PILLARS is a comprehensive project dedicated to empowering “impact managers” – professionals who drive sustainable impact in organisations – by equipping them with the requisite skills, tools, training, and community support. Recognizing impact management as an emerging profession lacking formal structure, defined skillsets, and supporting resources​.

PILLARS aims to fill this gap through a multi-faceted approach. Its key objectives include developing a competence framework that clearly defines the essential skills, knowledge, and behaviors required of impact managers, thereby providing a formal career path for this role​. This framework serves as the methodological foundation for professionalizing the impact manager’s role and guides all other project components.

 

Building on this foundation, PILLARS is creating digital tools to translate the framework into practice. 

To ensure impact managers are properly trained to use these tools and apply the framework, PILLARS introduces a micro-credential skills course. This course is tailored to the competencies of impact management and aligned with European and international standards – including the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), the ESCO classification, EQAVET quality standards, Europass credential format, as well as the EntreComp and DigComp frameworks​. In addition, PILLARS is establishing a community of practice as a peer-learning platform for impact managers. This community will enable practitioners to educate and support one another by exchanging insights, experiences, and knowledge​.