1. Ex-ante conditionality test
ESF Technical Working Group
Brussels, 13 June 2012
DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

2. Overview Test undertaken by Finland, Estonia and Poland
Findings of the Commission services
Lessons learned
Advice for self-assessment

3. Test – Which ex-ante conditionalities
Finland
Access to employment
Adaptation
Active inclusion
Estonia
Early school leaving
Poland
All
Higher education
LLL

4. Finland – What is expected ? (1)
Access to employment:
Assessment of each criterion:
Personalised services: OK
Active labour market measures: OK
Preventive labour market measures: info missing
At an early stage: OK for young people, but for others info is missing
which prioritise the most vulnerable: OK
which are open for all jobseekers: info missing
Information on new job vacancies: OK
Cooperation agreements with relevant stakeholders: info missing
Reference to regulatory provisions is not enough
Conclusion on fulfillment: each criterion + overall

5. Finland – What is expected ? (2)
Active inclusion
Assessment of each criterion:
National strategic policy framework for poverty reduction aimed at active inclusion: OK
Does the policy framework provide a sufficient evidence base? info missing
Is in accordance with the national poverty and social exclusion target: OK
Involvement of stakeholders: set out which stakeholders
Support for stakeholders: clarify that support also covers support for managing and implementing projects

6. Estonia - What is expected ?
Early school leaving
A system for collecting and analysing data at all relevant levels that provides a sufficient evidence base to develop targeted policies and monitors developments: OK
Is there a strategic policy framework ?
that is based on evidence ? info missing
Does policy framework cover prevention (OK), intervention (OK) and compensation (info missing)?
Does it involve all policy sectors and stakeholders ? info missing

7. Poland - What is expected ?
Higher education
Lifelong learning
All the criteria to be assessed
Strategic policy frameworks must be in place
Poland
All
LLL

8. Measures to increase participation and attainment that:
Higher education: national/regional strategic policy framework in place
Measures to increase participation and attainment that:
increase higher education participation among low income groups and other under-represented groups
reduce drop-out rates/improve completion rates
Measures to improve employability and entrepreneurship that:
encourage the development of transversal skills, including entrepreneurship in relevant HE programmes
reduce gender differences in terms of academic and vocational choices
Poland
All
Higher education
LLL

9. Findings of the Commission services
Overall conclusion on the fulfillment of the ex-ante conditionality: missing for FI and EE
Conclusion by criterion: missing for Fi and EE
Not all criteria are assessed: FI, EE and PL
Some assessments include non-relevant information
No disagreement on the content or assessment undertaken, but assessment is incomplete

10. Lessons learned
For each applicable ex-ante conditionality : conclusion: fulfilled/partially fulfilled/not fulfilled
Undertake self-assessment for each criterion (criterion by criterion):
assess and motivate whether it is fulfilled/partially fulfilled/not fulfilled
conclusion of the self-assessment
Be short and to the point: do not include non-relevant information, but ensure that the (non) fulfilment of each criterion is motivated.

11. Advice for self-assessment
Start early
Timely inform the other Ministries involved in the self-assessment and explain what is expected from them
Common understanding: share draft self-assessment and discuss on informal basis with the DG EMPL Geo Unit
Action plan: in case of applicable ex-ante conditionality which is not fulfilled: prepare action plan and start its implementation, possibly co-financed by the ESF.

12. Thank you for your attention !