How our projects moved their activities online

The COVID-19 crisis has been a significant challenge for Interreg Europe projects. They largely depend on face-to-face meetings, during which the partners and their local stakeholders carry out their project activities. Faced with the ongoing uncertainty, and following the programme advice, many projects are moving their activities online (where possible) as a temporary substitute for physical meetings that require travelling.

To support projects with this challenge, we organised two webinars to share our tips and project experiences on how to organise online events. In this article, we present another three methodologies from projects planning online study visits and high-level dissemination events.

Online study visits

The SCALE UP project developed a methodology for online study visits. They plan to carry out the visits in five steps over three months:

1. Compile additional information about good practices
2. Analyse this information at regional level by stakeholder groups and provide further questions for the good practice owners
3. Receive clarifications from the hosting partner and analyse the answers in the stakeholder groups
4. Organise an online meeting about the good practices
5. Prepare a SWOT analysis and final review

Would you like to know more? Read more about the SCALE UP experience of moving their study visits online.

High-level dissemination events

The Cult-RInG project’s online high-level dissemination event consisted of three different sessions. Each session lasted 90 minutes, followed by a one-hour break. The first session was an opening keynote address with the presence of several high-level speakers. After this, the second session focused on project results and achievements per region. To close, the final session was a panel discussion focusing on the legacy of the project results.

For TRINNO project partners, the high-level dissemination event can take place physically, virtually, or as a combination of both in October, depending on how the health situation evolves over the coming months. Because of this uncertainty, the lead partner developed a strategy to co-create the event through a documented process of stakeholder engagement in policy improvement activities in each region. The partners will document their engagement with the different stakeholders involved in implementing the action plans through videos, photos, audios or brief written reports.

What about the Policy Learning Platform?

The Policy Learning Platform organises various online policy learning events such as webinars, policy discussions and matchmaking meetings. In response to the crisis, the methodology of a peer review, that normally takes place on-site, was adapted into a series of three online meetings, each taking place three to five days apart. 

How did you adapt your project activities for the online environment? Why not share your interesting methodologies on your project website and inform your project officers so that others can benefit too!