Please insert BeePathNet How we transferred the BEE PATH good practice and achieved so much more… Final Learning Log of the City of Ljubljana Transfer Network BeePathNet March 2021 BEE PATH was awarded the title of Preparing detail guidelines for other URBACT good practice -on the Ljubljana – victories and regrets of the EU cities - enabling them to join the URBACT festival in Tallin in 2017 transfer process from the Good Practice „Bee-fiendly cities network“ Taking the time to visit all Organization of the BeePathNet Final transfer partners and understand City perspective Conference –even in a hybrid form their situation and approaches Developing a Ljubljana's‘ BEE PATH long-term Organizing the BeePathNet development Vision and Action Plan Distributing BeePathNet give- Organizing 1st & 2nd phase kick-off meetings in Attracting over 70 teachers to stars Bootcamp – introducing 30 ULG together with BEE PATH members away treasure and opening the Shining Shining Cesena and Hegyvidék –allowing us to start members from 5 cities to a first- the first Api-kindergarten covers of BeePathNet Result learning from them, while boosting their hand BEE PATH experience programme presentation Book & Transfer Guidelines for confidence and role in the project All power-play roles within the first time Involving original BEE PATH partnership disappear during the Based on one of the Realization that we selected a fantastic members in organization of the back-to-back road trip from partners‘ knowledge we Transfer partners asking us for more group of project partners –devoted, bootcamp –allowing for Budapest to Bydgoszcz –2 city created our own vision of good practice –based on expressed Eureka Eureka enthusiastic, creative, curious, full of creation of informal knowledge visits, 1 team building and so the Culture of living center interest we added the „bee-swarming“ moments positive energy and always ready to exchange and networking much more… module to the BEE PATH good practice go one step further Winning the in-house Finalizing the project despite Creating safe, supportive , Realizing that Ljubljana‘s Adapting to the new Composing a core bureaucracy battle for almost unexpected staff changes , moving to constructive and ULG is strongenough to on-line reality – management team and everything –who thought it virtual reality during COVID-19 and cooperative transfer function even with despite never fully surviving „the baptism of fire“ would take so much effort… proving that we are a great team environment in all 6 URBACT reduced support from accepting it –the submission of 1st & Invisible Invisible victories Local Groups (ULGs) its coordinator 2nd phase application forms Transferring good practice from Ljubljana to 5 BEE PATH good practice up-grade, Preparation other EU transfer cities witin the URBACT Finalization of Transfer Guidelines period (2018) framework (Jan. 2019 – May 2020) and dissemination (Jun. 2020 – May 2021) Not involving enough Ljubljana‘s The intensity of work with Too few Ljubljana‘s ULG Low level of Ljubljana‘s PR services and media - to Ljubljana‘s BEE PATH suffered on administration involvement in Our Our members joined study visits – Realizing that our awareness regrets further improve the visibility the account of our international missed opportunities for first- the project - the opportunity to raising monitoring module did engagements hand learning experiences from lear from other cities was not not survive COVID 19 partner cities fully taken by city administration modifications – some things just can‘t be done on-line Long and complicated internal tendering Due to COVID 19 many of our procedures – we need extra time and activities, especially those linked COVID 19 –strike two!! But we effort to hire external support and Obstacles Obstacles in our way our in to awareness raising, need to be won’t be beaten… Look at all the employ staff. changed. stars! • Final Learning Log of the City of Ljubljana• BeePathNet Transfer Story – the good practice city perspective Written by Maruška Markovčič, the BeePathNet ULG coordinator To be a Lead partner in project URBACT III: Transfer Network – BeePathNet is a crazy experience. After this, nothing will be the same again. It was my first EU project experience, that set the expectations for further ones really high. I dedicate this Learning log to personal growth of all partners and my own, as well as to the path that we walked together. Key to visual signs used below: Oh, I see! What is under the sea level, runs the world… I totally have to remember this! Enjoy! … and Bee Path was one of 97 Awards are important for the City of Ljubljana. If possible, we are applying for every one that we know about. Definitely justified, as we are good, innovative and have results. There is no better initiative than a reward from abroad. One such award was the URBACT’s Good Practice Award. It all started with a top-down question: “Do we have anything to declare as a good practice?” This was not just a question, it was a task. The answer – Bee Path in Ljubljana. My first answers were really far from being good. I was not familiar with this sort of communication and with the help of Petra Očkerl from Slovenian National URBACT Point, I managed to prepare the application that persuaded URBACT, to place Ljubljana’s Bee Path in the company of 96 other good practices. Two good practices from Ljubljana got in. Presentation in Tallinn on URBACT Festival was n unique experience – since 2008 I was not participating in any EU international activity, my English was really rusted, I forgot how to be relaxed among foreigners and I thought that our practice was really not that special. • Final Learning Log of the City of Ljubljana• Initial feelings? More or less silence and withdrawal… Everybody kept saying: “Your project is so interesting…”, but when the presentation in the showroom started, I was siting alone. I was convinced that someone will show up eventually, if not I can just present everything to myself and practice English. Well, at last someone came. Tiago Ferreira (Amarante, Portugal) and with interest listened to my presentation. I got the willingness to talk, and I felt that he is sincerely interested and his intent to be a part of our story was clear from the beginning. When this kind of klick happens and people want to hear what you are doing and not just present their work, then you know that you are on the right track. You are certain that you are mowing forward, but it is true that you don't know how far will it take you – till the end of presentation or to the application to the EU project. The episode in Tallinn turned out to be so much more. URBACT managed to create a safe environment suitable for beginners and newcomers, also the scared ones. In August 2017 my mother said goodbye to this dimension. In the time of insane grief and sadness I wrote the last few lines for URBACT Tallinn Festival, as well as for the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact Award (MUFPP) in Valencia. I still cannot believe that Universe caressed me with two awards that totally changed the line of my regular way of life. Besides getting into the company of 96 other good practices I also got the Special Mention Award for Short Food Supply Chains and Food Management (MUFPPT). I remember that I was looking at everything that was going on around me, like through a veil of sadness and I was just excepting everything more like an observer than an active participant. The result was a complete “go with the flow situation”, I was totally relaxed, without any pressure, expectations and without a desire to success. I kept this kind of modus operandi through the whole project and today I know that it was the right way that led to the results that we have today. Never say no to opportunity – you never know when a not necessary task in the office can become a wonderful experience and opportunity. Trust your own work and story – every content has its own target group; you just have to wait for it. Newer consider your language skills a barrier – if someone is interested, you will find a way to communicate your message. When the time is right, everything will fall into place! … and the Bee Path from Ljubljana became the BeePathNet After a brief pause came the question: “Would you consider applying for URBACT III Transfer Network tender and transfer good practice to other EU cities?” I had just the right amount of self-confidence after Tallinn that my answer was a clear YES! LET'S GO! LET'S DO IT! It was a strait jump into water. But since the beginning, our story is wrapped in blessing of positivity and cooperation. It brought together wonderful and creative people. With internal support from Luka Sešel (from Office for Development Projects and Investments) that brought to the project knowledge about how to apply to the EU project, right people started to gather around the story. Not even my diploma from the University received that many modifications as our phase 1 application form. Huge amount of communication, searching for partners and Lead Expert. Constant questions – who to take into our partnership, should the Lead Expert be a Slovene or a foreigner, how to put • Final Learning Log of the City of Ljubljana• everything into City's, at the time not existing budget, how will we manage all the tasks aside our regular office tasks, will the co-workers that will join the project be ok… I will always be happy that we made the decision to invite into the first phase the City of Bydgoszcz (Poland) that at the end 2017 abolished the prohibition of having bees in the city and the City of Cesena (Italy) whit it's rich beekeeping tradition and its connection to University in Bologna, which already made huge steps in the field of beekeeping but had no experience in urban beekeeping.