4. Service focused / delivery like a virtual hotel such as an Airbnb in the neighbourhood only
( within a 400 m boundary). 5. Pedagogical garden – connected to the virtual hotel for tourists.
e. Evaluation of the Methodological Tool
The evaluation of the Methodological Tool was undertaken through the consistent feedback from mentors whilst they were implementing the Social Start Up Methodology in Croatia, France and Italy. In total, ten on-line mentoring sessions consisting of two hours each, were undertaken on a monthly basis. The purposes of doing so were as follows:
1. To support the mentors in their leadership and implementation of the Methodological Tool. 2. To address any issues arising from the implementation of the Methodological Tool. 3. To share the mentors’ reflections on each training session. 4. To share the participants’ reflections on each training session.
Through this regular and progressive evaluation approach, the feedback remained fresh and current and thus, necessary adjustments could be made as required rather than at the end of the programme when it’ s too late for the participants experiencing the experimentation of the Methodological Tool. In addition, this evaluation approach acknowledged the reflections of the participants and the mentors and encouraged them to continue providing constructive feedback and comments as they witnessed the results of their input.
Following the completion of the experimentation phase where the Methodological Tool was implemented in Croatia, France and Italy, a team meeting was held in Strasbourg in September 2016 to finalise the necessary amendments for all the deliverables including the Methodological Tool design. These revisions were made and have been reflected within this document as well as the Mentor Guide and Self Assessment Tool( Business Diary). Principally, these focused upon:
1. Timing and length of the training sessions. 2. Team composition. 3. Clarification of the mentor’ s role. 4. Provision of the Mentor Guide and Self Assessment Tool( Business Diary) as electronic documents rather than hard copy documents. 5. Localisation of examples and case studies within the Methodological Tool.
f. Evaluation of the Participants’ Learning
The evaluation of the participants’ learning was undertaken through the use of pre and post tests specifically designed for this Social Start Up project and as shown on the following pages. The pre and post tests accounted for participants’ knowledge, attitudes and practices acquired or developed through their participation in the Social Start Ups project and its Methodological Tool.
There was significant learning in the participants’ knowledge of social enterprise in all three locations where the Social Start Up methodology was applied and experimented, but the participants’ knowledge and skills in accounting was varied. In Italy, participants’ accounting knowledge was
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