beeEffect programme 2023/2024

About the beeEffect Programme

Programme objectives and outcomes AKA What is the purpose?

The BeeEffect Programme aims to gather a diverse group of young professionals with great impact-making potential and to provide a carefully designed experience developed and led by beeEFB alumni members, with the goal to equip them with a unique set of knowledge, skills and networking opportunities and provide avenues for them to create impact in their communities.

beeEFB, as the alumni network of 400+ senior and mid career professionals from Western Balkans and wider region offers a contextualized and holistic programme for the new generation of change makers, building on their own experience and by employing and utilizing the capacity and resources built in the past 15 years.

Programme participants have an increased capacity to address complex issues, increased critical thinking, team collaboration and networking capacities, and access and opportunity to engage on meaningful activities and design new ones together with their peers and alumni.

 

Programme target groups AKA Who is it for?

Programme is designed to bring together and enable cross-learning from two distinct target groups:

• Participants - young professionals, impuls providers and action takers in their own communities
• beeEFB alumni - senior and mid-career professionals coming from different sectors (government, business, development, academia, nonprofit), with diverse backgrounds and fields of expertise

 

Programme description AKA What is it and what it consists of and how will it work?

Overarching theme of the programme is focused on the emerging future and looks to examine how positive impact in communities can be created, shaped and supported in the most pressing issues of today and tomorrow, by looking at them through three distinct lenses of power, society and digital/tech.

 

Programme methodology

Programme combines in-person and online activities, tailored 1:1 mentorship, case studies work and provides both inspiring talks/lectures and skill-building workshops.

 

Program overview and main blocks

 

Call for applications - left side of the visual

15 May - 4 June 2023

Programme starts with the launch of the Call for participants and Call for beeEFB alumni. Both target groups have their own specific eligibility and selection criteria and journey in the programme, although they are interconnected through the programme.

 

Selection and onboarding

4 June - 31 July 2023

The Selection Committee will first select participants of the programme, and then match them with alumni who are best fit to provide them with tailored mentoring. Results of participant selection will be known by the end of July, while the alumni selection will take another few weeks. In case a profile is missing from the alumni applications, the Programme team will head-hunt suitable mentors from the wider alumni pool.

All alumni will receive Guidelines for mentoring and undergo training for mentors, so as to ensure confident and high quality mentoring to participants.

 

Launching event

26 September - 2 October, Serbia

Launching event is a one-week intensive in person event for participants and mentors containing inspiring presentations, skill-building workshops and induction into mentoring and case study work.

Program of the launching event includes introduction to EFB and beeEFB, embedded networking elements and informal community building activities.

Participants can expect interactive presentations, simulation games, practical analysis and hands-on workshops, conducted by leading experts in the wider region.

By the time they leave the launching events, each participant will have their mentor and be assigned to a group and advisor for the case study work.

 

Mentoring and group work and learning

October 2023 - January 2024

In between launching and closing events, participants will have between 8 and 12 weeks to engage in 1:1 mentoring, group case work and participate in online workshops and presentations.

Mentoring: each participant will have a minimum of up to 6 sessions to work with their own mentor on a professional and personal objective which mentor and participant will jointly identify during the launching event. Participants and mentors are also expected to engage in one-in-person visits to support the work on mentorship goals. These visits are called Learning exchanges and have proven to be highly effective in building stronger relationships and achieving mentoring goals defined by the participants.

Case studies: Based on their interests, participants will be grouped in teams of up to 4 and assigned a case study on a select regional societal challenge, for which they should come up with a solution before the closing event. Each team will have their expert advisor from the alumni to support them in the process. As the groups develop their case studies, several online practical workshops on team collaboration, pitching and solution design will be organized to support the groups. Winning case studies group is awarded with funds to implement their solution.

 

Closing event

23 - 25 February or 1-3 March 2024

Three-day in-person event dedicated to participants and members showcasing and evaluating results of the programme: case study solutions, mentoring outcomes and reflections and evaluations of the programme. Programme includes presentations of (next to) immediate ways to implement know-how and skill acquired through a range of beeEFB opportunities for engagement; and allows participants to immerse themselves in the beeEFB community fully, by also providing them with opportunity to codesign and co create beeEFB’s activities, through participation at beeEFB Annual event 2024, which will gather 50+ alumni to co-design activities and 2024 Action plan of the Network and which takes place simultaneously with the Closing event.

 

* Alumni and participants alike need to commit to attending both in-person events and to participate in online activities of the programme (mentoring, case studies)

 

Programme benefits AKA What’s in it for you?

More information into what the programme brings to participants and alumni can be found in Participant and beeEFB alumni journey, but in short:

• If you are a participant, you will get premium know-how and skill training from renowned experts, tailored to the challenges of today and tailored specifically to your needs and strengthen your critical thinking, team collaboration and gain new perspectives
• If you are an alumni, you will share your expertise with a group of carefully selected young professionals from wider region and acquire mentoring training and experience through 1:1 mentoring

 

Impact and sustainability of the programme AKA How it will live on?

The programme builds on the human capital and experience of beeEFB alumni, who have undergone EFB programmes in the past and have through these programmes and since built their careers and honed their expertise and know-how. They will share and transfer their know-how to the new generations of young professionals and work together with them on coming up with solutions to select current societal challenges. The beeEFB through its activities provides a number of avenues to implement those solutions and encourages participants to engage in the Network’s activities and use their newly acquired know-how in creating change in their communities.

 

Team AKA People responsible/behind the programme