Title: Challenges for social entrepreneurs in Poland Marzena Bednarkiewicz The Friends of Disabled Society
1Challenges for social entrepreneurs in
PolandMarzena BednarkiewiczThe Friends of
Disabled SocietyLjubljana 2008
2Social entrepreneur - social firm
managerStructure of support Social Economy
CentreGeneral recommendations
3Social Firm KLOS Manager Dominik Murawa
manager_at_klos.org.pl
- Advantages
- business opportunity in hospitality industry in
Lodz region - high motivation of disabled employees
- raising public awareness of the need of
disabled employment - Disadvantages
- infrastructure too poor to meet hotel standards
(resources of financing) - Over employment and high payroll costs (trainers
higher wages than industry average, trainees
need constant attention and supervision in
initial months) - No government support to help survive low season
4Social Support Me-You-We President of Board
Tomasz Musielski tmusielski_at_wsparciespoleczne.pl
- Finances
- Advantages
- Structural funds granted to Poland within the
framework of the new financial perspective
(2007-2013) may become a great opportunity for
the sector of social economy - Disadvantages
- Lack of stable financing system for social
enterprises - Lack of tasks commissioned to social economy
entities by means of public procurement
5Development strategies
- Advantages
- In the National Development Strategy 2007-2015
there are statements related to social economy - Disadvantages
- Lack of regional programmes that would support
social economy
Supporting institutions Advantages Centers
supporting social economy (Social Economy Centre,
Supporting Centre for Social Cooperatives) are
being established. Disadvantages Lack of system
solutions concerning the support of social
economy institutions.
6- Criteria
- Advantages
- Economic and social criteria as distinguishing
features of social firms. - Disadvantages
- Lack of economic instruments in most social
enterprises. - Social aims overshadow economic ones.
Cooperation Advantages The establishment of the
Social Economy Forum in Lodz as a harbinger of
the partnership of the three sectors. Disadvantag
es Lack of partnerships between public, social
and private agents
7- Legislation
- Advantages
- The bill on social firms. The bill that amends
the Act of Law on social cooperatives. - Disadvantages
- Lack of legal regulations for the social firm. No
Act of Law for social firms - The Act of Law on social cooperatives is severely
criticized by members of social cooperatives and
revision is in process
Management Advantages The establishment of the
social economy school in Krakow.
Disadvantages Lack of social economy managers.
8- General disadvantages
- -Lack of knowledge and understanding from labor
offices workers and management for disadvantage
people - -Lack of basic knowledge about social economy,
social cooperatives although in Poland we have
law about social cooperatives since 2006 - -Low skills of social cooperatives participants
about running business - -Bad habits of solely demanding
- -Lack of strong and competence support for social
enterprises. - -Lack of connection between local and central
(ministry) structures. - Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs cooperate
more with NGOs then with local governance - -Diversity of projects based on different
experiences which are realized in EQUAL framework - -One-dimensional thinking in only social or only
commercial categories.
9...and advantages -Creation of interesting
solutions during realization of projects in EQUAL
framework -Intensive work at creation of new
image of social cooperatives discredited during
communistic period -Essential dispute with
participation non-governmental organisations
concerning social economy -Enthusiasm of excluded
persons, academic circles and non-governmental
organisations -Increased consciousness concerning
consumers preferences which are presently more
influenced by social and ecological
values -Consumers preferences are under guidance
of higher values because of improving life
conditions and life quality. -Role of social
economy enterprises in European and world
economy -Tiredness with too great tempo of life,
alienation and competition which results in
return of social values
10- Thank You for your attention
- www.tpn.org.pl
- www.klos.org.pl
- www.wsparciespoleczne.org.pl
- mbednarkiewicz_at_tpn.org.pl