On the 30^th of June, 2017, a pre-visioning workshop was held for all Inclusive Development Programme partners. The purpose of the workshop was to share and exchange experiences on the visioning tool and methodology, ahead of future implementation of this method in the seven partner municipalities: Leposavic/Leposaviq, Mitrovica South, Mitrovica North, Zubin Potok, Zvecan, Skenderaj/Srbica and Vushtrri/Vucitrn.

UN-Habitat hosted the event at Hotel Emerald in Prishtina/Pristina in partnership with PAX, and Community Building Mitrovica (CBM). The Embassy of Sweden in Kosovo, representatives of the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning (MESP) and the Ministry of Local Government Administration (MLGA), civil society organizations and all partner municipalities participated in the workshop.

Introductory remarks were made by the representative from the Embassy of Sweden in Kosovo, Maja Edfast, and UN-Habitat Kosovo's Chief Technical Advisor, Gwendoline Mennetrier. The introductions were followed by a presentation given by Luan Nushi, Director of the Institute of Spatial Planning of MESP, on the institutional memory from the central perspective on how the visioning tool has facilitated inclusive planning in UN-Habitat Kosovo's partner municipalities. He also addressed the need for further efforts in strengthening public participation and community empowerment.

Subsequently, presentations were given by UN-Habitat's team members, addressing visioning as a methodology and tool, linking it to the goals of the Inclusive Development Programme, and exemplifying how empowerment through participation and coaching is facilitated through visioning. The presenters also highlighted the qualities of visioning as an inherently participatory, gender-sensitive and flexible tool, which may be tailored for different audiences and varied planning purpose.

Moreover, there were presentations given by representatives from the municipalities of Peja/Pec and Gracanica, with experience in applying the visioning methodology. Both representatives explained how the visioning tool allows for capturing and integrating local knowledge into planning and decision-making processes. They also emphasized how citizen participation in the planning process has yielded favorable results in their respective municipalities and how visioning, in this sense, has the potential to be a driver of community development.

Following the final presentation, the participants were divided into five working groups in order to engage in the visioning exercise. The activity consisted in planning a bicycle path in a community and by the end of the day all groups presented their respective proposals. This exercise, and the preceding presentations, is intended to prepare the participants for applying this methodology in their respective communities at a later stage.

The pre-visioning workshop is part of the inception phase of the Inclusive Development Programme an initiative that is jointly implemented by UN-Habitat, PAX and CBM. The programme is funded by the Swedish Development Cooperation Agency, Sida, and strives to foster good governance in northern Kosovo.