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The article complements literature on advisory councils, and in particular their involvement in the policymaking process. The author examines the AC roles by referring to the concept of the roles set. In addition to ACs conventional roles of providing opinions and advice, there are other roles, which are classified as roles prescription and roles performed. The first were identified from examining the legal basis of ACs, while the roles performed were discovered by empirical research that was carried out among members of 78 ACs established in 16 Polish cities. It was found that all the ACs that were studied had developed additional roles to the roles that they had been prescribed; and that the fewer roles are prescribed the more other roles the AC generates. It was also observed that the fewer roles ACs play on the basis of statutes, the more roles are transferred to them by local authorities, which shows the important regulatory role of the latter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Political Science Studies / Studia Politologiczne is the property of University of Warsaw and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Local advisory councils (LACs) are defined as collegial bodies that are anchored in local communities (representing public institutions, NGOs, social groups, business, and individuals), and are established by local authorities for opinion-giving purposes. The authors claim that LACs have deliberative potential and can perform different roles in deliberative governance. The paper presents the results of a survey of the members of eight kinds of LACs that have been established in 65 Polish cities. The research results provide proof of the inclusive character of LACs: their sustainability and the conditions for their deliberation (frequency of meetings, relations with the community). The question of the impact of LACs on local policy; however, remains open. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper draws on the empirical findings of the research exploring the functions of local advisory councils (ACs). ACs are conceptualized as the form of participation placed between ‘advising and opinion-giving’ and ‘co-governance’ according to Fung’s approach (2006). Youth councils, senior citizen councils, and councils for residents with disabilities – that operate in 65 Polish cities – are put under examination. The article presents the results of the desk research, questionnaire, and interviews with the AC members addressing the issues of the origins of ACs in Poland, their membership and the way members are recruited, and AC functions and their relations with city authorities and community. The authors conclude by pointing to the pro-active role of ACs in local governance, but also indicate that their role as a stakeholder in cogovernance requires them to contribute to policy decisions going beyond and above the advice and consultation provided so far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper draws on the empirical findings of the research exploring the functions of local advisory councils (ACs). ACs are conceptualized as the form of participation placed between 'advising and opinion-giving' and 'co-governance' according to Fung's approach (2006). Youth councils, senior citizen councils, and councils for residents with disabilities - that operate in 65 Polish cities - are put under examination. The article presents the results of the desk research, questionnaire, and interviews with the AC members addressing the issues of the origins of ACs in Poland, their membership and the way members are recruited, and AC functions and their relations with city authorities and community. The authors conclude by pointing to the pro-active role of ACs in local governance, but also indicate that their role as a stakeholder in co-governance requires them to contribute to policy decisions going beyond and above the advice and consultation provided so far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines territorial partnerships (TPs) exemplified by area-based rural partnerships (Local Action Groups -- LAGs) situated in the Sub-Carpathian region (Poland). Distribution of membership, mechanism of their creation and decisive factors of their activities are identified. An imperative role of the local authorities in establishing and managing of LAGs has been uncovered. The hypotheses on the utilitarian attitude towards TPs, raised in the paper, hasn't been entirely corroborated. The results of the research indicated local needs as the most important prerequisite of creating TPs. The conclusion of the analysis is that although LAGs stood in contradiction to the basic tenets of the LEADER approach, the partnership model of accomplishing common goals is likely to produce much added-value in the rural communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Subsequent research of polycentric systems was associated with the processes of metropolisation and seeking solutions to efficiently manage complex territorial structures. This approach, however, was superseded by the approach of multi-level governance. The authors propose a return to the polycentric theory, accepting it as the theoretical framework for research on functional urban areas, which are in Poland the new paradigm of co-operation of territorial units. Research aims. The article is to draw attention to the polycentric approach as a useful framework of research in the area of public management and to verify how the organisation of functional urban areas corresponds to polycentric systems, matching relations between the participating actors and the system of distribution of power and influence. Methodology. The article has been based on the discourse analysis as well as the analysis of the content of reports and other documents. Key findings. Functional urban areas bear the hallmarks of polycentric systems, therefore, it seems advisable to apply the polycentric approach to their research. Moreover, the polycentrism is free from the deficiencies of MLG. In addition, the polycentric approach gives greater opportunity for interpretation and classification of inter-institutional relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers a variety of aspects in the development of e-services in Poland. National e-government strategies as well as legal regulations that prepare the organizational conditions of electronic services delivery are presented. The authors refer to the state of electronic services development in Poland. They base their considerations on two independent research projects conducted in the years 2003–2006. The first was a project that investigated public e-services delivered through the Internet with reference to the entire public administration in Poland; the second was a project that examined Web sites of the Public Information Bulletin, (PIB) administered by local governments in the Lubelskie region. In the first project, twenty public services were investigated. The research showed that in 2004–2006, the level of public e-services in Poland increased, reaching, in most cases, the informational stage and a few in the transactional stage. The second research – executed in three stages – was aimed at answering the following questions: 1. To what extent does local administration in the Lubelskie region follow the national policy of e-government development? 2. Does the project of PIB support electronic communication between administration and citizens? 3. Does the project of PIB support services delivered by local administration? The knotty problems of public e-services development in Poland were named. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spite of rich experience in ICT projects' management, a considerable number of them fail. Success of ICT projects is even further endangered in transitional countries, where two parallel processes of informatization and re-engineering of public institutions is taking place. Measures of successful ICT projects' management are defined in strategic documents of egovernment development, however they are not enough to avoid failures. The risk concerning execution of ICT projects is defined in relation to the decision-making theory and organizational theory. Major parameters of ICT decisions and their implementation are analysed: changing laws and regulations, the scale and diversity of ICT projects executed in public institutions, expertise and skills in ICT management, relations between public institution and private partner. Results of activating those parameters are presented in four examples of large systems projects accomplished in public administration in Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landscape parks are one of the most important tools for nature conservation in Europe. Cultural landscape protection, coupled in particular with rural tradition of land use plays a very important role. A common feature of these popular protected areas is the fact that they are established legally, in accordance with the principle of sustainable development. Activities carried out in the landscape parks are not entirely subservient to nature conservation. This makes them different from national parks and natural reserves. In Poland, landscape parks together with their buffer zones cover more than 13% of the country's territory, which frequently causes conflicts among mining entrepreneurs and limits their activities. Mining in landscape parks in Poland is not forbidden by domestic law; however, detailed guidelines in this respect are determined by the assembly of a given province. Additionally, the process of applying for an extraction licence could be burdened with the threat of social protests, which may result in extending it by many years, and because of which a project may fail to be completed. Optimal solutions to these obstacles are already proposed by "Czatkowice" Limestone Mine (Małopolska Province). This case study presents an efficient practice of a smooth and effective decision-making process of obtaining a new mining licence in a landscape park. It also outlines certain aspects of the social licence to operate (SLO) as well as some appropriate methods of acting in complicated environments and spatial conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the recent years we have witnessed the growing criticism of the representative framework and the way it operates in many European countries. At the local level, numerous authorities try to answer the shortcomings of representation by applying new participatory agendas. This, however, not only influences the governing process, but also often leads to the clash between elected politicians and citizens. By examining the attitudes of local councilors from Finland and Poland toward citizens' involvement, the present article contributes to the discussion on the coexistence of representative and participative schedules. The analysis draws on empirical data gathered in selected municipalities of both countries. The research fi ndings demonstrate that, in spite of different governing models, the Finnish and Polish local representatives have quite similar, positive attitudes towards increasing the citizens' direct involvement. However, they still consider voting in local elections the key instrument of civic engagement. The results of the research also display the barriers the expanded participative framework encounters and this can be interesting for local practitioners who design participative instruments and monitor their operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]