The three-day training "Introducing quality standards when developing public policy guidelines" was held from 19 to 21 October in the premises of the socio-cultural centre "Šesnaestica". The training was attended by representatives of the Department of Sociology, University of Zadar, and civil society organisations: BaBe Budi aktivna. Budi emancipiran., Association for Human Rights and Civic Participation PaRiter, Association 'HERA' Križevci - For the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights, Center, Women's Association "IZVOR", Croatian Association of Business Women Krug, Space for Gender and Media Culture K-zona, Women's Group Korak Karlovac, CESI - Centre for Education, Counselling and Research, Parents' Association "Korak po korak".
The first day of the training was devoted to theoretical concepts of public policy, so we dealt with the determination of public policies and the models and classification of public policies and policy actors. Also, in groups, we did an exercise where we analyzed the current state of the environment using a SWOT analysis and defined stakeholders important for public policies.
On the second day, we analyzed the preliminary results of the research in detail.Survey of public opinion and the needs of parents of minor children” conducted by the University of Zadar (2022) as part of the project. From the aforementioned research, we defined the main problems, which were the uneven use of parental sick leave in the event of a child's illness, the lack of full-day and extended stay programs, and the lack of capacity in kindergartens and nurseries. Using a problem tree, we defined the immediate causes and consequences of the aforementioned observed problems in three groups.
On the third day, we continued working in groups, transforming the problem tree into a goal tree. Based on the results of research by the University of Zadar, we defined the main problems for which we worked on designing possible policy instruments in relation to the defined goals.
The three-day training, led by Suzana Kunac, is part of the project “The impact of public policies on the quality of family and working life and on the demographic picture of Croatia – spaces of change” whose implementation began on 28.10.2020. and lasts 36 months. The value of the project is 3,599,941.69 HRK, of which 15% is financed from the state budget of the Republic of Croatia, and 85% from the European Social Fund. The project aims to strengthen civil society organizations included in the Thematic Network through partnerships, cross-sectoral cooperation with higher education institutions, and local and regional self-government units in order to achieve effective social dialogue with the purpose of developing and proposing adequate public policies, adapted to the cultural specificities of each region, in order to contribute to the harmonization of the private and business lives of citizens of the Republic of Croatia.
