Qualicities is helping Europe’s historic cities and regions to overcome these barriers. Run by AVEC, the Alliance de Villes Européennes de la Culture, the operation is developing a lasting quality system and brand. Adapting a method already used successfully by France’s chambers of commerce and industry, the quality system recognises, develops and enhances the skills of the member cities’ personnel. This improves the quality of project management in the cities and of the services they offer the public.