THIRD ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT (Nov.14th, 2016)

Transcription

1 CENTRE FOR HERITAGE MANAGEMENT Project funded by the European Union 1. Description THIRD ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT (Nov.14th, 2016) 1.1. Name of the partners: 1. Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad, India 2. Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Ahmedabad, India 1.2. Name and title of the Contact persons: 1. Mr. Debashish Nayak, Director, Centre for Heritage Management, Ahmedabad University, India 2. Mr. Gilbert Nazareth, Project Coordinator, AHM, Ahmedabad University 3. Mr. P. K. Vasudevan Nair, Dy. Gen. Manager, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, India 1.3 Name of the Partners in the Action: 1. Casa de la India, Valladolid, Spain 2. Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad, India 3. Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, India 4. Valladolid City Council, Spain and 5. Valladolid University, Spain 1.4 Title of the Action: Cultural Heritage & Management Venture Lab in Ahmedabad, India 1.5 Contract Number: DCI-HUM/2012/ Start date and end date of the reporting period: to Target Countries or regions: India and Spain 1.8 Final beneficiaries & Target Groups: The final beneficiaries will be the local population, citizens, professionals, entrepreneurs and tourist sector companies that will benefit from the identification, restoration preservation and promotion of heritage assets in the Region. The target groups participating in the actions under this project will be: 1) At least 50 leaders from regional and local public administrations (related to cultural management, heritage, urbanism, architecture, tourism and environmental departments) as

2 well as private enterprises (constructions, craftsmen, tour-operators, heritage and cultural managers and cultural producers) NGOs involved in employment and entrepreneurial programs and related foundations connected to heritage and sustainable livelihood projects. All these institutions shall work together for the development of innovative strategies for the promotion/preservation/restoration of architectural and cultural heritage in the area of Ahmedabad. 2) About 150 young people and professionals, artisans and skilled workers (crafts people, architects, designers, city planners, cultural managers and related professionals, etc.) from Gujarat region participating in at least 2 seminars related to cultural management and heritage and 2 workshops. 3) At least 10 new cultural & heritage management companies in Gujarat are mentored and offered technical and management support to enterprises in Gujarat; 4) A set of public-private entities from Gujarat (India) & Valladolid (Spain) being part of an international network promoting the economic value of cultural heritage management. 2. Countries in which the activities take place (if different from 1.7): Same as in 1.7 Assessment of implementation of Action activities.

3 2.1 Executive Summary of Action The project s 33-month implementation period from 14 th December, 2013 to 13 th September, 2016 includes a no cost extension of three months approved by the Delegation of the European Union to India, Delhi. During Year 3 of the project, (December 14 th, 2015 to September 13th, 2016), all the remaining milestones and deliverables planned were achieved due to close cooperation and dedicated efforts of all project partners, project functionaries, the stake holders and the newly formed companies under the project. After the launch of the Ahmedabad Cultural Heritage Cluster and the Ahmedabad Heritage Venture Lab in December 2014 and a progressive second year ending with the EU evaluation Mission by Mr. Massimilliano Bonne in December 2015, the third year began with an important strategic activity of the project. The First Business Training program, a 40-hour programme from 14 th to 18 th December 2015 was conducted in collaboration with the Spanish project partners namely Casa de la India and University of Valladolid as well as Ahmedabad University and AMC. The Second Business Training program was conducted during 2016 with a series of events and training along with the mentorship programme of potential entrepreneurs. (Vide: Annexure 1.1 and 1.2: Reports on the Business Training Programs). Ten Networking activities as planned were conducted during year 3 of the project. (Vide: Annexure 2.1 to 2.10: Reports of Networking Actions conducted). 17 potential entrepreneurs/ start-ups were mentored and prototypes of their services and products were developed for the same. (Vide: Annexure 3: List of Entrepreneurs mentored). The six-month Mentorship Programme of Ahmedabad Heritage Venture Lab (AHVL) was conducted in collaboration with Venture Studio of Ahmedabad University. Ahmedabad Cultural Heritage Cluster, a registered trust cum society presently has 43 registered members. (Vide: Annexure 4: List of Members of ACHC Trust). Monthly newsletters were published and shared with all the Cluster members and participants of past events to update them about the project activities and encourage the memberships. Altogether 16 newsletters were published during the project period. (Vide: Annexure 5.1 to 5.16 All Project Newsletters). The Study trip of Indian professionals/partners/ functionaries to Spain which was earlier scheduled for the second year was successfully undertaken in year III from 15 th May 2016 to 22 nd May (Vide: Annexure 6: Report on study trip to Spain). The Manual on Best Practices in Cultural heritage Management was prepared and is under publication at the time of report. (Vide: Annexure 7: Copy of the Best Practices Manual pdf.).

4 The Venture Lab. Procedure Manual was also drafted and finalised for use by the Ahmedabad Heritage Venture Lab. (Vide: Annexure 8: Copy of the Heritage Venture Lab Procedures Manual). Monitoring and other visits: These were conducted to assess the progress of the project works and to assist in the further actions for the completion of the project. (Vide: Annexure 9: Minutes of these Meetings). The project came to a close with the Concluding Event of the project on the 13 th September 2016 which included an exhibition by the various partners and new companies formed under the project ended with a drama performance on the Pols of Ahmedabad. (Vide: Annexure 10.1 and 10.2: Report on concluding event and Cultural heritage Exhibition). The Best Practices Manual in Cultural Heritage Management and a project brochure were also released by the dignitaries present at the project concluding event. (Vide Annexure 7: Best Practices Manual pdf.copy). 2.2 Activities and results In order to achieve the project objectives, four Work Plans as given below were designed which encompass the main activities to be undertaken for proper project implementation. Accordingly we have listed the various activities and achievements of each of the 4 Work Plans as below. WP 1: Setting up of the Cultural Heritage & Creative Industries Cluster A. Activity 1.1: Identification and enrollment of stakeholders in the Cluster (ACHC) Identification and enrollment of more stakeholders in the cluster to reach at least a membership of 50 stakeholders/supporting institutions etc. At least 50 local entities/stakeholders join the Heritage Cluster Due to proactive efforts of the project partners and the stakeholders, Ahmedabad Cultural Heritage Cluster has a registered membership of 43 Institutions/Individuals. (Vide Annexure 4: List of present ACHC members).

5 B. Activity 1.1.2: Cluster Management and follow-up: Implementation of Action Plan according to Strategic Plan (SP): Single electronic Platform: Under the project a web-site cum technological platform has been set up and dedicated for the promotion of Cultural heritage management. Post project this website will continue to be further developed and utilized for furtherance of the objectives of the Strategic Plan. Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has taken up the setting up of a Heritage Building Centre in the midst of the walled city. One of the old heritage buildings in Sankdi Sheri, Khadia area has been restored for the above purpose. Some of the initial activities of this centre will include the database building of artisans & craftsmen, contractors and professionals related to heritage conservation. Two networking activities were organized in April 2016 based on innovations both technological and policy level in the sector of building conservation. The events initiated the communications among professionals, local authorities and the heritage property owners. A seminar was held at the VentureStudio of Ahmedabad University where entrepreneurs/start-ups were advised and given guidance on formation of a legal entity for carrying on their businesses, like self-proprietorship firm, partnership firms, Trust/Society, registered company etc. All the 17 entrepreneurs of the AHVL fellowship program, Venture Studio fellows and other stakeholders benefited from this networking and information event. (Vide Annexe: 2.7) CHM has been interacting with various State level and National level Govt. organizations to identify resources that may be available to support the cluster members and its activities. (We were even able to obtain assistance for VentureStudio for its technological start-ups in ). As part of upgradation of the City Museum, an event based on Management of Museums was organized in June As a follow up of this event, there has been communication with the owners of various museums of the city to form a committee or association to address the management related issues of museums. The three Master classes planned were conducted during October They were related to Performing Arts, Crafts and Tourism sectors. Altogether 156 persons from these sectors benefitted from these training classes. (This has been reported in detail earlier in our second narrative report). Formal and informal training programs on use of internet and website designing and development were conducted under the AHVL Mentorship program and more than 10 new companies were given individual technical advice and support in formation of their own websites too. A five day Business training Program was conducted for all stakeholders during December 2015 by both Spanish and Indian faculty of the University of Valladolid, Spain and Ahmedabad University, India. (For details please see D. Activity below). Tourist Guides and heritage walk volunteers were given training under the above Business Training program as well as other modules designed especially for them under Tourism Corporation of Gujarat CHM, Ahmedabad University pilot project for development of heritage walks in three towns of Gujarat namely Junagadh, Lakhpat and Vadodara.

6 In order to effectively manage cluster actions synchronized with project actions besides the various project Monitoring and Technical Committees, the Managing Committee of ACHC met at frequent intervals to review, monitor progress, evaluate and guide the various actions planned and under implementation for the year under report. Fundraising Strategy for Cluster Activities. As this was year 3 of the project, funds for activities for implementation of the Action Plan were available under the project budget with the local project partners contributing 20% of the expenditure from their own resources. During this year ( ) it is expected that the funding for the second batch of AHVL mentorship program for start ups/potential entrepreneurs will be approved by the State Govt. of Gujarat. After obtaining the necessary certification from the concerned Central Govt. agencies, ACHC will be able to approach private industries, International and National Funding entities for promotion of the objectives of the organisation. Organisation of 10 networking activities (Same as in Activity below). WP 2: India/Spain Cultural Activities training program applied to Cultural Heritage Management C. Activity 2.1: One Technological Training Platform Updating Indianet. Drafting of contents and materials. Uploading of documents on Indianet (PPTs, videos, etc...). The website is regularly updated and has become a common platform for stakeholders and a powerful tool for networking. (Tomas to add a note on this) D. Activity 2.1.2: Completion of Two Business Training Program The First Business Training Programme was organized for Ahmedabad Heritage Venture Lab registered potential entrepreneurs, members of Ahmedabad Cultural Heritage Cluster Trust, cultural heritage stake holders and other heritage enthusiasts and start-ups. The Programme was attended by over 50 people. The faculties from India, Spain and USA included Mr. Abrar Ali, Mr. PKV Nair of Heritage Cell, AMC, Prof. Amita Sinha, University of Illinois, USA, Dr. Carmen Camarero Izquierdo, Dr. Luis Cesar Herrero Prieto and Dr. Juan Luis De Las Rivas Sanz

7 from the University of Valladolid, Spain. The training syllabus included, the Marketing Plan in Cultural Organizations, Segmentation & Positioning, Cultural Heritage from an economic point of view, The preservation of Historic City like a new issue in 20th Century urban culture and Workshop/Discussions on Business practices relevant to management of Cultural Heritage. (Vide: Annexure 1.1: Business Training Programme I). The Second Business Training program was conducted during 2016 with a series of events and training coinciding with the mentorship programme of potential entrepreneurs. (Vide: Annexure 1.2: Business Training Programme II). E. Activity 2.1.3: Study Trip to Valladolid (10 people) The Study trip of ten Indian professionals/partners/ functionaries to Spain were successfully undertaken in year 3 from 15 th May 2016 to 22 nd May (Vide: Annexure 6: Report on study trip to Spain). F. Activity 2.2: Manual of Best Practices in Heritage & Cultural Management (BPM) Stages: Finalisation of Structure and content of BPM Preparation of the BPM with European and Indian inputs Completion of the draft BPM Final Publication of the BPM In order to meet the preparation and finalisation of this important project document, a Technical Committee of the project partners, chaired by Casa de la India, Valladolid, Spain was set up. The Committee met very regularly on skype and locally to decide structure, content templates and modules of the Manual. It is due to the hard and dedicated work of the professors and researchers of the Spanish and Indian partners involved that we were able to complete this challenging and daunting task. The Manual on Best Practices in Cultural Heritage Management has been prepared capturing some of the typical European and Indian experiences. The Manual was released at the Concluding Event of the project on Sept. 13, 2016 and is under printing at the time of report. (Vide: Annexure 7: Best Practices Manual pdf. Version).

8 WP 3: India/Spain Cultural activities training & mentoring program for new Indian heritage / cultural management companies G. Activity Mentoring and Lab Procedures Manual The Venture Lab Mentoring and Procedures Manual was drafted and completed during the year under report. (Vide: Annexure 8: Venture Lab Procedure Manual). H. Activity Mentoring Program: Technical Consulting (Stage 2) The first mentorship program for 17 entrepreneurs representing 13 new companies/start-ups successfully completed their Ahmedabad Heritage Venture Lab (AHVL) mentorship training program during year entrepreneurs decided to launch new companies, (legal entities) to conduct their business, the others will continue their operations as per status quo and will consider the option of launching a fresh company in due course. 10 start-ups decide to go for their own websites and with expert consultancy provided under the project they have created/are in the process of launching their own websites for backward and forward linkages of their businesses. The others already have their own websites. 12 of the new companies have designed and produced their own prototypes and were given technical and monetary assistance as provided for in the project. (Detailed reports on the Mentorship Program are contained in Annexures. I. Activity Completion of Ten Networking Activities: Ten Networking activities as planned were conducted during year 3 of the project with varied topics targeting different stakeholders of the cluster groups formed under the project linking them with various professionals and agencies working in varied sectors of Heritage and Conservation. These were conducted in the form of meetings, lectures, seminars, talks, workshops and exhibitions. The list of such activities is as below: 1. 8th & 9th March, 2016: Spanish delegation visit: Presentation regarding Smart Heritage Cities by City Council of Valladolid (AVA) at AMC th April, 2016: Policies & Legal Framework for Heritage Conservation, AMC th April, 2016: Technologies in Conservation, at AMC th & 17th April, 2016: First Exhibition of AHVL Start-ups at AMSOM, Ahmedabad University th April, 2016: Meeting for study trip team at CHM, Ahmedabad University th June, 2016: Museum Management & Discussion regarding formation of Museum Association of Ahmedabad, at Sanskar Kendra Museum, AMC th July, 2016: Meeting with AHVL entrepreneurs for formation of companies th July, 2016: Meeting with AHVL entrepreneurs for prototypes and website development.

9 9. 12 th, August, 2016: Lecture & Discussion: Language as cultural identity: Challenges of preserving Sindhi Language by Dr. Vimmi Sadarangani th September, 2016: Meeting & Discussions with AHVL entrepreneurs for conducting Exhibition and Concluding Event of the project. WP4: Coordination, Technical and Financial Management J. Activity 4.1: Monitoring and Technical meetings Monitoring visits were conducted to assess the progress of the project works and to assist in the further actions for the completion of the project. The main ones are listed below. i. Formal Internal Monitoring Committee meetings between project partners were held on the 17 th Dec 2015 and 9 th March (Vide: Annexure 9: Minutes of the Monitoring Meetings). ii. Regular skype meetings were held between the project partners almost weekly to iii. monitor and ensure timely implementation of the project. Visit by Ms. Anasuya Gupta, Sr. Project Manager from the Delegation of the European Union to India, Delhi conducted a Mission visit during February iv. A meeting of the Project Monitoring Committee was held on 9 th of March 2016 to review the project progress and it was decided to recommend a three month no cost extension upto September 13, 2016, to the EU delegation to India. (Vide: Annexure 9: Minutes of the Monitoring Meetings). K. Activity 4.2: Final Narrative Report to be submitted to EC L. Activity 4.3: Final Financial Report to be submitted to EC M. Activity 4.4: Website The project website is already launched and social media pages of the project Facebook, LinkedIn & YouTube have also been created. Facebook is extensively used for the promotion of the project events. Currently, there are more than 900 followers of the project page on Facebook. N. Activity 4.5: Distribution of 10 Newsletters for Year 3: Ten Project Newsletters were disseminated amongst the registered members of Ahmedabad Cultural Heritage Cluster and other stakeholders on the project website. The Newsletters are also shared on the Facebook Page to share the information to a wider audience. This does not include six newsletters published during 2015 (year 2). A collection of all 16 newsletters is annexed herewith. (Vide: Annexure : Project Newsletters).

10 2.3 Please list activities that were planned and that you were not able to implement, explaining the reasons for these. We are happy to state that all the activities and actions mandated by the Project were successfully completed. 2.4 What is your assessment of the results of the Action so far? Include observations on the performance and the achievement of outputs, outcomes and impact in relation to specific and overall objectives, and whether the Action has had any unforeseen positive or negative results. This project has left behind two legacies to ensure furtherance of project objectives in the realm of Cultural Heritage Management. The newly registered trust, Ahmedabad Cultural Heritage Cluster (ACHC), will provide the legal platform for taking the activities of the cluster and its stakeholders. Similarly the Ahmedabad Heritage Venture Lab is poised to continue incubating, mentoring and promoting start-ups/ventures on the cultural heritage sector. The project partners having experienced a robust team spirit are also enthusiastic in ensuring sustainability of the action begun by this unique European Union funded project. More observations can be added by partners (Vide: Annexure 11: An objective assessment of the project activities) 3. Partners and other cooperation All the local partners have been effectively leading the planning and execution process. Moreover, local associate partners also assist, guide and participate in various actions of the project wherever required or called upon. Inputs from the associate partners include, planning and execution of Awareness and Visibility events and campaigns, help in identifying stakeholders and clustering process, planning structure and design of training programs and attracting professionals and artistes etc. with potential. 4. Visibility How is the visibility of the EU contribution being ensured in the Action? 1. The EU logo has been included in the official letter head of Centre for heritage management, Ahmedabad University. We are using the EU logo on all official stationery. The logos of other partners are also displayed on attendance sheets. We also have adopted a special letter head for correspondence.

11 2. The Project logo too was approved by CDLI Spain on This is now being used in all material pertaining to the project. 3. The task of designing the graphic designs of other material like the project web-page, Brochure, leaflets, posters, banners, caps, t-shirts etc. has been completed. 4. The EU logo is used on all stationery used for the project and is prominently displayed at all visibility and awareness events, Project meetings etc. through appropriate banners. The European Commission may wish to publicise the results of Actions. Do you have any objection to this report being published on the Europe Aid website? If so, please state your objections here. We do not have any objection to this. Name of the contact person for the Action: 1. Mr. Debashish Nayak Signature: Location: Ahmedabad, India Date report sent: 2. Mr. P. K. Vasudevan Nair Signature: Location: Ahmedabad, India Date report sent: 14 th November 2016