Building the future: Studio SHIFT’s capacity building at the heart of the “New Wave” Project for Il Pugno Aperto

In the multifaceted world of the Third Sector, the word “change” echoes constantly. But how can we truly enable change within social enterprises, third-sector organizations, and non-profits? And more importantly, how can we ensure that change is sustainable and includes the freshest, most innovative voices?

At Studio SHIFT, we believe the answer lies in capacity building—the process of developing and strengthening internal capabilities. A prime example is the project “New Wave: for a younger and more attractive organization”, where we worked alongside Il Pugno Aperto, a social cooperative with over 30 years of history, more than 200 employees, and strong roots in its local community.

Like many long-established and growing organizations, Il Pugno Aperto recognized the need for internal reorganization—especially a generational shift to make room for new energy and perspectives. The challenge? Attracting, onboarding, and retaining young talent, while turning this transition into an opportunity for growth.

Studio SHIFT and “New Wave”: empowering the team through design thinking

This is where Studio SHIFT came in. In “New Wave”, we didn’t just offer solutions from the outside—we immersed ourselves in Il Pugno Aperto’s organizational fabric with a participatory design and Design Thinking approach.

Our goal was to facilitate a structured and engaging journey, composed of five co-design sessions led by two Studio SHIFT facilitators, over a total of four working days. These sessions allowed us to surface key issues and co-create practical micro-solutions in organizational design and internal communication.

Here’s how we structured the journey:

• Session 1 – The New Language of Cooperation
  We believe the future of an organization must include the voices of those just beginning their journey. That’s why young employees provided valuable insights into their experience in social work, group dynamics, and personal aspirations. Using structured listening methodologies and creative techniques, we brought their needs and perspectives to light.

• Session 2 – Benefits & beyond
  Beyond financial compensation, many “invisible assets” (such as values, internal culture, and opportunities for social impact) are crucial for attracting young people to a cooperative. Together, we identified and defined ways to communicate these assets effectively—both internally and externally. This included prototyping tools like the “Priceless Manifesto” and a tangible reflection on non-monetary assets, resulting in a “Fake Payslip” and a symbolic “Chat of Abundance”, where group Inner Development Goals (IDGs) were represented through icons.

• Session 3 – Happiness management
  An attractive organization is one where people can thrive. We introduced the group to the principles and practices of Management 3.0—or Happiness Management—including actions like rewarding, continuous feedback, participation in decision-making, work flexibility, lifelong learning, a healthy work climate, and attention to individual well-being. This session focused on improving quality of work life and employee happiness.

• Session 4 – Reflections & learning
  This session was dedicated to gathering feedback and evaluating the entire journey through participatory retrospective tools. The goal was to reflect on the outcomes and identify areas for improvement. We also prioritized the prototypes developed along the way, outlining a concrete six-month implementation plan for the entire cooperative.

Throughout this process, younger members and employees took on a proactive and guiding role, becoming ambassadors of change even to their more senior colleagues. The project was made possible with the support of Fondazione Cariplo, as part of the Riprogettiamo il Futuro program.

Why capacity building is crucial for Third Sector Organizations

The “New Wave” project is a clear example of how capacity building can be a game-changer for the success and sustainability of social enterprises. Providing high-quality services isn’t enough: it’s essential to invest in people, their skills, and their well-being. Organizational transformation empowers entities to:

• Become more resilient and adaptable to evolving contexts and labor markets;
  
• Attract and retain talent by creating spaces where people want to work and grow;
  
• Generate new ideas and bottom-up solutions by leveraging internal human resources;
  
• Transform internal efficiency into greater external effectiveness.
  

Just like our other projects, Edit and TAG35, this initiative allowed us to deliver concrete innovation tools and an action plan aligned with the cooperative’s evolving needs and ambitions. Through active participation and diverse design methodologies, we helped shape a “new wave” of growth.