The project Cool Collaboration II was born from a growing need to adjust to the ongoing trend of digitalization. Its aims were clear: To raise the level of digital competences of partners’ youth workers. Feed and exponentiate the work already done during Cool Collaboration. And to democratize the access to digital tools, by making them simple and accessible to other organizations / youth workers.
The main goal was to improve the quality of youth work, its efficiency and the capacity of the organizations to manage and implement Erasmus+ Projects.
Objectives
-
Increase readiness of youth workers to address digital transformation and utilize online project management tools by raising their overall digital skills to above basic level
-
Digitalize youth work by configuring existing digital project management and collaboration tools Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365 according to needs and projects partner organizations implement.
-
Develop simplified digital project management procedures for young people enabling them to manage and organize projects.
Impact
Through the implementation of Cool Collaboration II, the consortium behind this project and its youth workers have developed a more digitalized approach to youth work and are now open to experiment and explore digital opportunities instead of being skeptical about it.
The digital project management and collaboration tools, Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365 were configured and integrated in the youth work of all members of the E29 network, assuring all youth workers digitalize their tasks or manage them digitally.
The guide “Simplified Digital Project Management and Collaboration procedures” allows for more young people as well as other NGOs to better organize projects using digital procedures and tools, decreasing bureaucratic processes and increasing their active participation.
Activities
As part of this project we organized two trainings aimed at raising the digital competences of our youth workers and one blended mobility where young people learned more about the digital skills they need to create and implement successful international projects.
The 4 transnational meetings were used not only to take care of the management of the project and preparation of activities, but also as working sessions to build our own digital tools.
-
Blended MobilityYouth Platform
Guided by mentors, participants practiced logistics and coordination, learning to manage activities with structure and creativity.
Latky, SlovakiaCool Collaboration II Czech Republic czechia Latky Project Management -
Training CoursePower Platform I
In Budapest, youth workers from four countries explored Microsoft Power Platform tools in a practical training on digital youth work.
Budapest, HungaryCool Collaboration czechia Hungary Portugal Slovakia -
Training CoursePower Platform II
Youth workers in Guimarães enhanced their digital skills with advanced Microsoft tools, preparing for future projects.
Guimarães, PortugalCool Collaboration czechia Hungary Portugal Slovakia
Results
The project produced a series of results, starting with the full integration of Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365 tools across the E29 network. All partners of the network are now using the same system and digital tools.
E29 Project App
Even though the system is decently complex, we have managed to improve our project management by building our own E29 Project App, a fully integrated CRM system – allowing for the shared and real-time access to all project’s relevant information, contacts and document databases. The Project App allows also the automatization in creation of documents such as Participants List and Declaration, YouthPass Import, reimbursement reports, or even more operational outputs such as Room Allocation or any other documents that rely on the stored data.
Project Management Tools – Microsoft Project and Planner
We have unified other digital project management tools such as Microsoft Project and Microsoft Planner – allowing all the partners to monitorize and track all the tasks, deadlines and milestones referring to a specific project. By standardizing the processes, creating and automatizing templates used in the implementation of our activities we have decreased the space for mistakes, for doubts, ensuring we achieve the quality standards we aim for.
Power BI – Real-time visualization
The development of online infographics using Microsoft Power BI allows our event coordinators to do real-time assessment of the status of a project, focusing on participant selection and the statistical analysis of target group elements such as age range, gender balance and previous experience.
Guide
Project management is not easy, when combined with digital tools and procedures which need to be followed by project documentation, it might become overwhelming and demotivating to pursue. Therefore, we created a guide with simplified digital project management and collaboration procedures.
The guide aims to explain the digital tools we integrated and give step by step guidelines of the processes needed to implement a “project”, mainly youth exchange type of activities.
Download the Cool Collaboration II Resource Package
Download the Guide here
Other Resources
- Digital Skills Test — Self-assessment quiz for digital competences
- YouTube Onboarding Playlist — Step-by-step video tutorials for getting started
- Power Apps Tutorial — Learning how to build and use Power Apps
Testimonials
Our project generated impact both in the consortium organizations as well other partners of the E29 network, with organizations and youth workers implementing the project management tools and procedures designed during the project in their own youth work.
As it had been with the first Cool Collaboration, the sequel project Cool Collaboration II brought great improvements to our organization and the work of the E29 network. By keeping the focus on digitalization and the standardization of processes across the network, we have managed to bring it to a higher level and have a clearer and more transparent management.
— Rui, Youth Worker
As a youth worker, the creation and implementation of Power Apps has raised the professionalism of our activities. It provided us with a more organized and efficient environment, opening new possibilities for collaboration and project management.
— Pedro, Youth Worker
Since Power Apps got integrated into my workflow, I noticed a substantial improvement in my productivity and a decrease in miscommunication with my colleagues. This tool helped me break down and see through complex problems with ease.
— Csaba, Youth Worker
Power Apps has been a huge help for me because it’s very clear to navigate and saves me a lot of time. I can organize my work much more efficiently and keep everything structured in one place.
— Ema, Intern
Cool collaboration II as a project and the tools created by the team at E29, really opened up my eyes to the endless possibilities of digital communication and collaboration. It helped me and my organization to improve procedures and bring efficiency to our youth work.
— Dan, Youth Worker
Cool Collaboration II was quite an eye-opening experience for me as a youth worker. Before this project, project management often felt messy and time-consuming but learning how to use CRM tools improved the way I work.
— Andreea, Youth Worker
Digital collaboration was never our strong point but I took the chance and decided to try out the tools and procedures. What I expected to be complicated turned out to be surprisingly smooth. Digital fear transformed into curiosity, and the Power Apps platform is truly a wonder — it simplified everything from event coordination to participant tracking.
— Syuzanna, Youth Worker
Since we started using Power Apps, my daily tasks in the back office have become much more organized and efficient. What used to involve a lot of manual effort — tracking registrations, updating participant data, generating lists — is now streamlined into one system. It reduces errors and saves time, which means I can focus more on meaningful tasks.
— Tibor, Youth Worker
Before using the E29 power app, managing international projects felt like juggling a dozen different cloud folders, spreadsheets, and email chains. The E29 app completely changed the game — now all the project information is stored in one clear, accessible place, making it not just convenient but an essential tool for staying organized and collaborative.
— Bartolomej, Youth Worker
Thanks to this project and Power Apps, now I finally know how a smooth workflow looks like — simple, effective and adjustable. No more scattered notes, confusing spreadsheets or lost emails.
— Anna, Volunteer
Power Apps has completely shifted the way I understand collaborative databases — the highly customizable and user-friendly interface shifted my perspective. It showed me that databases aren’t something daunting or overly technical, but rather a comprehensive, accessible web of information just waiting to be organized in a way that makes sense.
— Laura, Volunteer
Power Apps feels less like a tool and more like a trusted companion in my work. What once seemed tangled and complicated now feels manageable and even enjoyable. It transforms processes from heavy into fluid and approachable.
— Amalia, Volunteer
Power Apps is a real breakthrough for me because it gives us a system that’s not only flexible and user-friendly, but also transparent and easy to follow. It takes collaboration to a new level.
— Zsombor, Volunteer
My experience with Power Apps has reshaped my understanding of what a project management tool should be. It’s intuitive, efficient, adaptable, enabling smooth workflows.
— Yaroslava, Volunteer
Power Apps is honestly such a game changer. It’s super easy to use, even if you’re not a digital pro. It makes work smoother and saves time.
— Mark, Volunteer
