Project Seminar “Social Innovation Project”

2026/2027

Academic Year

ENG

Instruction in English

3

ECTS credits

Delivered at:

Department of Sociology

Course type:

Compulsory course

When:

1 year, 4 module

Course Syllabus

Abstract

The Project Seminar is designed to help students improve their skills in developing, leading and implementing projects, including projects in the field of social innovation and social entrepreneurship, as well as project management skills. As part of the course, students will be able to discuss and apply key project management concepts in practice. As a result, they will be able to successfully manage resources, time, and risks to achieve the intended commercial and social results. Particular attention will be paid to the critical factors of project success and failure, ways to reduce risks through proper planning at the early stages. Students will be able to improve their skills on real examples and their own projects.

Learning Objectives

• To develop students' practical skills in the field of project management, planning, management and implementation of projects.
• To create conditions for students to apply their knowledge of the key approaches in the field of project management.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Applies the principal stages, concepts, and tools of the social innovation project cycle.
• Analyzes social problems by constructing problem trees, systems maps, and Causal Loop Diagrams.
• Maps stakeholders, designs engagement strategies, and facilitates co-creation processes that preserve stakeholder dignity and agency.
• Develops and ethically tests prototypes or minimum viable social solutions.
• Designs pilots, collects and interprets feedback, and iterates solutions based on empirical evidence.
• Prepares implementation plans applying relevant project management and change-management frameworks.
• Formulates theories of change and selects relevant, feasible, and ethically sound indicators.
• Communicates and defends social innovation proposals before academic and professional audiences.
• Compiles individual contributions, team decisions, lessons learned, identified risks, and the responsible use of digital and AI tools.

Course Contents

• Topic 1. Understanding and Mapping the Social Problem
• Topic 2. Stakeholder Analysis and Co-Creation
• Topic 3. Designing and Prototyping the Social Innovation
• Topic 4. Testing and Piloting
• Topic 5. Implementation, Change Management, and Resource Mobilization
• Topic 6. Social Impact Assessment, Scaling, and Final Defense

Assessment Elements

• Case-Based Applied Tasks
  Students complete short individual or team-based applied tasks during seminars.
• Social Innovation Project Portfolio
  The portfolio is a structured, evidence-based record of the project’s development. It may be submitted individually or by a team, but individual contributions must be transparently documented. The recommended portfolio length is 6,000–8,000 words excluding appendices. • Executive summary and project purpose • Evidence-based problem profile and systems analysis • Stakeholder map, co-creation process, and ethical safeguards • Solution concept, value proposition, and prototype • Testing and pilot plan with evidence of iteration • Implementation roadmap, partnership and resource strategy, budget logic, and risk register • Theory of change, indicators, data sources, and impact assessment approach • Scaling, adaptation, or replication strategy • Reflection on limitations, uncertainties, team learning, and responsible use of AI/digital tools
• Final Project Defense
  Students present and defend the completed social innovation project before the instructor, peers, and, where possible, external experts or partner representatives.

Interim Assessment

• 2026/2027 4th module
  0.2 * Case-Based Applied Tasks + 0.35 * Final Project Defense + 0.45 * Social Innovation Project Portfolio

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• The international handbook on social innovation : collective action, social learning and transdisciplinary research, , 2013

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Maximini, D. (2018). The Scrum Culture : Introducing Agile Methods in Organizations (Vol. Second edition). Cham: Springer. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1741933

Authors

• Gaete Sepulveda Magdalena Alekhandra
• Dymarskaia Olga Iakovlevna