Through the ENGAGE project, SEM (Servizzi Ewropej f’Malta / European Services in Malta, formerly MEUSAC, which serves as the main point of contact for citizens and organisations on EU-related matters, seeks to identify the most effective engagement methodologies in order to provide a service which meets the needs of stakeholders,  invest in Government’s services by providing the necessary skills to the MEUSAC team on how stakeholder capacity may be enhanced and enhance the capacity of stakeholders through training and increased awareness on the processes, tools and opportunities for increased stakeholder participation.

This project consisted of three work packages:

Stakeholder Engagement Analysis: Social dialogue may be strengthened if there is thorough knowledge of the needs  of stakeholders and which methodologies should be adopted to ensure that stakeholders are engaged and aware of the EU decision making process. The stakeholder analysis reviewed the current services and methodologies to devise a plan of the services to be offered to make sure that they cater for stakeholders’  needs. An awareness raising activity was also implemented, focusing on raising awareness on EU decision-making processes, the benefits of participating in social dialogue on EU related affairs all intended to seek to promote stakeholder engagement.

Strengthening Engagement Capacities: Through this project the staff of Servizzi Ewropej f’Malta received training on topics related to their role in assisting stakeholders in the social dialogue process. This included how to engage stakeholders more, how to communicate more effectively and how to tap into EU funding opportunities and manage EU projects.

Capacity Building for improved stakeholder participation: A capacity building activity was also included in the project to ensure that civil society organisations acquire the necessary technical expertise and knowledge  needed to participate more actively in the development of Government policies (including within ESF related areas). This capacity building exercise was intended to bridge the gap between stakeholders and complex decision-making structures and policy-making at EU level, allowing stakeholders to be more knowledgeable on the  EU decision making process, how to participate actively within the national and European fora such as by communicating effectively, presenting their positions on specific dossiers as well as offering more opportunities for networking and capacity building through EU funding.