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Conclusions and recommendations
This evaluation covers the period from 2002 to 2006, which was a period of rapid change in Russia. The Barents Secretariat’s grant programme has its roots and identity in the immediate post-Cold war, when Russia was weak both politically and economically. The co-operation’s objectives are to stimulate regional collaboration within selected areas of priority, to create a common identity and to contribute towards a better economic and social development. The change into a more self-assertive, administratively efficient and economically dynamic Russia combined with the normalisation of travel and increase in labour migration across the borders, could have made the goals of the grant scheme cooperation obsolete, or at least made the typical Barents project “methodology” outdated. However, the evaluation shows that the project co-operation in the period from 2002 – 2006 on the whole was adapting to the new situation. As compared to the 1990’s, there are less get-to-know-each-other activities and purely humanitarian projects funded by the Barents Secretariat. The element of material support from Norway to Russia within the project co-operation is decreasing. Projects that were stated up recently hardly include material transfers. Having to process and follow-up projects that differ significantly in scope and design, covering five quite dissimilar areas of priority (business development, competence-building and education at all levels, environmental protection, welfare/culture, and indigenous people), the Barents Secretariat staff has a heavy workload. In addition to handling the projects, they function as a competence centre. The Secretariat has about ten employees in Kirkenes with special competence in the priority fields of the Barents Secretariat’s grant programme . In the period covered by the evaluation small NIBR Report 2008:4
