Phase 1. Multi-stakeholder & participatory consultation process

Rubén 27 April 2023

The first planning phase to the set-up of the CitESS pole consists of a wide, multi-level, multi-stakeholder, multi-level and participatory territorial consultation process. Therefore, the key actors, resources and activities in this phase are explained below.

Main Actors

Suggested actions in relation to the main actors to prepare the multi-stakeholder and participatory consultation process are as follows:

Suggested Actions regarding Main actors

· In general, focus on key actors and organisations (from different levels and sectors) that are already working on entrepreneurship and bring them at a common discussion table to develop the SSE: avoid duplication of efforts (actors doing the same things) and synergize and capitalize on the existing.

· A strong interest, involvement, and active participation of key local public institution and local public authorities that are supporting/can support entrepreneurship and the SSE is crucial if we want to concretise support to the SSE.

· A strong interest, involvement, and active participation of key regional/national level institutions and authorities (i.e. ministry-level actors, ministerial agencies) that are supporting/can support entrepreneurship and the SSE is crucial if we want to concretise support to the SSE.

· Make sure you involve key local SSE actors (i.e. cooperatives, social enterprises, CSOs, informal groups, NGOs) and SSE networks to make sure the building of the CitESS and the support to the local SSE is well rooted in the local community and to the territorial real needs.

· Identify and engage key local private SSE support organisations that can provide first-hand information on the real needs of the community and the local SSE.

· Engaging key Universities and research centres is fundamental when working on a cultural shift towards SSE.

Self-assessment questions

Who are the key public, private and academia actors in your territory that are or can be key to promoting an enabling SSE ecosystem? What do they do? In which sector and level of intervention do they work? Are they aware of the other actors of the ecosystem? Are they connected to each other? Do they collaborate? Can they be gathered at a common discussion table? Are they willing to cooperate?
Which are the key local institutions and local public authorities in your territory that are supporting/can support entrepreneurship and the SSE? How can you effectively engage them and ensure their active participation to the discussion table?
Which are the key regional/national level institutions and authorities in your context (i.e. ministry-level actors, ministerial agencies) that are supporting/can support entrepreneurship and the SSE? How can you effectively engage them and ensure their active participation to the discussion table?
Which key local SSE actors (i.e. cooperatives, social enterprises, CSOs, informal groups, NGOs) and SSE networks should you actively involve in the preliminary consultation process? Which key actor can best inform you on the real needs of the community?
Are there available local private SSE support organisations in your territory? How can you effectively engage them to gather key information on the real needs of the community and the local SSE?
Which key Universities and research centres could you engage in the preliminary consultation process to support the discussion on the importance of promoting the SSE?

Main Resources

Suggested actions in relation to the main resources to prepare the multi-stakeholder and participatory consultation process are as follows:

Suggested Actions regarding Main resources

· Human resources and personal skills and attitudes of involved individuals are key to a successful, wide, and participatory consultation process. The latter builds on crucial human skills, such as active listening, communication skills, facilitation skills, adaptability and flexibility, openness, mediation skills, leadership, long-term vision, and interpersonal skills. Most importantly, individuals’ true motivation and willingness to collaborate and to make this experience work is the ultimate success factor at this stage.

· It is important to have influential and strongly motivated leader sitting at the discussion table that can steer the consultation process leading to the CitESS set-up. Better if not representing public administrations or institutions, these leaders must be personally involved and really interested in the process, highly committed, and sufficiently charismatic to animate the discussion table.

· Social capital is a crucial resource allowing stakeholders to work together to effectively achieve a common purpose, building on mutual trust, cooperation, concertation, collaboration, openness, respect for one another.

· Financial resources are needed to support the work to be carried out by the staff team to steer and facilitate the consultation process.

Self-assessment questions

Who are the right individuals in your territory to engage in a wide and participatory process for the set-up of a CitESS? Do they have the necessary skills to dialogue, collaborate and connect with other key stakeholders of the ecosystem?
Is there an influential and strongly motivated person that can take up the leading role throughout the consultation phase and the overall process of setting up the CitESS?
Can your territory count on a certain level of social capital allowing these different key stakeholders to trust each other to work together to effectively achieve a common purpose?
Can you intercept sufficient financial resources to support the work done by the staff team to steer and facilitate the consultation process?

Main Activities

Suggested actions in relation to the main activities to prepare the multi-stakeholder and participatory consultation process are as follows:

Suggested Actions regarding Main activities

· A preliminary territorial assessment should previously inform any feasibility consideration of setting up a CitESS in a given region. It is important to assess and consider the dynamics of the SSE actors of the territory (i.e. development and dynamism of the associative groupings); the existence or absence of enabling legal frameworks; the social needs and problems (i.e. access to drinkable water, education, healthcare, cultural life); the multi-actor dynamics and support organisations; the existing supply chains which could be opportunities for the local SSE.

· Build the embryonic informal stakeholder network of the CitESS by bringing together all territorial key stakeholders – public, private, Academia, and civil society actors – at the common discussion table.

· Make sure you can promote a proper dialogue and listening space for the informal stakeholder network where all actors can acknowledge diverse realities and point of view concerning the SSE ecosystem in your territory.

· A delicate and essential step is the common definition and sharing of the SSE framework together with local actors and which suits your territory. If not framed in a broader strategy of territorialization starting from the key local SSE actors, a CitESS risks being a top-down operation. It is necessary to make sure that the pole serves the territorial context and that they are designed directly by the local actors themselves.

· Drive collective debate and dialogue among key actors in order to agree over the location, role and functioning of the CitESS.

· Create and foster a climate of trust, openness, cooperation and dialogue among actors of a territory that are or can be key to the development of an enabling SSE ecosystem: ensure all actors acknowledge that cooperation is a win-win situation for all.

· Work towards breaking silos and building mutual knowledge between key SSE ecosystem actors and their potential: who they are, what they do, the resources and networks they can deploy, leverage and share.

· Promote dialogue between key public and private actors to improve the collective capacity to identify what are the main territorial problems, needs and gaps.

Self-assessment questions

Can you access reliable data and information providing you with a comprehensive overview of the territory that could benefit from hosting the CitESS pole? What are the dynamics of the SSE actors of the territory? (i.e. development and dynamism of the associative groupings) Are there enabling SSE legal frameworks in place? What are the main territorial social needs and problems? (i.e. access to drinkable water, education, healthcare, cultural life) What are the multi-actor dynamics among SSE actors and support organisations? Which are the existing supply chains which could be opportunities for the local SSE?
Which is the best way to bring together all territorial key stakeholders – public, private, Academia, and civil society actors – in your context? How can you effectively engage them in an informal stakeholder network building the CitESS set-up?
How can you promote a proper dialogue and listening space allowing to acknowledge the different SSE ecosystem actors’ realities and point of view and to promote mutual understanding?
Can a shared definition of SSE suiting your territory be collectively identified and agreed upon among key ecosystem actors? Do international definitions adapt to our territory?
Building on the results of the preliminary territorial assessment and on the mutual dialogue promoted through the informal stakeholder network, which location can really benefit from hosting the CitESS pole? What should be its main role and function?
Is there a climate of trust, openness, cooperation and dialogue among actors of your territory that are or can be key to the development of an enabling SSE ecosystem? Can it be created or strengthened? Do the actors of your territory acknowledge that cooperation is a win-win situation for all? Can this perspective be promoted, understood, and adopted?
Do the (current and potential) SSE key actors of your territory know about each other, their activities the resources and networks they can deploy, leverage and share? Can mutual knowledge and networking be fostered?
Is there a common space for dialogue and reflexion in order for key public and private actors to collectively identify what are the existing main problems, needs and gaps in your territory?

The Mediterranean Lab for Co-production

of Social Innovation

07. How to Develop a Local Ecosystem of SSE Based on CITESS Methodology

Participants 2

Phase 1. Multi-stakeholder & participatory consultation process

Rubén 27 April 2023