BUDAPEST CHANCE NON-PROFIT LTD
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
BUDAPEST PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT SERVICE
NON-PROFIT COMPANY
For the Municipality of Budapest, it is an important endeavour to have the largest possible proportion of
her inhabitants earn their living in work. For this reason, the capital made a commitment in 1996 to take an
active part in assisting the unemployed of Budapest. By founding Budapest Public Employment Service
Non-Profit Company, the Municipality has tried to open a protective umbrella over the heads of
unemployed people in Budapest who have dropped from the labyrinth of the institutional system. The
headquarters and three branch offices of the Service is visited by 3,000–4,000 job-seekers annually for
job opportunities, advise. On an annual basis, 800–1,000 people of them are engaged in public
employment by the Service. The public employment program for the homeless handled as a separate
task offers at least short-term wage-earning opportunities for 200 homeless people annually, and in
addition organizes social and mental support for them.
The Service does not only organize public employment, but achieves increasing successes in finding
market workplaces for the job-seekers of Budapest. Formerly, it helped 80–100 persons annually to
find market jobs, while since 2007 200–300 job-seekers have received such assistance each year as a
consequence of the intensive methodological development. The commitment of the Service to assistance
in finding jobs and efficient integration is clearly indicated by the fact that nearly half of the permanent
associates of the Service have started their careers at the public-benefit workers of the Service itself.
Since 2003, the Equal Opportunity Office of the Municipality of Budapest (FEMI) has been operated
within the organization framework of the Service. It is entrusted to promote the coordinated development
of employment and equal opportunity services both in Budapest and the Central Hungarian Region. The
activities of the Service have contributed to the fact that from EU employment project grants the
Budapest-based organizations have succeeded in mobilizing more than HUF ten billion.
The Office operates several employment and equal opportunity target project in Budapest, with reliance
on European Union and domestic funds. In 2008, the European Commission selected Budapest Chance
as one of the 9 best examples of active social inclusion, and therefore on the Community level Budapest
has become of the cities with the best practices. It is similarly estimable that UN’s Global Compact
initiative has mentioned Budapest as a good example for variegated urban strategies.
Under a new name: Budapest Chance Non-Profit Ltd., the Service is the innovation center and
coordinator of the equal opportunity policy of Budapest.
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ASSISTANCE ON THE ROAD TO WORK
Budapest features both unemployment and a lot of job vacancies. The capacities of the national and
municipal institutions dedicated to the provision of support to the unemployed are mostly tied up by the
tasks of distributing financial aids, and therefore minimum energies can be put to activities to assist the
road to work. For the Municipality of Budapest, it is important to have the largest possible number of
citizens of Budapest to live on work instead of aids. Towards this end, the Municipality operates three
types of service systems.
PROTECTIVE NETWORK OF PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT
Number of clients: 2,000 persons p.a.
Of this, homeless: 350 persons p.a.
Engaged in public employment: 900 persons p.a.
Of this, homeless: 230 persons p.a.
Market value of work performed as specialized
tasks for the Municipality: HUF 80 million p.a.
Aids terminated for 800 persons p.a.
Amount of municipal aids: HUF 60 million p.a.
In 1996, the Municipality of Budapest set up a system of public employment for the homeless of the city.
Budapest Chance Non-Profit Ltd. organizes public employment for homeless people on the one hand,
while on the other hand assists several district governments in providing work to private persons.
At the headquarters of the company and in three branch offices, annually more than two thousand jobseekers apply for help, and nearly every second of them can be engaged in public employment: as
depending on their qualifications, they are employed in administrative, technical, kitchen, cleaning or
gardening positions at Budapest-based institutions.
To workers, Budapest Chance offers mentoring services, job-seeking counseling, whereas the integration
of employees with Roma identity is closely monitored.
The organization renders services to public-benefit employees in a coordinated system with the labour
center and district governments.
To homeless people, Budapest Chance does not
only organize work opportunities, but also social,
healthcare and accommodation services as required.
Towards this end, they work in consultation with the
municipal and non-governmental organizations
helping the homeless. This complex assistance has
helped a lot of homeless people to find their way out
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of seemingly hopeless situations. Regular incomes, medical attendance, the community and the tolerant
workplace atmosphere have all formed a protective net for these people to prevent them from become
fully ripped away from society.
BACK TO MARKET WORKPLACES
However, public employment can be regarded only as a temporary
solution, it cannot be self-sustaining, because it cannot give grounds to
entrepreneurial activities. For personnel expenditures, considerable
supports (60–90%) can be obtained from the labour market fund.
Employees have just limited time periods (one year at the maximum) to
take part in the program. The real way out of their situations is their
engagement in market workplaces. In order to have permanently
unemployed persons with less marketable knowledge and skills find their
feet under the rigorous market circumstances, a lot of various assistance
is needed. In this field, labour centers have quite moderate personnel
and methodological capacities. Similarly, in international practices it is
fairly wide-spread that services orienting towards works are jointly
organized by municipalities, national employment services, non-profit
organizations and employment associations.
Budapest is among the forerunners in this field. The “partnership for employment” model program crosses
organizational and administrative borders, is adapted to the demands of the clients in Budapest and the
special requirements of the labour market. The program is operated with successful synergic effects, and
has proved that the cooperation of different professions and district can multiply the efficiency of the
organizations concerned. This model effort has grown to be a daily practice, thus offering an opportunity
for the reinforcement of cooperation on the level of micro-regions, closer collaboration of the experts of the
social and employment sectors. The professional methodology of the program has been supported within
several European Union projects, and therefore the method has become wide-spread across the country
with the help of MUNKAPOCS [WORKING LINK] trainings.
The “KÖZ-PONT” [CENTER] services of Budapest Chance
Non-Profit Ltd. have provided free services not only to jobseekers involved in public employment. Assisting services for
finding the way back to the labour market offer complex
assistance to disadvantaged job-seekers, as well, by means
of job recruitment, mentoring support, personality and
communicational development, opportunities for the
obtainment of work experience as trainees. These projects
involve several target groups: the permanently unemployed,
homeless people, mothers returning from childcare, Roma
people, people with low levels of education and careerstarters. With reliance on the counseling–mediation system
having been refined in the past two years, the associates of
KÖZ-PONT have succeeded in tripling the number of jobseekers arriving at market jobs. By 2009, more than three
hundred people suffering from bad chances on the labour
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market could find market jobs with the help of this system. The job advertisements of employers are
channeled to 50–100 helping organizations in Budapest as free of charges, which concerns 3,000–5,000
job-seekers. Our office enters agreements with the helping organizations. On the basis of these
agreements, in addition to the mediation of job opportunities the organizations are also required to support
the integration of their clients.
At the customer service centers of Budapest Chance Non-Profit Ltd., until the summer of 2009 four
thousand job-seekers entered the system, and more than three hundred of them could actually find
market jobs.
PROPER PEOPLE AT THE APPROPRIATE PLACES
A number of actions, EU-funded projects, professional events contribute to the strengthening of the
trust of employers, because they are the ones to provide
sustainable jobs. It is dependent on their inclusive approach
whether the disadvantaged job-seekers can take their part in
economic life as valuable labour force.
The Equal Opportunity Action Program of Budapest concerns
approximately three hundred employers owned by the Municipality
of Budapest, and also reaches to a number of employers seeking
contacts via the Hungarian Business Leaders Forum embracing
several hundreds of large companies. The popularization of the
good examples of open, prejudice-free, inclusive and retaining
workplaces largely support employers in identifying the appropriate
employees and good practices, as well as identified workers in
finding easy ways of integration. Budapest Chance has relied on the
best HR experts to work out, collect and expose good employer
practices and the competitive edge being inherent in the equal
opportunity policy. The past five years have witnessed the
publication of seven thematic methodological booklets in the
“Tips and Advice” series, as well as three additional booklets and
one book in the “Inclusive Workplaces” series for the open-minded experts of employers.
The target groups of the direct labour market and human resource services, as well as their
development are the unemployed and employers. The purpose of these services is the improvement of
the employability of the persons concerned, which is driven by supported employment, reintegration
programs and their development.
“START UP” ROMA TRAINEE SCHOLARSHIP PROJECT OF BUDAPEST
The purpose of this project is to have the inclusive institutional
system of the Municipality of Budapest offer opportunities for the
obtainment of professional experience and work socialization for
career-starting/career-restarting young Roma people. During the
traineeship, thirty-five participants of secondary and higher level
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school qualifications work at the Municipality of Budapest and its institutions in positions that correspond
to their schooling.
They have given insight into their professions, get to know the lives and operations of public service
organizations. They can earn work experience in public services operated within institutional frameworks
in connection with services that can be organized in conformance to the rules of public administration. In
the meantime, at jointly attended trainings employers and Roma trainees can mutually get acquainted with
their cultures in order to suppress prejudices and strengthen mutual trust.
PLANNED AND PARTNERED
For thirteen years now, Budapest set forth the Social Charter of Budapest, and ten years ago the capital
announced the “Equal Opportunities 2000” Action Plan. With these professional policies, Budapest
expresses her commitment to her disadvantaged inhabitants in line with the current European processes.
The institutional framework of the coordination of employment and social systems in Budapest is offered
by the Social Service Planning Concept. These efficient policies of assistance rely on a firmly established
strategy that has deserved the appreciation of professional in recent years. An increasing number of
Budapest- and district-based organizations, institutions and non-governmental organizations have
introduced assisting services in areas that did not use to be covered earlier. The opportunities for
innovation lie in the coordination of the work of partners, generation of joint development projects,
methodological coordination. It is an important aspect that sectoral and local strategies should be
conscious and well-coordinated. The foundations are put in place by process analyses, background
researches, professional workshops and conferences.
“NO NEED TO EXPERIMENT WITH EVERYTHING OVER AND OVER AGAIN.”
Local innovation receives an impetus from solutions that have been tried and proven elsewhere. Budapest
Chance Non-Profit Ltd. also offers this methodological background coordination to Budapest. The
analyses, professional workshops of the company, recommendations inspire policy-making both in
Budapest and nation-wide, impress service organizations and their associates. The decisions made by the
company and the experience earned in “field” solutions are aggregated by the professional workshops of
FEMI. Thus, Budapest is heading towards a more efficient and coherent employment development
policy consulted with the sectors concerned.
STRENGTHENING OF SOCIAL COHESION
On the basis of her historic traditions, Budapest is a
multicultural metropolis. Throughout the centuries, there
have always been several nationalities, cultural and
religious communities living here together. One essential
basis of the secure and steady development of the city is
community cohesion. It is our respect for and acceptance of
the values of various cultures that really enriches Budapest,
whereas any conduct of rejection, segregation would isolate
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us. “In between us”, the inclusive social setup strengthening cohesion is an elemental need. We all
suffer losses if there are obstacles standing on the way of our disabled fellow people or persons with small
children. We should never forget that we may find ourselves in situations when we cannot rely on basic
services, our “use of the city” becomes restricted.
We create value if we pay more intense attention to those in disadvantaged situations, and with the
help of the city’s service systems we are able to counteract the obstacles that elderly people, threatened
children, homeless people or our talented Roma fellow people should cope with. The provision of equal
access to community assets, services is a fundamental requirement posed against any urban policy in the
21st century. The enforcement of such a policy calls for counter-balancing the disadvantages that
people and groups featuring protected characteristics suffer from.
TO CREATE A COORDINATED PROFESSIONAL FORCE FIELD
The optimal utilization of the human resource reserves in Budapest and the agglomeration is important
both for social and economic reasons. Towards this end, however, the efficiency and coordination of the
service systems should be improved intensely alongside with the opportunities for equal access. Crosswise attempts soon fade out, while those aligned in the structured force field will have a generating effect
on each other. Budapest has set forth the Social Charter of Budapest, and almost 10 years ago she
worked out the Equal Opportunities 2000 Action Plan. This latter program has deviated from the formerly
institution-oriented approach, and placed the disadvantaged person in the focus of assessments and
measures. It is important that sectoral and local strategies should be conscious and coordinated.
Having been operated since 2003, the Equal Opportunity Office
of the Municipality of Budapest provides this methodological
background coordination to Budapest. Towards strengthening the
chances of target groups disadvantaged on the labour markets,
experts working on various levels are involved in preparing a
labour market monitoring report each year. Thos document of
professional policy offers a situational analysis, and at the same
time puts forward proposals in relation to the important tasks of
intervention for the oncoming period. The office constitutes a
structured professional force field over Budapest, and thus is
capable of orienting various initiatives. The gates are opened for and among good initiatives by the
periodic publication of analyses, best practice booklets, conferences, methodological aids, professional
workshops, websites, the operation of counseling services, thereby promoting the development of a
coherent system of social and employment services in Budapest. Among the organizations supplying
services to the citizens of Budapest in disadvantaged labour market situations (Roma people, disabled
people, homeless people, career-starters, permanently unemployed people, mothers wishing to return
from the childcare aid period), a very valuable professional network of partnership has been created. In
this context, FEMI organizes half a dozen professional conferences, prepares three or four methodological
booklets and studies, hold specialized trainings. It also provides for the professional contents of the
website of Budapest Chance. On a monthly basis, the website of www.pestesély.hu visited by three
thousand persons with a single reader opening six pages on the average!
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With its partners, the Equal Opportunity Office of the
Municipality of Budapest works out model programs
wherever the development of services should start from the
roots. For the financing of these programs, both European
Union and domestic funds are mobilized. In the past six
years, 25 projects have been awarded and implemented;
all of them have targeted at the innovation of the
employment system. The combined amount of the support
granted to model projects that have been implemented in
partnership with approx. 40 organizations of Budapest has
exceeded HUF 300 million. These activities have deserved
international appreciation. In 2008, EU selected Budapest
Chance as one of the 9 best examples of active social
inclusion, and therefore on the Community level Budapest
has become of the cities with the best practices. It is
similarly estimable that UN’s Global Compact initiative has
mentioned Budapest as a good example for variegated
urban strategies.
In 2009 delegation of Vladimir Spidla, EU Commissioner
responsible for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities and László Herczog, Minister of
Social Affairs and Labour have visited the Budapest Chance. The delegation approved of the successful
project of the Budapest Chance for employment and equal opportunity.
BUDAPEST – MORE THAN A CHANCE
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AT WORKPLACES
The Municipality of Budapest is
committed to mitigate inequalities on
the local labour market and at
workplaces.
Therefore, within the framework of
Equal Opportunities 2000,
40+
Program and Equal Opportunity
Action
Program
of
Budapest
launched in 2004 the implementing
associates of Budapest Chance
have framed methods and provided
assistance to employers, thereby
focusing on and disseminating good
employer practices. Towards the
fulfillment of the statutory obligation to elaborate the workplace equal opportunity plan, the Equal
Opportunity Office of the Municipality of Budapest has been entrusted to prepare the first methodological
CD publication used as a basic document until this day, and worked out a training program for employers.
The development of the practices of workplace equal opportunities on the part of the employers in
Budapest is review on a biannual basis, and put forward to the General Assembly of Budapest and other
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professional forums. In 2005, in nation-wide comparison it became clear that as a result of the process
having been started four years before the workplace equal opportunity policy in Budapest was 40% more
wide-spread than the national average. With her activeness in the field of equal opportunities, the
Municipality of Budapest can exercise an influence on the market employers in Budapest. So far, more
than ten thousand employers have attended our trainings, and since 2004 more than ten professional
publications have been issued and delivered to thousands of HR specialists on this topic. Our websites
www.humanstudio.egalnet.hu and www.sociallabel.hu focusing on workplace equal opportunities and
socially responsible enterprises, respectively, are visited by approx. a thousand users on a monthly basis.
WE AWARD EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
In 2000, the Municipality of Budapest established the award “Citizens of Budapest for Equal
Opportunities”; annually, the award is granted to three Budapest-based organizations or private persons
with firm commitment for the enforcement of equal opportunities. Throughout the years, the award – later
dedicated to the memory of Gábor Zalabai – has been delivered to several excellent organizations and
experts for their exemplary work in the social field, employment, healthcare, child protection and minority
activities.
The purpose of the award “Inclusive Workplace” is to reflect the appreciation of the city towards
employers that pay attention to the promotion of workplace equal opportunities, the protection of
disadvantaged groups. Furthermore, it calls the attention to business entities where workplace equal
opportunities tend to be important aspects in human resource policy. Another goal of the award is to be
make employers aware of the importance of workplace equal opportunities.
In the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All (2007), Budapest Chance Non-Profit Ltd. announced
the “Best Equal Opportunity Plan” award together with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour. The
award itself means appropriate recognition for organizations, local governments operating the best plans
for workplace equal opportunities.
The delivery of the awards is always an opportunity for the Municipality to express her honour to all those
employers with broad publicity that have exemplary focus on the improvement of equal opportunities for
employees. In their human resource policies and programs, these enterprises and institutions actively
support those with small children, disabled persons, Roma people, career-starters and elderly employees.
GÁBOR ZALABAI
Gábor Zalabai is Hungary’s first wheel-chaired politician, who
elaborated the first disabled policy for the Municipality of Budapest. In
the period of 1990–94, he had several publications. Later on, his
writings were referenced repeatedly, and the terms and expressions
he had created were frequently used: “secondary citizen”, “who is a
Negro in Hungary”, “legally disabled”. Instead of a political career, he
opted for tasks in public administration1. As a specialist of the disabled
1
Excerpt from the Digital Archives of the Social Profession
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policy for Municipality of Budapest, he took part in the elaboration and implementation of the disabled
action program of the capital. The Disabled Program of Budapest still relies on these basic pillars, and his
assistants stick to the values and points of breakthrough that he defined.
SOCIAL LABEL
The qualification system of the Socially Responsible
Enterprise (Social Label) has been worked out and
operated by Budapest Chance Non-Profit Ltd. of the
Municipality of Budapest. By today, the “Social Label”
qualification has grown far beyond being the internal affair of
some exemplary companies, but in recent years the concept
has become a quickly spreading expectation in business life.
Its dissemination is a very valuable element of the labour
market strategy targeted at the better enforcement of equal
opportunities. The qualification tunes companies for the proper treatment of disadvantaged employee
groups, systemizes the existing good employer practices, offers ready-made formulae for the socially
responsible employment of the variegated labour force, as well as the establishment and development of
the necessary good practices. In its Resolution 1025/2006 (March 23), the government itself stood out for
the necessity of the establishment of the Social Label, the qualification for socially responsible enterprises.
Relying on the experience earned in relation to the “Inclusive Workplace” award, the workshop of
Budapest Chance worked out the methodology of the qualification in 2008 with the involvement of a broad
circle of experts and stakeholders. The methodology has passed the test, and thus since 2009 Budapest
Chance has been acting as the organization of certifying audits, the coordinator of the first such domestic
qualify management system that certifies and develops socially responsible employer practices along
standardized conditions.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IN THE SETTLEMENTS
It is not mandatory for local governments to create their own equal
opportunity programs, but the assessment of the prevailing situation
in this field, as well as the definition of objectives and tasks are
indicative of the responsibilities assumed by the local governments.
On the other hand, the equal opportunity program is a mandatory
appendix to several grant applications – mostly supported by
European Union funds –, which provides important information to the
financier in relation to the equal opportunity policies and systemic
actions in the given settlements.
Therefore, the former workplace equal opportunity plan required
from employees has been complemented with the educational equal
opportunity program, the anti-segregation plan and finally the
municipal equal opportunity program designed to offer a uniform
framework for all these schemes.
The Municipality of Budapest has made continuous efforts to
improve equal opportunities among the inhabitants and guests of the
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capital. Towards this end, the city and her institutional system have taken a number of actions, and
operated several services, similarly to a lot of district governments, governmental and non-governmental
organizations, enterprises. In this professional field having just borne in Hungary, there is quite little
professional knowledge, experience or good practice. Therefore, it is essential that actions should not run
in random directions, sometimes cross-wise, but find their synergies in a well coordinated force field. The
Equal Opportunity Office of the Municipality of Budapest performs its professional information–
coordination activities to foster such attempts. FEMI supports the equal opportunity associates, regional
actors of the Central Hungarian Region with methodological booklets, websites and regular professional
forums.
Municipal Equal Opportunity Program of Budapest relies on the former, variegated and inclusive
traditions of Budapest.
In 2009, the strategy created a vision of the city where all are given equal
opportunities. Its priorities and actions will influence all the sectors within the
Municipality of Budapest, while the programs continue to count on the
involvement of non-governmental organizations and other committed actors.
Measures belonging to the scope of competence of the Municipality of Budapest
can be divided into two main groups. Mainstreaming actions are aligned with the
texture of the professional policies of the capital, and rather have long-term
effects. On the other hand, such (priority) actions with their effects emerging on
the short run that are associated with some specific sectors and target groups can
be launched immediately. These project-type proposed interventions consider good initiatives proven to
lead to proper operations, as well as their influences on shaping general attitude. The associated details
are described in the Action Program. In the action plan of the program, the proposing bodies have
assigned preliminary funding demands, responsible persons and deadlines to the proposed interventions.
The program forms a structured umbrella of equal opportunities over
Budapest in order to orient and integrate various good practices. The
model programs to be elaborated with continued supports wish to mobilize
dormant resources in areas that still have not been covered.
In representation of Budapest, our performance in international
professional fields further strengthens the prestige of the Hungarian
capital, betters the trust of the business sector, which potentially has
a positive influence on social responsibility. This way, social
cohesion may become all-inclusive via the coordination of the
activities of the governmental, municipal, non-profit and for-profit
spheres.
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