Three models of networking and building skills for innovation

ESF Managing Authority – Spain

Equal experiences

3 practices from 3 National Thematic Groups EQUAL – Employability:

1. Equal projects working on social enterprises meet in a network with the policy makers of Spain in this field (Ministry of Employment) to transfer good ideas and practices and to help drafting the new National Law of Social Enterprises.

2. Equal projects working on Corporate Social Responsibility draft a report with the NSS Equal on how to incorporate social clauses within the conditions of public procurements, and set up a Network of Territories Socially Responsible in order to empower local authorities, local NGOs and social partners and to involve them on employment policies.

3. Equal projects working on fight against discrimination, racism and xenophobia created a network to share experiences and know-how, and published a DVD with best innovative EQUAL products on training to avoid discrimination, racism and xenophobia.

Innovation in the following fields:

• Policy makers have a new and permanent channel to listen to organizations working on social companies.

• Real empowerment of local authorities and NGOs to implement employment policies, more focused and with a close contact to the real needs of population.

• Incorporation of social clauses on public procurement. • Sharing and using new tools to fight against discrimination and

racism. • Strong points: Improvement of skills and new ways of work. Three

kind of mainstreaming: bottom-up, up-bottom, and horizontal. • Weak point: lack of financing in the future to sustain the networks.

• The new National Law on Social Companies can be use for all potential promoters willing to create a Social Company. The procedure of dialogue between policy makers and network of projects can be transferred to other fields on employment.

• Other territories (local authorities, city councils, etc.) can join the existing network of Territories Socially Responsible and share procedures and methodologies.

• National, regional and local policy makers can incorporate social clauses in their public procurements with a clear methodology.

• The DVD with products to fight against discrimination is available for all policy makers, companies and NGOs working in this field.

POTENTIAL USERS

IMPACT ON SKILLS AND INNOVATION

- Promoters of social companies now have a new Law that rules all procedures and legal details to create a social company. Policy makers have a better

understanding of the needs, limits and problems of social companies.

- Civil servants and policy makers now have new skills about how to incorporate social clauses in their public procurement procedures.

- Local authorities on employment have new competences and power to implement their employment policies.

- People working in the fight against discrimination (authorities, organizations, NGOs, companies, trade unions) can improve their skills and competences

with the products and tools published.