Viseu: Vision and levels of action

Regions nowadays face great challenges in an increasingly competitive world (also at a regional level). Those challenges, external and internal, cannot (and should not) be answered by public powers but by a logic of a strict collaboration between public, private and associative actors, holding them co-responsible for the achievement (or not) of shared objectives. In this context, the first big challenge of a region is the creation of an integrating Vision that allows for multiple actors, when pursuing their own objectives, to have in mind the distinct nature of a collective project of a regional nature. What is our collective project? What does Viseu want in 10 years? From there onwards, it is not only essential to transform that Vision into specific projects that gives it a body but also to use it as an analytic structure of reference in the assessment of initiatives and projects (specially on what concerns projects of public initiative/coordination). On the other hand, a region, aiming at affirming its identity and at developing itself, basically faces three levels of action: A first level related to the far away context that nonetheless, reflects itself, in the region’s actions and ambitions. AT this level we have external uncertainties as the importance given to Portugal by big multinational companies, the dimension of a possible pandemic of bird flu or the evolution of the oil price in the international markets and the development of energetic alternatives. This type of uncertainties should be accompanied by the region, and paid great attention, in order to prevent unpleasant surprises, to minimize negative shocks and to make the most out of opportunities. A second level, linked to the context near the region, which includes processes of negotiation and influence very demanding to the local actors. Examples of uncertainties situated on this level:
framing of the region of Viseu in view of the next Communitarian Framework of Support; evolution of the regionalization process; future of regional actors (for example: Grupo Visabeira; Instituto Politécnico de Viseu) and structural sectors. Finally, a third level of coordination, selection and decision, related to the processes over which the actors of the region do not have a significant control. Among those processes we have a large group of options on what concerns, for example, mobility and logistics, human resources, economic activities, environment and territory. It is from the interrelation of these three levels (any of them essential for the future of a region’s management) and from its framing in a strategic mobilizing Vision that we can achieve an effective Regional Policy in the 21st century.