Download - PRESENTATION
Supporting the sustainability of public/private/civil society partnerships to
promote fundamental rights:how to handle crises within a partnership?
Hamburg – 16 October 2007
Financed by the DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities
RESEAU FINANCEMENT ALTERNATIF(www.rfa.be)
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EUFIN background - phase 1
►In December 2004, RESEAU FINANCEMENT ALTERNATIF initiated a program entitled «Developing tools shared by public authorities and financial institutions to promote fundamental rights in the European Union» financed by the EC – DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities.
►17 European (Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Northern Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Romania, United Kingdom, Slovakia and Sweden) partnerships between public authorities, financial institutions and social economy organisations promoting fundamental rights were analysed.
►The programme 2004-2005 provided the opportunity to complete the following actions:– Identify and benchmark experiments and good practices conducted on a partnership basis by
public authorities, financial institutions and third sector organisations;
– Study content, application, monitoring and verification issues of these experiments and good practices;
– Explain and discuss these experiments and good practices;
– Check if and to what extent they may be reproduced in other European Union regions;
– Pool and coordinate these experiments and good practices so as to promote their convergence and transparency.
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Fundamental rights
The freedom to choose an occupation and the right to engage in work (article 15 of the European Union's Charter of fundamental rights)
The freedom to conduct a business (article 16)
Equality between men and women (article 23)
Protection of family life (article 33)
The right to social security and social assistance (article 34)
Access to services of general economic interest (article 36)
Environmental protection (article 37)
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EUFIN phase 1 partners
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Eq
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Pro
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Th
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En
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Enigma Siebte Saüle Microlending GermanyFlemish health insurance fund BelgiumDevelopment solidarity-based finance systems in Lille FranceANDC - Associacao Nacional de Direito ao Crédito PortugalPortsmouth Savers Credit Union United KingdomCredit guarantee fund for setting up new companies in Göteborg SwedenOsiris – Prêt 5 sur 5 BelgiumMicrocredits per a dones emprenedores SpainSolidarity-based savings week FranceFondazione La Casa Onlus ItalyMicro Finance Coalition RomaniaFund for the Social and Sustainable Economy BelgiumAssociation for the Right to Economic Initiative FranceAspire micro loans for business Nothern IrlandBridges Community Venture United KingdomIntegra Foundation for women entrepreneurs SlovakiaKvinnors Företagande – loan for women entrepreneurship Sweden
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EUFIN background - phase 2
►Based on the need expressed by the delegates at the end of the 2004-2005 programme, the RESEAU FINANCEMENT ALTERNATIF and its partners have launched the second phase of the Eufin project.
►10 training sessions are scheduled during the second half of 2007 to support:
– the creation of public/private partnerships so as to promote basic rights;
– the continuation of public/private partnerships so as to promote fundamental rights.
These training courses are intended for public authorities and for mainstream financial institutions in order to draw their attention to the issue of the promotion of fundamental rights, but they are also directed to civil society organisations in order to promote the professionalisation of the social economy sector.
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Introduction
Training leaders: Hajo Streitberger (Enigma) – Bernard Bayot (Réseau Financement Alternatif)
Recorder: Annika Cayrol (Réseau Financement Alternatif)
Delegates: presentation and experience with partnerships
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Training objectives
Analysis
Tools and Communication
Solutions
Applying the Lessons Learned for the Next European Social Fund Funding Period
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Summary 1/2
08:30 Reception of delegates
09:00 Presentation of delegates, objectives of the training session09:15 – Analysis • How can we identify alarm warnings of a potential crisis within a partnership?• How can stakeholders identify the existence or development of a crisis jeopardizing the long-term action of the partnership?• How can the development of the action and/or partnership generate risks of crisis?
10:15 - Coffee Break & Visit of Enigma
11:00 – Tools and Communication• Can a crisis be prevented in the partnership via the optimum use of management tools?• How does optimum strategic planning contribute to the minimisation of risks of crisis within the partnership?• How can regular assessments of the action and partnership help to avoid crises within the partnership?• Can an open communication mode prevent or eliminate a potential source of conflict within a partnership?• How can we introduce a system enabling open and regular communications with partners?• Can interpersonal relationships between partners make it possible to facilitate crisis handling?
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Summary 2/2
12:30 - Lunch Break
13:45 – Solutions• How can a crisis be solved within a partnership while meeting the desires of all parties, to avoid detrimental effects on the action?• How can the source of the crisis be positively identified?• How can we identify potential solutions and find common ground?• How can we apply and enforce the solution which has been opted for?
15:15 - Coffee Break
15:30 – Applying the Lessons Learned for the Next European Social Fund Funding Period
• Has the given date of the end of a project partnership lead to a crisis?• How can the partners be prepared for such a foreseeable crisis? • Which are the proven measures in such a crisis?• Can the lessons learned in the past, be utilized for future partnerships? • How can the lessons learned be transferred into a new partnership? • How can the co-operation with proven partners be continued? • How can the core competences of additional potential partners be identified?
17:00 - End of Training Day
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1. Analysis
1.1 How can we identify alarm warnings of a potential crisis within a partnership?
Repetitive absences from meetings
Non-execution of certain tasks
Retaining information
Less commitment
Lack of motivation
Non-resolved conflicts
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1. Analysis
1.2 How can stakeholders identify the existence or development of a crisis jeopardizing the long-term action of the partnership?
Beware of latent or hidden conflicts
Make sure stakeholders agree with conflict resolution solutions
Limit future consequences of present conflicts
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1. Analysis
1.3 How can the development of the action and/or partnership generate risks of crisis?
Discrepancies about the action or action objectives
Disagreement concerning integration of new partners
Different level of work provided by different partners
Roles and responsibilities confusion
These situations are difficult to avoid but can be anticipated by: Promoting trust, communication and open dialogue
Always try to reach consensus
Be clear, concise and coherent
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Coffee break
Enigma Visit
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2. Tools and Communication
2.1 Can a crisis be prevented in the partnership via the optimum use of management tools?
Management tools can help prevent a partnership crisis but:
Individuals play a bigger role and can become obstacles
Outside events such as political changes or new regulations can be more decisive in the well-being of a partnership
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2. Tools and Communication
2.2 How does optimum strategic planning contribute to the minimisation of risks of crisis within the partnership?
Here we talk about an organisational crisis
Importance of preparation time to elaborate vision, objectives and action plans
Usually early partnership crisis are due to lack of preparation time
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2. Tools and Communication
2.3 How can regular assessments of the action and partnership help to avoid crises within the partnership?
Regular assessments help to discover early alarm signs
Evaluation through control procedures tries to improve the partnerships organisation and resource allocation – thus helps prevent crisis
Evaluation also measures results and thus tries to avoid crisis by corrective actions
Evaluation should be perceived as a way to progress and not a threat
However, evaluations are not a guarantee that crisis will not appear Because evaluation procedures control procedures and corrective actions
must be relevant
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2. Tools and Communication
2.4 Can an open communication mode prevent or eliminate a potential source of conflict within a partnership?
Trust is a key word
Open communication allows faster reactivity between partners
Communication should be done Vertically: between the planning and the operational parties
Horizontally: exchange with other similar partnership experiences
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2. Tools and Communication
2.5 How can we introduce a system enabling open and regular communications with partners?
Positive feedback mechanisms: Management reports
Newsletters
Regular meetings, formal and informal
Important to adapt written reports to entities’ language: i.e. financial reports (payment deadlines, owed reimbursements, amounts…) to financial institutions; more action-oriented reports for social actors and a mix for public authorities
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2. Tools and Communication
2.6 Can interpersonal relationships between partners make it possible to facilitate crisis handling?
Partners’ commitment is proportional to their participation to meetings, personal interviews and steering committees
Regular meetings initiated by project leaders
Steering committee: project evolution, opinion on implemented strategy and follow up on partners contribution (financial and qualitative)
Personal and informal relationships (via email, telephone, Skype…) promote action objectives and help to resolve conflicts
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Lunch break
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3. Solutions
3.1 How can a crisis be solved within a partnership while meeting the desires of all parties, to avoid detrimental effects on the action?
Find real cause of the crisis
Discuss solutions with all partners
Try to reach a consensus
Keep focus on objectives
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3.2 How can the source of the crisis be positively identified?
Finding a solution is not an option, it is an obligation among partners
Do not stay with generalities ‘it is not working’ but
Understand all disagreement causes and reasons of non-cooperation
To find out real source of crisis
Consequences of non-resolution of conflict can be the following:
Problems will persist
Individuals will continue to follow own agenda
Increased cynicism and division
3. Solutions
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3.3 How can we identify potential solutions and find common ground?
Whether internal or external, potential solutions usually come through consensus or compromise
Four steps are ideal to find solutions Define the problem/issue
Understand the problem and see who is implicated
Identify possible solutions
Choose a solution and implement it
Positive and open attitudes are required to manage a crisis
The help of an external mediator / expert can help find solutions
Judicial recourses should only be used as last resort
3. Solutions
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3.4 How can we apply and enforce the solution which has been opted for?
Easier if partners previously have crisis management skills
Solution applied should appeal to all stakeholders
Steering committee can be the entity « enforcing » the solution
3. Solutions
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Coffee break
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4. Applying the Lessons Learned for the Next European Social Fund Funding Period
4.1 Has the given date of the end of a project partnership lead to a crisis?
Crisis or salvation?
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4. Applying the Lessons Learned for the Next European Social Fund Funding Period
4.2 How can the partners be prepared for such a foreseeable crisis?
Preparing the end
Managing the change
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4. Applying the Lessons Learned for the Next European Social Fund Funding Period
4.3 Which are the proven measures in such a crisis?
Stop or go?
With whom and without whom?
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4. Applying the Lessons Learned for the Next European Social Fund Funding Period
4.4 Can the lessons learned in the past, be utilized for future partnerships?
Saving the lessons learned
Saving the experience
Learning organisation
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4. Applying the Lessons Learned for the Next European Social Fund Funding Period
4.5 How can the lessons learned be transferred into a new partnership?
Taking experienced partners on board
Taking the experienced people on board
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4. Applying the Lessons Learned for the Next European Social Fund Funding Period
4.6 How can the co-operation with proven partners be continued?
Common purpose
Letter of Intention
Speaking with each other: planning
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4. Applying the Lessons Learned for the Next European Social Fund Funding Period
4.7 How can the core competences of additional potential partners be identified?
Identifying the own core competences
Which other core competences would add value?
Creating a call for partners
Distributing it and waiting for response...
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Please take the time to fill the training assessment form and thank you for your attention!
Have a nice evening!!
5. Training assessment and thank you