The Safety Development Programme (TAP) is a two-year initiative for participating local governments. It aims to strengthen local governments’ capacity to create safer living environments. The programme is based on network collaboration and on prevention activities that rely on cross-sectoral prevention efforts. In 2023, the first eight pilot local governments joined the programme: the cities of Tallinn, Kohtla-Järve, Narva and Viljandi, and the rural municipalities of Saarde, Rapla, Saaremaa and Elva.
The study aimed to assess how the safety development programme has been implemented so far and to recommend ways to improve and further develop it. The evaluation found that TAP has laid the groundwork for strengthening local safety efforts and making safety more visible. This involved establishing dedicated local safety teams and taking a series of practical steps: appointing a coordinator and forming a steering group, mapping problem areas, drawing up a safety profile and an action plan, as well as mapping and engaging the network.
The greatest risks to the programme’s long-term sustainability concern whether local governments are prepared to keep implementing their action plans once the programme ends, including after institutional support and funding stop. For future cohorts of TAP to succeed, two changes are essential. First, the programme needs a clear focus on either prevention or crisis preparedness. Second, it needs to shift from a project-based approach to a permanent governance structure.