About

PROJECT OVERVIEW:

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability are key priorities for companies in Europe, driven by social requirements and regulatory frameworks such as the 2023 Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) lack CSR experts or appropriate training programmes. The current CSR practices often fall short in promoting direct engagement with local communities, which are essential for a company’s acceptance and success.

The CDM project addresses this gap by introducing a comprehensive training program focused on linking CSR to community development. Aimed at graduates and company staff, the project emphasises the creation of a Community Development Manager (CDM) role to ensure CSR initiatives are aligned with business strategies, while promoting stronger links with local communities. By fostering shared values and addressing social well-being, the project seeks to bring CSR practices and promote cooperation in Europe.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:

• Increase awareness about the need for and potential of community-oriented CSR and sustainability strategies in companies.

• Enhance innovative VET training and consistent knowledge about CSR linked to community development.

• Design and Pilot different forms of collaboration between companies and local communities that allow social sustainable initiatives for the territory.

OUTPUTS:

1. Community Development Recommendations (CD Recommendations) as result of the needs assessment of companies and local communities of each Country. From the study and collection of local evidence, CD Recommendations will be elaborated at the transnational level by encouraging specific strategies, behaviours, reorganizational paths not referred to Countries but to Europe.

2. Community Development Training (CD Training), to enhance competences of the target groups and build their capacities to work together with local community stakeholders, thus generating community development initiatives. The training will be based on flexible online learning methods, tailored to the needs of the learners and communities (based on needs and challenges identified) and aimed at adequately preparing future learners/CDMs to cooperate with local communities. Accompanying materials for VET trainers will add to the replicability and sustainability of the programme.

3. Community Development Hub (CD Hub) is a combination of online learning platform, information repository and collaborative tool for companies, CD managers and the community. It will provide: -continuous updating and direct interactions among CDMs, and between them and trainers and companies; -tools for designing and implementing community interventions of SMEs in local communities -a tool for matching local communities’ needs and local enterprises willing to co-design and fund community development projects, as part of the sustainability strategy of CDM.

PARTNERS

Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne

The University of Paris was founded in the early 13th century and has since been a center of academic excellence. As a successor to the Faculty of Law and Economics of the Sorbonne, Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne combines a rich intellectual tradition with a focus on contemporary global challenges.

With around 45,000 students, the university is one of France’s largest, spanning 14 teaching and research departments and five institutes. It offers programs in economics, law, management, political science, and the humanities, fostering interdisciplinary approaches. The CDM project is attached to the Sorbonne School of Economics, reflecting its commitment to innovative and socially engaged research and training.

Sorbonne School of Economics
https://economie.pantheonsorbonne.fr/

Project School S.r.l.

Co-founded by two project managers with more than 15 years of experience in social innovation projects, Project School is a startup company based in Italy aimed to strengthen the creative and design skills of individuals and organizations willing to develop sustainable solutions to small and big challenges of their communities.

Using the most innovative design techniques in the social field, Project School intends to create a generation of professionals capable of designing ambitious and sustainable initiatives, able to solve some of the most difficult challenges of our society: education, work, environment, migration, etc.

Project School delivers two practical Laboratories that are strictly linked to its target groups, namely:

Social Impact Project Lab

Designed for individuals and organizations willing to play an active role in their communities by supporting and funding social impact initiatives and projects.

Project Design Training

Project School provides training on specific aspects of social impact project design (such as defining the project scope, framing the social impact, finding partners, investigating the sustainability of the project). PS delivers training for different audiences, with different ages, backgrounds, and aptitudes, ranging from universities to foundations to any organization wishing to offer specialized training to its stakeholders and beneficiaries.

Furthermore, Project School designs, creates, and concretely develops social impact projects funded by the European Commission and other donors.

Since the launch of Project School (January 2020) to date, it has been awarded more than 15 EU projects on

various topics: youth activation, sustainable development, climate change, women’s leadership, and integration of migrants. Our reference programmes are: Erasmus+, AMIF, CERV, LIFE, Creative Europe.

http://projectschool.eu

AnciLab srl Benefit Company

AnciLab is the company of ANCI Lombardia (National Association of Italian Municipalities of the Lombardy Region). AnciLab is a VET provider. The company’s mission is to provide technical assistance and capacity building to the Public Administration providing tailor –made trainings and mentoring in the field of innovation, green, digital and just transition. AnciLab’s contribution aims at boosting the governance process and the executive capacities of the local authorities to better understand, integrate and address the challenges of innovation and leadership in disruptive time. Capacity building programmes are provided to improve the management skills of civil servants, elected officials and legislators to boost their competences and organization’s effectiveness, efficiency and responsiveness towards their stakeholders.
Benefit, ESG & Accountability Lab: AnciLab, has integrated the goals of the UN’s 2030 Agenda into its activities, stressing the importance of an integrated and sustainable approach to corporate development. AnciLab’s transition to a benefit company has been characterized by a journey of growth and adaptation, culminating in 2022 with the willing of exploring this new corporate identity.

Website: https://www.ancilab.it/en/

CATRO Bulgaria

CATRO Bulgaria is part of the leading Austrian consultancy group – CATRO Personalberatung and die Berater®, providing cutting-edge know-how in all areas related to human resources management and development. Since 2010, CATRO has been supporting its clients in Bulgaria with recruitment, training, and organizational development services. CATRO Bulgaria specializes in providing corporate trainings in soft skills, psychological and career counselling, offering innovative solutions in all areas of people management: talent acquisition and employer branding, training and development, leadership programmes, employee engagement and wellbeing programmes.

A crucial part of CATRO’s mission is to develop and implement corporate socially responsible projects, which aim at building a bridge between different socially disadvantaged groups and the corporate sector, opening a space for identifying opportunities for sustainable partnerships. As a reliable partner, coordinator, evaluator, and trainer, the CATRO Bulgaria team has successfully implemented more than 30 European projects in various fields since its establishment in 2010.

www.catrobg.com

die Berater Unternehmensberatungs GmbH

Paragraph about the organisation:

die Berater® based in Austria is a leading training and human resource development consultancy company. die Berater® offers holistic consulting, coaches employees and managers, and is specialized in soft skills, language and IT seminars. The portfolio is targeted at individuals, companies of all sizes and industries, as well as the public sector, e.g. the Austrian Employment Service (AMS), ministries, the European Commission, and other stakeholders of the education system.

www.dieberater.com

CARDET360

CARDET360 is committed to developing and implementing innovative and evidence-based approaches and interventions in Greece. Acknowledging the potential of education to serve as a major driver in shaping a better world, CARDET360 is dedicated to empowering and building the competencies of individuals and communities to alleviate social challenges, CARDET360 builds on the expertise and experience of its Cypriot counterpart, CARDET.

The Centre is committed to expanding localised and tailored educational programmes and interventions in Greece, while embracing a more global and holistic approach towards its initiatives and projects.

https://cardet360.com/