1 OUT-IN: Organising, Using and Transferring INnovation LLP-LDV/TOI/07/IT/017 THE IDENTIFICATION OF COMPETENCIES THE PROCESS Focus Group Manchester, 14 th – 16 th February 2008 Venue: Manchester Digital Development Agency (MDDA)

2 Mapping EU Programmes for education and vocational training Analysis of EU programmes related to education and vocational training so as to identify similarities, complementarities and peculiarities. Programmes analysed: 1.Leonardo da Vinci 2.Socrates – Erasmus 3.Socrates – Comenius 4.Socrates – Grundtvig 5.Youth 6.Equal Documents analysed: Decisions Regulations Call for proposals Application forms (and annexes) Financial handbooks Administrative regulations

3 Rationalizing information, data and documents What for? - To present the complexity of different programmes, facilitate the comprehension of contents and standardize the “language” - To check feasibility and pertinence of project ideas with respect to different programmes (the matrix logic) - To highlight the rationale behind each programme to understand the origin of obligations and objectives, thus assuring relevance and coherence of projects - To support the decision-making process (fast decision) concerning the submission of a proposal (to go or not to go) - To funnel investments (increase of internal expertise, network enlarging, lobbying, etc.) Reconstruction of a general framework and synoptic tables highlighting similarities, complementarities and peculiarities.

4 Different programmes... similar planning logic Analysis of Application forms for the submission of project proposals within EU programmes, to detect common and specific elements characterising them and the logical process and principles hidden behind the sequence and nature of the sections requested when filling in a form  Evidence: similar and comparable planning logic 1.Context analysis (Justification of the proposal/Reason why) 2.Specific Goals 3.General Aims 4.Outcomes/Outputs expected 5.Feasible planning (Work Plan/Work Programme) 6.Impacts/Effects 7.Innovation 8.Dissemination/Valorisation 9.Partnership/European Dimension Main macro-areas that forms have in common PLANNING

5 Implementing projects...main common actions Identification of main areas concerned referring to the phase of projects implementation Main macro-areas IMPLEMENTING 1.Project/Work plan re-planning 2.Financial and administrative management 3.Partnership management and coordination 4.Products realisation/Aims achievement 5.Dissemination/Valorisation 6.Evaluation 7.Preparing Mobility/Exchange activity

6 From best practices you can learn Two sessions: Session A: Planning and writing a proposal when answering to a Call Session B: Implementing a Project Focus Group with representatives of “best practices” (Leonardo da Vinci, Equal, Interreg, Socrates) selected, to share with Promoters their experience so as to get information concerning: - difficulties met during project planning and implementation - elements perceived to be relevant to the quality of projects, during planning and implementation period.

7 FG Session A: Planning Issues proposed 1.Context analysis (Justification of the proposal/Reason why) 2.Specific Goals 3.General Aims 4.Outcomes/Outputs expected 5.Feasible planning (Work Plan/Work Programme) 6.Impacts/Effects 7.Innovation 8.Dissemination/Valorisation 9.Partnership/European Dimension Sequence of K-Questions related to the specific issue concerned > discussion (opinion and suggestions provided by participants on the basis of their direct experience). Preliminary introduction of the facilitator to each issue, to help the participants to understand the aspects on which they had to focus: - brief description of topics implied in the issue - examples of possible critical competencies - examples possible difficulties encountered

8 Introducing the issue.. -Topics to deal with (type of contents/information requested) to fill in an Application form -possible related critical Competencies required -possible Difficulties encountered Contents requested -Description and analysis of the current situation with respect to geographical areas involved -Status/conditions local/sectoral -Existing sources -Sector of intervention -Target Groups (direct, indirect, potential) -Needs identified related to sector and target Possible Critical Competences required -Searching/collecting materials/documents -Knowledge of existing sources -Analysing and diagnosing data and information collected -Managing small research actions -Synthesising Possible difficulties encountered -Materials and data retrieval. -Reading and understanding of information useful to focus needs/problems and related categories of beneficiaries. Example: Context analysis PLANNING

9 Discussing the issue.. -Process adopted to develop the issue (e.g.: staff involved, methodology used, logic adopted, etc.) -Agreement on critical Competencies indicated (scale from minimum to maximum) -Possible further critical Competencies that could be requested/useful (and reason why) -Availability of internal Competencies (or how external competencies were “acquired”) K-Questions

10 FG Session B: Implementing Issues proposed 1.Project/Work plan re-planning 2.Financial and administrative management 3.Partnership management and coordination 4.Products realisation/Aims achievement 5.Dissemination/Valorisation 6.Evaluation 7.Preparing Mobility/Exchange activity Sequence of K-Questions related to the specific issue concerned > discussion (opinion and suggestions provided by participants on the basis of their direct experience). Preliminary introduction of the facilitator to each issue, to help the participants to understand the aspects on which they had to focus: - brief description of actions implied in the issue - examples of possible critical competencies

11 -Possible Actions implied -Possible related critical Competencies required Example: Partnership management and coordination IMPLEMENTING Actions implied -Choice of a lingua franca, necessary to establish and facilitate an efficient exchange among partners -Clear sharing of project aims -Sharing of operative modalities -Balanced distribution of tasks and responsibilities with respect to each partner competences, specialisations and experiences -Management and organisation of Transnational, national, bilateral meetings -Sharing of all project results and continuous updating on project status and work in progress -Sharing of problems and difficulties -Sharing of final products typology and quality Possible Critical Competences required -Language written and spoken -ICT use -Communication/relation -Management/coordination -Problem solving -Writing Lateral/parallel thinking -Flexibility -Adaptability -Cost-benefit analysis -Staff working Introducing the issue..

12 Discussing the issue.. -Agreement on Actions indicated (and possible further actions that might be implied) -Agreement on critical Competencies indicated (scale from minimum to maximum) -Possible further critical Competencies that could be requested/useful (and reason why) -Availability of internal Competencies (or how external competencies were “acquired”) K-Questions

13 From experiences…to competencies Results of Desk analysis + Focus Group Large range of Competencies What competencies / knowledge: - can be transferred in self-learning modalities? - are the most critical and lacking? Selection Basic ●● Technical/Professional ●●● Transversal ● COMPETENCIES In translating the chosen competences in didactic modules and units: -dropped the transversal ones (since they are not transferable through the didactic modalities and support chosen, a CD ROM) -focussed mainly on the technical-professional ones (including only a few basic ones) for which it was possible to transfer know how (examples, models, prototypes) acquired through direct experience and realise a sort of collection of operative good practices.

14 Thank you for your attention