Rosalba
La Grotteria
Ad-Hoc Expert
Generic Skills
B.1. Understanding of integrated and sustainable urban development:
My experience on integrated sustainable urban development refers to local development, business start-up promotion, employment policies, networking, participatory project planning as well as active inclusion in urban contexts. I’ve been working for 20 years with local authorities/stakeholders in several transnational projects and actively participated to local authority-led networks. I worked in the frame of the Community Initiatives ADAPT and NOW concerning active labor policies and start up services tailored on urban development needs at local level. My experience in these projects, and further on, in the frame of the Territorial Employment Pacts, gave me the opportunity to get a wide knowledge on urban challenges related to integrated and sustainable urban development. In the last ten years I contributed to design and develop the local support services concerning consultancy and tutoring services for business start up, working in different economic sectors, and always tailoring the service to urban needs and challenges. In Turin my company is part of the ecosystem that gathers public and private organizations supporting the City Council in initiatives and services in favor of the development of Torino social innovation programme. We are also partner of Open INCET - Open INnovation CEnter Torino, a centre offering different services to public and private organizations in the field of innovation and social growth with an international dimension.
B.2. Understanding of exchange and learning processes at transnational level:
I have been working on exchange and learning processes for almost 20 years at transnational level. I gained my experience mostly in European networks like LEDA -Local Employment Development Association (I drove it as president for 10 years), EGLEI – European Group for Local Employment Initiatives - that made me gain a wide experience on themes linked to local employment and development initiatives (I acted as the Italian representative on the Board of Directors), EBN European Business Network: my company obtained the Business and Innovation Centres (BIC) logo as a full member in 2002 (I represent my company in the network and I’m one of its experts); LDnet: I’m one of the founder of this informal network set up in 2011 to bring together knowledge and people in local development. Most of my work, at transnational level, regarded the exchange of best practices and learning tools, starting with the programme of study visits set up with EGLEI in 1993 and run for ten years to the present day with the forum created by LDnet for sharing information and knowledge among experts, researchers and all those active in local development. I designed and managed many training sessions for local practitioners, I designed and tested a capitalization tool for local authorities, with the aim of capitalize and transfer experience gained at transnational level to local level in a mainstreaming process activated in their organization.
B.3. Proficiency in English:
I write and speak currently in English. My work regarding the European projects and transnational networking is essentially in English. My interventions in conferences, transnational meetings and other European or International Events are made in English.
Expertise for the design and delivery of transnational exchange and learning activities:
Thematic expertise:
Theme / Policy:
Local Economic Development
Summary Thematic expertise:
I worked for more than twenty years in local development declined in its various forms: self-employment, promotion of employment and local initiatives, the creation of active and strong partnerships for the growth of the local community, doing networking activity accordingly. My education background includes a bachelor's degree in political science with a specialization in international law and economics besides two Masters in Local Development.
I contributed to design and develop the local support services concerning consultancy and tutoring services for business start up, working in different economic sectors, and always tailoring the service to urban needs and challenges. I drafted several documents and reports concerning local development, self-employment, collecting best practice on entrepreneurship in and outside Italy.
In Turin I worked in the frame of Torino Social Innovation Programme for animating workshops and events, helping the local context to face the new societal challenges due to economic, environmental and demographic changes. I cooperate with Open INCET - Open INnovation CEnter Torino, offering services to public Institutions and private organizations to help them pilot innovations and grow internationally. I give consultancy and support on EU projects in the frame of a broad advisory service promoted by the Piedmont Region with the goal is to spread the design culture and enhance the ability of business start up in this field.
Expertise support to local authorities and other stakeholders in designing & delivering integrated and participatory policies
E.1. Knowledge on participatory methods and tools for co-production and implementation of local polices :
I have worked mainly in bottom up approaches leading to the setting up of participatory structures and supported the regional authorities and stakeholders in designing and delivering integrated, holistic and participatory policies. I set up the Info Point Europe in Torino, managing dissemination activities on European policies for schools and multiple targets. I’m coordinating and managing the “Enterprise Desk” within the Info Point Center Informagiovani of the Turin City Council, providing support to young people in the urban area who wants to start up their own business.
E.2. Knowledge on integrated approach for the design, delivering, monitoring and evaluation of urban strategies/policies:
I’ve worked for 2 years in the frame of FaciliTo Giovani, the service supplied by the Municipality of Turin to sustain entrepreneurial projects promoted targeted to solving the arising social needs. FaciliTo Giovani offers information, technical and financial support for proponents of innovative ideas, that are able to create a blended value, both social and economic, in different fields, as education, quality of life, mobility, social inclusion, health to young would-to-be entrepreneurs, spin-off or enterprises with no more than 4 years of life, formed especially by young people and operating in the urban area of Turin.
In the frame of LEDA-LDnet I’m working actively to contribute to policy development and implementation also relating to urban themes, as the network acts as an independent “think tank” informing stakeholders on the main outputs and policies.
E.3. Awareness of the main policy and funding schemes for sustainable urban development at EU and national level:
I’m constantly informed on European policies because I subscribed to many publications and newsletters, being always updated on funding schemes for sustainable urban development at regional, national and EU level. I do training for public administrations and private organizations on issues related to funding schemes at EU level.
E.4. Ability to understand specific local situations and adapt tools and content to different local realities:
In the frame of the TLN MOB network I helped in working out the coordinated call for organizing out coming and incoming mobility (Italy, Germany and Spain) for NEETs in Trento (Italy). I designed the call according to the guidelines of the learning network and adapted most of the foreseen tools to the local context in Trento, working with local operators, enterprises, private and public bodies dealing with the mobility schemes.
Informations
Residence location:
Italy
Languages:
Italian - Mother tongue
Foreign Languages level:
Foreign languages:
Foreign Languages level:
Foreign languages:
Email:
abagros@gmail.com