The Intercultural/Cross-Border Project Management Toolkit in the Irish Cross-Border Territory

While the “common” version of the Intercultural/Cross-Border Project Management Toolkit has been designed to equip those involved in managing cross-border projects in the general European context, here you will find its adaptation to the Irish cross-border territory. We define that territory as those parts of the island of Ireland designated as the eligible area under the EU PEACE and INTERREG programmes.

This Toolkit aims to equip those involved in the management of cross-border or transnational projects with the skills and knowledge needed for the successful implementation of cross-border interventions. It is set within a context of cross-border cooperation on the island of Ireland that has been developing in the light of two principal sets of policy imperatives:

• EU Territorial Cohesion Policy, EU Territorial Cooperation and other Structural Funding, particularly the PEACE Programmes; and
• The commitment to cross-border cooperation made in Strand II of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.

The Intercultural/Cross-Border Project Management Toolkit is a recognition that successful cross-border cooperation is not based on good will alone: it needs those who are involved in it to have a set of specific skills and approaches. These are what this Toolkit provides.

Structure of the Toolkit and how to use it

The PAT-TEIN Toolkit for Inter-Cultural/Cross-Border Project Management is structured into six modules, each of which deals with an aspect of the lifecycle of the implementation of a cross-border project (Re-defining your Cross-Border Project; Consolidating the Cross-Border Partnership; Planning a Cross-Border Project; Implementation of a Cross-Border Project; Assessment of a Cross-Border Project; and the Transversal Skills of a Cross-Border Project Manager).

It takes as its starting point the receipt of a Letter of Offer, guiding users through the various stages that commonly follow, and using a hypothetical example to illustrate central points. The Toolkit also includes hints and reminders, theoretical insights into cross-border cooperation, as well as supporting case studies from the Ireland/Northern Ireland cross-border territory. However, depending on the level of experience or the stage within the lifecycle of a particular project, users can focus on a particular theme, or study it in the order of its modules.

The Toolkit for Inter-Cultural/Cross-Border Project Management is complemented by the Impact Assessment Toolkit for Cross-Border Cooperation developed by the Centre for Cross Border Studies and the Euro Institut, and users would benefit from familiarising themselves with both. That Toolkit is available to download from the Centre for Cross Border Studies website (www.crossborder.ie).

To download the Ireland/Northern Ireland Toolkit click here

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.