Project development for social transformation

Project background: The EU is slowly recovering from a severe crisis that affected its main pillars at all levels – and that is still reshaping the nature of it. The EECA countries are nowadays suffering a strong recession due to the international consequences of the sanctions imposed to Russia in the last year and the economic relations of its neighbouring countries (all EECA countries suffered a devaluation of their currency above 30% in the last 8 months, being Ukraine the most affected).
Youth unemployment within the EU reached its peak during the first quarter of 2013 with over a rate of 24% (Eurostat), and the figures in the first quarter of 2015 are not much better, being slightly lower of 23%. Countries especially affected by these figures both in EU and EECA already for years are Spain (53.3%), Greece (49.8%) Italy (43.9%), Armenia (39.3%) or Georgia (35.5).
In this given context, youth suffers from these general trends and youth organisations proved to be potential platforms for personal development of youngsters and potential actors for youth participation in social, economic, cultural and political life. Nevertheless, according to the EU Flash Barometer, only 22% of youngsters within the EU are actively involved in youth clubs or any kind of youth organisations, being these figures lower in the EECA region.
In the described context, it becomes of special relevance for youth organisations to arise as a relevant actor and be competent to develop initiatives and projects that address the needs of youngsters and reach the highest quality standards. Lacking competences when planning projects addressing the complex realities youngsters are facing can lead to frustrating consequences, such as misplaced actions, ineffective strategies, lack of funding, impossibility to capitalise results, among others.
Against that, the project aims to contribute to the development of competences of youth workers on project development and management for social change. For that, the project objectives focus on two main elements: First, to gain an overall understanding of social change processes and, second, to increase the capacities of youth workers to designing tailored project proposals that effectively foster these processes.
By understanding these different concepts and its interconnections, the training course will contribute to increase organisations and youth workers quality of their work, raising their own capacities to design tailored projects addressing the needs of their target groups and consequently empowering them.
The training course will take place in Georgia, during Spring/Summer 2016. 24 participants from 12 EU and EECA countries will participate in the activity.

Project aim and objectives: The aim of the Training Course is to develop the competences of youth workers on project development and management for social change. More precisely, the objectives of the Training Course are:
• To share youth challenges and good practices connected with youth work and social change,
• To understand the basic theories of social change,
• To explore the tools to develop coherent theory of change,
• To analyse youth realities in the communities through context analysis tools,
• To share and use tools for project development at practical level,
• To develop project proposals and establish follow-up activities that contribute to social change connected with youth needs,
• To create a portfolio with activities and good practices used by the organisations.

Methodology: The methodological approach of the Training Course is based on non-formal education and its principles. It will include workshops, discussions, presentations, theatre, role-plays, theoretical inputs and group work. The training will also provide an intensive project development and partnership building component.

Profile of participants: The participants should have:
– Previous experience with project writing/development with at least one international donor,
– Capacity to establish and create partnerships and commit with follow-up application of processes,
– Interested in developing competences and implement follow-up initiatives,
– Aware of the characteristics of the learning environment (non-formal education),
– Working regularly on the youth field,
– Should have communicative level of English.