1. EAPN: Fighting for a Social Europe Free of Poverty
EAPN FPA
Leo Williams
EAPN Director
October 2017
EUROPEAN ANTI-POVERTY NETWORK

2. Recap and restraints Process and inputs 4 year plan
OVERVIEW
Recap and restraints
Process and inputs
4 year plan
2018 work programme
Budget

3. Recap and restraints What the FPA is What the restraints are for EAPN
Priorities
Supporting EC’s outreach
Reinforce network capacity to support EU Objectives
Policy input for EC
Cross cutting issues
Reinforce cooperation
4 year FPA, with one year work programmes. managed directly by the European Commission to contribute to the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy, by providing financial support for the Union's objectives in terms of promoting a high level of quality and sustainable employment, guaranteeing adequate and decent social protection, combating social exclusion and poverty and improving working conditions. 9 million available per year.
Priorities
Supporting the Commission in its outreaching activities and its mission at EU, national and local level in order to ensure awareness and an easier implementation of EU policies
Reinforcing the capacity of the selected EU networks active in relevant area covered by the call to support EU objectives and Europe 2020 priorities.
Providing the Commission with input for policy design
Enabling the networks to integrate cross-cutting issues (e.g. gender, poverty, disability, non-discrimination and job-creation) in their day-to-day work.
Reinforcing the cooperation with other EU level networks, with national, regional and local authorities and with and between the national social stakeholders.
Means we can’t do exactly what we might want, we have to remain within the boundaries of the aims of this funding line, which is perhaps a bit too focused on EU policies than we might like, given the input into the Membership Survey and the proposal itself! Does allow us, in this phase, to finance the general operational costs of running a network like EAPN, though the direction of travel is to change this in 4 years time.

4. Process and inputs Discussions, drafts & redrafts Figures
4 year strategy
2018 work programme
Budget
Discussions, drafts & redrafts
Staff team, bureau, Ex Co (April), back to bureau, more in staff team, Membership Survey, draft 1 based on all of these, google docs, webinars, bureau, MDG, back to Ex Co!
Figures: 21 EAPN members gave some kind of feedback on the FPA – either via webinars, written feedback (google, ), bureau, MDG, responding to specific questions from me! For me, this was highly participatory and I was thrileed to see such levels of engagement on a funding proposal. Thanks!
4 year strategy: Members will have seen in quite a lot of detail… Hope it is not new to people.
2018 work programme: No time to discuss in detail as it was submitted at the same time as the 4 year strategy is based obv v closely on the 4 year strategy
Budget: Again, Ex Co will not have had time to look at this in detail as it had to be submitted at the same time. Big efforts to allocate funds towards the whole of the FPA, so budgets have been studies carefully and relocated to different spaces (notable allocations have been made to funding, campaigns) Still an issue about funding for PeP coordination…

5. Section 1. Actions & recommendations to feed policy-making
Poverty watchdog
Engaging more effectively with current EU frameworks to achieve reductions in poverty
Work in alliances to shape a rights-based, social and sustainable post-2020 strategy and EU strategy to fight poverty and inequality
Ensuring that EU funding benefits people in poverty
Developing thematic work, in cooperation with our European Organisations
Poverty Watchdog:
Analysing and signposting realities of poverty. Promising and less promising practises. Voices of reality - human impact stories and examples of effects of austerity and ‘modernisation’
EU frameworks
Notably EU 2020, Semester, EPSR.
Alliances
SDG Watch, Social Platform etc. Proposals for an EU antipoverty strategy and post 2020 EU strategy disseminated widely at national and EU level
EU Funding mechanisms
Recognising importance of this but need for capacity to deliver… Build on funding work this year (MFF, ESF, FEAD), advocacy and mobilisation around the MFF. Allocated 5000 towards this per year.
Thematic work
Based on Membership Survey and desire to find avenues for enhanced engagement of EOs. One priority theme per year, work with specific EOs (and NNs) to develop work on this. From MS -migration, homelessness, child poverty, in-work poverty, labour markets. Decide which theme to focus on in 2018!!!

6. Section 2: Bridge building between EU and national level actors
Capacity building on European policy frameworks, processes and funding mechanisms
‘Membership upskilling’
Capacity building for a EAPN campaign on European Parliamentary elections in 2019
Develop training on participatory processes and methodologies
Capacity building on EU policy frameworks
The European Semester, EPSR, SDGs and the post-2020 strategy, the MFF and related processes. Through EUISG, also webinars, online tools. Hope that this can be spread at the national level as well!
Membership upskilling
Physical and online training, based on responses to Membership Survey, and a real needs assessment of our members. Won’t just be one big meeting per year, but the possibility of having smaller, more targeted trainings organised for smaller groups of members. Supported by online training opportunities, some sourced by staff team, some developed.
Elections
A series of meetings and webinars for EAPN campaigners to discuss the campaign materials (election guide, timelines, infographics, social media campaign, template letters and editorials etc) and tactics (building public pressure, working in alliances)
Participatory processes and methodologies
Big value add of EAPN. From 2019, look to develop this for our members and other stakeholders. In time, could be a training which is offered to non-members, as a way to diversify funding base.

7. Section 3. Awareness-raising and dissemination
Comms tools on EU processes
Dissemination and awareness-raising activities for key EAPN positions
Communications strategy
PeP & Comms
A targeted media approach
EAPN media training tools
Reinforce EAPN’s campaign wing
Comms tools on EU processes - timelines, explainers, infographics
Dissemination and awareness-raising
Trying to do more with less. Fewer long papers, more work done with them – could be breakfast briefings at Perm Reps (need your help!), could be turning into infographics, could be webinars… More targeted dissemination.
Comms strategy - In tandem with long term planning
PeP & Comms - Increase visibility. New group to develop and implement a strategy to make visible the voice of people experiencing poverty in EAPN’s communications work, both at the European and the national level. Based on Membership Survey. Funds behind this.
Targeted media approach - Increased focus on the media, recognising its importance in forming public and political opinion. Both social and traditional.
Campaigns - Based on Membership Survey. 17 October campaign for all to rally around, and a campaign every two years to work on. Decided under General Assembly. Idea is for EP GA in 2019.

8. Section 4. Network organisation and management
Strengthen PeP engagement
Long-term strategy
Financial diversification
Risk-management system
Innovative and creative horizontal management practises
Membership survey
Statutory meetings
EOs
PeP
Strengthen the engagement of people experiencing poverty in key areas of our work, recognising this USP. A participation strategy, including a ‘step-by-step guide’. Build on what we have, internal expertise, make this more central and concrete to EAPN.
Participatory strategic thinking process
Across a couple of years, when new Bureau and Ex Co come it, we will take the opportunity to do a health check of EAPN, looking at where we want to be and how we want to get there, giving EAPN an overall audit to see whether it is fit for purpose.
Financial diversification
Right that we have a high level of funding from EC, given our history. But in terms of sustainability, we leave ourselves in a volatile situation, and one which makes me uncomfortable as Director. New Committee to develop this work, which I will support and push. Hope to kick-start it during discussions in Dublin!
Risk management
Recognising risks helps mitigate them – have started doing this in a structured way, and will develop this. Will help staff team guide political bodies with relevant strategic questions at the right time, so bodies can make the decisions needed to mitigate the relevant risks. Example is the risk of not receiving the FPA…
Management practises
Membership survey
Following 2017 survey
Statutory meetings
Ex Co, GA, Strategic Congress.
EOs
Finding the best way to integrate them better in EAPN, through thematic work, campaigns, exchanges etc. Don’t want to spend 4 years simply talking about how to do it – want to simply write something and make it happen. Hope to have good discussions in this today.

9. 2018 Work Programme - highlights
Poverty watchdog
EU Funding
Thematic work w/ EOs
Membership Upskilling
European Parliamentary Elections
Dissemination meetings
PeP / Comms
Strategic thinking process
EU Funding TBC – allocated 5K towards this, best way to use. MFF, ESF, FEAD?
Thematic work: Decide on theme today!
Upskilling: Not just one big meeting at same time as GA, more smaller meetings, more online. Based on Membership Survey. TBC by end of year.
EPE: Campaign planning and training. Link to the reinforced campaign wing. 8K per year. October 17
Dissemination: More space for meetings and events to use our positions
PeP: Sub-group. How this will work, TBC.
Strategic thinking: This time next year physically but will need preparation for a participatory process!

10. Budget – what is different?
Membership upskilling: 13000
Online training: 5000
Strategic Congress: 5000
EU level events: 5000
Financial diversification: 1000
Thematic groups: 6000 for 3 groups
PeP / Comms: 5500
Campaigns: 8000
EU funds (TBC)

11. Thank you for your attention
For more information, please contact :
Leo Williams
EAPN Director
EUROPEAN ANTI-POVERTY NETWORK
RÉSEAU EUROPÉEN DE LUTTE
CONTRE LA PAUVRETÉ ET L’EXCLUSION SOCIALE
BOULEVARD BISCHOFFSHEIM, 11 – 1000 BRUSSELS
TEL: -
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