Short description: Project “Local Partnerships for Employment – Phase 3” is one of the several projects which Croatian Employment Service plans to implement within IPA 2007-2009 Human Resources Development program. This project is a continuation of the projects “Local partnerships for employment – phase 1 and 2” which CES implemented in 8 counties within CARDS 2002 and CARDS 2004 programmes. CES recognized the importance of local partnerships and decided to develop and strengthen framework for activities on the local labour markets in all counties using partnership approach and experiences from CARDS programs. This project will be based on previous experiences and achievements in regional development policy as well as in already existing partnerships in targeted counties. The project will be implemented in 21 counties and the value of the project is 1,900,000 €. The project has started on November 23, 2009 and it will last for 20 months. Target groups are local labour market stakeholders from public, private and civil sector (i.e. local partnerships for employment, regional and local CES offices, NGOs, employers, regional associations of employers, chambers, trade unions, regional development agencies, formal and non-formal education institutions and organisations, regional and local self-government and other relevant stakeholders). The overall objective of the project is to reduce unemployment and “threat” of new unemployment by supporting the design and implementation of active and preventative labour market policy. The purpose of the project is to refine and develop institutional framework (based on partnerships) for the human resource development at counties level and strengthen capacities of local stakeholders to design and implement active labour market policy.