SOCPL– 2021-SOC-DIALOG

Project Overview

As part of its PROAction Initiative to leverage its networks and resources to re-package its business-support services in a post-Covid Scenario, the Malta Employers Association launched an EU-Funded Project called “Regeneration Plan for Workplaces”.

This Project, in fact, complements previous MEA endeavours in that it aims to ensure that companies work hand in hand with employees when implementing business transformation programmes.   The project therefore aims to address the facilitation of change management which has become more necessary than ever before in a post-COVID scenario in order to ascertain a company’s resilience, competitiveness and sustainability.

The Project aims at identifying bottlenecks in business transformation processes created by weak planning or communication between management and employees.  It will seek to devise and propose concrete recommendations for management to enhance their engagement with employees through communication and training with a view to ensure that employees are fully engaged, trained and motivated to implement the change process within Maltese and European Companies.  These recommendations will be contained in a Manual which is elaborated upon below and which will support other tangible outcomes emerging from other actions taken under the MEA’s PROAction Initiative.

The Project entails a three-part journey. Firstly, a desk and field research, whereby primary and research was combined through a survey of 150 companies and an equal number of employees across Malta.  The research conducted also included an employer round table dialogue, whereby three events were held with a variety of companies from the Hospitality & Tourism, Wholesale & Retail and Professional Services business sectors.  A repeat of these round tables is envisaged after the conclusion of the surveys to discuss the results.

As hinted above, a tangible deliverable of this Project will be the compilation of a Manual which will include templates of policy drafting, managerial strategies and business models that build on best practices and lessons learnt from the primary and secondary research.  The Manual is intended to serve as a step-by-step guide for companies to utilize during their business transformation and/or upgrading processes.

A further two separate events will then follow to conclude the Project.  Firstly, a Workshop will be organised in Brussels by the Project Partner SGI Europe with the aim of improving procedures for consulting the social partners at national level by collecting expertise and post-Covid experiences from European cross-sectoral and national social partners.

A Final Conference will be held in Malta on 26 October.  Entitled ‘Resilience to Change’, the national conference will be organised on the fringes of SME Week (another link in the PROACTION Initiative) and will present the project results. The conference will bring all stakeholders together in order to explore the findings, challenges and results of the project. The Conference to be held in October will present a final opportunity for interactive debate, knowledge sharing and transfer of best practice.

The Manual that will be produced as a result of this project will serve as a valuable tool for the MEA and will complement the Association in its day-to-day operations offering added value to its members under the PROAction Initiative.  It will be used to provide guidance and support to members as they navigate the challenges of adaption to new and improved business models. The manual will be designed to help companies build strong and sustainable strategies that increase their resilience to potential shocks.

The MEA’s PROAction Initiative is designed to support business transformation in a post-COVID world. Transformation projects are necessary in every business and their benefits are visible and tangible for both the employer and the employee because they bring about new efficiencies, resilience and sustainability.  Providing clear and actionable guidance, the Manual and other deliverables from the “Regeneration Plan for Workplaces” Project will help companies to overcome challenges and build a future-proof business model that can weather any storm.