Małopolskie Obserwatorium Polityki Społecznej

Małopolska Social Policy Observatory is the project realized thanks to financial assistance of  European Social Fund by Regional Centre for Social Policy in Krakow.

The project has informative and research character and its mere aim is to enhance the effectiveness of social policy in the Małopolska Region. The point of the support is to satisfy the need for information of regional, local authorities, institutions and organizations running in this area.

The Observatory will allow to achieve targets of ‘Małopolska Region Development Strategy for 2007 – 2013’ in such aspects as: intraregional cohesion and modern public management via developing essential base indispensible for conducting social policy in this region.

The aim of Małopolska Social Policy Observatory is to improve social policy effectiveness in the region by providing necessary data to institutions and organizations run in this area.

Project’s activities stem from imposed targets and are realized at three different planes:

• research and analyses from the profound diagnosis of chosen areas for social state of affairs in the Małopolska Region,
• collection of accessible data from the area of social policy,
• simplifying evaluation of efficiency of implemented solutions in the area of social policy.
  
  

The Małopolska Region is one of the 16 provinces in Poland, lying in the south of the country. Area of 15 km2 and 3 mln inhabitants place the Małopolska region among the largest in the country.

The Małopolska Region borders upon three other provinces: Silesian, Świetokrzyskie and Podkarpackie as well as  Slovakia.

The Centre is responsible for all duties within the range of social policy at regional level especially including such areas as:

• social care, pro-family policy, prevention against violence in family,
  
• qualification improvement of social care staff,
  
• co-ordination of social security systems in case of people moving within European Union boundaries as well as European Economic Area in the scope of familial services

• Academy of Social Economy Development – multi-facet support for social economy sector in the Małopolska Region,
  
  
• Training and Professional Advancement of Social Care Staff – support for social integration and prevention against exclusion from the society by vocational guidance and career training.