HOW TO DEVELOP THE PROJECT IDEA Training unit 2.1 Carrying out analysis of needs

Any mobility intervention ought to start noving from: the analysis of the context in which the implementing agensies operates; of the needs assessed in the region.

Carrying out analysis of needs Context information Context information is a fundamental pre-requisite for the reliable individualization of the area and dimension for a mobility intervention. It: also supports the planning of project activities; allows the understending of economic and social features of the context as well as the cultural and productive peculiarities that make it unique.

Carrying out analysis of needs In order to carry out an analysis of context, mobility project makers keep in mind: socio-economic and cultural situation of the region; local job market and relative dynamics; given instructions (functional to the identification of proposing agencies and national partners the enterprises operating in the region end their specific needs; actors who can be potentially involved in the region and their systemic complex of expectations and relationships.

Carrying out analysis of needs This preliminary analysis is thus integrated by multiple source information of economic, legislative, social nature: Internet; specialized publishing; sector research studies; dedicated institutions; documents edited by public and private research agencies (regional).

Carrying out analysis of needs Nevertheless, in order to gain a complete vision of the needs expressed by a region, this could be insufficient: to develop ways for the auscultation of the territory: periodical constitution of focus group or interviewing qualified people. These precautions depend on the pedantry of the planners who want a close picture of the situation, for a more successful outcome of the action.

Carrying out analysis of needs The project designer performs some accurate and convincing analyses of the information, and of the local context, and is so able to pin-point the educational needs and the target group. It is a lack of competency and skills which is normally filled through the educational activity. In this specific case, the experience of mobility and apprenticeship develop the competencies and skills necessary in filling the gap.

Carrying out analysis of needs In the case of mobility interventions IVT and PLM, the context analysis ought to underline the difference between personal competencies and those required by the craftsmanship referred to. This means that, in making a project, great caution is to be dedicated to the tracing of professional profiles and workers.

Carrying out analysis of needs The guiding principles, among the many methodologies for the analysis of the necessary competencies, in order to accurately preside a work job, there are two main: to draw up a map of emerging professional profiles; to individualization of working processes and the firms operating in the region.

Carrying out analysis of needs PROFESSIONAL PROFILE The trade and business boards, employment agencies, the work banksare all valid institutions for the analysis of the developmental sectors and of emerging professional and working profiles. The gathered knowledge and descriptions drawn may be represented and visualized on a main frame thus labelled: professional profiles; profile description; competencies, knowledge, skills and behaviour.

Carrying out analysis of needs WORKING A process defines the logic sequence of the job (what should be done and why). All working processes share a set of common characteristics: a customer, boundaries (a beginning and an end) a person in charge. From the process of transformation of goods and services, this model takes to identification of the activities (basic, key and complementary) in which the identified process can be declined. The identification of the activities enables formulation of competency units at the basis of the educational/training process.

Carrying out analysis of needs The two different practicies of needs assessment, mentioned above, are applicable to all types of beneficiaries of the mobility intervention. (Per le azioni VETPRO, tuttavia, si deve considerare che lanalisi dei bisogni si riferisce allistituzione proponente (la scuola, lagenzia formativa), o allinsieme di queste). Risks that the project designers may have to face, whenever effecting scenario analysis and educational needs assessment: the territory and organization description are always negatively stated, thus neglecting the positive aspects and growt expectations which are instead basic in the spotting out of potential opportunities; descriptions of contexts ought to be as accurate as possible and needs assessment should never be ambiguos and confused; statistic data in the context description adds a substential tangible dimension to the analysis.

Carrying out analysis of needs BENEFICIARY ASSESSMENT Beneficiaries in the Lifelong Learning mobility programmes ought to belong to the following categories: young students beginning professional training, novice workers, apprentice workers, not involved in Higher Education (VET: initial vocational training); available workers (workers, free-lancers, people available for the job, graduate students searching professional training) (LMP: labour market project); teachers, trainers, people involved in professional training, guidance consultants, directors, designers and consultans of professional guidance and training within enterprises, human resource managers (VETPRO).

Carrying out analysis of needs Contents Analyses of educational needs. Analyses of social and economic local needs. Sources for the analyses of context. Mapping of professional profiles. Working processes observation. Macro mode for the identification of beneficiaries.