The Purpose of the Project
The overall aspiration of the project was to ensure quality, stability, sustainability and visibility in the projects, programs and general work of these NGOs, and especially in ERASMUS+ activities, and thus strengthen the quality and impact of youth work.
Complementing the classic project management, a big focus was put on the embedding of activities in a long term strategic plan, the creation and review (management cycle) of necessary conditions to allow for such a process, as well as the embedding in a marketing and PR strategy. The portfolio of managerial considerations and tools was rounded up by aspects of organisational and human resources management and selected aspects of financial management.
Approaches stemming from the private economy and big professional associations were adapted and tailor-made to the specific conditions and realities of these NGOs. This should be a help to ensure constant and homogenous quality, yield stability, provide embedding in a long term strategy, and allow for sustainability and visibility of the projects and activities of these NGOs, and thus of ERASMUS+ activities.
Transversal aspects of the training were ERASMUS+ youth strand and the fostering of new partnerships and projects. All issues were dealt with examples from, a reference to and relevance for ERASMUS+ projects and international youth work. Transversal aspects of the training course were the ERASMUS+ programme, professional and organisational development, and the fostering of new partnerships and projects.
Methods and Activities
The training course was based on the specific needs of the participants and partner organisations and was highly participatory. Diversity, e.g. in the group of participants, was considered as a resource for the exchange and transfer of competences, as well as special attention was paid to the intercultural dimension of the project. There were only a few frontal lectures, the main part of the training course was delivered in the form of practical sessions implemented by the participants in a learning-by-doing fashion.
Using the full toolbox of non-formal education and experiential learning (eg energizers and physical activities, group work and discussions, simulation exercises and role-plays, the use of the creative expression, competitions and quizzes, games, reflection and evaluation, debriefing and feedback, digital tools etc).
The trainers took care of creating a supportive and safe learning environment, where participants are encouraged and coached while mastering challenges that contribute to their personal, professional and organisational development. The learning took place both on the individual level as well as in synergetic group processes.
Action/experience, reflection and feedback were important elements that are kept in balance, as well a range of diverse methods was applied to meet the different learning preferences of the participants.
Special attention was paid to making the learning points of the training course relevant, sustainable and transferable, eg by producing exhaustive documentation and by providing templates for tailor-made development and action plans. The training course was furthermore embedded in a blended online learning and resource environment.
What Did “I” Gained Out This Project
“I have gained new skills of pitching/ public speaking, learned about new methodologies used for projects management and we use it in our organisation (like Gantt chart or milestones, etc..), learned new reflection methods (like the daily hat thing), got inspired to use more adapted board games in youth work activities. And also, I kinda think that I can almost understand financial balance sheets now :-)”
“The great impact for me was the type of personality according to the type of decisions I do. That helps me with effective decisions making not just in the project, but personally in my life. Another huge point was Guerilla marketing.”
“It helped me to apply and transfer my previous work experience from the private sector to non-profit organizational level”
“M3 was a great asset to our goal which is to be able to raise awareness of people from different backgrounds to social issues as we have always been engaged with social transformations attempts.”
“Insights on different approaches so we can continue leaving visible footprints in our neighborhood too”
