Toolkit of guidelines and training materials (Draft)

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N° 101036838. D.8.6 Toolkit of Guidelines and Training Materials (Draft) March 2023 Authors: Carlos Serra Castells (UVEG); Alfonso Gallego Valadés (UVEG); Jorge Garcés Ferrer (UVEG) Ref. Ares(2023)2231049 - 28/03/2023 A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 2 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. 1 Technical references Project Acronym Agro2Circular Project Title TERRITORIAL CIRCULAR SYSTEMIC SOLUTION FOR THE UPCYCLING OF RESIDUES FROM THE AGRIFOOD SECTOR Project Coordinator Fuensanta Monzó CETEC [email protected] Project Duration October 2021 – September 2024 (36 months) Deliverable No. D.8.6 Dissemination level* PU Work Package WP8 – A2C Outreach: Communication, Dissemination, Exploitation, training & policy recommendations. Task Task 8.6 Training, Knowledge transfer and guidelines/recommendations to promote the A2C circular model Lead beneficiary UVEG Contributing beneficiary/ies PRIMA, AGRO, KVC Due date of deliverable 31st March 2023 Actual submission date 29th March 2023 * PU = Public PP = Restricted to other programme participants (including the Commission Services) RE = Restricted to a group specified by the consortium (including the Commission Services) CO = Confidential, only for members of the consortium (including the Commission Services) Document history V Date Comments v0.1 03/03/2023 First draft of document v0.2 08/03/2023 Revised version based on the comments of Aran Blanco (KVC) & Fuensanta Monzó (CETEC) V0.3 22/03/2023 First revised version, approved by the WP leader and the project coordinator. V0.4 24/03/2023 Second revised version of the draft based upon first final version V1.0 28/03/2023 Final version, approved by the WP leader and the project coordinator, (will be) submitted to EC. A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 3 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. Document Distribution Log Version Date Distributed to v0.1 03/03/2023 Aran Blanco (KVC), Fuensanta Monzó (CETEC) V0.2 08/03/2023 Carlos Serra (UVEG), Alfonso Gallego (UVEG) V0.3 24/03/2023 Aran Blanco (KVC), Fuensanta Monzó (CETEC) V0.4 28/03/2023 Fuensanta Monzó (CETEC) Verification and approval Name Date Approval Final Deliverable by coordinator Fuensanta Monzó (CETEC) 28/03/2023 Disclaimer and acknowledgement This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101036838 Disclaimer This document reflects only the views of the author(s) the European Research Executive Agency (REA) is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains. Whilst efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of this document, the A2C consortium shall not be liable for any errors or omissions, however caused. A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 4 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. 2 Table of contents 1 Technical references 2 2 Table of contents 4 3 List of abbreviations 5 4 Executive summary 6 5 Introduction: objectives & relations with other tasks and outputs 7 6 Business models for Circular Economy innovations (CEBMs) 9 6.1 Examples of didactic materials to be developed for primary and secondary schools. 10 6.2 Examples of didactic materials to be developed for institutions of higher education. 11 6.3 Syllabus for a circular economy course for undergraduate students in Business Administration 11 7 Financing and regulatory issues related to Circular Economy 13 7.1 Main contents related to regulatory issues. 14 7.2 Main contents related to financing schemes. 16 8 Guidelines for public engagement in Circular Economy projects and environmental community-based activities. 17 8.1 Methodology 17 8.2 Stakeholder panels and planning 22 9 Environmental Education for the youth 25 9.1 Agrifood, plastics and the Circular Economy 26 9.1.1 Examples of didactic materials to be developed for primary schools: 27 9.1.2 Examples of didactic materials to be developed for secondary schools: 28 9.2 General considerations and the context of the circular economy 29 9.2.1 Examples of didactic materials to be developed for primary schools: 31 9.2.2 Examples of didactic materials to be developed for secondary schools. 32 9.3 The A2C results and outcomes 32 9.3.1 Examples of didactic materials to be developed for primary schools: 32 9.3.2 Examples of didactic materials to be developed for secondary schools. 33 9.4 Environmental-responsive entrepreneurship: Clusters and sector al initiatives; synergies; Academic careers, entrepreneurship and intellectual exploitation. 35 9.4.1 Examples of didactic materials to be developed for primary schools: 35 9.4.2 Examples of didactic materials to be developed for secondary schools. 35 10 Industry Mentoring Programme 37 10.1 Description: aims and phases of the Mentoring Programme 37 10.2 Evaluation System Draft 39 11 Good practice directory for Circular Economy in the agrifood sector 42 11.1 INDEX DIRECTORY GOOD PRACTICES CIRCULAR ECONOMY – REGION OF MURCIA SCOPE 43 A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 5 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. 3 List of abbreviations A2C Agro2Circular DMP Data Management Plan DPO Data Protection Officer GDPR General Data Protection Regulation (EU) CE Circular Economy COI Community of Interest CEBMs Business models for Circular Economy innovations CCAA Autonomous Communities CSO Civil Society Organisation A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 6 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. 4 Executive summary This is the first draft of D.8.6 Toolkit of guidelines and training materials, a set of didactic materials and analysis of lessons learnt in order to be transferred and shared with other projects, initiatives and institutions working on community-based research, participatory methods and education for environmental issues or local climate change mitigation as well as those targeting cluster and industry about circular business models, financing and regulatory issues: CEBMs, financing & regulatory issues, public engagement, circular economy and environmental education, Best Practices book, training plan for local actors/education services. The content of this document is therefore fed by the activities carried out in other activities, mainly: T7.1 (Public Engagement); T7.3 (Environmental Assessment); T7.4 (Social and economic analysis); T7.5 (Multidimensional model for adoption, replicability and scalability of A2C systemic solution at regional and EU level) and T8.3 (Communication and engagement at local and regional level). This deliverable constitutes a first outline and the main methodological choices made for the development of the final version of the deliverable (D.8.7. Toolkit of guidelines and training materials, to be delivered on month 35). A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 7 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. 5 Introduction: objectives & relations with other tasks and outputs This deliverable is framed within the overall objective of WP8 - A2C outreach: Communication, dissemination, exploitation, training & policy recommendations. Thus, it is part of the activities aimed at widespreading the project results and engaging stakeholders, while raising awareness and knowledge about circular economy and innovations produced by A2C. More specifically, this is the first outcome of the Task 8.6 Training, knowledge transfer and guidelines/recommendations to promote A2C circular model. (M9M36), aiming at delivering specific resources and open learning materials to contribute to the promotion of the model, taking into account the facilitators and barriers identified in WP7. The task includes the elaboration of an autonomous training plan for local actors and education services for local communities and training modules/guidelines for EU stakeholders to better implement/transfer the knowledge acquired during the project and all lessons learnt. Two deliverables will be developed from this task: D8.6 Toolkit of guidelines and training materials (Draft), the object of the present document, which includes a first outline of some of the materials/guidelines to be developed in the framework of Task 8.6; and D8.7 Toolkit of guidelines and training materials (Final), to be delivered in month 35, as a developed and final version of the contents foreseen in Task 8.6, as shown in the following figure: Therefore, the deliverable contains a set of didactic materials intended to be shared with various actors and institutions for education/training/dissemination of circular economy F i g u r e S E Q F i g u r e F i g u r e S E Q F i g u A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 8 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. knowledge and competences. This includes different target groups, ranging from non-higher education institutions (schools, secondary schools, vocational schools) to higher education institutions (graduates, master and doctoral students) including the general population, the industry, Civil Society Organisations and Public Administrations. The different thematic areas of the deliverable are the following: 1. Business models for Circular Economy innovations (CEBMs) 2. Financing and regulatory issues related to Circular Economy 3. Environmental education for the youth 4. Guidelines for fostering public engagement in Circular Economy projects and environmental community-based activities. 5. Industry mentoring programme for the generation of innovative results-oriented ideas to respond to circular business challenges. 6. Good practice directory for Circular Economy in the agrifood sector Given that some of the activities, from which the essential information/lessons learnt to produce the materials will be obtained. have not yet been carried out, this document presents the necessary synergies with the work of other WPs, as well as the main contents and primary target groups of the materials to be developed. Also, as some of the thematic areas require specific methodological preparation beyond the conversion of the project results into didactic and training materials, a brief methodological description of the activities is given in the relevant thematic blocks (8. Guidelines for public engagement in Circular Economy projects and environmental community-based activities, and the evaluation system proposed by UVEG in section 10. Industry Mentoring Programme proposed by PRIMA). In section 9. Environmental Education, examples of available materials for different topics are also shown, while in sections 10. Industry Mentoring Programme and 11. Good practice directory for Circular Economy, a first draft of these activities is provided. D8.6. Toolkit of guidelines and training materials (Draft) (Month 18) First draft and outline of the work to be undertaken. D8.7. Toolkit of guidelines and training materials (Final) (Month 35) Development of the activities and final version of the materials A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 9 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. 6 Business models for Circular Economy innovations (CEBMs) T.8.6 (WP8) Grant Agreement: “It will be designed and executed an autonomous but comprehensive training plan for local actors and education services for local communities and training modules/ guidelines for EU stakeholders to better implement/transfer the knowledge acquired during the project and all lessons learnt, contributing to both a more effective development of circular solutions and to foster the communities’ environmental awareness and sustainable habits, business and co-creation. Among others: a) business models for circular economy innovations.” The Circular Economy action plan acknowledges the need to support the skills and job creation to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. Likewise, the EU SME strategy has included among the barriers for these companies to ‘going green’ the lack of technical and managerial knowledge, skills and information; this was also stressed by some of the partners in previous workshops performed in the project. Therefore, this chapter will cover the design of training plans for companies on business models for circular economy innovations. Relation with other partners and WPs WP1CETEC Task 5.1 A2C Data Integration System (DIS) - Big data statistics and indicators for valuation of raw materials - Blockchain as tool for traceability along value chains WP6 – UB. Task 6.4. A2C business cases and financing (M12 to M36). Among the activities to be carried out by UB within the framework of this task are the following: - Identification and categorization of circular economy business models through desk research - Development of a Circular Economy modelling framework - Support partners in the creation of new circular economy business models - Report on financing mechanisms to support business model replication. - Natural Capital Assessment on the solutions demonstrated in the project to improve the circular business models, identify strategies to manage possible risks and identify new revenue streams. The most relevant desk research and lessons learned from this work will be incorporated into the training materials. A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 16 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. - Different and conflicting national implementations of legislation - Potential conflicts between regulations (hygiene, food waste, livestock hygiene, nutrient transportation, etc.) - Digital tools to overcome regulatory issues: the case of A2C DIS for waste traceability. 7.2 Main contents related to financing schemes. 1. Financing schemes for Circular Economy a. EU funds: Horizon Europe, Regional Policy Support, Interreg Europe, LIFE, Single Market Programme, Structural Reform Support Programme (SRSP) b. Incentives c. Global Opportunities d. Financial institutions and other for-profit initiatives: European Investment Bank (EIB), Joint Initiative on Circular Economy (JICE), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) e. Asset Management Firms f. Crowdfunding g. Public Financing Schemes at regional and national level h. Private Financing schemes & Agro2Circular Business Models 2. Good Practices a. CIRCWASTE (Finland) b. URBIOFIN (Greece) c. EIB Financed Projects (Italy, Romania, France) d. De Clique (The Netherlands) e. Green Public Procurement Good Practices A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 17 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. 8 Guidelines for public engagement in Circular Economy projects and environmental community-based activities. T.8.6 (WP8) Grant Agreement: “A set of guidelines for fostering public engagement in circular economy projects will be also generated by conducting a joint reflection on the ways for fostering effective communication & public engagement for circular economy projects and environmental community-based initiatives, contributing to the know-how and the literature at EU about participatory and co-creation frameworks applied to environmental fields. The elaboration of these guidelines will require the participation of stakeholders from the quadruple helix in workshops, focus groups and DELPHI studies.” The guidelines for fostering public engagement in circular economy initiatives will therefore be developed based on the information collected through different qualitative research methods implemented with key informants that are part of the quadruple helix of stakeholders (Public Administration, Research/Academia, Industry, Civil Society Organisations and general citizenship). Relation with other partners and WPs WP7 – KVC. Task 7.1. Public Engagement and communitybased schemes for sustainable systemic circular economy (M1M36). The work carried out by KVC in the mapping and set up of the project's stakeholder panel is crucial for the development of the research activities. KVC has provided input to UVEG for the development of this deliverable and will be a relevant partner to rely on for the continued development and recruitment of stakeholders for this activity. Materials to be developed/ target groups Guidelines in the form of policy recommendations; materials for courses in political science and sociology; materials for use in schools (combined with existing materials on the general topic of circular economy) Thus, section 8.1 shows the main methodological options that will be implemented in subsequent phases of the project, and section 8.2 shows the stakeholders from whom information will be collected, as well as the timing of the activities leading to obtain the guidelines: 8.1 Methodology Four different techniques will be considered, depending on the capacity to recruit and coordinate members of different stakeholder groups for specific events. Two of these techniques are foreseen in the Grant Agreement (Focus Groups and Delphi panels), and A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 18 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. two others are not, but are "back-up" techniques that may be used if necessary (in-depth interviews and communities of interest): 1. Focus Groups: focus groups are an appropriate tool for research on public opinion 1 as it allows for the study of a variety of social profiles, while producing focusedin depth data on a given topic 2 . Also, in contrast to individual interviews, participants in focus-groups contrast their individual views with others' perspectives in a lowstructured setting. Thus, focus-groups offer the opportunity to analyse closely how people collectively construct their discursive positions, marking their agreements and disagreements 3 . Focus groups are the most appropriate technique to use with the following stakeholder groups: Public Administration, Industry, Civil Society Organisations. 2. Delphi panels: Delphi panels are typically applicable when there is limited evidence, when the existing evidence is contradictory in the specific topic of interest, and/or where advantage could be realised in the collective subjective judgement of experts 4 . The basic design involves assembling groups of experts without concern for geography, and who then reply to a number of “rounds” involving response to a specific question or questions through e-mail. After each round, participants receive feedback of the group response which typically takes the form of points of agreement listed in order of mostto least often mentioned 5 . Therefore, this method will be used with research/academic stakeholders. 3. In-depth interviews: an interview is an important qualitative research method in which the researcher collects data directly from the participants. Mostly paired with other research methods like survey, focus group etc., interviews are significant in unfolding opinions, experiences, values and various other aspects of the population under study. Interviews are always goal oriented 6 . Specifically, in-depth interviews are mostly long-duration, face-to-face, interviews conducted to achieve desired goals. In-depth interview also known as one-on-one is a method of extracting more detailed information or deep understanding of a subject or concept 7 . Thus, in-depth interviews with all stakeholder groups will be considered depending on the circumstances of time availability and coordination. 1 M. Delli Carpini and B. Williams, "The method is the message: Focus groups as a method of social, psychological, and political inquiry," in Research in Micropolitics: New Directions in Political Psychology, M. Delli Carpini, L. Huddie, and R. Shapiro, Eds. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press, 1994, pp. 57-85. 2 D. Morgan, "Focus groups," Annual Review of Sociology, pp. 129-152, 1996. 3 J. Kitzinger, "The methodology of focus groups: the importance of interaction between research participants," Sociology of Health & Illness, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 103-121, Jan. 1994. 4 J. R. Avella, "Delphi Panels: Research Design, Procedures, Advantages, and Challenges," in International Journal of Doctoral Studies, vol. 11, pp. 305-321, 2016, doi: 10.28945/3522. 5 H. A. Linstone and M. Turoff, Eds., The Delphi method: Techniques and applications. [Online]. Available: http://is.njit.edu/pubs/delphibook/delphibook.pdf, 2002. 6 S. Kvale, Interviews: An Introduction to Qualitative Research Interviewing. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1996.. 7 A. Adams and A. L. Cox, "Questionnaires, in-depth interviews and focus groups," in Research Methods for Human Computer Interaction, P. Cairns and A. L. Cox, Eds. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2008, pp. 17–34. A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 19 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. 4. Communities of inquiry: Interviews and focus groups are very robust techniques for obtaining qualitative information for research purposes. However, interviews can also reinforce existing power relations between researchers and respondents, especially if the respondents come from vulnerable or marginalised communities 8 . Although A2C regional stakeholder panel involved for the activities does not foresee it, there may be the option of having a group of local citizens (not necessarily integrated in any CSO) whose composition may be heterogeneous (it may include some members of population groups traditionally considered as vulnerable or disempowered). If this is the case, the use of the Community of Interest (CoI) methodology will be considered: CoI takes the form of group dialogue. In response to a difficult question, a group of individuals create a community where they participate in a process of critical examination of the key concepts behind the question by drawing on their own experiences, learning with each other by listening to what others say—a process whereby an intersubjective agreement on the resolution of the question emerges 9 . This differs from the traditional focus group in the fact that interviewees, not interviewers, put questions to each other in a reciprocal way to gain a clearer understanding of one another’s position. This means that, in CoI, participants serve as quasi-interviewers. While CoI is a form of group interview, this unique feature can further contribute to making the interview process more inclusive 10 . The following is a battery of questions suitable for use with each stakeholder group covered in this activity, which is subject to further modification and refinement: Questions Associations/citizenship. ● Why are you involved in circular economy initiatives? ● How can a person get started in circular economy projects? ● What do you think is the biggest problem when it comes to encouraging the general public to join this type of projects? ● Is there sufficient support from the administration? ● Do you consider that you have lost or gained quality of life by undertaking sustainable initiatives? ● What particular knowledge do you think you need to have in order to start collecting and reducing food waste? ● Do you think you separate your waste properly, and in how many parts do you do it? ● Do you think there is enough information available about where the collection points are located (not only paper, glass, organic, but also batteries, oil, sewage, etc.)? 8 C. Auerswald, A. A. Piatt, and A. Mirzazadeh, "Research with Disadvantaged, Vulnerable, and/or Marginalized Adolescents," Innocenti Research Briefs, UNICEF Office of Research, Florence, 2017. 9 K. Nishiyama, "Community of Inquiry," in Research Methods in Deliberative Democracy, S. A. Ercan et al., Eds. Oxford, UK: Oxford Academic, Nov. 17, 2022. 10 K. Nishiyama, "Using the Community of Inquiry for Interviewing Children: Theory and Practice," International Journal of Social Research Methodology, vol. 21, no. 5, pp. 553–564, 2018. A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 20 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. ● Do you think that digital tools could help the implementation of Circular Economy? Questions for business/industry ● What kind of barriers can you encounter when trying to make the transition to a more sustainable production model? ● What kind of public initiatives (subsidies, training programmes, creating taxes on nonrecycling, etc.) could help companies to shift towards a much more circular production (waste collection, direct super-recycling, investment in R&D, etc.)? ● Do you consider that implementing more sustainable methods of production adds value to your products? ● What uses do you make of your products beyond sales, and of the waste derived from their production (sales, self-consumption, energy, fertiliser, animal feed, etc.)? ● Do you separate your production waste? ● What are the main difficulties in separating the different types of waste for collection? ● Do you think you separate your waste properly and in how many parts do you separate it? ● Do you think that the use of used materials for suprarecycling is an improvement, or a competitive disadvantage compared to other companies in the sector? ● Do you think that the differentiation of labelling between sustainable and nonsustainable products means that consumers are more interested in the former? ● How do you think that new consumers can be attracted to sustainable products? ● With a higher profitability of these (circular economy) production processes, would more sectors/companies switch to this type of production, or are there other disadvantages? ● Do you think that the use of digital tools could help your company fulfil regulations posed by Circular Economy? / Do you think that the use of digital tools could help your company find new valorisation routes for the materials you use or the waste you generate? Questions University/Academia. ● What are the main barriers to be faced in order to realise circular economy initiatives? ● Do you consider that there is sufficient information among the different actors to carry out these processes? ● Do you think that there are sufficient means to be able to carry out major circular economy initiatives? ● Is a major transformation of the production model necessary to carry out circular economy measures or can small changes be made within the current model? ● Is there clear legislation on the circular economy or are there some shortcomings in the European legislative system? ● What do you think would be the optimal way to implement these initiatives? A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 21 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. ● Do you think that the policies being implemented are in line with the objectives of creating more and more circular economy initiatives? ● What do you think is the motivation for citizens to get involved in these projects? ● And what do you think is the reason why citizens decide not to get involved? ● What are the main training or education gaps you find related to circular economy? Questions Public Administration. ● What do you think is the biggest shortcoming of Public Administrations when it comes to carrying out circular/sustainable economy projects? (Lack of legislation, lack of funds, lack of participants, no interest from politicians because it does not bring electoral benefits, lack of training for technicians, lack of training for private agents, etc.). ● Do you consider that the socio-political context is favourable for the implementation of measures towards a more circular economy? ● What do you think are the possible risks or disadvantages of implementing this type of initiative? ● Do you think it is possible to promote such initiatives in small/medium sized municipalities? ● What do you think is the optimal way to carry out these public policies (through specialised companies, European projects, regional projects, municipal actions, etc.)? ● Do you consider that there is good access to data from other projects in order to be able to adapt these functional models to one's own territory of action? ● Is there a willingness on the part of the different actors (academia, private sector, citizens) to implement these actions? ● What are the priorities when carrying out a sustainable economy project (economic expenditure, energy expenditure, creating new production models, improving the environmental situation, etc.)? ● Do you think that the use of digital tools could help public administrations to ensure the fulfilment of circular Economy regulations? Possible refinements and modifications to the above questions shall be made on the basis of, inter alia, the following bibliography: ● Danae Manika, Eleni Iacovidou, Ana Canhoto, Eujin Pei, Khanh Mach,Capabilities, opportunities and motivations that drive food waste disposal practices: A case study of young adults in England, Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 370,2022 ISSN 0959-6526, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.133449 ● Joensuu, K., Hartikainen, H., Karppinen, S. et al. Developing the collection of statistical food waste data on the primary production of fruit and vegetables. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 24618-24627 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09908-5 A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 22 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. ● Sani, Daniela, Sara Picone, Augusto Bianchini, Fabio Fava, Patricia Guarnieri, and Jessica Rossi. 2021. "An Overview of the Transition to a Circular Economy in EmiliaRomagna Region, Italy Considering Technological, Legal-Regulatory and Financial Points of View: A Case Study." Sustainability 13, no. 2: 596. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020596 ● Binxian Gu, Yanbin Yao, Huimin Hang, Yulin Wang, Renfu Jia, Lingxuan Liu, Hui Ling, Xinyi Tang, Haijie Zhang, Zhiwei Wu, Yongxiang Wu, Takeshi Fujiwara, Yanchao Bai,Promoting Chinese urban residents' participation in source separation and recycling, Waste Management, Volume 139,2022,Pages 290-299,ISSN 0956053X https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2021.12.032 ● Allison, Ayşe Lisa, Fabiana Lorencatto, Susan Michie, and Mark Miodownik. 2021. "Barriers and Enablers to Buying Biodegradable and Compostable Plastic Packaging" Sustainability 13, no. 3: 1463. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031463 8.2 Stakeholder panels and planning Below are the stakeholders whose participation has been confirmed at the project events and who will therefore be contacted for participation in the focus groups, interviews and Delphi panels: A) Stakeholder panel: Regional level Sector/Type of entity Entity & Level Description Public Administration Europa Direct Region of Murcia-Directorate General of the European Union (Regional level) Competences in EU relations by providing an information service on EU institutions, policies and opportunities for EU citizens. Public Administration Alhama City Council (Municipal level) Municipality Major. Industry AEMA (Environmental Businesses AssociationRegion of Murcia) Environmental Businesses Association Region of Murcia. Including waste management, environmental consultancy, environmental quality, etc. Research/Academi a Water eco-efficiency chair (Regional level) University of Murcia Research/Academi a CETENMA (Regional level) Environment research centre (private non for profit) Research/Academi a Molina Vocational Training Centre (CIFEA) (Regional level) Organisation of complementary and specialised training courses and actions, of regional, national and international scope, with the aim of updating and perfecting the technical skills of professionals in the sector. A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 23 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. Civil Society Ambiente Europeo (Regional level) Specialised in CE and pollutions issues, collaboration with industries Civil Society Association of street market vendors (Regional level) Association of street vendors of the Region of Murcia The list may be reinforced with additional actors, such as local civil society organisations, recruited through community-based schemes in T7.1.2 B) Stakeholder panel: EU level Sector/Type of entity Entity & Country Description Consumer Association Unione Nacionale Consumatori Umbria (Italy) Unione Nazionale Consumatori (UNC) is the first consumer association in Italy Industry Digiotouch (Estonia) ICT innovations and services through its participation in EU Horizon 2020 projects and strong in-house R&D. The company is experienced with Standard Development on IoT, Web of Things, and Digital Transformation Industry FILSE SPA (Italy) Consultancy LIGURIA supports region (public administrations ) in development of policies and interventions Industry Agrotransilvania Cluster (Romania) Technology transfer centre of RDI in agro-industrial field at national level. Research/Academi a Veltha (Italy) Research centre; development of Policies for Sustainable Development and Social Innovation Research/Academi a Aalborg University (Denmark) Packaging technology, packaging machinery and pressforming, heat sealing and converting of fibre-based materials. Public Administration Municipality of Nea Smyrni (Greece) Deputy Mayor. The general schedule of activities is shown in Figure 4: A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 24 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. Figure 4 - Schedule of activities - Guidelines for fostering citizen engagement. A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 25 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. 9 Environmental Education for the youth T.8.6 (WP8) Grant Agreement: “MSc and PhD students will be involved through receiving additional training, aligned with the project objectives, scope and results, within their formal education context (e.g., Master classes) thanks to the participation of academic entities within the project. However, the most important and relevant part considering the aims of A2C is the integration of formal and non-formal education for graduates, MSc students and PhD researchers and ESR. (…) During the project lifecycle and in line with the contextual determinants of each site, activities for youth will be designed, always aimed at raising the bonds between academic, business, and decision-making entities. Key topics will be: - Agrifood, plastics and the circular economy - General considerations and context of the circular economy - The A2C results and outcomes - Environmental-responsive entrepreneurship: Clusters and sectoral initiatives; Synergies; Academic careers, entrepreneurship and intellectual exploitation - Specific seminars and workshops on key outputs from the A2C project depending on each country/partner.” Relation with other partners and WPs WP8 – PRIMA, PROEX, AGRO, KVC, ICONS, CARM, CJM, INFO. Task 8.3 Communication and engagement at local and regional level. Coordination with partners who are conducting presentations/workshops at different levels for collaboration and codesign of specific materials. I.e., 4 presentations have already been given in high schools, and PRIMA is already performing a course to create a videogame among secondary students: Task 8.3 (2) Regional contests for scholars aimed to spread the circular economy approach and fostering their involvement in these practices. Students will dare to solve a problem related to the sustainability of a product/processing waste. Best solutions will receive recognition at an organised event. For the introduction of the results and outcomes of the A2C project, UVEG will coordinate with ICONS in order to ensure that the preparation of materials complies with IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) regulations. Materials to be developed/ target groups Designed practical activities (such as role-playing games, scenarios, crosswords, etc.), course outlines and slideshows. For non-higher education institutions (schools, secondary schools, compulsory secondary education, baccalaureate, etc.). The general schedule of activities is shown in Figure 5: A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 32 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. The materials will include the topic of the sustainability paradigm, sustainable development, life cycle thinking, and what role the circular economy plays in this framework. 9.2.1 Examples of didactic materials to be developed for primary schools: Games & Role Play Activity 1: waste sorting game. In this game, students will have to sort different types of waste into the corresponding bins (organic, plastics, paper and cardboard, glass, etc.) to understand the importance of waste separation and how it contributes to the circular economy Activity 2: students become a community and have to make decisions regarding waste and resource management to achieve sustainability and ecological transition. The activity will be designed to be implemented in groups. Activity 3: - Memory game: print out pictures related to the circular economy, such as a cardboard container, a plastic bottle, a reusable bag, etc. Place them face down and ask students to find the pairs of matching images. To make it more challenging, students can be asked to describe what makes each object 'circular'. Activity 4: collection of recyclable materials such as cardboard, plastic bottles, cans and paper, and asking students to create something new from these materials. You can give them a specific theme, such as 'create a new toy' or 'create a useful object for their home'. Slide presentations Presentation with pictures to explain in a clear and simple way what the circular economy is, why it is important and what its basic principles are. Crossword Crossword puzzle with terms related to the circular economy, sustainability and the ecological transition, such as “recycling”, “reuse”, “Renewable energy”, “Pollution”, etc. Students will be able to learn new terms and better understand how these concepts relate to each other. 9.2.2 Examples of didactic materials to be developed for secondary schools. Role-play Activity 1: Students play the role of different actors involved in the circular economy, such as consumers, businesses, governments and CSOs.Through the game, students can A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 33 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. understand how each actor affects and is affected by the circular economy system. Activity 2: A hypothetical scenario is presented in which students have to design a circular economy strategy for a company, city or region. Through the scenario, students can understand how the circular economy relates to sustainability and ecological transition in practice. Debate Students carry out research and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the circular economy compared to the linear economy. They can be asked to consider different aspects, such as resource efficiency, waste reduction and job creation. Research Project Activity 1: Students conduct research on different circular economy practices and technologies, such as recycling, repair and reuse. They can present their findings in a report or presentation. Activity 2: Case analysis. Students analyse real cases of companies, cities or regions that have implemented circular economy practices. They can identify the challenges and opportunities they encountered and assess their impact in terms of sustainability and ecological transition 9.3 The A2C results and outcomes For the introduction of the results and outcomes of the A2C project, UVEG will coordinate with ICONS in order to ensure that the preparation of materials complies with IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) regulations. 9.3.1 Examples of didactic materials to be developed for primary schools: Game “Agro2Circular: the road to circular economy". In this game, students become farmers and have to make decisions on how to produce, distribute and sell their products in a more sustainable and circular way. The game includes cards with information about the Agro2Circular project and other examples of circular economy in the agri-food sector. Slide presentation "Agro2Circular in the Region of Murcia". In this presentation, students will learn about the objectives and results of the Agro2Circular project in the Region of Murcia, and how circular economy practices are being implemented in the agrifood sector. The presentation will include videos, images and interactive questions to keep students interested. A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 34 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. 9.3.2 Examples of didactic materials to be developed for secondary schools. Game “Agro2Circular: the road to circular economy". In this game, students become farmers and have to make decisions on how to produce, distribute and sell their products in a more sustainable and circular way. The game includes cards with information about the Agro2Circular project and other examples of circular economy in the agri-food sector. Real life scenarios Present students different real-life scenarios where the circular economy is applied in the agri-food, plastic or footwear sector. Ask them to identify the environmental and economic benefits of the circular economy in each case and how they could be applied in other similar scenarios. Slide presentation "Agro2Circular in the Region of Murcia". In this presentation, students will learn about the objectives and results of the Agro2Circular project in the Region of Murcia, and how circular economy practices are being implemented in the agrifood sector. The presentation will include videos, images and interactive questions to keep students interested. A slideshow on the suprarecycling of plastics using Biotechnology has been already created by CETECBIO, as shown in figures 12-14: Figure 12 - presentation on suprarecycling of plastics using Biotechnology 1 A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 35 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. Figure 13 - presentation on suprarecycling of plastics using Biotechnology 2 Figure 14 - presentation on suprarecycling of plastics using Biotechnology 3 A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 36 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. 9.4 Environmental-responsive entrepreneurship: Clusters and sector al initiatives; synergies; Academic careers, entrepreneurship and intellectual exploitation. The materials will be developed in collaboration with UB and EURA, as they are the ones carrying out the most relevant actions of the A2C project in terms of Circular Economy Business Models and funding schemes. 9.4.1 Examples of didactic materials to be developed for primary schools: Slide presentation Slide presentation containing images about careers and professions related to the circular economy. Role play Role play game in which students play different professions related to the circular economy, such as waste pickers, green farmers, environmental engineers, etc. 9.4.2 Examples of didactic materials to be developed for secondary schools. Research & Role play - Activity 1: Students can research local businesses that use sustainable business practices and present them to the class in the form of a presentation or poster. They can then discuss how these practices could be applied in other businesses. - Activity 2: Students can form teams and create their own sustainable business. They should present a business plan that includes how they will reduce waste, use renewable resources and respect the environment in general. - Activity 3: Students can research different careers related to the circular economy, such as environmental engineering, waste management, recycling, sustainable design, etc. They can then create a brochure or presentation about these careers and share it with the class. - Activity 4: Students can interview professionals working in the circular economy, such as waste managers, sustainable designers, environmental engineers, etc. and present their findings to the class. Slide presentation Slide presentation containing images, graphics and explanatory text about the importance of environmentally sensitive entrepreneurship and careers and professions related to the circular economy, including information about the creation of companies that use recycled or biodegradable materials, or about the demand for professionals in the waste management or renewable energy sector. A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 37 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. 10 Industry Mentoring Programme T.8.6 (WP8) Grant Agreement: “At regional level, PRIMA will develop an industry mentoring programme aimed at generating innovative results-oriented ideas to respond to circular business challenges, through A2C multidimensional approach.” This document presents an outline of the mentoring programme designed by PRIMA, as well as a draft of the evaluation system proposed by UVEG. The evaluation system will be refined over the coming months. Relation with other partners and WPs - Materials to be developed/ target groups Outline of practical training activities and materials for the development of the industry mentoring programme (Target group: industry, technical personnel) 10.1 Description: aims and phases of the Mentoring Programme The Primafrio Foundation's commitment to the Agro2circular Project is embodied in the mission to organise a mentoring programme for companies in the agri-food sector in the region to generate innovations aimed at responding to the challenges of this model, within the framework of the objectives and solutions set out in it. This programme includes the monitoring and evaluation of the innovations generated to ensure that they are implemented, and the results obtained from them are measured, as well as providing deliverables to facilitate the dissemination of the programme in other European regions. Face-to-face sessions where work is carried out on the basis of training and the initiation of phase B is carried out in this same training session. One face-to-face session for the identification of challenges, generation of ideas, selection and elaboration of proposals. - 3 to 4 online sessions (joint and by subgroups per company) to deepen the identification of actions already carried out (B) or new ideas (C). - Participants: 3 to 5 companies, 2 to 5 people per company, to have a team of about 10/20 people. A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 38 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. Phase A - Training Face-to-face training session, suitable for the agri-food sector, on the concepts and proposals of the Circular Economy, customised to the field of activity of the A2C project, although there will be examples from other fields. It is the starting point for the subsequent phases proposed. This session requires a previous activity of preparation of the material taking into account the A2C project as a whole, with the support of the participants of the project who have been developing the researches that give solutions to the challenges raised. The expected number of attendees is about 10/20 people, belonging to 3 to 5 companies. Estimated duration of the activity: - Preparation: 2 weeks - Training session: 4 hours Phase BActions already implemented The aim of this phase is to identify actions already carried out by the participating companies that respond to the approach proposed by the circular economy in order to facilitate the understanding of the concepts of the model and to motivate the participants by confirming that they are certainly already on the way. The attending teams, who will have participated in the training, will analyse, within the projects already implemented, which of them could respond to this model. Through working meetings with the monitor, they will assess whether these projects really meet their criteria. For these meetings, the participants will be grouped into two subgroups, taking into account their position in the value chain. Estimated duration of the activity: - Face-to-face session: 3 hours (same day as the training). - Complete the information: two weeks, including online sessions (one per subgroup and one group session). Phase C - Generation of innovation proposals This area of collaboration is expected to generate proposals for innovation projects that respond to the two business challenges of the A2C project, the implementation of which would imply that the participating companies incorporate the Circular Economy as a model, with the economic, environmental and social advantages that this model provides. The activities planned in this area of collaboration are as follows: - Workshop with the teams to generate and select innovative ideas. It would be a workshop of about four hours, requiring prior preparation by the monitor and a professional expert in the technologies and solutions proposed by the A2C project. A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 39 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. - Online sessions, two for each of the two subgroups (grouping by similarity of ideas), to complete the selection of ideas and elaboration of project proposals, plus an online session with the whole group to summarise the project proposals. The result would be one or more proposals with cost, effort, impact, risks, etc. to develop the selected ideas. Phase D – Follow up and Evaluation Periodic monitoring and evaluation activities will be carried out (to be determined according to A2C project requirements) to verify the progress in the implementation of the ideas generated and the progression in the transition to the Circular Economy model of the companies involved in the mentoring programme. It is estimated that this monitoring will be done online for a period of about three months, with a dedication of the trainer to attend approximately one monthly meeting per subgroup, one group meeting and one meeting with the project coordinator. The duration of the collaboration is estimated at 3 and a half months for phases A to D, plus the period of monitoring and evaluation activities for about three months to monitor the implementation of the projects in the companies participating in the mentoring programme. 10.2 Evaluation System Draft There are 3 major impact evaluation models of training in organisations: the Kirkpatrick, Philips & Wade models 11 . Here, we propose the utilisation of the Kirkpatrick model since it has clear assessment steps (reaction, learning, behaviour and results) so it is easier to avoid getting bogged down by unforeseen events. However, as other evaluation mode, Kirkpatrick model has difficulties to measure ROI (return of investment) because it’s a multi-causal phenomenon by tangible and intangible factors 12 . Figure 15 shows the 4 evaluation levels of the Kirkpatrick model: 11 P. Pineda Herrero, "Evaluación del impacto de la formación de las organizaciones," Educar, no. 27, pp. 119-133, 2000. [Online]. Available: https://raco.cat/index.php/Educar/article/view/20737 12 M. P. Schroeder-Strong, B. Schreiber, and W. Bennett, "A methodology for projecting the return on investment of training technologies," Military Psychology, 2022, doi: 10.1080/08995605.2022.2050164 A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 40 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. Figure 15 - Kirkpatrick model The following table shows what is proposed to be analysed and how do we propose to collect the information: Analysis level Methods of data collection Reaction: how participants feel about training Questionnaire or Likert scale 1-5. At the end of the course. Learning: how participants increase their skill/knowledge Focus group, questionnaire. During the course or at the end. Behaviour: what changes have occurred on participants Questionnaire, Interview/Observation, During the course and 3-12 months after the course. Results: improvement in the production process In production process indicators as: - Reducing losses in production: LEVEL 4: RESULTS. What benefits has the organisation as a result of the training LEVEL 3: BEHAVIOUR. How participants applied new skills from the training LEVEL 2: LEARNING. What new knowledge and skills have participants learned due to the training. LEVEL 1: REACTION. How did participants respond to the training. A2C – Deliverable D8.6.V1.0 Page 41 | 45 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°101036838. - Material recycling - Circular economy performance - ROI (Return on investment) Questionnaire, interview and focus group. 3-24 months after the course.