TRAINING MANUAL – Available NOW

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Posted on December 10, 2016 by consiliumdt

The Training Manual is now available in English. Available to download in resources.

The 30+ activities are targeted towards young people and have been developed for those interested in or involved in SSE (Social Enterprise in the UK). The 30+ activities are arranged in 10 Topics and with 3 difficulty levels.

This Training Manual was developed in response to the 10 profile types identified within our research and developed in the Portfolio of Competence. It aims to develope the transversal competencies common to these profile types.

Although the specific focus is SSE the activities are also suitable for develping transversal competencies accross a broad range of alternative buisnesses strategies.

ISSE GAME – PLAY NOW

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Posted on November 28, 2016 by consiliumdt

Available to PLAY NOW

(Currently available in English, Spanish and French. Italian and Greek to follow soon)

It can be played individually but is ideally suited to playing in groups.

An analysis and decision making simualtion game. Its focus is the 4 core values which characterise a Social and Solidarity Economy (Social Enterprise in the UK) buisness or organisation; and the development of the core competencies needed for successfull management and day to day operation.

Research and Portfolio AVAILABLE NOW

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Posted on April 18, 2016 by consiliumdt

The research highlights both the similarities and differences in the history and active participation in the Social and Solidarity Economy (Social Enterprise in the UK) among the participating countries within this project.

Full versions of the research

Research

Informe de investigación

Summary versions of the research

Synthèse de la recherche

Περίληψη της έρευνας

Sintesi della ricerca

Research Summary

The communicator

The portfolio is a guide in the pathway into SSE. It is built upon the basis of 10 profiles – compiled from the research and focus groups. It contains transversal competencies common to SSE and specific competencies for each profile. It is an opportunity to map out your own route into or continuing path within SSE.

Training modules, which are currently being written and trialed, will be available in the autumn and these will link to the Portfolio.

Portfolio of Competence English version

Portfolio de compétences en ESS

Porfolio de competencias en la ESS

Οδηγός δεξιοτήτων στην Κ.Α.Ο

The Portfolio is currently available in English, French, Spanish and Greek the other language of the project will follow in the next few weeks.

18th April: launch of Research and Portfolio

Posted on April 9, 2016 by consiliumdt

In the framework of the ISSE project (Initiatives of Social and Solidarity Economy) two working groups, led respectively by XES and Kaleido’scop, have carried on a Research and created a Portfolio on competences about Social and Solidarity Economy.

The Research has been developed through the work in five countries based on a literature review and local focus groups. The study is essentially about the characteristics and main practices of SSE in the different contexts and it makes an approach to training needs in SSE.

The Portfolio is a guide in the pathway towards Social and Solidarity Economy: What is your profile? What are your competences ? How do you intend to acquire competencies that you are missing? A course? A work-experience? It is built upon the basis of 10 type-profiles, under which could be sorted out different jobs or activities of SSE.

The Research and the Portfolio will be available online (in English, Spanish, French, Italian and Greek) on the 18 of April here in the project website.

Mid term evaluation meeting and update

Posted on February 10, 2016 by consiliumdt

Mid term meeting –

Mid term meeting Athens December 2015

This took place just before Christmas and was hosted by the the Greek partner ‘Citizens in Action’. Our thanks go to them for an excellent job.

Sadly the UK member of the coordination team lost their passport and was unable to physically attend the meeting, they did however attend via Skype.

A busy and intensive few days of reviewing current progress and planning the next steps.

One of the changes for partnerships within the Erasmus+ programme is less funding for face to face meetings between partners. The drawback for this is the meetings are more intense with less time to socialize and more importantly, less opportunity, in our case, to look at SSE experiences in the partner countries.

Despite the intensity of the meeting, overall satisfaction among partners regarding progress made so far, is good. Although we are a little behind, the timeline has been revised and all are confident of achieving the outputs specified within the schedule.

The meeting could best be summed up by the comment:

‘good partnership + commitment + energy = Team work, results, fun’

Updates

Research – this has taken a little longer than expected but the compilation of research from the partners has been completed in both English and Spanish. It was agreed to complete a summary version for translation into all 5 partnership languages. This is currently underway.

The research documents, both full and summary versions, will be available in March 2016 at the same time as the Portfolio of competencies is published.

Avatar Example

Portfolio – Work is ongoing, following both focus groups and individual interviews – Generic job/role profiles have been completed with specific competencies; knowledge, skills and attitudes, and; transversal SSE competencies identified for each profile.

Planned as an E-portfolio each profile will be identified with an Avatar (which at present are being designed). (A sneak preview of my favorite to date – I stress this is only my personal favorite and may not make it into the final document).

This is planned for completion and publishing alongside the Research document in March 2016.

Training Modules – Work has begun on these and they will link to the competencies focusing on Attitudes, skills and knowledge. Due for completion in October. Trials of some of the activities are initially planned for April, June and July, to be followed by validating and translation.

Virtual Game – This is very much at the beginning stage and current thinking is to link to the Portfolio profiles and avatars. A mixture of SSE awareness raising and challenging attitudes through completing challenges within a virtual environment. Trials of the game are due to take place in July, August, September with completion in October.

Final Event – November is the month of SSE in France and the town of St Etienne hosts an SSE fair attracting around 5000 people during the last week of November.

We have agreed to host our final event as part of this larger fair. Our intention is to have a stand and workshops showcasing the project outputs; research, portfolio, Training modules and Virtual game during the event.

We are looking to raise additional funds to support attendance of individuals from SSE business’s who have participated in the focus groups / interviews and supported the project. And, who would benefit from attending our workshops / seminars and networking within a wider SSE audience.

September Update – Initiatives of Social and Solidarity Economy: the state of the art

Posted on September 5, 2015 by consiliumdt

I.S.S.E. is a special project, indeed. It gathers committed partners (see their description in the web of the project) and people that matured experiences in the field of Social and Solidarity Economy, but that feel that still it is needed to build a common ground and promote new tools in order to make steps forward for an “alternative economic sector”, or better, for an “alternative way of living” (depending on the point of view).

The project designed at the beginning a clear pathway, but now experts working on the ground face all the difficulties that real geography presents when we compare it to maps.

During these months, a working group of researchers, led by XES (Spain), has carried on a Research about Social and Solidarity Economy. The Research has been implemented through the work in five countries on literature, focus groups and bibliography, dealing with the notions and characteristics of SSE in the different contexts and starting to work on the competences needed for improving training in SSE. The Research is almost finished and it will be translated soon. Its results will be announced in autumn, keep tuned.

The focus on needed competences is leading now to the start of the second phase (or intellectual output) of the project: the creation of a Portfolio of Competences in Social and Solidarity Economy, which will be coordinated by Kaleido’scop (France). Here the main challenges for the working group will be to find a comprehensive definition of what is a competence in action, to give coherence to different needs (coming from different contexts) for the SSE competences development and to create a practical and useful format for a Portfolio of the SSE competences.

This is where we are now, in September 2015. The work on Training Modules and Virtual Game on SSE is waiting for the developments of these two first phases and will start in next months. In December there will be an intermediate meeting in Athens, aimed to check what has been done and to prepare the ground for the next steps in 2016.

We will update you in this Web about all our work and production!

Davide Tonon: Project Manager / Nexes

Research Update

Posted on August 30, 2015 by consiliumdt

Research – the collection of data for the research, which comprised of both desktop research into the social and solidarity economy of each country and information gathered from focus groups, is now complete. Our partner XES based in Barcelona has been tasked with compiling the results into a document.

We knew at the beginning when the original proposal was submitted to the Erasmus+ programme there would be a difference between the partner countries but it was the similarities that brought us together and the research has demonstrated the similarities and some differences.

Without pre-empting the results I noted a difference within my discussions with members of the research team in how the different countries perceived there place within their economies;

Within the UK (which is my perspective) Social Enterprise, which is how it’s referred to in the UK, is integrated and well supported alongside mainstream capitalism. Social Enterprise in the UK does not seek to oppose capitalism but works happily alongside. The government has embraced the social element and actively supports business at a local and national level.

In Italy SSE appears to be outside of the normal economy. Business’s often have the feeling of being a small fragmented sector that is isolated from the main economy. They also work in isolation to other SSE businesses.

Spain was different again and cooperation between businesses was a consistent theme with business strong in the area of social action. The promotion of SSE over a capitalist economy is high on the agenda of SSE businesses.

France was in the middle between the UK and Spain. SSE is supported within legislation and sits alongside Capitalism but SSE businesses are more active in promoting SSE as an alternative to capitalism.

Greece has a different experience born out of austerity over the last 5 years or so. It is very much a bottom up experience and is viewed by many as a sustainable way of doing business in contrast to capitalism. It is people and needs driven rather than from the ideological standpoint of other countries.

The focus group in Spain noted that some terminology often associated with SSE, such as, entrepreneurial, had lost its meaning – this is perhaps true of countries with a longer history of SSE. The bottom up approach is perhaps lost in the past of some countries and reflects in how they perceive the place of SSE within their economy.

These are my initial impressions and not necessarily the views of the partnership. It is not the differences that unite us but the similarities and a shared mutual respect.

Common themes identified were ethical practice, sustainability, cooperation and a people centred approach, which all partners agreed were common to SSE practice in all of the countries.

Charlie Lockyer (Consilium Education and Training).

Research – Introduction

Posted on April 7, 2015 by consiliumdt

The purpose of this research, which is the starting point for all the partnership activities, is to explore the main characteristics of SSE (Social Solidarity Economy). Identifying the characteristics common across Europe and the specific characteristics within the participating countries, France, Greece, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Identify the main characteristics in relation to organisation structure and legal framework, recognizing the specific differences between countries.
Analyse the subjective dynamics that support SSE projects. With specific focus on the recognition of values, abilities, knowledge and attitudes.
Identify existing education and training opportunities that support SSE as well as the underlying competencies and training needs framework within which they operate.
Contribute to the continued development of SSE, providing opportunities for networking and sharing SSE experiences.

The research will start as a Desk based exercise. This will be followed by the development of Focus Groups to define and test the findings. Focus groups will also contribute to the development of a practical and relevant portfolio of competencies suitable for SSE.

The partner responsible for coordinating the research is Xarxa d’Economia Solidària (XES) from Barcelona, Spain.

Final Event / Seminar – Introduction

Posted on April 1, 2015 by consiliumdt

This will be the last activity of the partnership. It will be coordinated by Kaléido’Scop and supported by MIFE and University Jean Monnet.

It is planned to take place in St Etienne, France in November 2016. Continue reading →

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Mid term meeting –

‘good partnership + commitment + energy = Team work, results, fun’

Updates

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