PHASE 3. FORMALIZING COLLABORATION UNDER A CONSORTIUM MODEL

PHASE 3. FORMALIZING COLLABORATION UNDER A CONSORTIUM MODEL

Insights from the case study Suggested actions

MAIN ACTORS Self-assessment questions

The three key social cooperatives carrying out the activities mentioned in previous phases and an additional fourth agricultural cooperative. Together, these four cooperatives combined under an umbrella organization, namely a Consortium, sharing the same development strategy, the same social mission, and each delivering specific services. The local pastoral organization. The local public health service provider approving the so-called Health Budgets (see section Activities below). Surrounding local entities and municipalities adhering to “The Welcoming Small Municipalities” network (see section Activities below).  Connect active and motivated key organizations (i.e., social cooperatives) in order to understand the possible benefits of collaborating and structuring their activities under an umbrella organization (i.e., a

Consortium of social cooperatives) pursuing a common local development strategy and maximizing territorial impact.  Engage with actors/organizations/public bodies which can support and/or scale the social impact.  If the pursued local development strategy centred on social inclusion proves to be successful, there are good chances that surrounding territories, if sharing similar contexts, could also benefit from the same strategy. In that case, promote the strategy perhaps through the launch of a common manifesto/network in order to spark more interest and to formalize the engagement of local public entities.  Who are those key organizations (i.e., social cooperatives, social enterprises) able and willing to cooperate under an umbrella organization, such as a Consortium of social enterprises? Can this type of overarching organization help them to carry out a more holistic and integrated local development approach?  Who are those actors/organizations/public bodies which can support and/or scale the social impact?  Can the carried out local development strategy be promoted and applied to surrounding municipalities/territories? Could they benefit from the same strategy? Can the strategy be “branded” under a common manifesto/network to spark more interest and engagement?

Public Health Budgets12 which allowed the social cooperatives to secure individual three-year budgets for each person with disability, hence guaranteeing a more stable and personalized fund revenue for their social and work re-integration projects. Public national funds destined to public entities and third sector organization in order to carry out three-year projects aimed at the  Seek for more stable sources of funding (whether public or private) in order to carry out the social and work-integration programs and activities  Are there opportunities to secure more stable sources of funding (whether public or private) in order to carry out the social and work-integration programs and activities?  Can the selling of your goods and services guarantee a source of revenue covering

MAIN RESOURCES

12 Public funds allocated for the implementation of individualized therapeutic rehabilitation projects.

social inclusion and work integration programs for migrants (the so-called SPRAR system). Revenues coming from the productive activities carried out by the cooperatives such as hotel services, agricultural productions and value chains, shops, restaurants, craftsmanship and more. production/service delivery costs?

At this stage, a fourth key cooperative joined forces with the other three. The latter was founded in 2013 by young graduates returning from abroad to carry out social agricultural activities which they defined as “cohesive agriculture” . Together, these four key cooperatives which had been building over time a strong common history as well as a shared development model through their social inclusion activities, decided to create the Consortium “Sale della Terra”. The latter has, on the one hand, the objective of giving continuity to these activities pursuing the social and economic inclusion of people at risk of marginalization or belonging to disadvantaged social categories. On the other, the consortium pursues a broader local development and local regeneration of the territory centred on social inclusion. The social cooperatives together with the families of the patients of Mental Health Department and the local pastoral organization advocated and carried out a legal process to demand the local public health service provider to apply the reform recognizing the Health Budgets13 approved by the regional law since 2012 but still not operating at the local level. This allowed the social cooperatives to secure individual three-year Health Budgets for each person with disability, hence guaranteeing a more stable and personalized fund for their re-integration projects. These funds allowed the social cooperatives to manage additional activities such as a “dispersed” hotel and a social residence, urban gardens and more. The social cooperatives managed to access the public national fund destined to public entities and third sector organization in order to carry out three-year projects aimed at the social inclusion and work integration programs for migrants (the so-called SPRAR system). Thanks to the combined funds coming from the Health Budgets and the SPRAR system, the social cooperatives (soon to become a Consortium) triggered a local regeneration strategy for the  Formalise the collaboration of key organizations (i.e., social enterprises) under an umbrella organization (i.e., a Consortium of social enterprises) pursuing a common local development strategy and maximizing territorial impact. A Consortium can have different institutional and organizational set up according to its functions. The latter are mainly identifiable in provision of support services to its member cooperatives, (i.e., administrative services, advice, training, facilitation of access to credit, etc.); political representation; and an entrepreneurial function mainly by acting as a general contractor.

 Seek for more stable sources of funding (whether public or private) in order to carry out the social and work-integration programs and activities. If not available, assess whether an advocacy activity is feasible in order to obtain them.

 If the pursued local regeneration and development strategy centred on social inclusion proves to be successful, there are good chances that surrounding territories, if sharing similar contexts, could also benefit from the same strategy. In that case, promote the strategy perhaps through the launch of a common manifesto/network in order to spark more interest and to formalize the engagement of local public entities.  Are key organizations (i.e., social enterprises) able and willing to cooperate under an umbrella organization, such as a

Consortium of social enterprises? Can this type of overarching organization help them to carry out a more holistic and integrated local development approach?  Are there opportunities to secure more stable sources of funding (whether public or private) in order to carry out the social and work-integration programs and activities? If not available, is an advocacy activity feasible in order to obtain them?

 Can the carried out local development strategy be promoted and applied to surrounding municipalities/territories? Could they benefit from the same strategy? Can the strategy be “branded” under a common manifesto/network to spark more interest and engagement?

MAIN ACTIVITIES

13 Public funds allocated for the implementation of individualized therapeutic rehabilitation projects.

surrounding small municipalities at risk of depopulation and abandonment precisely based on social inclusion projects. This strategy was soon joined by a number of surrounding municipalities forming the network called “The Welcoming Small Municipalities” (namely “Piccoli Comuni del Welcome”- PCW) and actively began promoting the set-up of community cooperatives employing both locals and refugees, people with disabilities, detained persons or people sentenced to alternative measures to prison, thanks to the beforementioned sources of funding. The aim of this strategy is to inspire and “contaminate” surrounding territories in adopting the Consortium’s local development vision and strategy.