On December 20-21^st, 2021, a first transnational meeting of the WorkingSmart project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ of the European Commission, took place in Lyon, France. Hellenic Open University with DAISSy research group is the Greek partner of the project.

Hosted by IPRA/MEDEF Auvergne Rhone Alpes, 15 persons participated in a two-day long meeting (9 persons on-site at MEDEF premises, and 6 persons were connected on-line) representing all project partners coming from France, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, and Spain.

The project meeting was dedicated to networking, project management, administrative, financial aspects, the quality evaluation, and reporting obligations of all partners. It was fundamental to all partners as has allowed to draw a common understanding of project goals and objectives, validate the management of the project work plan, better clarify rules and responsibilities of each partner, and define communication agreements and procedures.

WorkingSmart is a two-year long Erasmus+ project (November 2021-October 2023) striving to challenge EU MSMEs to take into account the empowerment culture brought about by new technologies and smart working with different working approaches and lifestyles, among women and men.

The project aims to train and empower a novel Smart Working Manager/Advisor capable of dealing with resistance to change inside and outside EU organizations, primarily embedded into the resistance not (only) to technical change but social and cultural change (personal relationships) that will accompany the digital change.

The project seeks for participation of indirect beneficiaries (entrepreneurs, managers and executives, workers, and independent professionals) at different stages of the project (focus groups, piloting, multiplier events), so as to better manage their specific concerns and make learners more skillful.

During the project a number of ICT-based training tools and resources will be developed to support the acquisition of digital and entrepreneurial competences compliant with the EU DigComp and EntreComp frameworks, with a particular focus on problem solving issues.

Novel professionals benefiting from this project will be trained to help organizations and their managers to be capable of planning smart working in a way that is flexible and fit for purpose, dealing with organisational and labour issues, including compliance to the GDPR and performance measurement and management, in terms of both measurable and acceptable modifications in the physical and daily routines of the job, as well as the way flexible working will alter the established hierarchical and control relationships.

At the end of this learning and teaching experience of global smart working competence, the EU workforce, including young professionals will be better prepared and engaged as collaborative problem solvers, regardless of the specific job levels.

If you or your institution are interested in smart working and you wish to contribute, benefit, or simply follow up on the development of the WorkingSmart project, please contact the DAISSy research group of HOU:

• Website DAISSy: https://daissy.eu/
• Facebook : @DAISSyResearchGroup
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daissyresearchgroup/
• Twitter : https://twitter.com/daissy_research
• Instagram: @daissy_researchgroup
• Email : info@daissy.eap.gr

Project partners:

• IPRA/MEDEF AUVERGNE RHONE ALPES, France, Coordinator
• HELLENIC OPEN UNIVERSITY with DAISSy Group, Greece
• aiComply, Italy
• GOSPODARSKA ZBORNICA SLOVENIJE CENTER ZA POSLOVNO USPOSABLJANJE / Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia – Institute for Business Education, Slovenia
• FUNDACIO PER A LA UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA, Spain
• INMEDIA SOLUTIONS, Spain