Projects under City Experiment Fund are part of urban innovation agenda of Kolba lab aimed at supporting the transformative development of cities and communities of Armenia.
Kolba lab’s City Experiment Fund “Talent Nests: small cities for people” project is part of Transformative Governance and Finance Facility II regional project financed by the Slovak Ministry of Finance. The “Talent Nests: small cities for people” project was launched in December 2020 and closed in August 2021.
In the framework of the project, in cooperation with UNDP regional partners, as well as with the support of Chôra Foundation and Agirre Lehendakaria Center, Portfolio Approach (Deep listening, Sensemaking, Portfolio Design) and Urban Foresight were applied in Stepanavan as an innovative method for urban transformation. As a result, Intent for Stepanavan development and transformation with its interrelated positions and options were co-designed with the city stakeholders. Five of the interrelated options were activated with the project budget and with the support of the partnerships established during the project.
Some key results:
1. Opening of Aviation and Innovative Technologies Learning Center in the city that would serve as a training/examination center for aviation technicians and aircraft design and operations learning hub for local youth
2. Bringing Stepanavan on visual map (building digital marketing capacity of the city)
3. Supporting the strengthening of life-long learning opportunities for local youth, access to remote education/learning and working opportunities
4. Piloting a talent attraction intervention in the field of medical care through organization of an internship program
5. Supporting the reactivation of old traditions/festivals in Stepanavan as a means for tourist attraction and income generation
In addition, to the interventions, the main outcomes achieved are the following:
– Portfolio of Stepanavan Urban development co-designed.
– Local authorities’ readiness to “own” the method and apply it in the development of the 5-year strategic development plan of the town moving forward.
– Strong network of both local and external key stakeholders, who work for the development of the city, established (Public authorities, NGOs, Cultural, Educational institutions, Businesses, and Youth).
– Several partnerships established to ensure the sustainability of the interventions
City Experiment Fund III
TGFF III supports the 3rd phase of the project, CEF III, which will start in March 2022 and close in 2024 and will focus on the portfolio dynamic management with the same cohort of cities. In the framework of the project, it is envisaged to do the dynamic management of the portfolio created:
i) Support the “ownership” of the method path by the Municipality
ii) Create institutionalized capacity for the established network of stakeholders
iii) Support the development of already activated options
iv) Support the Municipality in attracting alternative financial resources to expand already activated options and to activate other positions of the city portfolio.
