socialbnb quality criteria – positive impact for all

socialbnb creates with its sustainable tourism concept an alternative financing option for social and ecological projects in order to create a long-term, positive impact for all parties involved. To achieve this goal, we check in a selection process to what extent the work of a particular project really benefits the local region and whether it makes sense to use the socialbnb concept locally. For this purpose, we have developed a constantly evolving quality concept over the years, which was designed in cooperation with many experts from various fields. In this blog post, we will give you an overview of the entire process on which it is based.

Does the partner project create added value?

The primary purpose of the quality check is to find out whether a potential partner project creates added value that contributes to solving local problems. We try to measure the so-called impact using a wide range of criteria and indicators so that we can ensure as best as possible that all those involved benefit from tourism. For example, we ensure that the money flows directly into the project work and benefits the local population.

A socialbnb experience should offer added value for both the project target group and the travelers. That’s why the focus is particularly on the well-being of the project target group, which means that certain protection aspects are checked. If necessary, additional suggestions are offered for further development. In this way, we try to create the best possible conditions in cooperation with the projects to enable full social participation in tourism.

Personal exchange

In order to realize a cooperation between potential partners and socialbnb, interested parties can either contact our regional manager via a contact form on our website or interesting non-profit organizations, social businesses or communities which dedicate to sustainability are contacted by us. In the further course, an intensive research serves as preparation to get an impression of the project work in advance.

In the first exchange with possible partner projects, we give an overview of our concept and possible interfaces, which in the best case then leads to the interest of both parties and the agreement of a video call for a first getting to know and the quality check. Under consideration of the daily project routine and often prevailing time differences, a meeting date is agreed upon. The personal exchange is an elementary component within the framework of our quality management, as it enables us to gain of the prevailing situation on site to its full extend and to build up a foundation of trust.

For any queries, suggestions, problems or changes that arise over the time, the short and direct lines of communication are a further advantage for both sides. During the telephone call, the centerpiece of our quality process is then run through: the socialbnb quality criteria.

Quality criteria: Our catalog

The catalog, which consists of eight main criteria and many subsections, is used to screen various areas and to get to know the project work more fully.

For this purpose, information from the following categories is of great importance to us:

• Solving a problem (Mission & Locality),
• Organizational culture (Leadership/Qualification, People, Partnerships & Cultural identity),
• Empowerment (Education, Awareness/ Political and social commitment, Equality, Codecision/Participation & Financial independence/Entrepreneurship/ Institutional empowerment),
• Transparency (Documents/Information & Financing),
• Ecology,
• Volunteering (Status),
• Protection (Child protection/Protection of people with disabilities/Other projects with people as project target group, Species protection/Wildlife protection, Nature conservation, Animal protection & Cultural protection),
• External representation/Marketing.

The criteria are deduced into specific questions and askes in the interview. The answers are transferred into points and finally into a traffic light system. That serves as a valuable instrument for recording whether a listing on socialbnb is possible and the desired added value for all parties is met.

In the course of the cooperation, we constantly work on the indicators. If necessary, we assist our partner projects in an advisory capacity and provide impulses for further development, which include topics such as protection aspects of project target groups, alternative financing options or the placement of external consulting, so that the tourism offer can be secured in the best possible way and in the long term for all parties involved.