1. Where

1
1. Where

• Viladecans city
• 63.000 inhabitants
• Baix Llobregat and Garraf (Delta zone)
• the rest of Barcelonas metropolitan area
• 4,2 millions population

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2. Which target sector and why

• ICT companies specialized in Open Source (FOSS)
• Emerging sector in Catalonia, well positioned as
  a tractor of innovation for the Public
  Administration (PA) and inside the Spanish FOSS
  industry
• Populated by hundred of small and
  microenterprises that dont manage to acquire big
  contracts (PA / IT multinationals)
• Interest of local intermediate agents in SMEs
  networking paths that promote the consolidation
  of the sector (MA, joint ventures, fusions, etc)

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3. Which target groups

• Second tier facilitator mixed group
• Balanced heterogeneous group of professionals
  interested in SMEs, co-operation and training
• Involved thanks to a joint networking between the
  Foundation, Viladecans Council, D-O-T consultancy
  and the Official College of IT Engineers

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3. Which target groups

• SMEs FOSS development houses
• Group of small and micro IT companies specialized
  in Open Source development that were aware of
  losing commercial opportunities due to their
  small size
• Interested in operate together under a common
  brand or a new joint enterprise, with the final
  objective to meet formal and productive
  requirements necessary for the acquisition of
  bigger contracts with PPAA or IT multinational
  companies

5
4. Labs for second tier facilitators

• N. and profile of participants 12
• 1 Regional Business Supporting Agency (CIDEM)
• 1 Regional SME Chamber (PIMEC)
• 2 Local Development Agency (CORESA, CAN CALDERON)
• 1 Business School (EADA)
• 2 Consultancy Firms (local development) (CIREM,
  EUROLOCAL)
• 1 Technological Centre (ASCAMM)
• 1 IT Professional College (COEIC)
• 1 IT Enterprise (STP)
• N. of sessions realized 1 (two full days
  programme)
• Main learning aims pursued facilitators role
  and tools

6
4. Labs for second tier facilitators

• Main tools used
• Warming-up / Ice-breaking methods (tool 31)
• Moderation as a role (message 11)
• The five satisfactions (stakeholder analysis)
  (tool 4)
• Customer / Supplier needs analysis and planning
  (tool 5)
• Chairing vs. Moderating (tool 11)
• To-do form (Tool 3)
• Visualization helps to understand and remember
  (Message 12)
• SWOT analysis (Tool 12)
• Cause effect diagrams (Tool 14)
• Force field analysis (Tool 15)
• Countdown planning (Tool 6)
• 2 additional tools selected to meet participants
  interests

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4. Labs for second tier facilitators

• Overall achievement
• Successful evangelization on AL-based
  Facilitation of co-operation processes
• High degree of satisfaction among participants
• Real impact on everyday work in the more mature
  participating structures
• COPCA redefinition of the way in which they
  manage and moderate Business Communities
• ASCAMM application of methodologies to projects
  preparation and management
• EADA/CIREM D-O-T jointly process to merge AL
  with own investigation-action methodology
• CAN CALDERON attempt to apply AL principles to
  their entrepreneurial community at Viladecans

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5. Labs for SMEs

• N. and profile of participants 5
• Group of small IT companies specialized in Open
  Source development
• Interested in operate together as "TKS which
  would be a common brand or a new joint enterprise
• In order to meet formal requirements for
  acquisition of contracts from Regional Public
  Administrations and Multinational IT Companies
• N. of sessions realized 6 (3-4 hours long each)
• Main working aims pursued
• To define a start-up strategy around the
  question what goes first? To acquire one project
  together or to create a new company?

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5. Labs for SMEs

• Main tools used
• The five satisfactions (stakeholder analysis)
  (tool 4)
• Customer / Supplier needs analysis and planning
  (tool 5)
• Brainstorming Mindmapping (still not
  documented)
• To-do form (Tool 3)
• SWOT Analysis (12)
• Countdown planning (Tool 6)
• Tasks/Skills Matrix (still not documented)
• ... and improvisation !!

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5. Labs for SMEs

• Overall achievement
• Labs kick-off meeting to generate confidence,
  credibility and engagement among participants to
  initiate de-construction of pre-concepts to
  agree a series of to-does (co-responsibility)
• Sessions 2 to 5 to clarify different aspects
  related to the projected new company or brand
  How an enterprise of medium size is supposed to
  be? Which is the ideal profile of key
  professional figures to hire? (General Manager,
  Project manager, Channel manager) How a
  projects unit should work in order to generate
  new proposals systematically? Which business
  roadmap would be given to an hypothetical General
  Manager? // Need of an internal leader SWOT
  Analysis Customer Supplier Analysis Commercial
  doc
• Session 6 to identify an alternative start-up
  strategy to the two possible ones pre-defined
  before initiating the Lab to complete the
  partnership with a strategic partner, a
  medium-size company that needs to
  reconvert/complement its own services offer with
  specialized, high-quality open sources
  developments, solutions or services and that
  counts with own financial resources to invest

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6. Overall evaluation and lesson learnt

• On the application of these methodologies you
  must find your own balance between offering an
  appropriate framework for learning, well prepared
  in advance, clearly structured and respected
  during the activity, and the flexibility needed
  to attract participants and made them involve and
  engage.
• This flexibility should not be interpreted as
  improvisation all the contrary, you are the one
  fixing the framework and proposing the rules (the
  agenda, etc) that you have carefully planned in
  advance
• The first lesson a facilitator should learn is to
  be objective enough to be able to mediate between
  the participants and himself!!
• Thinking on two levels (the evident and the
  latent) helps you to accept changing details
  without forgetting your final objective for the
  experience

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7. And after SME ACTor?

• We will continue to promote AL and tools/methods
  developed by SME ACTor by
• Offering consultancy services to economic
  development agents in Baix Llogrebat county
• Promoting the ad hoc development of a tailored
  software for Virtual Facilitation
• Participating in Transfer of Innovation projects
  in partnership with some SME ACTor partners and
  local partners