"A valuable part of the program is the successful involvement of local authorities and municipality officers in the RIP initiatives. It is of great importance to the sustainability of projects."
-- RIP national roundtable government representative

The cooperation of national government and civil society leaders on Roma integration policies is vital to Roma political and social advancement in the three countries. The Roma Integration Program gathers key stakeholders from community and national levels to ensure that national policies and their implementation reflect the real needs on the ground. Bringing together these groups across distinct sectors generates lasting effects, including new partnerships, transformed attitudes, and more informed decision-making.

National roundtables: The Roma Integration Program brings together Roma and non-Roma regional/national government officials, experts and civil society leaders to discuss issues critical to Roma integration. Examples of national roundtables include:

• Roma Field Social Workers: Roma field social workers – liaisons between Roma community members and the social services available to them – play a critical role in their work with disadvantaged populations to help these individuals address issues such as housing and debts. To ensure that this position is supported over the long-term, Partners-Slovakia brought together members of government Ministries, key NGOs and Roma field social workers for a presentation of the results from the ongoing field social workers initiative and a discussion about their importance in assisting disadvantaged communities. As a result of this roundtable, government officials agreed to provide funding for 200 field social workers.
• Objective Media Reporting: As a result of a 2004 media roundtable in Hungary, roundtable participants worked with the Ministry of Equal Opportunity to create a “green paper” to encourage more objective and culturally sensitive reporting on Roma issues in Hungary. The paper will be presented by the government to leading Hungarian media organizations, and has already received support from university professors, media experts and government officials.
• Roma Regional Coordinators: In May 2005, Partners-Czech brought together Roma and non-Roma education experts, the Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Education, and all of the Roma Regional Coordinators to ensure that Roma Regional Coordinators receive the ministerial support they need to help Roma communities across the Czech Republic access and utilize social services. These Roma Regional Coordinators coordinate Roma advisors who, in turn, offer direct support and counseling to Roma in the communities. As a result of discussions at this 2005 roundtable, the Ministry of Social Affairs agreed to house and finance a central resource center for the regional coordinators where they can share best practices, develop a standardized methodology and expand the quality of their services.

Cooperative advocacy: The Roma Integration Program trains beneficiaries to advocate for their issues and partner with key stakeholders to achieve their goals. These trainings focus on building capacity in outreach, presentation, coalition-building, and mobilization skills in order to increase influence on public policy.

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