Youth Finance Academy – Kick Off Meeting
On February 2-3, 2021 the Kick-Off meeting (KOM) of “Youth Finance Academy” project was successfully implemented as a virtual conference, with a presence of 12 participants, i.e. the project coordinator(s) and the experts representing each partner.
Introduction
After introducing themselves and briefly summarizing their organizations’ most recent activities, the Leading organization, Monomyths, presented a detailed overview of the project, it’s objectives, planned activities, deliverables and expected results.
Management
The project beneficiaries had then the chance to discuss in detail and agree on all facets of a common project implementation plan, and specifically on the Communication-, Resource-, Time-, Cost- and Quality Management Plans, their procedures, tools and methodologies. Each representative filled a RACI matrix, in which they allocated clear roles to the working team members of their organization for all tasks to be completed throughout the project, according to their background and experience.
During these discussions, Monomyths’ Association was, in parallel, presenting how the management platform for this project (AdminProject) can be efficiently used by all partners.
Communication Plan
During the next session, Monomyths Association presented the tools, processes and targets foreseen in the project’s communication plan as well as the materials already developed (Meeting templates, Project’s logo etc).
Thereafter, partners brainstormed about the key messages, mottos and language strategies to be used for the project’s external communication purposes tailored to its different target groups, and proceeded to co-creating a database with all stakeholders that could be involved directly or indirectly, assuming a multiplier role, during the project implementation.
Finally, each partner listed the communication channels at their disposal and shared ideas for further communication activities that their organization is capable of implementing during the project.
Learning Activities
As next, the partners were presented with an overview of the three LTTs foreseen; their scope, objectives, locations, and target groups highlighting their importance for securing the quality of the project’s results, their transferability and sustained utilization.
Intellectual Outputs
A special session of the meeting was devoted in the review of all steps of the Intellectual Outputs (IO) development process, with a particular focus on the first IO; the first to be developed in the project’s timeline.
The initial step for the IO1 development, is to conduct survey distributed among 200 people / per country (out of which ⅔ parts applied to young people and ⅓ part applied to young entrepreneurs) in order to understand their behaviour, attitudes and learning needs in terms of managing their personal and/or business finances. The partners examined thoroughly all questions of the 2 versions of the survey, and engaged in a vigorous discussion about ways to optimize the questionnaires, in order to achieve the high target number of respondents without compromising the quality of its findings.
Valorisation, Dissemination and Exploitation of results
During the last part of the KOM, the partners were presented with the DEOR and visibility plan developed by the Leading partner, the various parts of which (objectives, target groups, channels, activities, target performance and indicators), were then discussed upon, enriched and approved. During this discussion special emphasis was put in the sustainability of the project’s results; partners evaluated approaches and shared their ideas about possible activities they could organize to support the sustained promotion of the YFA objectives and priorities and the dissemination of its results even after the project’s end date.
The KOM was concluded was concluded with an evaluation questionnaire to support and improve the organization of all following meetings during the project’s lifetime.