Demand-oriented method “Building a town” Discovering Competencies – Tools for Your Future Training Workshop Athens, 19-20 June 2012 - Dr. Anja Lietzmann 1

Demand-oriented appraoches „Building a Town“ = example of an observed group exercise Developed in Germany Demand-oriented approach, market-need based Systematic observation and assessment of individual competencies towards required qualifications, knowledge and skills in a specific work context Assesses ‚hard skills‘ connected to a specific job as well as personal and social competencies

Background of demand-oriented approaches Concerns regarding labour market demands school performance physical characteristics behaviour core competencies teamwork communication skills conflict management etc. Can the applicant work with others on a task? Is the applicant open for compromises? Is the applicant able to integrate into a group? Possible measurement method: Assessment Center exercises

Objectives of „Building a town“ Identify vocation-related potentials – thereby identifying personal and social competencies as well as motor and methodological skills Improve confidence and self esteem Reduce insecurity and fear connected to the Assessment Centre Method – fun aspect

Contents of observation Methodological competences language competences Social competences interpersonal skills teamwork communication skills conflict management politeness empathy Psychomotor features motor skills reaction rate physical properties Personal competences concentration flexibility patience accuracy diligence perseverance independence stress management Activity competences ability to learn and to plan work processes motivation initiate action / impetus

General feature of „Building a Town“ Task: to design a city consisting of buildings and infrastructure out of a set of provided materials (cardboard, paper, cartons, cloth etc.) within a certain period of time (3 hours) Working in observed groups of 4 to 6 young adults

Scenario of „Building a Town“ Imagine you are a team of urban planners and architects. Next year a small town is to be built near your town. You have been asked to plan a city and construct a model of it. Keep in mind that a few thousand people will live and work in this town, that they will need various public facilities and want a variety of leisure time activity venues. Objective: To optimise your team’s chance to win the commission to build the town, the town you design must possess all the important and necessary facilities. The new town should be a nice place to live in and offer something for every age group. After the completion of the model, your team will present the new town to the rest of the group. Time: 3 hours (including short breaks) Tips: - Take your time for planning and discussion. - Begin building your model as soon as possible. - All the material provided for the project may be used. - Also think about how your team will present the model of the town. And now have fun building your town together!

Implementation of „Building a town“ - requirements Time 3 hours Staff one moderator, observer ratio 1:2 Material 1.5 - 2 square meters of cardboard per group coloured construction paper and cardboard cartons, cloth scraps. glue, scissors paint, thick markers task requirements Venue A large room with sufficient space for construction work Content, methods, process, evaluation Discuss content and task objective. Form groups of 3 – 4 participants (e.g. by random selection). Construct a town with buildings and infrastructure from material provided. Participants are observed with regard to certain characteristics Present group results, evaluate personal skills and capacities in a questionnaire Strengths-and-weaknesses profile Feedback talk

Implementation of „Building a town“ – Processes 1. Introduction Presentation of exercise, objectives, and schedule Explanation of the assessement process Answering questions 2. Realisation Formation of groups of 3–4 participants Participants work in small groups Observation: by at least 2 assessors, documented in a detailed form Fill in observation sheets Change teams at half time 3. Presentation of the group results / the „cities“ 4. Group evaluation 5. Feedback Self-evaluation of the participant Accompanied by external evaluation: observers’ conference to summarize observation results Individual feedback talks with participants Certification entailing a summary of results

Role of the moderator Preparations - Introduces contents and objectives of the exercise to participants - Explains purpose of the exercise (no competition but demonstration of personal skills) and contents of observation - Explains a) implementation conditions and b) evaluation procedure Implementation - Sets up working groups - Explains the task: Task understood? Purpose clear? - Assigns observers, ensures clarity about what skills and traits will be observed Support during the process - Deals with occurring problems (missing material, framework conditions) - Ensures role of the observers (stay in background, remain neutral etc.) 4. Involved in final assessment and feedback to participant

Evaluation 3 steps: Each participant undergoes a self-evaluation External assessment by the observers in the assessor meeting General satisfaction with the task and perception of the observation situation Evaluation of the group work Work process: planning, decision making, use of material Personal contribution to the overall result Discrepancies between results of self-evaluation and external observation Face-to-face feedback talk for each participant which presents results of assessment Documentation of the assessment findings in the observation form Highlights strength and weaknesses of the participant Interpret the results in terms of significance and meaning with regard to specific job or training objectives

Feedback Multiple ways of feedback: Participants provide feedback to each other (peer evaluation) The whole group provides feedback on the entire process Participants receive a thorough review during the feeback talk

Documentation - Evaluation form (social competences) (there are equivalent forms for all types of competences)

Documentation - Evaluation form (overall evaluation)

Feedback Talk – Example General acceptance, enjoyment or dissatisfaction with the task Did you like the exercise “building a town” in general? If not, what exactly did you dislike? Reasons? Review of the observed situation How was it for you to be observed? Could you ignore the observer? Communication and cooperation in the group How did you find the composition of your group? Do you think your group worked well together? Planning phase Do you think your group took enough time to plan the town? Decision making Utilisation of material/tools Shifting between individual and group work Personal contribution to the overall result Discrepancies between self evaluation and external observation Possible significance of the talk for career decision making

Challenges of the approach Combine playful character of the exercise with its seriousness concerning the evaluation From the beginning of the assessment process, trustful relationship between particpant and observers/assessors needs to be established Creating a trustful atmosphere in the group to faciliate creativity and to minimize fears of competition Considerations of potential language problems Intercultural competences, target group oriented language, patience and empathy (own migration background is an advantage)

Advantages and disadvantages of the approach Critical points Standardized procedures and forms lead to „objective“ results Individual interaction between the participants and the observers in a detailed feedback interview „Fun“ exercise Praxis oriented Can be successfully applied to young adults with migration background if adapted to their needs (language issues etc.) Methods of AC are perceived by the participants as selection process per se Mistrust towards purpose and use of the results Excersise is difficult to communicate due to potential barriers of language Gender or culture-dominated role behaviour can cause different results