1. Update of Practical guidance (Annex D) & FAQ Guide
ESF Support Centre
Alphametrics Ltd. & Applica Sprl.
Brussels, 10 June 2015

2. Practical guidance (Annex D)
Updates on the last published version of February 2015
Edits and update of links
Additions
Deletions
Revisions
Revision of YEI section
Mention here that internal links allow to navigate

3. Practical guidance (Annex D)
Additions
Level of storage of micro-data
Advantages and disadvantages of different systems to store micro-data (centralised vs. decentralised)
Output and result indicators: year of reporting
When to report output and result indicators in AIRs
Examples on reporting fully and partially implemented operations
Grand total of participants
Description of what needs to be reported as grand total of participants
[…]

4. Practical guidance (Annex D)
Additions
[…]
Minimum thresholds for counting participants
Minimum hours/days for which individuals can be considered as participants for monitoring data (with examples)
Operations
What is an operation?
How to define operations?
Reporting requirements for operations
Collection and storage of data on longer-term result indicators
Recommendations for storage of participation records with LTRI data
Practical reommendation on retrospective updates include for example, having an automated validation check/system in the MIS to identify retrospective changes and updates required into SFC., and how to report updated data

5. Practical guidance (Annex D)
Additions
[…]
Retrospective updates and correction of data
Difference between update and correction
Practical recommendations
Validation tests
Completeness and internal consistency checks
Section on Immediate and longer-term result indicators on disadvantaged participants
Groups to be included in result indicators on disadvantaged participants

6. Practical guidance (Annex D)
Additions
[…]
When to collect data on projects implemented by social partners/NGOs
To be collected at start of project. Might need updating if new organisations get involved in implementation of project.
Monitoring SMEs
SMEs employees taking part in ESF operations
Section: Operations supporting the creation of SMEs
SMEs benefitting directly vs. being beneficiaries

7. Practical guidance (Annex D)
Additions
[…]
Added section on Differences between YEI and YG monitoring
Entry and exit dates
Refusal of offers and treatment of re-entries
Longer-term result indicators (YEI) vs. follow-up indicators (YG)

8. Practical guidance (Annex D)
Deletions
Example 14 on trainees as employed
Employment status of trainees will depend on national framework

9. Practical guidance (Annex D)
Revisions
Representative samples and precision requirements (according to EC guidance doc.)
Homeless and rural as other disadvantaged:
Homeless: Only when collected for all participants and for all years (recommended approach given the difficulty to trace participants after leaving the operation).
Rural: only when the area in which they reside is recognised nationally as disadvantaged and when information on the place of residence is collected for all participants and for all years.
 If not, report only in AIR to be submitted in 2017

10. Practical guidance (Annex D)
Revision of YEI section
Section Monitoring the YEI in relation to the Youth Guarantee (YG)
How to monitor when YEI supports YG service phase, YG offer phase (indicators on offers not relevant), or both as part of integrated operation
Recommendations: recording leaving date.
Revised practical examples
Offers can be counted even when they are not received “upon leaving”, but rather during participation

11. FAQ guide update Published in May 2015 Language edits
18 Q&A added since June 2014 version
2 Q&A revised (according to EC guidance updates)
18 New Q&A since version of June – Added in January in SFC

12. FAQ New Q&A Participants – output indicators […]
How should participants that have moved house shortly after joining an operation be recorded? (regarding the indicator on “living in rural areas”)
Is there any minimum number of hours of employment for participants to be counted as “employed”?
Is the fact of living in a rural area considered as disadvantage?
Does the common output indicator on participants “above 54 years of age” include those who are 54?
Do we have to keep separate records of all ISCED groups (8) or is it enough to gather information in the three groups (ISCED 1-2, ISCED 3-4 and ISCED 5-8)?
[…]

13. FAQ New Q&A […] Participants – immediate result indicators
Which immediate result indicators can apply to participants that were neither unemployed nor inactive when joining an ESF operation?
Which participants should be counted under the result indicators dealing with disadvantaged?
Drop-outs and re-entries
When participation records are updated following re-entry into an operation, does the previous result need to be kept and stored in the participation record/database?

14. FAQ New Q&A […] SMEs Completeness requirement
Can SMEs acting as beneficiaries and directly benefitting from support be counted in the indicators on entities?
Which indicators are suitable to be used in interventions supporting unemployed to start their own business?
Completeness requirement
Which data are subject to the completeness requirement? Which records should be excluded from /included in the indicator data and used for representative sampling?

15. FAQ New Q&A […] LTRI – representative samples
What are the dimensions against which samples have to be representative?
LTRI – collecting and reporting data
What is the schedule for the collection of data based on representative samples?

16. FAQ New Q&A […] Collecting sensitive data Grand total of participants
What data are considered as sensitive?
Grand total of participants
What should be recorded under the figure “grand total of participants”?
Baselines and targets – target setting
Is it obligatory to set targets broken down by gender?
Defining operations (guidance)
What is the definition of “operation”? Can operations be defined by the MA?
What are the criteria for defining what comprises an operation?

17. FAQ
Revised Q&A
How should the “not in employment” status be proven? Is it necessary for the target group to be registered in an employment office?
For YEI, participants should be registered with the PES or with equivalent body
Will it be possible to apply retroactive changes to previous periods with annual reporting?
Added reference to explanatory note circulated following the ESF Technical Working Group to its meeting on March 2015
Equivalent body = YG provider

18. ESF data support centre
Advice and guidance on:
Methodological support on monitoring information systems
Clarification regarding data collection, recording, validation and storage
Guidance regarding transmission of structured data to the EC using SFC2014 (technical queries > SFC support team)
9.00 a.m. – 5.00 p.m. Monday-Friday
Phone: