OPPORTUNITY

RESEARCH AND PLANNING

AFI Europe Romania ran a development assessment qualitative research elaborated by Unlock Market Research regarding the companies’ decision to relocate and the factors involved in this decision. The core objective was to provide a deep understanding of the potential clients’ mindset and their needs from office buildings to uncover potential differentiating and relevant elements that AFI Tech Park could capitalize.

The study revealed that employees’ decision, not just CEO’s, is considered when evaluating an office building, as workforce is becoming increasingly a competitive advantage. In the meantime, employees are looking for a “work campus” feel rather than a “dry” work platform – spaces that allow people combine non-office and office life. Employees are seduced by places with spirit, where the heart of the community lies.

This qualitative study made in the last quarter of 2017 revealed also that the neighbourhood where the building is being developed (near Rahova) triggers mostly negative reactions and the surrounding / space around building were unappealing.

With these findings, we decided to get to work. We created the company’s first community fund of 70,000 lei. The process in the first year was planned as a pilot program, in order to test the interest for initiatives that can lead to the development of the community spirit. Also, the project was aimed to test the interest of different associations and civic groups from the area, in order to stimulate interventions that will generate added value and sustainability.

For transparency and credibility, we choose a reputable partner Bucharest Community Foundation to manage the contest. „A FI vecin bun” challenge was open to all NGOs and initiative groups, not politically affiliated. They had to submit initiatives that:

• help places in the area to look better, be more functional and friendlier to the communities that live there;
• stimulate and support the social life of the area in an inclusive way;
• aim at animating public space and bringing the people together in neighbourhoods and contributing to strengthening community and neighbourhood identity;
• address issues of better quality of life in the neighbourhood and involve as many members of the community as possible;
• can be put into practice and respond to a need for the site and the surrounding community, but they also consider the environmental and social impact they have.

The competition had an independent jury, consisting of people with experience in areas related to social and civic involvement and urban regeneration. The members of the jury were elected from non-governmental organizations and multinational companies, but also from within the financing company: OANA PREDA, CEO of Ce-Re – Resource Center for Public Participation, ANA-MARIA ELIAN (ȚONI) urban planner Make Better, specializing in urban planning and regeneration, ANDREI MIHAIL PhD in Anthropology, Associate Professor of the Faculty of Political Sciences, SNSPA, CATALIN IORGULESCU, Vice-President, PR & Government Relations, ABSL, IULIA BORȘAN, Corporate Marketing Manager, AFI Europe Romania. Through their impartiality, diverse experience in areas related to the launched call, they ensured a selection process connected to the reality of the local community in the geographical area concerned.

IMPLEMENTATION

We started communication by creating a landing page on AFI’s website and a dedicated blog section http://www.afitechpark.ro/afivecinbun-en/. Soon, relevant media outlets became partners to our initiative (BIZ, wall-street, romaniapozitiva.ro, csrmedia.ro). Furthermore, following a tradition that says that when you move in a new neighbourhood you have to greet your neighbours with a gift, the most important journalists and bloggers received from us a “good neighbour” basket together with a personalized message about the campaign.

The phases of the contest were:

1. Enrolment of the project ideas
2. Preselection of project ideas according to the eligibility criteria, developed by the Bucharest Community Foundation
3. Selection of best 5 project ideas
4. Announcement of the selected projects
5. Invitation to submit detailed plans
6. Submission period of the detailed projects
7. Judging of final projects
8. Interviews with the applicants
9. Announcement of the winners
10. Implementation period

We also designed a coaching program for five finalist teams choosing the best trainers amongst influencers: Oana Bratila, Cristian China Birtha, Cristina Bazavan, Victor Kapra, Cosmin Tudoran. The influencers became real ambassadors for „A FI vecin bun” amplifying the word of mouth.

Fundatia Parada – Implementare

We also designed a coaching program for five finalist teams choosing the best trainers amongst influencers: Oana Bratila, Cristian China Birtha, Cristina Bazavan, Victor Kapra, Cosmin Tudoran. The influencers became real ambassadors for „A FI vecin bun” amplifying the word of mouth.

Through “AFFInities for a united community” , Parada Foundation aimed to stimulate the development of harmonious relationships between individuals from different social classes, by creating communication bridges through art. With Parada Circus, a social circus whose artists are exclusively street children or youngsters, the public space will be animated through circus shows and juggling workshops. At the same time, in order to increase their integration, but also to create empathy and understanding from the local community, discussions will be organized between the artists and the spectators on issues of public perception on life on the streets, misconceptions and equality. The  “Neighbors’ Day at the little tables of knowledge” project was submitted by the initiative group 4 KIDS, formed by four neighbours from the same block of flats. Their goal was to do good in the community where they live. The winning idea was the organizing of The Neighbors’ Day, a day of celebration for the community near Filaret Park and vicinity, that takes place on the last Saturday of May. This day aims to become a tradition, embraced by many other neighbourhoods in the city. In order to stimulate and support the community life, the project also aims to organize monthly reunions of the neighbours, especially parents with children, around “The little tables of knowledge”, which include four educational tables on different topics, placed near playgrounds. The little tables will target children aged 4 to 9 years old and are destined to stimulate learning and knowledge through play. All phases of “A FI vecin bun” were communicated to the public through media relations, social media and direct mailing tactics.

EVALUATION