A Territorial Caretaker is a person who, in the exercise of their citizenship and in collaboration with the state, particularly local authorities, takes on the role of co-producer of public services and co-manager of the territory, by looking after, monitoring and managing the collective assets of a given area or community.

This little-known role has taken on various names, including "guardians", "janitors", "kingfishers", "godfathers" and "godmothers" of the public space.

These practices of co-management of the territory are very concrete examples of forms of collaboration between local authorities and citizens, demonstrating the potential of civic participation in a very effective way.

For these reasons, the Network decided to carry out a mapping, characterization and analysis of these practices, with a view to understanding their scope and providing a wealth of initiatives that can serve as inspiration for interested municipalities.

If you know of an experience and would like to contribute to the Observatory, please fill in the form below and send it to the Network's Technical Secretariat at rap@oficina.org.pt.