Programme Strands

Leadership and Skills Development

Equipping today’s council leaders with the skills to shape stronger, more resilient institutions – through practical, expert-led training built around the real challenges councils face.

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Building Leadership Across Borders

Strengthening the people who shape public services.

Objective: To develop strategic leadership, collaborative governance, and responsible management of public funds — improving decision-making, ethical standards, and public trust.

Activities: Interactive workshops, real-world case studies, and peer learning sessions addressing governance challenges across jurisdictions.

Target Group: Local authority officials, elected representatives, and staff across 12 border councils and 2 cross-border groups.

Strategic Leadership & Decision-Making

Strategic Leadership & Decision-Making

Strategic planning, goal setting, and evaluating complex situations. Case studies, role-playing exercises, and workshops help participants lead teams and organisations in a dynamic cross-border environment.

100 participants

Leadership People Can Trust


Collaborative Governance & Ethical Leadership

Building trust between stakeholders, mediating conflicts, and ensuring transparency in decision-making. Practical exercises in negotiation, consensus-building, and applying ethical frameworks.

80 participants

Public Money, Well Managed


Financial Management & Budgeting for Public Bodies

Financial planning, risk management, and fiscal accountability. Budget preparation, performance monitoring, and regulatory compliance, taught through hands-on workshops and real-world scenarios.

60 participants

Communicating with Confidence and Clarity

Helping councils explain what they do and why it matters.

Objective: To build the marketing, public engagement, and digital communication capabilities of councils and regional stakeholders, supporting transparency and community trust.

Activities: Training in marketing strategy, public engagement techniques, and digital communication tools, with practical application to live local initiatives.

Who it is for: Communications and engagement staff, local councils, and regional stakeholders across the border region.

Getting the Message Across

Marketing, Communication & Public Engagement

Strategies for effective marketing and public engagement: crafting clear, compelling messages, developing integrated communication plans, and building strong relationships with target audiences. Interactive sessions cover the channels and tools that sustain transparency and public trust.

50 participants

Earning Attention Online

Digital Media & Public Messaging

Using digital platforms to run social media campaigns, create content that gets noticed, and use analytics to sharpen the message. Participants learn to engage online audiences and maintain consistent, credible public messaging.

40 participants

Tackling Shared Problems Together

Making cross-border working a habit.

Objective: To strengthen the capacity of local organisations and institutions to address cross-border policy issues, promoting policy harmonisation, joint planning, and a habit of cooperation that lasts.

Activities: Targeted training on governance and policy alignment, alongside sector-specific working groups in tourism, economic development and regeneration, and environment — providing a platform for sharing best practice at national, EU, and international level.

Who it is for: Stakeholders from local organisations and institutions on both sides of the border.

Policy That Works on Both Sides of the Border

Cross-Border Governance & Policy Alignment

Understanding cross-border governance structures and harmonising policy approaches. Participants examine case studies of successful cross-border initiatives, take part in policy alignment and advocacy exercises, and learn to integrate different regulatory frameworks in service of cohesive regional development.

75 participants

Where the Practical Work Gets Done


Cross-Border Working Groups — Tourism, Economic Development & Regeneration, Environment

Sector-specific working groups focused on best practice and collaborative opportunity. Expert-led workshops, cross-border project planning, and exercises that build coordinated approaches to shared regional challenges.

90 participants

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