The European Social Fund in Sweden 20072013

The Swedish ESF Council is the Managing and the Certifying Authority for the European Social Fund and for the European Integration Fund. has 120 employees in eight regional units all over the country, and the Head Office in Stockholm. is governed by the Ministry of Employment

Cooperation between structural funds Social fund Regional fund ESF-council TVV OP RP OP Operative program Regional plan RP OP MC Monitoring Committée RP OP MC RP OP RP OP MC RP OP RP OP Structural fund partnerships in Each region MC RP OP

The Monitoring Committee Oversees the implementation and guarantees quality and efficiency. Consist of representatives from authorities, non-profit organisations, labour organisations and universities.

Structural Fund Partnerships Each of the eight regions has a joint Structural Fund partnership for the European Social fund and the Regional Development Fund. It consist of elected representatives from municipalities and county councils, and representatives from labour organisations, county administrative boards, the Swedish Employment Service, other stakeholders and associations. The Sami Parliament (Sametinget) is also represented in the two northernmost regions. These partnerships are tasked with prioritizing the projects deemed eligible by the managing authorities.

ESF in Sweden 2007 - 2013 SEK 6.2 billion, excluding national co-financing Approximately 2000 projects 30 per cent, Skills provision (Priority axis 1) 70 per cent, Increased labour supply (Priority axis 2) ____________________________________ ESF is only a small part of all resources for employment policy/social measures in Sweden = Opportunity for innovativ actions and development of new methods

Calls for proposals The calls provide details about topics, selection criteria, timing etc. Calls specify very clearly what is required. Proposals that do not meet the specifications in the call will be disqualified. Mostly regional calls The Swedish ESFCouncil consult with the Structural fund partnership

Selection criteria National selection criteria Regional guidelines for priorities Specific criteria – varies from call to call

Selection procedure 1. Assessment procedure at the ESF Council (eligibility) 2. Assessment procedure and ranking in the Structural Fund Partnership 3. Final decision by the ESF Council

Reporting of indicators i Sweden 2007 - 2013 step by step ESF-council send information about projects to Statistics Sweden (SCB) SCB sends login-information to the project by e-mail The project reports personal identification number to SCB SCB match the information with relevant registeres SCB produces tables to ESF-council SCB does secrecy control before publising Reports are produced

70 000 unemployed participants far from the labour market 30 000 young people , many with multivarios needs 24 000 - foreign origin 190 000, employed men and female, have improved their qualifactions and skills 5% of the Swedish population will participate in the ESF programme 2007 – 2013 More than 2000 projects OBS Ska översättas

Structure for supporting sustainable social innovations Criteria for additional value On-going evaluation Final written evaluationreport – external evaluators Support project 5 Thematic Groups ESF Council - national strategy

Criteria for additional value   The criteria aim at ensuring that the program provides additional value to the Lisbon strategy's focus on increased growth and employment. All projects shall fulfill at least one of the criteria; learning environments innovation cooperation strategic work on exercising influence

On-going evaluation organise reflective learning processes for continuous improvement use learning to reflect over the outcomes promote ownerships and collaboration adapt for changed circumstances

Production Projects R E Closed environment - resources, goals and conditions predetermined R E Results: Expected Easy to measure Achieved automatically

Innovative projects R E Open conditions and a complex situation – resources, goals and conditions analyzed and reviewed continuously R E + Pre- Project Effects: Expected to some extent, but often unforseen Difficult to measure

The task for the Support projects The task for the Support projects is to provide ESF projects expert advice and guidance from 4 specified areas. The purpose is to support and provide for better quality.

Support project Accessibility for persons with disabilities Gender mainstreaming Project development Support structure for Strategic impact and Learning

How to organise sustainable development Active ownership Have a vision Allocate resources Implement results Professional steering Competent management Formulate a mission Take strategic decisions Formulate goals Lead Involve Organise Active participants Experiment Make changes

The task for the Thematic Groups The task for the five theme groups is to develop, analyze and systematize the project results to achieve a strategic impact on a long-term basis and at a higher level than the individual projects can do for themselves. The Thematic Groups will achieve the impact and influence audiences under the thematic area. The theme groups disseminate their results through written reports, websites, articles, conferences, seminars etc.

Preparation / Preplanning Supporting projects and Thematic Groups - Support structure for the project implementation and impact Before application Preparation / Preplanning Implementation After the project Accessibility and Gender Mainstreaming Project development Learning & Strategic Impact Thematic Groups

Thematic Groups in ESF 2007-2013 Integration into Workinglife (Institute for Future Studies) The main focus is (re-) entry and integration into working life for people with foreign backgrounds, people with disabilities, and people who are long-term sick. The specific aim for 2012 – 13 is to identify and disseminate methods for working life integration.

Thematic Groups in ESF 2007-2013 Workplace Learning & conversion (Luleå University of Technology) The main focus is the efforts of employees to meet future demands in the workforce through training, including work as a tool for learning, increased ability to cope with changes and validation of skills. They analyses and disseminates experiences from ESF projects with regard to their benefits and the methods used for workplace learning

Thematic Groups in ESF 2007-2013 Equality & discrimination in Workinglife (Work Life Forum) This theme group focuses on all forms of discrimination. This includes new methods to promote equal treatment/opportunities in employment and skills, enhancement initiatives to improve skills for promoting equality in working life. 2012 it has a special mission for the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations

Thematic Groups in ESF 2007-2013 Business and entrepreneurship (Swedish Agency for Economics and Regional Growth) The theme group aims to generate new knowledge about how an entrepreneurial attitude and how entrepreneurship as a method, can be used to strengthen people’s integration or reintegration into the labour market. The theme group include social economy and social entrepreneurship as a tool of empowerment and to counteract exclusion.

Thematic Groups in ESF 2007-2013 Theme Group Youth (Swedish National Board for Youth Affairs) The theme group has three priorities: 1. to contribute to increased knowledge about young people who do not work or study 2. to disseminate good working practices and methods 3. to counteract structural barriers that do not allow young people to become established in the employment market.

ESF Council - national strategy The aim is to Lifting up our activities in selected politicians, officials and policymakers agendas and provide new information and knowledge of methods, procedures, and results of our funds, so that they can be utilized in future systems and policy formulation Give selected politicians, officials and policymakers new information and knowledge on relevant projects and important project results, so that they can better utilized and implemented in continuing operations in ordinary work

ESF Council - national strategy Develope a knowledge organization Main source of information - the 5 theme groups Building capacity for supplementary identification, analyzing and systematize relevant good project resultats Communicating the relevant good resultats with a strategic approach

Thanks for your attention! More information: www.esf.se/english