THE THIRD SECTOR AS A SCHOOL OF SKILLS AND CITIZENSHIP

1. THE THIRD SECTOR AS A SCHOOL OF SKILLS AND CITIZENSHIP • Pau Vidal Observatorio del Tercer Sector

2. Observatorio del Tercer sector Our mission OTS is an independent non-profit research center specialized on the third sector. Its aim is to increase the knowledge of the sector and to work for the improvement of non-profit organization’s management. • About • From • Together with third sector • Our values • Social change • Involvement • Independence • Quality • Learning • Confidence • Transparency • Knowledge • Reflection • Improvement third sector

3. Introduction • Education and skills are essential to achieve social recognition • Education is a synergycal process, where a complex combination of the whole experiences lived by the individual are involved • However, nonformal education still remains undervalued by the society and by the public and private sectors.

4. Why is the learning acquired in the third sector worthy? • It is based on practical experiences • It builds a common and shared learning • It stimulates a critical attitude towards the social environment • It develops skills in specific situations Competences and skills acquired • Socialisation and relational skills • Management skills • Working in team • Participation and commitment • Values • Communication skills

5. SOCIETY THIRD SECTOR PUBLIC SECTOR PRIVATE SECTOR GENERATES LEARNING STIMULATES LEARNING, GIVES VALUE AND REGULATES DIFFERENT PROGRAMS GIVES VALUE TO THE LEARNING ACQUIRED Social agents involved • Third sector asks for a greater recognition of the learning acquired in their organizations • Public sector show some interest on the training in the third sector but without formalising it • Private commercial sector valorises the skills, but it doesn’t establish a link to the learning acquired in the third sector

6. Current situation Weaknesses Strenghts • Lack of systematisation in the learning management and impact • Weak communication • Nonexistence of evaluation indicators of the learning acquired • Know how • Networking inside the third sector • Participation as a key element • Team working Threats Opportunities • Sociopolitical unselfishness for social participation • Perpetuation of the image of the traditional formal education • Increasing of the valorization of the skills • Take profit of the organizational specialization

7. Possible future situations Situation A Organisations are not socially recognised as training institutions and they have a claiming image Situation B Profile assessment of individuals depends on their whole experience, taking into account different groups of experiences Situation C Nonformal education is officially recognised Situation D Recognition of nonformal education is regulated by external evaluation mechanisms

8. Recommandations ● Identification of the specific learning ● Planning and management ● Awareness-raising ● Stimulate engagement ● Networking A. Improvement of the internal management of the training B. Communication and relationship with other agents ● Search for tangible actions ● Evaluate goals according to the objectives ● Respect the spaces of participation ● Promote recognition policies ● Communication planning ● Determine the key agents ● Networking with public sector ● Actions with the commercial sector ● Stimulate the communication trough the participants C. Impact evaluation

9. THE THIRD SECTOR AS A SCHOOL OF SKILLS AND CITIZENSHIP • Pau Vidal Observatorio del Tercer Sector