CONTEXT: Since the UN has introduced the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the EU is promoting the European Green Deal much more attention is drawn to sustainability management. To ensure quality of life on earth, a contribution of every economic sector will be required. Sustainability management weights the importance of economic, ecological and social goals of a company equally. The Social Economy (an uprising European sector providing social services) consists mostly of nonprofits, who are lacking skills related to this new kind of management. These organisations need staff members with skills in sustainability too. It is necessary to include these topics in the university education of future managers in Social Economy. eco3 - Sustainability Management and Green Controlling in Social Economy- will fill this gap and elaborate an educational package with 15 ECTS for Social Economy study programmes consisting of: 1) Two specific courses (sustainability management & green controlling) help students to develop specific competences/skills; 2) Learning and teaching materials will be developed with regard to different study programs (Social Work, Social Management) and groups of students: a lecturer’s guide, Power Point slides, a notated list of recommended literature, a guidance for group work and discussion groups, and a script for every course. 3) A workshop simulation game “green monopoly” and a “green controlling tool” to experiment with 7 different scenarios in 5 social economy business cases, both specially developed for this project. In the game, students initiate, accompany and evaluate an introduction process of sustainability management in a social enterprise. The green controlling tool helps to select indicators suitable to find measures and to assess the management success. 4) Pocket Lectures: Video and podcast episodes for sustainability management in social enterprises, to repeat or to prepare for a flipped classroom concept. OBJECTIVES include: 1) to co-operatively elaborate the above mentioned results 2) to motivate other universities to use the educational material 3) to deepen the understanding of the specific framework conditions for Social Economy 4) to broadly disseminate project results and to establish a future plan to maintain and to develop results after the project end in higher education RESULTS A) Deepening the international cooperation of universities in the field of Social Economy B) Elaboration of new ways of cooperation between universities and social economic enterprises to develop teaching content and research focuses C) Enlarging the social impact of social enterprises and enfold sustainability effects D) Developing and sharing the importance of sustainability TARGET GROUPS: Dissemination activities and 2 multiplier events address university lecturers, students in Social Economy and social work in Austria, Germany, Romania and the Czech Republic and stakeholders and representatives of different study programmes as well as practitioners from the Social Economy and people from neighbor disciplines (like public management or health management). The METHODOLOGY is research- and experience-based and will include a variety of didactic approaches for the educational package such as lectures, presentation of case studies, flexible interactive and self-study elements, gamification elements like the simulation game and software-based learnings; project management will be lean combined with critical path analysis. The CONSORTIUM consists of 4 universities and 2 SMEs from 4 countries: Co-ordinator FH CAMPUS WIEN (AT) – Department of Social Work, Master´s Degree Program Social Economy and Social Work. FH CAMPUS WIEN has invited the UNIVERSITY OF OSTRAVA – Department of Social Work (CZ) and BABES BOLYAI UNIVERSITY (CLUJ-NAPOCA) - Faculty of Sociology and Social Work (RO) to co-operate in this project, as these three universities are already co-operating regarding their Social Economy classes. The CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF EICHSTÄTT-INGOLSTADT (DE) - Faculty Social Work, is also offering a Social Economy programme and will contribute further expertise in nonprofit management and impact measurement. Practitioners’ inputs comes from the following SMEs: AKARYON (AT) is contributing expertise in sustainability reporting, in programming of web-based, interactive tools with impact assessment algorithms and in development of digital tools for teaching. XIT (DE) is providing services and support to primarily Social Economy organisations building on expertise in nonprofit management control and social impact measurement. IMPACTS: This project’s results educate lecturers and Social Economy students - future company founders or employees - with green skills needed for the upcoming required ecological transition. Eco3 contributs to opening education through new digital technologies, boosting digital competence as well as enhancing cross-cultural exchange (Europe’s Digital report 2016)
Our goal was, on the one hand, to anchor sustainability in the various master's degree programs in the areas of Social Economy, social management and Social Work, but also to send impulses into the practice of social enterprises. The project also clearly showed that there are still major differences in the framework conditions of Social Work/the Social Economy in the different countries, but the benefit of standardisation and common consideration at a European level. Especially when it comes to sustainability, a global or at least European perspective is required. Only together can we prevent the climate catastrophe. The project also aimed to collect best practice examples from different countries and ensure knowledge transfer. Already during the project, there was great interest in the topics from universities and students. Our goal of implementing the project content in various study programs was achieved. All universities in the project will integrate sustainability management and green controlling into their teaching. Other universities outside the project have also expressed interest. Through various dissemination activities we were also able to reach practice facilities in different countries.
Sustainability must be put on the agenda in all sectors of the economy and society, and that includes social enterprises and social work. However, in most European degree programs that focus on the management of social enterprises and leadership in social work, aspects of sustainability management have not been a topic so far. This has to change, because even if social enterprises have a smaller carbon footprint than manufacturing industries, they can contribute a lot to an economy that benefits people and nature through targeted sustainability management and green controlling along the three perspectives of ecological-social-economic. They can set an example as best practice for other sectors, but they can also do their own homework. Our goal was to prepare the future managers of social enterprises for the task of implementing sustainability goals and objectives and steering them along appropriate measures. To this end, the topics must also be anchored in the training of future managers. In the eco3 project, we have developed a wide range of teaching and learning materials for lecturers of master programs in the fields of Social Economy, social management and Social Work.