About Scope
The SCOPE project is aimed at third sector staff and volunteers in need of capacity building, skills development and recognition of non-formal learning, particularly those who are socially excluded in such a way that it is difficult for them to access training opportunities. Geographical, financial, accessibility, and time restraints can make it difficult to engage in training and much needed capacity building. Communicating the skills gained through training often does not happen, so skill recognition, job mobility and employability are also affected. The SCOPE project aims to address these challenges.
The SCOPE project began in 2018. 6 organisations from 5 EU member countries collaborated in the development and evaluation of an online platform, learning content and a validation system. It aims to address the need for free, high quality educational resources, increased recognition for the wider third sector and the unique skills of its members. By moving our training online we can reach more of our members in an easily accessible, time, and location flexible manner. Our validation system supports the third sector to recognise and communicate non-formal learning. This project is seen as a first step in our overall objective to integrated a blended learning approach across all training in each partner organisation. This is an opportunity to develop and test those tools and conduct a study into the effectiveness of our approach.
SCOPE Project Partners
The 6 organisations who collaborated on this project are based in 5 countries from across the European Union. We all share a common purpose of providing training, support, advice, and advocacy to the third sector in our respective countries. It is our job to provide the training, support, advice, and advocacy they need so that they can do what they do best - effecting positive change in communities
AKU
Estonian Roundtable for Development Cooperation (AKÜ) is an Estonian NGO that provides a national platform for Estonian organisations active in international sustainable development and global citizenship education. AKÜ has 33 member organisations with very diverse profiles, from small volunteer-based organisations to large foundations partnering with Estonian state on e-services.
An Cosán
Founded in 1986, An Cosán has grown from single site, a community organisation in Tallaght West, one of the most disadvantaged communities in Ireland to a national organisation. They offer early years education and care in 7 sites across Dublin to 350 children and adult community education from foundation education to degree level to a 1,000 educationally and economically disadvantaged learners each year. Face to face in two sites in Dublin and across Ireland through our blended education initiative. An Cosán's involvement in the SCOPE project is to design and develop the project website and eLearning resources.
Civic Alliance-Latvia (CAL)
Civic Alliance-Latvia (CAL), is an umbrella organisation that advocates for NGOs. Comprising of 129 organisations, CAL now has 70,000 individual members in total. CAL shapes the agenda on NGO and civil dialogue issues at the national level by monitoring legal acts and making submissions to the Latvian government and parliament. CAL is responsible for coordinating the dissemination and awareness raising of the project.
The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO)
The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is the national body for charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises in Scotland. SCVO supports and represents various types of organisations operating across the third sector, including small volunteer led local community groups, social enterprises, regional voluntary sector support organisations, national intermediary bodies, and large internationally renowned charities that are household names. SCVO is managing the Project Study, an analysis of the project, its methodology, approach and results.
Opintokeskus Sivis (Sivis Study Centre)
Opintotoiminnan Keskusliitto ry maintains a nationwide non-formal adult education centre called Opintokeskus Sivis (Sivis Study Centre), whose mission is to foster citizens’ competences and promote active citizenship and voluntary work in co-operation with its members. They are mainly funded and monitored by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture. SIVIS is responsible for the validation through Digital Badges system.
The Wheel
The Wheel is Ireland’s national association of community and voluntary organisations, charities and social enterprises. With over 1,500 members, we are the largest representative body for the nonprofit sector. We are a representative voice and a supportive resource that offers advice, training, influence and advocacy for the nonprofit sector in Ireland. The Wheel is lead partner on the SCOPE project, with responsiblity for project management and developing the learning content in the platform.
This project has been funded with support from the European Union. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and neither the Commission nor the National Agency can be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.