next 5 years.

The technical support provided to the Presidency of the Northern Regional Coordination and Development Commission (Presidência da Comissão de Coordenação e Desenvolvimento Regional do Norte – CCDRN) included a reflection on the challenges currently faced by the region, as the first steps are being taken in the long path to completion of the Portugal 2030 Programme and the new 2021-2027 Operational Programme for the Northern Region.

The activities performed by Quaternaire Portugal are not intended to replace the diagnostic activities to be conducted by CCDRN services in order to define a regional strategy.

The analysis involved the identification of the most promising assets in the region and the opportunities for improvement already defined in EU and Portuguese guidelines for the next funding period (2021-2027), which may bring significant benefits to the least developed Portuguese regions. The review presented also includes the comments made by regional stakeholders concerning the preparation of the new planning period.

The 2019-2020 ADRAT Meetings, which will take place until July 2020, include 10 monthly sessions dedicated to different themes. The sessions organised involve the presentation of practical cases, policy guidelines and expert opinions, based on a model designed and organised by ADRAT in partnership with Quaternaire Portugal. The first two Meetings were dedicated to “New Trends in Agriculture” and “Short Chains and Local Markets”. The November session will be themed after “The Environment and Ecosystem Services”.

The 2021-2027 planning period will be marked by changes in European policy guidelines, namely the Cohesion Policy, and focus on a European and Portuguese socioeconomic context patently different from that experienced in the current period, on which the Portugal 2020 programme was based.

The review of integrated local development strategies is already underway in what concerns NUTS III and Inter-municipal Communities/Metropolitan Areas. The goal of this review is to establish a basis for defining the state policy framework for the next decade. Quaternaire Portugal is collaborating with the Inter-municipal Communities in Central Alentejo and the Cávado Valley through participative processes for strategy evaluation and updating.

The Central Alentejo Inter-municipal Council has already approved strategic guidelines for 2021-27. Regarding the Cávado Valley, this process is expected to continue until the end of November.

With the help and support of expert consultants, Quaternaire Portugal conducted a thorough analysis of the project, within the national and international contexts, which included benchmarking analysis, with a view to gaining in-depth knowledge of structures and programmes focused on the water-energy nexus.

Produced by Quaternaire Portugal, the Detailed Plan for the Odivelas Historic Centre encompasses an area of approximately 21ha. The city’s historic centre features the St Dinis Monastery, classified as a national monument, and other landmarks, namely the Music Gardens, the Municipal Library and the Council Hall.

On the other hand, suitable measures for revitalising public spaces, optimising mobility and boosting the local economy were also defined. The change of function of a significant part of the area involved, formerly managed by the Odivelas Institute, posed a challenge to Plan developers.

The Plan was publicly discussed in August and September of the current year. Efforts are currently underway to produce the final version, which will be submitted to the Odivelas Municipal Council for approval.

The Porto Santo Coastline Management Programme (Programa para a Orla Costeira do Porto Santo – POCPS) is currently at the final preparation stage. Discussion is expected to start this year.

Therefore, the biggest challenge faced by the POCPS is to ensure that the coastline is adequately protected and managed, taking current risks and pressures into account. In this context, the POCPS has defined 5 strategic goals: (i) to ensure that resources, the landscape and the natural and cultural heritage are suitably protected and managed; (ii) to prevent and reduce coastal risks; minimise environmental, social and economic impact; and reduce vulnerability to climate change; (iii) to foster land uses and activities in the coastline and to promote beaches as an important natural, social and economic resource; (iv) to promote the sustainable coastline development through a prospective, dynamic, progressive approach, in order to boost the region’s competitiveness and productivity, thus fostering the creation of wealth and employment opportunities; and (v) to ensure that adequate regional management policies and practices are integrated into a suitably monitored governance framework.

Quaternaire Portugal started the second review of the Fátima Urban Development Plan in 2019. Since 1995, this plan has set guidelines for the urban development of Fátima, a sanctuary city of high religious and symbolic value for the Catholic world.

This review poses a few challenges to Plan developers, as the land use plans currently in effect need to be adjusted in order to take into account the substantial reduction of the urban perimeter imposed by the new version of the Ourém Municipal Master Plan, which was altered for the purpose of ensuring alignment with the changes effected to the legal framework in 2014/2015.

Characterisation studies have already been completed. The team is currently working on the plan proposal. The review of the Fátima Urban Development Plan is expected to be finalised in 2020.

After the Baixo Sabor Special Public Water Reservoir Programme, already under development, this is the second special public water reservoir programme produced by Quaternaire Portugal for EDP Produção.

The Crestuma-Lever Special Public Water Reservoir Programme started to be developed in 2019, more than one decade after the Land Use Plan also developed by Quaternaire Portugal for this reservoir came into effect. The task at hand is to adjust the special programme to new special plan requirements, such as to ensure alignment with the changes to the legal framework effected in 2014/2015. Moreover, the special programme seeks to update the solutions specified in the plan, taking into account the region’s current socioeconomic conjuncture.

The Strategic Monitoring of Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation (RIS3) in the Alentejo Region involves the provision of technical support to the CCDR Alentejo with the design and implementation of an adequate RIS3 monitoring system, in order to ensure compliance with the regulatory requirements established by EU authorities for the purpose of guaranteeing that structural funds are effectively and efficiently used and that the ex-ante conditionalities regarded as necessary prerequisites for RIS3 implementation are in place.

Development of the monitoring system is currently at the initial stage, which involves the design and definition of tools to be used, as well as a preliminary analysis of RIS3 Alentejo implementation, including the respective operationalisation, identification of possible funding sources and qualitative analysis through consultation with regional stakeholders.

From a conceptual standpoint, the monitoring system design stage consists of a three-level process (implementation, first-level results and structural changes) where all levels need to be assessed against the four strategic goals set for RIS3 Alentejo, based on four indicators: (i) simple data extraction from the information system supporting the Alentejo Land Use Plan; (ii) specific data extraction, as well as required investment, time and resources for this purpose; (iii) context; (iv) qualitative data, to be obtained through enquiries and consultation with specific stakeholders.

The methodology used in this consultancy project, based on the general principles defined in the National Intermediate Qualification Needs Forecasting System, involved the collection and analysis of statistical and documented data (qualitative and quantitative), by combining retrospective (current demographic, education and training data) and prospective approaches (identification of needs and demand, primarily through data collection in the field), and by consulting regional and local stakeholders.

In this context, the MSEP seeks to improve ongoing and future project coherence, promote coordination with educational projects developed by educational establishment groups and facilitate the identification of priorities to be taken into account by the municipality and local stakeholders. The plan also focuses on the identification of opportunities for improvement and development of adequate resources and methodologies.

The two primary goals of the Plan are as follows:

i) To support the municipality’s efforts to ensure equal education opportunities for all and to propose solutions that will allow the municipality to respond to qualification, skill building and regional development challenges.

ii) To create the necessary conditions for the establishment of an Education & Training Observatory in the Olhão Council, based on a strategic view of municipal education services, following the recent review of the Educational Charter.

On the other hand, the study seeks to define suitable strategies for strengthening the role of the professional education system in transforming threats to social cohesion into opportunities for development. In fact, adequate education and training policies may help counteract threats such as demographic recession, namely through measures aimed at bridging the existing gap between the education system and the job market, while simultaneously fostering educational achievement.

In what regards anticipated intermediate qualification needs, the primary goal of the study is to support the continuous, sustained efforts of the Middle Tagus Inter-municipal Community to improve professional education in the region, based on strategic education and training guidelines set within the scope of a wider regional development strategy.