Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1225368
13 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 25 MARCH 2020 OPINION MEUSAC recently finalised the implementation of the Engage project – 'Enhancing Stake- holder Participation in Social Dialogue' - which is part-fi- nanced by the European Social Fund. The project came to a close with a half-day seminar which was attended by a good number of non-governmental organisa- tions (NGOs). MEUSAC embarked on this project, which kickstarted in late 2018, to: • identify the most effec- tive engagement methodolo- gies in order to provide a ser- vice which meets the needs of stakeholders; • invest in Government's services by providing the nec- essary skills to the MEUSAC team on how stakeholder ca- pacity may be enhanced; • enhance the capacity of stakeholders through training and increased awareness on the processes, tools and opportu- nities for increased stakeholder participation. The project started with a stakeholder engagement analy- is and an awareness-raising media campaign. In the be- ginning of 2019, the MEUSAC team received intense train- ing in a number of areas to up their skills in a bid to improve on the agency's services. The MEUSAC team also travelled to Brussels and were briefed by staff working in EU institutions in Brussels on their work and how best MEUSAC staff can collaborate with them. The final phase of the project started in the last quarter of 2019 with capacity building ses- sions for NGOs involved in the areas of education, employment and social policy. The topics that were covered were stakeholder engagement; more effective use of communication tools; and accessing EU funding opportu- nities. These capacity building sessions were then followed by mentoring sessions which were led by MEUSAC staff. A final half-day seminar was held on March 10. During the seminar, participants had the opportunity to discuss social dialogue issues in Malta and participate in one of the fol- lowing workshops: (i) Effective participation in social dialogue; (ii) Networking between stake- holders with common inter- ests; and (iii) Effective formu- lation of policy papers to feed into the national position on proposed EU legislation. The seminar was addressed by the Minister responsible for Social Dialogue, Carmelo Abe- la.. The Minister said that the Government is seeking ways on how best to improve social di- alogue. Minister Abela also thanked MEUSAC for their work in find- ing ways on how to strengthen the capacity of various organi- sations within Maltese society so that they are engaged in the discussions on key EU legisla- tive proposals and policies. Parliamentary Secretary for EU Funds Stefan Zrinzo Az- zopardi also addressed those present, giving a round-up of the project The estimated project budget is €123,000. Duncan Barry MEUSAC refines team's skills, services as ESF-funded project Engage comes to a close Duncan Barry is Communications and Events Executive at MEUSAC MEUSAC officials held mentoring sessions with individual organisations, tailored on the needs of the organisations themselves