SIforREF Project

SIforREF improves policies for the inclusion of refugees into society and labour market through socially innovative policies and practices.

In 2019 we co-created a toolbox with social innovative approaches on refugee integration from our 5 central European partner regions Vienna, Parma, Ljubljana, Bologna and Berlin.

In 2021 we tested most promising approaches in 7 pilot actions and evaluated each of them together with participants, civil society & political stakeholders.

In 2022 key learnings feed into a comprehensive transnational strategy with policy recommendations to provide policy makers and local communities with concrete tools to improve the integration of refugees.

Download the PDF file on the project.

SIforREF Pilots

We designed, conducted and evaluated seven concrete actions for the inclusion of refugees into society and labour market that will help communities to innovate refugee policies in central Europe.

Each of the seven pilots adresses a specific challenge, target group and goal but all are using a social innovative working approach. 

The key findings from these pilots allow us to develop social innovative and inclusive practices and policy guidelines that can become mainstream and institutionalised.

As a basis for information and discussion with key stakeholders from politics and practice we created a video documentation for each pilot. 

Click here to read & watch about the Pilot Actions!

SIforREF Guidelines

We have developed a clear set of indicators that act as guidelines to evaluate, benchmark but also to design social innovative policies and practices for the inclusion of refugees. 

Our underlying principles for the social innovative quality of policies and practices are that they shall:

• Respect the agency of the refuge.
• Enable refugees to voice their own interest.
• Empower refugees & enable access to resources.
• Work for an inclusive and cohesive society.
  

For easy use by practitioners and policymakers, we compiled these guidelines as a comprehensive checklist. 

Click here to download the guidelines.

SIforREF About

Our team consists of researchers, representatives of local government and actors from civil society from each of our partner regions:

• Venice (Italy, Lead Partner)
• Berlin (Germany)
• Bologna (Italy)
• Ljubljana (Slovenia)
• Parma (Italy)
• Vienna (Austria).

Our goal is that social innovative and inclusive measures for refugee integration become mainstream and institutionalised. Our key instruments are co-operation of key stakeholders at the local level, transnational cooperation and the promotion of social innovation.