Support of Local Leadership in Roma Integration
Lead expert, Open Society Institute and Hungarian Association of Local Governments, Hungary, 2010
The project applies the Peer Review methodology of the Council of Europe whose Hungarian adaptation and introduction I supported during the previous years. A group of experts conducts a systematic analysis of the local government leadership and management, but the focus in this project is not general assessment as in the original method, but the possibility to foster Roma integration in the locality, The task of the peer team is to identify the specific interventions supporting Roma integration that seem to be possible in the actual conditions. Instead of pushing “supply driven” projects, the team focuses on what seems best and feasible in the given context. A series of peer reviews will lead to a study that will attempt to draw some more general conclusions from the common filed experiences and offer some suggestions for donors involved in the domain of Roma integration. My role was to elaborate the project concept and lead the implementation as lead expert.
Facilitating better local governance of oil revenues for improved economic and social development – training and coaching
Consultant/trainer/Coach of local team for LGI/Revenue Watch , Indonesia, 2008-ongoing
This project aims to assist local governments in Indonesia to avoid the resource curse by working at the local level to advocate for oil revenue transparency; providing technical assistance and capacity building to stakeholders and helping to establish participatory local planning and budgeting processes; and strengthen civil society and citizens to monitor government service delivery effectively. Ms Pallai’s task is capacity building for the participatory planning process, advising the process design and implementation, and training and coaching the NGOs who lead the process.
City Strategy for Belgrade
OSI/LGI adviser, Belgrade, Serbia, 2007
Technical assistance since 2006 and expert team has been working on the elaboration of a City Strategy for the City of Belgrade. Ms Pallai was invited by the team and the city to advise on the strategy development process and on the formulation of the strategy.
Local Government Capacity Building
Key Expert for ICON on EU Project, Croatia, 2006
The project assisted the Croatian government and local governments to (1) execute a comprehensive Training Needs Assessment; (2) elaborate the National Training Strategy for the life-long education of local civil servants; (3) accomplish the foundation of a Local Democracy Academy and (4) train the Academy’s core staff. The Key expert was responsible for managing and leading this whole process.
National Human Development Report on Local Governance for Bosnia and Herzegovina
Team leader for UNDP, BiH, 2004-2005
The publication of the NHDR on Local Governance produced the first systematic analysis of the condition and prospects of decentralization in BiH. Its publication coincided with Public Administration and Municipal Reform in BiH that gave a special importance for this review and the policy inputs it provided. Ms Pallai’s role was to lead the team of local experts and to lead wide consultation with decision makers at various levels of governments and with other stakeholders and on the basis of results to elaborate the final form of the report. The document was aimed to impact the work of parliamentary committees, legislators and local decision makers, and equally to influence public debate on decentralization. Its result were expected to offer a conceptual basis for further legislative drafting on local governance.
USAID-GRASP Program in Romania
Senior Policy Reform Director for DAI for the USAID sponsored GRASP project, Romania, 2003-2004
Governance Reform and Sustainable Partnerships (GRASP) was a five years USAID-funded program designed to strengthen Romanian local governance and civil society capacity. The objective of Ms Pallai’s assignment was to provide overall coordination and guidance for the GRASP policy reform program, so as it could lead to substantive professional support for the Romanian decentralization process. Within this work Ms Pallai assisted the Romanian government in the development of the Public Administration Reform Strategy for the EU Accession (adopted in 2004); supported the Association of Local Governments to develop policy position documents; assisted the government to establish a donor coordination mechanism; and lead the development of various policy papers.
Urban Development Strategy and Program for Budapest
Chief Planner and Project Manager (with Ivan Tosics) for Municipality of Budapest, Hungary, 1995-2001
The concept is the first attempt to establish a comprehensive Strategic Plan for the Hungarian capital. The work is to plan, guide and coordinate the process of Strategic Planning. This means both the coordination of the work of experts and the planning and guiding of the participatory process. The team of the Strategic plan is established by leading Hungarian experts of all related fields whose work has to be harmonized and the results must be built into a strategic plan that establishes the synergetic relation among interventions. Besides it is also the responsibility of the chief planners the production and commissioning of all materials to be published during the process. Ms Pallai led the work with Ivan Tosics.
Development Program for the Central Hungarian Region
Lead planner for Consortium, Hungary, 1999-2001
The Regional Development concept is the regional input to the National Development Strategy required for the access for the EU pre-accession funds. Consultants in the team are delegated by different stakeholders and their job is the harmonization of interests and the elaboration of a comprehensive development strategy and different development project proposals for political decision. In the team Ms Pallai works as the delegated expert of the Municipality of Budapest. Ms Pallai was lead palnner together with Ivan Tosic and Peter Gauder.
Development Program for the Budapest Agglomeration
Chief planner for Consortium, Hungary, 1998-1999
Ms Pallai was the chief planner with Ivan Tosics. They led the team of experts that was commissioned to elaborate the first development program for the Agglomeration of Budapest, after it has been established as an administrative area. The work on the development concept for the agglomeration of Budapest was to plan, guide and coordinate experts of different related sectors and plan and guide the related participatory process. The task was to harmonize the results from different policy fields and build them into a strategic plan that establishes the synergetic relation among interventions and be responsible for all related publications and communication.
Medium Term Urban Policy Concept and Program For the Municipality of Budapest
Lead expert for the Office of the Mayor of Budapest, Hungary, 1993-94
This urban policy concept focused on the reform of the service delivery and interior management of the local government. It laid down the basis for the reforms accomplished within the Municipality during the second election term and it became the basis of the work program of the ruling coalition. Ms Pallai was Head of Project Team(with József Hegedüs and Ivan Tosics.
Medium Term Urban Policy Concept and Program For the Municipality of Budapest
Chief Planner for Municipality of Budapest, Hungary, 1993-94
This urban policy concept focused on the reform of the service delivery and interior management of the local government. It laid down the basis for the reforms accomplished within the Municipality during the second election term and it became the basis of the work program of the ruling coalition. Ms Pallai was Head of Project Team (with József Hegedüs and Ivan Tosics).
Program of Mayor Demszky, Urban Policy Concept for the Municipality of Budapest
Chief Planner for the Municipality of Budapest, Hungary, 1991
The Program of the Mayor was the first comprehensive policy document after the political transition and the establishment of the local governments. It attempted to rethink the future roles and actions of the local government and envision the strategy it can follow. It was the task of the managers of the program to recruit the experts, based on their work elaborate the policy proposals and develop the major points of the first strategy of the newly independent Municipality.