Social Capital experiences from west Sweden

1
Social Capital experiences from west Sweden
2
From Dynamic Growth Capital to Social Capital
Forum A learning platform with the social
dimension of the economy as foundation

3
What will I tell?

• Background Me and my region
• Experiences from a Social Capital project in
  Practice - Dynamic Growth Capital
• Social Capital Forum

4
Who am eye?

• Born in the north
• Sports
• Mountains - Fishing
• Business
• Culture
• Work

5
Västra Götalandsregionen (Region West Sweden)
Facts

• Largest region in Sweden
• 4 subregions Responsible for Economic growth
  programs
• App 1 500 000 people live in West Sweden
• Gothenburg main town App 500 000 people
• 49 Municpalities, out of 290 in Sweden (local
  governance)

6

• Organised work devoted to the social economy
  started in 2001
• According to the regional guidelines the
  significance of the social economy and its
  protagonists must be brought out clearly in all
  strategic development work and in the
  implementation of Vision Västra Götaland
• 14) Joint action with universities and schools
  ..The concept of social capital and the
  knowledge around its significance for development
  and growth should continue to be highlighted by
  means of concrete studies and development
  projects in the collaboration between, for
  example, municipalities and the higher education
  sector.

7

• From Dynamic Growth Capital To Social Capital
  Forum
• In the beginning there was an idea about people
  as the main resource
• Now it develops into an interactive knowledge and
  learning platform It took some time

8
Dynamic Growth Capital

• Aims
• To increase the knowledge about social capital
• 2) Create a modell to be used in the rest of west
  Sweden for work with related issues and in
  similar organisation form (From analysis to
  implementation)

9
Structure of project

• Participants
• Västra Götalandsregionen (Region of West Sweden)
• School of Business, Economics and Law at
  Gothenburg University
• Four municipalities in Region West Sweden
  participated
• Swedish ministry of Enterprise, Energy and
  Communications
• Swedish Association of Local Authorities and
  Regions

10
Work process in the platform

• The project group meets every other month (7-10
  people) Discussion and issues are adressed
• University makes a study of a choosen issue by
  the municipality
• Meanwhile a seminar is arranged in a local arena
  (municipality, region) for spread of information
  when the study is finished.
• The local arena has the responsibility of
  inviting people from its surroundings
  Businesses, Associations and Locals are invited
• Marketing of results Reports are spread through
  media, webs and through printed material.

11

• Micro projekt as method

• Center of Innovation Business network
• Civic Sector as resource 12 workshops
• Social Sustainability in School
• Development of Tourism network
• Public Health Project
• Ethnic minorities as resource

12
View of process Nov 2006 2010
13
Our defintion of social capital It took some
time to come to agreement among many actors!!

• Social capital exists between people and develops
  with time Ita about relations
• Social capital is expressed through trust that is
  created in relations among people Makes it
  agile
• Social capital is a resource which is built in
  action

www.connectsverige.se
14
Seminars a means of transfer of ideas and
knowledge between groups

• Example Microproject Business climate in
  Vårgårda, seminar on Business climate
• Next microproject Social Entreprenuership and
  Tourism Seminar on Social Entreprenuership and
  Tourism, earlier participants are invited to a
  new seminar
• Microproject Microproject
  Microproject
• - Participants and knowledge is transfered
  to next seminar-

Se. Business Cl.
Se. Social Entre.
Se. Outside power stru.
15
A future model Municipality of Vårgårda Based
on diagnosis

• 
  Local Authorities
• Resources are build
• and enhanced
• through
• co-operation
• Civic sector
  Business
  

16
Reflections? related to Social Capital in
practice and theory

• What is concrete?
• When does action start?
• What is value?

17
Value
Business Value - Income Value
of IdentityHappinessInspirationEthicsCommunit
y
18

Resources
19
Next Step Social Capital Forum

• Just started. Build on the experiences from above
• Aim
• Knowledge needs in the social economy should lead
  to new research programs at the 4 Universities in
  west Sweden
• Spread of knowledge (primarily through seminars
  and workshops), building networks among different
  actors in west Sweden

20
Activities 2011

• 2010-2011 12 workshops
• 3 Regional seminars
• 1 National conference
• Important method in the platform
• In order to build links to actors in different
  parts of society and make them come thogether at
  the same time, we build our seminars on various
  themes and hot topics (our experience single
  topics same people meet as always