Permanent Call for peer reviewers
What is a Peer Review?
A Peer Review is a capacity building activity offered by EUI to support European cities to improve the design and implementation of their Sustainable Urban Development (SUD) strategies, through a process of benchmarking and peer learning.
Each Peer Review involves one ‘city under review’ (primary beneficiary), working with individuals from up to six cities acting as ‘peer reviewers’ (secondary beneficiaries) to address challenges in developing, implementing or monitoring an effective SUD strategy.
The entire process is structured around ‘cities under review’ that identify the challenge that they wish to address. According to their specific needs, they are matched with ‘peer reviewers’ who can share their experiences, approaches and ideas in addressing the same challenge. ‘Cities under review’ are equally accompanied through the entire process by two Peer Review experts.
The Peer Review activity is fully financed by EUI – for more details please see the latest Peer Review call Guidance.
Everything you need to know about the Peer Review.
Each Peer Review follows a five-step implementation process. Selected participants will:
1. Confirm the scope of the Peer Review
With the support of EUI, each selected city under review details the challenges they wish to address in the Peer Review in the form of three questions. Location and dates are defined by EUI.
2. Get matched with a city under review or peer reviewers
EUI groups cities under review with peer reviewers according to relevant expertise and similarities in context.
3. Prepare for the Peer Review event
Participants prepare the core of the discussions for the event and attend three to two preparation meetings.
4. Participate in the two or three day Peer Review event
The activity culminates in the Peer Review event. Participants attend workshops, panel discussions, study visits and informal networking moments.
5. Follow-up on the outcomes of the event
Cities under review receive a report on the main recommendations from the Peer Review event and on how to integrate them. Based on the recommendations received, the city under review is invited to apply to a City-to-City Exchange. Six months after the event, all participants are invited to an online progress follow-up for an update on the city under review’s strategy. Another follow-up activity is organised 1 year after the event. An implementation roadmap can also be proposed to interested cities under review, providing direct support in implementing at least one recommendation or action received in the context of the Peer Review.
What are the topics addressed?
An EUI Peer Review is required to focus on specific challenges related to the design and implementation of SUD strategies. Each city under review is tasked with identifying the challenge they want to tackle and formulating it into three ‘guiding questions’ to be addressed in turn.
The challenges tackled should align with the key elements of integrated approaches to sustainable urban development identified under EU Cohesion Policy – as outlined briefly in the ERDF Common Provisions Regulation.
The JRC’s Handbook for Sustainable Urban Development Strategies[2] is a key reference material for cities to identify relevant topics that need to be addressed.
Still not sure what a Peer Review actually is? Check our past Peer Reviews in Thessaloniki, Coimbra, Kalisz, Jiu Valley, Athienou, Jesolo and San Donà di Piave, Torrelavega, Alba lulia, Sormland, Perugia and Stalowa Wola.
Why participate as a peer reviewer?
What’s in it for peer reviewers?
While the primary focus of each peer review activity is the city under review, peer reviewers – and the cities they represent – also benefit in multiple ways:
- Peer reviewers learn from, as well as inspire, the city under review – the learning always goes two ways.
- There are also opportunities to learn from the other peer reviewers taking part, hearing about a range of inspiring practices and approaches from cities across Europe.
- Through the process of sharing their own approaches and practices, peer reviewers are encouraged to critically reflect on their own successes and remaining challenges.
- Finally, to recognise their valuable contribution, involvement and availability, certificates are awarded by EUI to each individual peer reviewer after the event, acknowledging the specific challenges they helped tackle in the framework of each Peer Review.
Check the testimonies from past peer reviewers.
Peer reviewers
Peer reviewers apply as individuals to take part in a peer review process. Peer reviewers can represent any EU urban authority but must have relevant experience in the design and implementation of integrated, place-based strategies.
More questions on the eligibility? Please check the FAQ.
Find out whether you are eligible.
Get support
The EUI Permanent Secretariat supports applicants. This support is provided via:
- Application Pack: To prepare your application, you will find at your disposal the Guidance of the call, the Courtesy application form and the Technical guidance to EEP.
- Article 11 status: check your eligibility to apply as a city under review here. If you can’t find your city in the table, but you are an Article 11 city, you will need to provide proof of this status with your application.
- Online info-session on 25 September: an online Information Session allowed participants to learn all about Peer Reviews and the call for applications. This online event was organised in collaboration with our network of Urban Contact Points and provided information in the different EU languages. The recording will be available soon.
- Bilateral consultations: if you have a specific question, book a consultation with a Capacity Building Officer.
- Email support: Contact us with your queries via capacitybuilding@urban-initiative.eu.
Call open!
The submission of the Application Form is 100% paperless via the EUI Connect Platform. A courtesy document is provided to facilitate the preparation of your application offline.
We strongly invite you to create your application form early in the process. Going through its different sections and reading the information bubbles in each field will help you to submit a better application.
The Call is open continuously.
[1] Article 29 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 laying down common provisions for the ERDF [and other ESIF funds], outlines the elements that must be covered by any territorial strategy supported with EU Funds.
[2] The Handbook for Sustainable Urban Development Strategies produced by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission was based on a mixed-methods analysis of 964 SUD strategies implemented across 28 EU countries during the 2014-2020 programming period. Quantitative data was collected using STRAT-Board, which is both a database and an online mapping tool.