Prepare to be WOWED! During this Grand Opening, to kick start the first ever URBACT e-University we will introduce all participants to the key principles of URBACT - sustainable urban development and participatory and integrated action planning. A fantastic opportunity to meet the other Action Planning Networks, it will be an interactive, fun session to welcome the 500+ city participants. It will also be your chance to meet members of the small group of European City practitioners you will work with during the entire e-University. Don’t miss out!

Find the resources and the replay for the Grand Opening over here
 

e-Manager leading this session: Mary Dellenbaugh-Losse

Who are the relevant stakeholders for your URBACT Local Group? How can you get them involved in your project? This first session of the e-University will focus on the concept of participation. To succeed with participatory policies, engaging with the right stakeholders is essential. In this session participants will be provided with tools to identify these stakeholders, learn how to involve them and build a collaborative group.

Find the resources and the replay for the e-Session 2 over here
 

e-Manager leading this session: Christophe Gouache

Is your problem well defined? Do all stakeholders have the same understanding of the local challenges you face? In this second session of the e-University participants will work on the first step of the action-planning process: defining and analysing the problem. Too often, action planning is hindered due to an unclear problem definition. Participants will be provided with methods to properly analyse a problem, obtain the right diagnosis and develop adequate and integrated solutions, in a collaborative way.

Find the resources and the replay for the e-Session 3 over here
 

e-Manager leading this session: Liat Rogel

In this first of two sessions on planning actions, participants will explore how to develop a shared vision with the URBACT Local Group. When different people come together, they bring their different perspectives. This is a great value for participatory and collaborative work; however it is not always easy to find a shared vision among stakeholder, which is a fundamental part of the action-planning journey. Participants will test tools to improve collaborative design of actions.

Find the resources and the replay for the e-Session 4 over here
 

e-Manager leading this session: Eileen Crowley

Once a problem is identified and common objectives are agreed upon, the next step is to design solutions. In order to get the most out of the collective intelligence of a group of stakeholders, facilitation is key! This session will focus on how to build effective and efficient group collaboration, creating a safe space for the involved people to think outside of the box and find a consensus about the actions that should be taken.

Find the resources and the replay for the e-Session 5 over here
 

e-Manager leading this session: Ian Graham

What is an action exactly? Does the action answer the objectives and vision previously defined? How to make sure it can become a reality? Following up the Planning Actions #1 session, this very hands-on session will help participants to practice designing actions and provide tools to develop a coherent and meaningful set of actions

e-Manager leading this session: Béla Kézy

Defining indicators to measure progress of an action can sometimes be seen as a daunting task. It is however an essential step to be able to properly communicate and share about success, as well as to adapt a policy whenever needed. It can also be a great way for stakeholders to coordinate and work towards common achievements and to get results. After this session, monitoring and evaluation won’t have any more secrets to you!

e-Manager leading this session: Anamaria Vrabie

This final session will bring the whole action-planning journey to life. Participants will reflect on how to make sense of everything experienced during the URBACT e-University, how to apply this knowledge to their local situation and how to translate it into their own Integrated Action Plans. This will be an opportunity to discover also how to be flexible and resilient in the face of challenges. Be prepared for some extra surprises in this Grand Finale!