Third Mission Projects, Western Balkans
The canton of Tuzla has a long history of special institutions for children with disabilities. Even today, there are 2 that provide the option of accommodation for 89 children. In the current context, children find themselves excluded from the education and social system, often segregated within the family nucleus, and institutionalized in a system that does not guarantee them the right to inclusive education.
The Government Strategy foresees the transformation of these 2 Special Institutes into Centres for the Development of Educational and Social Inclusion Practices (hence CSPI or "Centres") thus ensuring the efficient use of existing resources. Through this project, the establishment of 2 CSPIs and the transformation of 2 Special Institutes into as many CSPIs is foreseen, for a total of 4 out of 6 Centres foreseen by the Government.
The transformation process implies a significant reform of the system and a long process that would revolutionize the approach to disability in the country. In order to ensure an effective transformation model, the project will build on the experiences of countries that have experienced and adopted advanced transition processes and inclusive systems.
The first phase of this activity will be the conduct of a study and mapping of the transformation models of European countries and their best practices. Specific recommendations will also be drawn up for the transformation of the two special institutes in the canton of Tuzla.
Recommendations will be developed and finalised through consultative sessions, thus ensuring, through a participatory process, the ownership of local institutions. A feasibility study will be conducted on the transformation process to be promoted. Finally, it is important to note that the feasibility study will provide recommendations that will guide the development of an operational plan for the transformation of the two Special Institutes.
Following the completion of the feasibility study, and on the basis of its recommendations, two operational plans will be developed (one for each Special Institute) specifying the modalities and timing for the completion of the process of transformation of the two Special Institutes into 2 Centres for the Development of Inclusive Educational and Social Practices.
