How can governance structures and models, economic sustainability and employment practices be understood and strengthened in support of the mission and social impact of social economy organisations? This was the focus of the first seminar in the Professionals for the Social Economy 2030 programme, held on October 27, 2026 at the headquarters of the Notarial Council of the United Districts of Turin and Pinerolo.

The seminar, entitled “Governance and Partnerships – Structures, Rules and Alliances for Social Economy Organisations”, was organised within the OP4Impact – Professional Orders for Impact Community of Practice, created by Torino Social Impact and developed with Cottino Social Impact Campus. Supported by the Turin Chamber of Commerce, Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo and the four Professional Orders, for the past three years the project has brought together accountants, notaries, lawyers and labour consultants to develop new integrated skills and alliances for social economy organisations.

The opening session featured contributions from Alessandro Scilabra, President of the Notarial Council of the United Districts of Turin and Pinerolo, Simona De Giorgio of Torino Social Impact and the Turin Chamber of Commerce, and Caterina Soldi, Coordinator of OP4Impact and impact expert at Cottino Social Impact Campus.

Their contributions focused on the value of collaboration and networking in supporting the development of the social economy, placing professional expertise at the service of organisations and the common good. Particular attention was given to the role of OP4Impact and the Torino 2030 Metropolitan Social Economy Plan in building a bridge between public policies and social economy organisations, promoting an impact culture based on transparency and shared expertise.

The discussion also highlighted the importance of integrating different approaches and professional skills, listening to organisations’ needs and building a shared commitment capable of generating social, cultural, human and economic value, contributing to the transformation of territories.

Contributions from Professionals for the Social Economy

Davide Barberis, Order of Chartered Accountants and Accounting Experts of Turin, highlighted the importance of moving from an individual to a collective dimension through a shared process of research and dialogue. His contribution focused on the governance of social economy organisations, which are called upon to develop innovative models capable of enhancing the different skills and roles within their ecosystems. In this context, professionals play a key role in fostering dialogue and supporting both people and organisations.

Paola Baldassarre, Turin Bar Association, stressed the importance of appropriate organisational, administrative and accounting structures capable of ensuring risk management and enhancing human capital. She also highlighted the role of clear rules in ensuring effective information flows and economic sustainability, underlining the contribution professionals can make as facilitators of governance processes. Finally, she focused on collaboration between public, for-profit and non-profit actors through instruments such as co-design and shared administration. Governance thus becomes a strategic choice serving an organisation’s mission and social impact.

Giulia Fiore, Turin Bar Association, described governance as the mechanism through which an organisation’s mission is translated into organisational structures and concrete decisions. She identified five key dimensions: alignment with the mission, distribution of responsibilities, quality of information, conflict management and the ability to assess social and economic consequences. There is no single model that works for everyone: the legal form and governance structure must be defined according to the characteristics and functions of each organisation.

Gabriele Gili, Notarial Council of the United Districts of Turin and Pinerolo, then presented a practical “toolbox” for local organisations. Key elements included defining the mission and social purpose, the composition of governing bodies, the distribution of powers and clear rules for managing relationships between partners and more complex situations. He also highlighted the importance of teamwork across different professional disciplines. Within this process, the statute represents the organisation’s DNA: not merely a formal instrument, but the starting point for defining its identity and guiding its strategy.

Simone Nepote, Order of Chartered Accountants and Accounting Experts of Turin, explored four key dimensions for assessing the solidity and sustainability of social economy organisations: economic balance, understood as the ability to cover costs without eroding assets; financial balance, linked to the availability of liquidity to meet commitments; asset balance, based on the presence of reserves and the ability to absorb unforeseen events; and social effectiveness, meaning the capacity to generate outcomes consistent with the organisation’s mission and the needs of its beneficiaries. These four dimensions must be considered together to ensure sustainable and impact-oriented management.

Finally, Elisa Sada and Stefano Galoppo, Order of Labour Consultants of Turin, identified three concrete actions from which social economy organisations can start to strengthen their organisational structures. The first concerns verifying alignment between the organisation’s statute and its actual structure, with particular attention to contracts and internal regulations. The second involves defining working-time rules together with the people involved, making use of instruments such as second-level collective bargaining and welfare measures. Finally, they highlighted the importance of using available tools to build and strengthen alliances and collaborations through agreements, networks, incentives and procurement.

The next seminar in the programme accredited by the Professional Orders, entitled “Social Procurement – Processes and Tools to Strengthen the Social Economy Market”, will take place on November 20, 2026 at the headquarters of the Turin Bar Association.

For more information on the programme and how to register for the “Professionals for the Social Economy 2030” training pathway, visit the following link.