Professor Joanna Kurowska-Pysz an Expert in the OECD’s Pilot IMPACT Programme

Professor Joanna Kurowska-Pysz, Director of the Institute for Studies in Territorial and Inter-organisational Cooperation at WSB University, has joined an international group of experts engaged by the OECD (the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), the Regional Development and Multi-level Governance Division, and the Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities to implement the European Commission-funded IMPACT programme (Interreg Mechanism for Promoting Active Communities and Territories).

The IMPACT programme concerns the pilot implementation of the CLLD (Community-led Local Development) approach at selected internal and external borders of the European Union in order to test new models of cross-border inter-organisational and cross-sectoral cooperation, previously used, among others, in the LEADER programme.

Professor Joanna Kurowska-Pysz will advise on the implementation of the CLLD model in the Polish-Lithuanian and Polish-Czech border areas as part of a pilot project carried out from September 2026 to April 2027.

The OECD’s engagement of Professor Joanna Kurowska-Pysz in the IMPACT project confirms her very high-level expertise and extensive experience in managing cross-border partnerships and projects. She has gained this experience, among other roles, as an AMI Expert cooperating with the European Commission (Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, DG REGIO), as well as a lead expert in the project entitled “CLLD-oriented facilitation of cross-border planning across the Polish-Lithuanian Cross-Border Functional Area”, implemented under the European Commission-funded Resilient Borders programme by its operators: the Association of European Border Regions in Berlin and Mission Opérationnelle Transfrontalière in Paris.

Community-led local development (CLLD) offers practical, place-based solutions to address territorial challenges in border areas, such as limited access to public services or environmental pressures. By drawing on local knowledge and engaging citizens, CLLD helps translate shared priorities into concrete action. Although the CLLD approach is widely used by Local Action Groups operating in EU Member States, its potential in a cross-border context remains largely untapped. Extending the use of CLLD beyond national borders offers an opportunity to support more inclusive and effective development in Europe’s border regions.