To know to decide

A solution by Quaster submitted to Connect Refugees and Work

Research on SMEs and social cooperatives to define communication strategies aimed to improve the work inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers

(Pitched: 14/07/2018)

One Page Summary

Work inclusion of Refugees and asylum seekers is the first step for an effective social inclusion.

In Italy, social cooperatives manage many CSA (extraordinary welcome centers); these centers also aim to find a job for asylum seekers and refugees.


However, there are many problems in these practice:
• social cooperatives don't use easily digital tools (such as the Start Refugees platform, owner of the challenge) to intercept job requests;
• the entrepreneurs' mentality is not yet sufficiently sensitive to hire refugees and asylum seekers (they don't know the offer and the skills of the candidates; furthermore there are prejudices and stereotypes)

In this situation, it is necessary to define and implement communication strategies that allow to overcome limits and prejudices.
To set up a correct communication strategy it is necessary to well know the problems. Alec Ross in his book "Our Future" states: "if you have 60 seconds to do something, use at least 10 to understand how to plan activities at best".


The solution consists in:
1. a research on social cooperatives to understand the limits to the digital tools;
2. a research on local enterprises to understand prejudices and stereotypes related to the recruitment of immigrants;
3. the definition of a communication strategy based on the results of the researches;
4. an impact analysis to forecast the effects that the strategy will generate.

The stakeholders to involve will be: social cooperatives and SMEs (entrepreneurs)

There are many marketing research companies, but Quaster proposal presents several strengths:
• Quaster is a research and marketing consulting company specialized in supporting innovative start-ups (such as Start Refugees, owner of the challenge) to understand market limits and opportunities and to develop effective action plans. Since 2001 we provided consultancy to 175 startup and 9 incubators and business accelerators.
• The long experience has led us to define a very effective PDCA model (Plan Do Check Act) that will give a solution to the challenge launched by Start Refugees.
• Quaster is a member of ISNET, an association with over 833 social cooperatives in Italy and 36 Consortiums of Social Cooperatives; with this association Quaster collaborates to carry out research on social topics.
• Quaster is a provider of CDO, an association of entrepreneurs with over 20,000 members and collaborates with all the national offices of this association, including the Genoa office.
• Quaster collaborates with 4 different communication agencies to transform strategies into operational tools.

The PDCA model of Quaster has already tested on 175 start ups in Italy, on different sectors: Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Agrifood