OECD LEED Programme, the Romanian Ministry of Labour, Family and Equal Chances and the Ministry of SMEs, Trade, Tourism and Liberal Professions organized an international conference on social enterprises in partnership with World Learning for International Development, the Civil Society Development Foundation and ECNL with the support of USAID on June 13, 2007 in Bucharest, Romania. The title of the event is Social Enterprises in an Evolving Economy: from Non-profit Organizations to Social Enterprises.
This conference discussed the current policy framework and recent developments pertinent to social enterprises in the OECD, and explored the potential of social enterprises in Central and Eastern European countries and in Romania in particular. Special attention was given to the discussion on issues of ways to create an enabling environment for social enterprises.
- To what extent do social enterprises present an opportunity for post-transitional economies?
- What steps need to be taken to secure an environment conducive to social enterprises?
- What is the role of national and local governments to foster social enterprise development?
The conference focused on the role of the social enterprise sector in delivering social services and on the crucial aspect of financing non-profit organisations committed to the welfare mix. The major obstacles and challenges which the sector faces were presented: How to engage with the public and private sectors to foster a model of welfare mix? How to ensure that quality standards are guaranteed in the delivery of social and community services? How to foster users’ involvement in the decision-making process? How to identify and secure financial streams? The conference presented a unique opportunity to discuss social enterprises’ new developments and to challenge their evolution in OECD Member and non-member countries.