EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - LOCIN - Local Initiatives to combat Social Exclusion

LOCIN - Local Initiatives to combat Social Exclusion

Introduction

The LOCIN Study, launched in 1996 by the Research Directorate General aimed to collect information, on Local Initiatives against Social Exclusion in the EU-15 Member States, to make them available online for all interested parties.

Description

Fifteen social exclusion ' specialists, one contractor in each Member States, as well as a Co-ordinator, have been selected to perform the collection of Initiatives. The result was over 700 local initiatives, which are examples of good practice and innovation in the fight against social exclusion.

Approach

To do the research, specialists in social exclusion in each country were selected. A coordination team and 15 research teams, one for each Member State, were selected by invitation to tender.

The Co-ordination Team:

France : Algoé Consultants and CRIDA : Centre de recherche et d’information sur la démocratie et l’autonomie

The 15 specialists :

Austria : ZSI : Zentrum Für Soziale Innovation
Belgium : COMASE S.C. Management Consulting
Denmark : CASA : Center for alternativ Samfundsanalyse, a.m.b.a.
Finland : Sosiaalikehitys Oy Häme Social development limited
France : UNIOPPS : Union Nationale Interfédérale des Oeuvres et Organismes Privés Sanitaires et Sociaux
Germany : BIBA : Bremer Institut für Betriebstechnik und angewandte Arbeitswissenschaft an der Universität Bremen
Greece : European Profiles
Ireland : CIRCA Group Europe Ltd
Italy : CGM : Consorzio Nazionale della Cooperazione di Solidarietà Sociale "Gino Mattarelli"
Luxembourg : ASJ : Action Sociale pour Jeunes
Portugal : CESIS : Centro de Estudos para a Intervenção Social
Spain : PROSPEKTIKER : European Institute for futures studies and strategic planning.
Sweden : Stiftelsen Cesam - Stiftelsen centrum för samhällsarbete och mobilisering
The Netherlands : Regioplan : Onderzoek advies en informatie
United Kingdom : Durham University : Department of Geography

Results

The LOCIN project resulted in the creation of a database with 723 initiatives in the field of combating social exclusion.

By creation of the LOCIN database, two objectives are sought to be achieved:

Supplying useful information for evaluations and comparative analyses to improve knowledge in the fields of:

the fight against unemployment;
job creation;
the role of education and training.

Promoting innovative ways related to these items:

exchanging experience and information on good practices and to disseminate the results;
identifying and determining the needs and the way to meet them at local level;
encouraging and facilitating the start-up of local initiatives and increasing their viability.

EU involvement

The project was initiated by DG Research

Contact info

European Commission – DG Research
Mr. Gregorio Medrano, tel. +32 2 296 27 05

Project start date

01/01/1996

Links

LOCIN - Local Initiatives to combat Social Exclusion Research Directorate General

Document type

case

Themes

Urban Policy

Keywords

Social inclusion & integration