Six best practices in Estonia ascertained at the contest to find the best cooperation initiatives

On Friday, 20 November, the six best practices of cooperation between communities and municipalities were announced at the opening forum of Common Week, which were ascertained at the competition for best cooperation, organised by the Urban Lab, the e-Governance Academy and the Network of Estonian Nonprofit Organisations.

Peeter Vihma, one of the organisers, says the results of the competition came as a pleasant surprise, as there were many versatile examples of cooperation submitted, from one-off actions to longstanding and regular forms of cooperation, and among them also a few public services.

The jury chose winners in three categories (one-off cooperation, regular and need-based cooperation, and service) and in addition, it acknowledged three innovative initiatives. The jury found that all prizewinning examples blazed a trail for novel local ways of life.

Prize-winning examples are as follows:

Special prize. Health hour programme of Rõuge rural municipality, which invites people to pay attention to their health behaviour and to take notes of it for a shared goal. If 10,000 health hours are collected by the beginning of summer, Rõuge will fulfil one shared wish for a maximum value of 5,000 euros. Further information: www.rauge.ee/tervisetunnid.

Cooperative action innovation 1, Re-instatement of the Kõrgessaare and Lauka district heating region in the form of a cooperative, where a district heating cooperative will be established at the initiative of Hiiu rural municipality government, which will provide heat to Kõrgessaare and Lauka communities and local municipal buildings (community cultural centre, youth centre, children’s day-care facility and the fire station).

Cooperative action innovation 2. The Foundation of Kõpu heating cooperative in Viljandi County

One-off cooperation: The cooperation between the village society and rural municipality in Ruu and pancake sale for the purchase of legal aid.

Regular and need-based cooperation. The Improvement of the maintenance and living environment of Narva, where the Narva Bright Actions citizens’ initiative has carried out several actions for the improvement of urban space in cooperation with citizens, other organisations and the city government. Further information: https://www.facebook.com/NarvaBrightActions/.

Service. Invatakso, where assistance provided to people with mobility disabilities and senior citizens in the region has notably improved in cooperation with OÜ Antsu Takso, which renders taxi service to the disabled and Põlva rural municipality government. Further information: http://aitameantsulaidata.ee/, http://www.polva.ee/invatakso, http://www.ohtuleht.ee/699454/teiste-aitaja-palub-nuud-ise-omakorda-abi-et-saaks-teisi-aidata.

The best cooperation practices are described here: www.kohalikkoostoo.ee (in Estonian).