Johan Hvenmark and Reinhard Millner

There is a growing need among leaders in European Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to challenge their basic assumptions, develop their formal knowledge base and expand their personal networks. With a firm base in frontline research, the aim of the initiative described below is to strengthen and enhance this strategic and analytical capacity of European Civil Society Organisations.

The European Programme In Civil Society Leadership –  EPICS – is designed and delivered by leading European research centres and scholars. - EPICS forms part of the CINEFOGO activity programme as work package 40 (WP40). - Its focus is on relevant strategic and managerial issues, CSO leaders and managers are facing today.

Some examples of topics to be highlighted in the programme: Value added by CSOs, Towards a European philantropic sector, Government – civil society relationships, and Governance partnership models. The programme is designed to integrate and bridge the different modules as well as theory and practice. The programme consists of four modules, taking place in respectively Stockholm, Heidelberg, Vienna and Dublin. Within each module time is dedicated to field trips to a selection of interesting organisations. The participants will also work with specific group assignments during and in between the modules.

An important aspect of the programme is the benefit of the mix of participants from different CSOs from different countries. The participants will also meet and work with scholars from a variety of academic disciplines and research interests.

The Programme is offered by the following academic institutions from March 2009 to November 2009:

• The Economic Research Institute, Stockholm School of Economics (Sweden).
• Centre for Social Investment Heidelberg University (Germany)
• Research Institute for Nonprofit Organisations, Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien (Austria).
• Centre for Nonprofit Management, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland).

Read more at www.epics.ie.