Barcelona'gov is a network of research and advanced training centres specializing in government and governance, which was established at the end of 2014 to promote a platform of knowledge and excellence in public policies in general and more specifically in urban policies and management. The members of the network include the Barcelona City Council, the Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals (IBEI), the Institut de Govern i de Polítiques Públiques (IGOP) and the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF). Based in Barcelona, it is geared towards professionals and actors involved in the current system of urban governance.

Cities are complex systems, as are the behavioural patterns of the people who inhabit them. In the face of unprecedented urban growth, the crisis of the nation-state and the interdependence of the globalized world, good city management has become a core issue for improving the lives of people and territories.

To improve services to people and their availability; to increase social cohesion; to make the city a productive, liveable and sustainable place, a city that looks after its inhabitants, who in turn look after the city and its management; to analyse future scenarios; to project, measure, transform, design and assess the impact of public policies – all this requires resources and people with specialized training and up-to-date knowledge.

Mission

Barcelona'gov seeks to contribute effectively to the development, dissemination, sharing and exchange of specialist knowledge for the improvement of urban management.

To this end, the platform offers courses focused on governance issues and public policies, with a special emphasis on urban policy, urban management, urban resilience and social segmentation, innovation management, public-private partnerships and the international projection of cities. The experience, prestige and teaching staff of the three university centres involved guarantee a multi-disciplinary learning environment, with the Barcelona City Council providing its experience in practices and initiatives that are part of the guided visits included in the training program.

In addition to training, Barcelona'gov offers specialized advice on issues specific to public or private institutions working to improve governance and public policies.

Its target audience are professionals and public policy makers (elected representatives, technicians, corporations, consulting companies, third sector, organized civil society and professionals) of large and medium cities in Spain, Latin America, Morocco and other countries in North Africa. To facilitate the exchange of knowledge, Barcelona'gov has a scholarship system for those wishing to attend our courses.

Vision

Barcelona'gov aims to become a leading centre for training and advice on good governance and local public policies, and to contribute towards the improvement of city management and city life with the shared resources of its members from the city of Barcelona.