Pathbreaking coaching for Klever Birne winning team EcoPark Kleve

‘Structure’ was probably the most used word in the coaching provided by Lucas M. van Stephoudt, advisor and consultant, for the EcoPark Kleve initiative. Their idea of community-orientated living with a focus on sustainability, minimalism, togetherness and more nature convinced the Klever Birne 2024 jury and was awarded second prize: the first three winners of the Klever Birne sustainability prize, which was initiated jointly with the Municipality of Kleve, not only receive a certificate and prize money, but also coaching tailored to their needs.

After the award ceremony in September 2024, the initiative took its first steps towards efficient organisation with new momentum and additional interested supporters, for example by setting up working groups on specific topics such as public relations, rules of internal procedure or finding land. However, in order to actually become active, a legally capable administrative or structural form is required, as Lucas M. van Stephoudt also emphasised in his coaching for the ambitious project on the evening of 25 February 2025 at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences. Following an invitation from the city of Kleve and our TransRegINT project, he spoke for around an hour about possible options for moving from an initiative to a legal organisational form.

‘In the end, there is one person who serves as the driving force, holds things together and has the task of driving the project forward,’ says Lucas M. van Stephoudt.

‘You need to have clear points of contact,’ he explained unequivocally. ‘Central contact persons with an authorised mandate who prepare, make and follow through on decisions. The more the project progresses, the more important it becomes that internal and external partners can rely on the decisions made.’

He presented possible forms of organisation, their differentiation and requirements. His advice to those present: ‘Use the registered association as a starting structure.’ Founding an association involves minimal effort and costs and enables a quick start. To this end, he outlined the appearance of a manageable organisational structure: chair, deputy chair, finances, secretary and two assessors with defined responsibilities. He repeatedly emphasised the importance of being registered as a legal entity in order to be able to negotiate and conclude transactions such as a property purchase.

He concluded his presentation with the twelve questions on financing, the hamstring of every project. From ‘What should the EcoPark look like when finished?’ to ‘What costs will be incurred for the development?’ and ‘How will the ongoing operation of EcoPark Kleve be secured?’, he addressed many points for the initiative to resolve.

How will EcoPark Kleve proceed from here? The general consensus of the participants, whose desire to be specific was clear to everyone, was: ‘It was very helpful to have organisational forms and structures presented so clearly. This will make our decision-making easier.’