1. The European Social Fund calls for LEARNING for CHANGE
The ESF is the financial arm of the Lisbon Strategy for growth and jobs
Its new features provide an incentive to support “learning for change” under the OPs, based on the EQUAL approach and experience :
Learning from experimentation
 promote innovation
Learning from others
 promote transnational exchange and cooperation

2. Transnational exchange and cooperation
helps
To exploit the diversity in structures, strategies and approaches
To speed up and intensify sharing of practice between actors at all levels
To facilitate reforms through providing evidence of what works (joint developments and tests) and what doesn’t
To increase employability and adaptability of workers by supporting learning mobility

3. Transnationality = Sharing of information, experience, results and good practice, and working together towards common solutions
Expected results
strengthening the capacities to innovate;
modernising and adapting institutions to new social and economic challenges;
identifying and assessing issues and solutions for reforms in policy and delivery in order to meet the Lisbon targets; and
improving the quality of governance of public policies, programmes and actions
 Generates added value for the OPs

4. Transnationality under the ESF = a wide definition
no geographical restriction
no thematic limitation
no final beneficiary is excluded
all types of exchange can be promoted
In the previous period the Commission has been the main motor and resource for stimulating and supporting transnational cooperation under the ESF and making it work through the EQUAL Community Initiative and innovative actions (Art. 6). This new role is backed by the ESF Regulation (Reg. (EC) No 1081/2006[1]) which stipulates that transnational co-operation is an integrated feature of the European Social Fund (ESF) :
"The ESF shall also support transnational and interregional actions in particular through the sharing of information, experiences, results and good practices, and through developing complementary approaches and coordinated or joint action."
This provision invites Member States and regions to support transnational cooperation, through their national and regional ESF Operational Programmes (OP),
in all policy areas identified for ESF interventions, such as adaptability, labour market policies, social inclusion, human capital and strengthening public administration;
for all types (strategic stakeholders such as social partners, NGOs, training and regional development organisations, public administrations, ESF management bodies, beneficiaries, participants in projects) and levels of actors, and
for all types of exchange and cooperation (joint projects; events; focus groups and networks; mobility and exchange of people).
[1] Regulation (EC) No 1081/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on the European Social Fund and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1784/1999, Official Journal of the EU, L 210, , p. 12

5. Transnational cooperation under the ESF 2007 -2013
ESF OPs: 116
with priority axis:
with horizontal actions 69
Total budget of dedicated priorities: 1,2 billion €
Estimated total budget for transnational and interregional cooperation: close to 3 billion €

6. Transnationality: Actors, Agendas, Actions
Lifelong learning
Entrepreneurship
Migration
Discrimination
ESF Management
Collaboration
Networking
Govrenmental departments
Exchange
Mobility
Key stakeholders; social partners
Trainers, local actors
Ultimate benefiaries

7. Social Innovation
EQUAL demonstrated the added value of an experimental approach. It is a cost effective and sustainable way of introducing social change. In addition it has
Mobilised and empowered stakeholders and governments for learning from each other, thus developing a culture for social innovation;
Developed and tested a range of tools and methods, and build up capacities to facilitate innovation processes, thus contributing to the establishment of an infrastructure for social innovation
proven the advantages of innovative solutions by producing and accumulating a large body of evidence of the benefits of validated good practices

8. The ESF supports social innovation throughout the cycle
stage of the innovation cycle
promotional instrument
Generating new ideas and mobilising citizens
Small grants to local employment initiatives or NGOs
Developing, testing and validating new approaches and practices
Project support to stakeholders and public administrations
Accumulating and consolidating a body of good practice
Service contracts to set up suitable repositories and dissemination facilities
Building bridges and exploiting synergies between unrelated systems, institutions or actions
Support new forms of partnerships between key stakeholders and governments
Testing hypotheses through experimentation
Support of social experiments
Raising awareness; building capacities and mobilise for change in the public administration
Support of mutual learning platforms and networks; in particular peer to peer learning
Supporting change in structures, organisations and institutional frameworks
support to replicate adapt and scale up tested innovations with a clear advantage over current practice

9. Why more focus on innovation support under the ESF?
To address key challenges facing the member states and regions in promoting the creation of more and better jobs by
responding to population ageing, climate change, migration, new work patterns and lifestyles, and citizens' expectations in terms of equality and social justice
supporting mobility and the development of an open and inclusive European labour market leading to a more cohesive and equal society,
promoting measures to tackle the long-term social impact of the crisis, notably by supporting business restructuring and upgrading skills to match labour market needs.
In particular where established ways of delivering labour-market and social-inclusion policies are
no longer suitable in meeting their objectives,
no longer feasible and affordable for the public sector, or
no longer acceptable to the citizen.

10. EC support to networks of ESF managers and stakeholders “Learning for Change”
Key features:
Linkages to ESF OPs (input &output)
EU wide potential
Key policy fields & issues (thematic networks)
Key principles of programme management (governance)
A learning strategy
Preparatory phase (up to 6 months)
Consolidate the partnership
Validate inputs from partners
Establish a sound and suitable work programme
Sign contractual agreements with third parties

11. Why?
Commission /member state interaction “biased” towards financial management (institutionalized monitoring and audit functions)
 weak incentives for results based management
Promotion of innovative action and transnational exchange are new facilities under the ESF:
 opportunity for organised learning between administrations to stimulate change
 peer learning between ESF managers

12. What did we learn so far?
Developing a learning network is not a natural process
Different roles have to be developed and learned in a community:
Pioneer group
Facilitator and Coach
Experts
Technology steward
On-going communication needs to be supported and facilitated
Development , adaptation and application of common tools
Diagnostic tools
Quality management
Strategy development and action planning

13. EC support to networks of ESF managers and stakeholders “Learning for Change”
Expected results
Exploiting opportunities for learning
Professional development of individual members of networks
Capacity building at the level of institutions and organisations
Facilitating use of good practice
improving the efficiency and impact of ESF programmes and
informing policy development at EU level

14. Constraints Learning from others is not a priority
Reluctance to share less successful actions
Professional competence for network support within the Commission
National procurement procedures for expert services
Traditional evaluation concepts (learning evaluation?)
Established professional communities (academics, consultants)

15. Networks starting their work following the 1st round 2008
26/09/08
Networks starting their work following the 1st round 2008
Theme
Lead partner
Partners
Inclusive Entrepreneurship
Germany (Bund)
BE (Flanders, Wallonia), CZ, ES (National level, Andalusia, Catalonia), LT, PT, RO, DE (Baden-Württemberg)
Migrants and Ethnic Minorities
Germany-Berlin
DE (Bund), EE, UK (England, Scotland), ES (National level, Aragon), BE (Flanders)
Reintegration of Ex-offenders
Germany-Bremen
DE (Bund), IT (National level, Toscana, Emilia Romagna), UK (England, N.I.), ES (National level, Catalonia), NL, HU, RO, BE (Wallonia)
Partnership in the ESF
Austria
BE (Flanders), PT, RO, IE (Pobal), HU (MA, IB), DE (Bund), PL 15

16. Networks starting their work following the 2st round 2008
26/09/08
Networks starting their work following the 2st round 2008
Theme
Lead partner
Partners
TRANSNATIONAL COOPERATION
Czech Republic
DE-BUND, EL, PL, ES, SE, UK-England
EMPOWERMENT AND INCLUSION
UK- Northern Ireland
PL, MT, BE-Flanders, EL, SE, LV, PT
SOCIAL ECONOMY
Poland
BE-Flanders, SE, IT-Lombardy, CZ, UK-England, FI
ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY BUILDING
EL, BG, LT, RO
YOUTH EMPLOYMENT
Cyprus
BE-Flanders, IT-Toscana, EL, DE, LT, ES
RESULTS BASED MANAGEMENT
Belgium-Flanders
PL, RO, BE-Wallonia, IT-Piedmont, IT-Molise, LT, CZ, ES 16

17. Proposed networks under the 2009 call
SOCIAL INNOVATION IN RELATION TO ACTIVE INCLUSION MEASURES THAT SUPPORT / EMPOWER DISADVANTAGED GROUPS
GENDER IN REGIONS
SOCIAL INCLUSION AND VOCATIONAL INTEGRATION OF ASYLUM SEEKERS AND VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING
GENDER MAINSTREAMING)
AGE and ESF
UNIVERSAL ACCESSIBILITY

18. Learning for Change Initiative
Developing a culture conducive to innnovation
Supporting the establishment of an infrastructure and capacities for social innovation
Facilitating networking and mutual learning
The Initiative prepares for strengthening the innovative dimension of the ESF after 2013

19. Learning for Change Initiative
Awareness
interest
demand
Pool of good practice
Peer learning
Programme management
Capacity building