In each of the strategic aims arising from the combination of creators, tools and public policies (see methodology sheet No.14), it should be possible to make a distinction between actions that are immediately achievable with the help of those already participating in the process (co-ordination group, creators, and others) and those which require wider involvement by citizens and local actors.

The former may be carried out during the first SPIRAL cycle and serve as exemplary actions, while the latter may be implemented during the second cycle (for example in the single-profile and multi-profile groups) or third cycle. In the case of the former, partnerships are officially established with a view to effective and immediate implementation.

Exemplary actions of the first cycle

The aim of the exemplary actions in the first SPIRAL cycle is to provide concrete examples on which citizens in the single-profile groups will be able to draw. The main characteristics of these exemplary actions are

• the fact that they can be carried out immediately and easily, thereby quickly producing results;
• their innovative nature, particularly as regards the co-responsibility approach between people who are not accustomed to working together, thereby overcoming the usual cultural and institutional barriers;
• their relevance and effectiveness with regard to the most urgent extreme situations and the more general objective of the well-being of all, in particular by addressing key issues where more traditional action has proven to have either no or almost no effect;
• their leverage and multiplier effects on other action
• their visibility and the ease with which they are understood by local inhabitants and stakeholders

Each working group responsible for a different strategic aim will propose exemplary actions, taking account of the criteria laid down. The ensuing choices should then be made in a participatory manner, for example at an enlarged meeting of the co-ordination group, to which citizens should be invited, and on the basis of transparent pre-established criteria, for example: the selected measures should benefit the most deprived members of society and/or open up the widest prospects for the continuation of the process.

Establishing partnerships

The number of exemplary actions to be chosen also depends on the available resources. It is therefore recommended that, when making choices, a “resource bank” (voluntary hours, financial resources, available equipment, etc.) be set up to indicate the extent to which exemplary actions can be included and to set priorities (see the experiments carried out in Cluj).

Partnerships should then be established and commitments made to each of the exemplary actions chosen to ensure their implementation.

Drawing up a charter of co-responsibility for the well-being of all as a benchmark

It is very useful at this stage to draw up a charter of co-responsibility for the well-being of all, as it will provide a common framework of reference as to how exemplary action , and more generally speaking, the action plans in the various cycles of SPIRAL, should be prepared and implemented. This charter should set out not only the fundamental principles for the well-being of all but also the practical principles governing its concrete application in the action, for example transparency, the pooling of viewpoints, collective learning, etc.

In drawing up this charter, reference should be made to:

• the Charter for Shared Social Responsibilities, produced by the Council of Europe Secretariat
• the way in which this charter was applied to reduce poverty in five pilot towns in 2010-2011

On the basis of these references, a more detailed outline will shortly be proposed, particularly with regard to the principles for implementing co-responsibility.