European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network Database, ELGPN Database

Name of the good/interesting practice/initiative/policy

The IQ Roma Service – The Centre for Counselling and Employment, Czech Republic

Country

Czech Republic

I am proposing that this example will be published also in the KSLLL database

1. Background

What makes this an example of good/interesting practice/initiative/policy?

- The motivation of the initiative (What is the history/background of the policy?)

- Linkages with LLG policy priorities (Please add references to other national/EU policies or documents)

- Participants

Background

IQ Roma Service provides accredited social services: social counselling, field work, drop-in facility for children and the young and activation services for families with children, in compliance with Social Service Law (108/2006) as amended and further complementary activities.
IQ Roma Service helps approx. 2000 people in need a year in Brno, Břeclav, Vyškov and in other localities of the South Moravian Region.
The clients are mainly Roma threatened by social exclusion, who want to resolve and change their adverse life situation actively. The social services are provided for free.

Aims and targets

- Objectives of the initiative (What did the policy set out to achieve?)

- Target group

- Methods applied to reach the objective (technological and /or pedagogical)

Aims and targets

Vision of IQ Roma servis is “society of lively and friendly relations between Roma and other people…a world where Roma people have their dignified roles and respect as both individuals and a nation…“
Mission of IQ Roma servis is “to be a mediator which supports possibilities, opportunities and resolution of Roma in their development, social fulfilment and protects their rights and dignity within society.”
Employees of Centre of Counselling and Employment provide information and support in solving of adverse situation of people, mainly Roma and their children. They aim to improve or even solve their problems. The leading belief is that fact that someone is Roma should not be a complication in their life or on the life of their children.
IQ Roma Service wants to experience and assist success of young Romani generation in education, increase employment of Roma and set up their dignified place in the society, to support health, competencies of parents and good relationships within Romani families. An important goal is helping in ensuring accessible housing for active clients. The work also targets debts of the clients and provides help in finding active and systematic way in solving financial problems. The work aims at building positive image, pride and civic engagement of Roma. IQ Roma Services wants to be strong, independent and influential organization.

2. Implementation

Strategy and actions (Please describe the approach adopted to make the reform work and any actions taken.)

- Level of implementation (national, regional etc.)

- Implementation (description)

The Program for Adults (which of the Centre of Counselling and Employment is a part) provides two ways of social work – field social work and advisory centres. The field social workers work mainly in Brno but also in other towns of South Moravian Region such as Břeclav Vyškov, Tišnov, Zastávka, Bučovice, Mikulov etc. IQ Roma servis has got four advisory centres – in Brno on streets Hybešova 41 and Cejl 49 and also in Vyškov and Břeclav. In this way a wide range of the clients´ needs is covered and also the regional structures are assisted through dissemination of the know-how and organizational methods.
Program for Children and Youth provides educational services in centres in Brno, Vyškov and Břeclav.
Apart from social and educational services the IQ Roma Service organizes various campaigns which reflect up-to-date events and trends within the whole society. “Dže andre lačchi škola” (“Go to a good school”) belongs to the most successful ones and aims to prepare children and their parents for a good start to educational system and choice of quality (non-segregated) school.
Campaign which brought a lot of attention in 2012 is “My pracujeme” (“We do work”). This campaign was launched on 1st August 2012 and aimed at showing positive examples of working Roma and so change negative attitude of the Czech majority and discriminatory tendencies. For more information on the campaign please see: http://www.mypracujeme.cz/
Similar campaign that attempted to point at discrimination on labour marked preceded on 2011 and was based on TV clip “Neviditelní” (“The Invisible”) which was broadcasted on Czech Television: http://www.ethnic-friendly.eu/nas_spot This campaign was part of concept of Ethnic Friendly Employer brand.

The strategic plan of IQ Roma servis is being updated on annual basis and is a living document that covers wide range of topics the service works on. It mainly contains goals related to social work (housing, debts, employment, social system), educational activities (catch-up classes for pupils/students, past-time activities, coaching of children to lead them to successful participation in education and decision making in further professional life, cooperation with parents, families, schools etc.), case-management (mainly work with families). The strategic plan is result of a wide cooperation of management of the organization but also participation of all employees and also clients´ ideas and opinions. Feedback from clients is gained on various occasions (feedback sessions, participation meetings, community meetings etc.)
The main strategy of IQ Roma Service is to provide complex service. It means that the focus is not on job seeking only. The aim is also to encourage the clients to set a reasonable budget in order to get rid of the debts. The assistance is provided in in financial matters, housing, family relationships etc. General aim is to set up a sustainable situation for the client.

Monitoring and evaluation

- What has been put in place for monitoring and evaluation?

- What actors are involved?

IQ Roma Service has got Analytic and Methodological Department that monitors ways how social work is being provided and also results of the work. These outputs are processed on regular basis and often published in various media, magazines, strategic documents, web pages of the organization etc.
All activities are reflected by several means such as cross-check interviews, focus groups on various topics and continuous gaining of feedback from clients.

Funding/Cost effectiveness

It is difficult (if not impossible) to calculate influence of social work or educational activities. However calculations from 2011 show that cost of services provided to one client of the Centre of Counselling and Employment were approx. 56.6 EUR. Activities of IQ Roma Service are funded by European projects, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, South Moravian Region, Brno municipality and also by private donors. These donors fund our effort repeatedly and regularly therefore we are sure that they believe that they are worth finances invested into them.

3. Outcomes

Achievements (Please describe the main outcomes/results according to the following headings. Each option can be answered - up to 50 words)

- Specific results

- Cost effectiveness

- Budget

- Innovative aspects

Outcomes

Outcomes of the IQ Roma Service are published regularly in the Annual report. Please see the last one on: http://www.iqrs.cz/download.php
To name some facts about the main outcomes:
In 2011 50 children were helped in registering at a quality school or kindergarten, 13 families assisted in cooperation with Department of Social and Legal Protection of Children, 1,663 clients of the Program for Adults helped in solving their problems related to employment, housing, debts and social system, 535 children participated on activities of Program for Youth, 58 applied for a secondary school and 42 of them passed, 149 of pupils/students attended catch-up classes and 217 attended PC courses.


Achievements

IQ Roma Service belongs to the most prestigious non-profit organizations in the Czech Republic and it is a leading expert in the area of social inclusion which is proven by the national & international awards, recognition and accreditation (please see: http://www.iqrs.cz/kvalita).
In first half of 2012 15 clients of Centre of Counselling and Employment managed to find a job with the help of IQ Roma Service, 28 clients have set up a plan how to get rid of their debts and other 6 clients managed to get rid of them, 3 clients found house/flat rented by a private owner (which is a big success in view of the fact that Roma are frequently discriminated in housing).

Success factors (What key success factors have led to or prevented success?)

- Lessons learnt

- Unintended impacts (Have there been any unintended impacts? Positive or negative?)

All activities are watched, monitored and evaluated on a regular basis. Strategic plan sets up specific targets and rates of clients who to be employed, find a housing, pay off their debts, apply for a school and graduate it etc.
These numbers are processed and if the intended targets are not achieved the management analyses the deficiencies and searches for solutions for improvements.


Unintended impacts

All the clients helped in finding a job, flat, pay off their debts and sort out their problems with bureaus, or the children who graduated school act as the best PR for community of Czech Roma. Through work with them the view of the Czech society on Romani people is positively influenced.

Strengths and weaknesses

- What areas of the policy can we learn lessons from?

- Are there still challenges ahead?

The main strength is the complexity of the services which cover problems that occurs in life of clients throughout their whole life – from early age, through school years, entering the labour market, maintaining good family relations, coping with a difficult economic situation up to the aging and retirement issues. Not only social or educational services are provided in high quality (as many other organizations do) but the impact of the services has also an aspect of social and civic activism and participation.
Although respected and recognised by public institutions and even government IQ Roma Service still works on finding its place among those who play strategic role in decision making related to complex work with socially excluded communities. Another area of improvement is in monitoring and measuring the impact of the services on the lives of the clients.

4. Additional narrative description of the policy/practice/initiative

Additional information

Name of contact

Role (in policy initiative)

Organization name

IQ Roma Servis

Address

Cejl 49 602 00 Brno Česká republika

Phone

+420 549 241 250

Fax

E-mail

iqrs@iqrs.cz

Website address

http://www.iqrs.cz/

Documents and publications

Attached files

Links

No links specified.

This information was provided/updated by:

Jana Kvapilová

No comments by users.

good practice, initiative, interesting practice, policy, goods, services, access, act, active citizenship, active job seeking, adult education, adult student, adults, advisory services, alcohol and substace abuse, career counselling, civil society organisations, Czech Republic, people at risk, social inclusion, guidance in schools, unemployed, older adults, disadvantaged groups, career information

Name of the good/interesting practice/initiative/policy

The Hungarian LLG Council and LLG System development

Country

Hungary

I am proposing that this example will be published also in the KSLLL database

1. Background

What makes this an example of good/interesting practice/initiative/policy?

- The motivation of the initiative (What is the history/background of the policy?)

- Linkages with LLG policy priorities (Please add references to other national/EU policies or documents)

- Participants

In Hungary there is no official central ownership of guidance issues. While guidance activities and development are overseen by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour (Szociális és Munkaügyi Minisztérium), the Ministry of Education and Culture (Oktatási és Kulturális Minisztérium) is also a key actor in the field. However, the two ministries do not have a long term strategic agreement on the issue. On the other hand, neither the citizens, nor the employers have a clear idea of the aims, methods or the benefits of guidance, counselling and vocational orientation.

Since the establishment of the European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network (ELGPN) at EU level, national developments have pushed ahead. The Hungarian LLG Council (Nemzeti Pályaorientációs Tanács, NPT) was founded in January 2008 and in September of the same year a new national programme was launched in the framework of the Social Renewal Operational Programme (Társadalmi Megújulás Operatív Programja, TÁMOP) of the New Hungary Development Plan (Új Magyarország Fejlesztési Terv, ÚMFT) 2007-2013 which includes the development of a new national LL guidance network.

The national LLL strategy (2005) as well as the National Reform Programme (2008-2010) also specifies the development of some elements of career guidance activities but a policy document was elaborated by the new Hungarian LLG Council.

Aims and targets

- Objectives of the initiative (What did the policy set out to achieve?)

- Target group

- Methods applied to reach the objective (technological and /or pedagogical)

The main aim of the national council is to develop and promote a framework for lifelong guidance policy. The work of the council is strongly related with the national development programme for LLG System in Hungary. According the Hungarian Government decision (2007) this programme was designed for the 7 years period of the NSRF (2007-2013) and cover 22,6 millions EUR total. Within this main aim the subtasks are the followings:
1. unifying the meaning of career guidance within the educational and employment, social regulations in national level
2. re-establish and also reinterpretat policy mechanism in the field of career guidance after the 70’s
3. develop an unified regulation for career guidance and also develop the financing mechanism
4. develop a cross-sectoral common understanding in the field of lifelong guidance/ carrier education and career counselling
5. develop a web-based unified cadastre for career counselling professionals and for other professionals whose are working in related fields (i.e. teachers, social workers etc.)
6. develop unified guidelines for career counselling professionals
7. upskilling professionals for LLG
7a. offering in-service trainings at two different levels:
- for career counselling professionals
- and for professionals in the related fields
7b. develop tools for all age guidance
7c. publishing a new review (Életpálya Tanácsadás) for the professional community
7d. widening access for career guidance services as a common project of different stakeholders

2. Implementation

Strategy and actions (Please describe the approach adopted to make the reform work and any actions taken.)

- Level of implementation (national, regional etc.)

- Implementation (description)

SROP 2.2.2. under the professional supervision of the NPT implementing a numerous new features in the field of career guidance. The main items within the first 2 year-long period are:
- Development a new toolkit for career guidance professional (questioners for all-age services, web based databank)
- Get together the professionals and the related professionals of career guidance
- Provide in-service training for 2000 people whose working in related professions
- Provide 2 year-long post-graduate diploma for career guidance professionals as widening the network of trained professionals
- Develop a national and regional network of the professionals

The programme SROP 2.2.2 supports development in the areas of IT and methodology. In the area of IT development, the development of a new national guidance portal is envisaged, targeting the youth, adults and professionals/experts, with the aim of providing integrated, up to date, and user friendly information related to education and the labour market. The webpage would also offer a portal for the career guidance professionals, where they could reach all the information and tools regarding the project. It has four main functions:
- Social networking
- Knowledgebase
- Special functions: online storage of counselling case diaries, nameless statistical treatment of their facts, tools that make possible to analyse the offline questionnaires

Monitoring and evaluation

- What has been put in place for monitoring and evaluation?

- What actors are involved?

The first round of monitoring will be carried out in 2010 before than end of the first phase. Internal evaluation is must of the Hungarian Development Agency (NDA) and the National Agency of European Social Fund. Four internal evaluations are compulsory within these 2 years:
- May 2009
- October 2009
- May 2010
- December 2010

NDA and ESA Agency are monitoring the programme outcomes. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour will get a professional summery before the second programme proposal will be submitted to the National Development Agency Human Resources Managing Authority till June 2010.

Two independent external evaluations are also planed within this period.
- one in policy context,
- another for measuring the performance of the 50 career counsellors’ activates working in the programme

3. Outcomes

Achievements (Please describe the main outcomes/results according to the following headings. Each option can be answered - up to 50 words)

- Specific results

- Cost effectiveness

- Budget

- Innovative aspects

Project indicators and their status:
- Number of clients receiving guidance services - base: 30 000 persons/year, aim: 40 000 persons/year, status: achieved (2009)
- Trained persons (from the fields related to guidance) - base: 0, aim: 2000 persons, status: in progress
- Number of persons who successfully finished trainings - base: 0, aim: 1900 persons, status: in progress
- User satisfaction of clients included in guidance activities - base: N/A, aim: + 20%, status: in progress
- Persons attended in post-gradual trainings - base: 0, aim: 50 persons, status: achieved
- Newly developed occupation folders - base: 202, aim: 302, status: in progress
- Updated occupation folders - base: 172, aim: 222, status: in progress
- Newly developed training materials (and courses) - base: 0, aim: 10, status: achieved
- Newly developed occupation films - base: 344, aim: 364, status: in progress
- Unique visitors of the newly developed national guidance portal - base: 223 200 visitor/year, aim: 268 000 visitor/year, status: achieved (2009)

Budget: 2,08 Bn HUF - 7,8 M EUR - is to be used in the first 2 years.

Success factors (What key success factors have led to or prevented success?)

- Lessons learnt

- Unintended impacts (Have there been any unintended impacts? Positive or negative?)

A strong professional view of the programme management and the international developments (ie. EU Resolutions 2004, 2008, EU-OECD 2004. ILO 2006. UNESCO 2002 publications etc.) help in the implementation period.

Strengths and weaknesses

- What areas of the policy can we learn lessons from?

- Are there still challenges ahead?

Lack of evidence of the real economic impact of career guidance and a very segmented human resources development system make the ongoing development and further implementation very fragile. Lack of national resources for the maintaining of the ESA founded development is also an important issue, especially after 2013/2014 for the next development period (2014-2020) of the EU. A national level and cross-sectoral unfiled re-regulation of this field is essential for the success and the marinating of the developments.

4. Additional narrative description of the policy/practice/initiative

Additional information

Name of contact

Borbély-Pecze, Tibor Bors, NPT

Role (in policy initiative)

Secretary of NPT

Organization name

Nemzeti Pályaorientációs Tanács

Address

Nemzeti Pályaorientációs Tanács Titkársága Foglalkoztatási és Szociális Hivatal (Borbély-Pecze Tibor Bors, titkár) Budapest Kálvária tér 7. 1089 Hungary

Phone

+36.30.216.0095

Fax

+36.1.459.2099

E-mail

beneiv@lab.hu; borbelytibor@lab.hu

Website address

http://internet.afsz.hu/engine.aspx?page=full_kulfoldi_palyaor_eu_magyar_llg_tanacs

Documents and publications

Attached files

Links

http://internet.afsz.hu/resource.aspx?resourceid=full_kulfoldi_palyaor_eu_magyar_llg_szakpol_ang

This information was provided/updated by:

BORBÉLY-PECZE Tibor Bors

No comments by users.

ELGPN, good practice, initiative, interesting practice, policy, national development, LLG system development, cadastre, career guidance counsellor, ICT, effectiveness, national standard development, education policy, PES, cross policy coordination, training of the guidance professionals, access, quality, co-operation, co-ordination, guidance in schools, unemployed, employed, older adults, career information, qualifications, Hungary

Name of the good/interesting practice/initiative/policy

eGuidance

Country

The Danish Ministry of Children and Education launched eGuidance in January 2011. It provides individual and personal guidance to all citizens via various virtual communication channels: chat, telephone, SMS, e-mail and Facebook. eGuidance is for everyone who wants information about education and employment; it may also refer users to other guidance tools (www.ug.dk) and to institutions for further guidance. It is especially targeted at resourceful young people and their parents, to give them easy access to independent information and guidance and thereby to motivate the young people to continue the search and clarification process on their own. It plays a central role as a guide to the national guidance portal, and as a communicator of guidance information etc. Use of Facebook was introduced in January 2012, enabling eGuidance to provide guidance in a common forum and in the social media (www.facebook.com/eVejledning). Users can contact eGuidance during the day and evening as well as at weekends.

I am proposing that this example will be published also in the KSLLL database

1. Background

What makes this an example of good/interesting practice/initiative/policy?

- The motivation of the initiative (What is the history/background of the policy?)

- Linkages with LLG policy priorities (Please add references to other national/EU policies or documents)

- Participants

The Danish Ministry of Children and Education launched eGuidance in January 2011. E-guidance is established providing opportunity for personal guidance through “e-channels”
Primarily aimed at resourceful youths and their parents

Aims and targets

- Objectives of the initiative (What did the policy set out to achieve?)

- Target group

- Methods applied to reach the objective (technological and /or pedagogical)

eGuidance provides individual and personal guidance to all citizens via various virtual communication channels: chat, telephone, SMS, e-mail and Facebook. eGuidance is for everyone who wants information about education and employment; it may also refer users to other guidance tools (www.ug.dk) and to institutions for further guidance. It is especially targeted at resourceful young people and their parents, to give them easy access to independent information and guidance and thereby to motivate the young people to continue the search and clarification process on their own. It plays a central role as a guide to the national guidance portal, and as a communicator of guidance information etc. Use of Facebook was introduced in January 2012, enabling eGuidance to provide guidance in a common forum and in the social media (www.facebook.com/eVejledning). Users can contact eGuidance during the day and evening as well as at weekends.

2. Implementation

Strategy and actions (Please describe the approach adopted to make the reform work and any actions taken.)

- Level of implementation (national, regional etc.)

- Implementation (description)

eGuidance is a national service and is manned by professional guidance counsellors and cooperates with the youth guidance centres, the regional guidance centres and the national guidance portal www.ug.dk.

Monitoring and evaluation

- What has been put in place for monitoring and evaluation?

- What actors are involved?

eGuidance is evaluated together with all other initiatives in the new Act on Guidance in 2010. eGuidance.

The Ministry of Education is the main stakeholder of the quality assurance system in the educational sector on a national level, as well as the main organisations for managers and guidance counsellors. eGuidance has establish a quality assurance system, which can be used to document activities, quality and effect on clients and society. Several indicators are included in the quality assurance system. Among the indicators are user surveys, based on nationally representative samples of pupils and students, responding on the same questionnaire. The user surveys are designed to provide information on user benefit of guidance in order to create the basis for a user-driven development. Based on inputs from guidance counsellors, the user surveys make it possible to compare and evaluate the user benefit of different types of guidance activities

3. Outcomes

Achievements (Please describe the main outcomes/results according to the following headings. Each option can be answered - up to 50 words)

- Specific results

- Cost effectiveness

- Budget

- Innovative aspects

Success factors (What key success factors have led to or prevented success?)

- Lessons learnt

- Unintended impacts (Have there been any unintended impacts? Positive or negative?)

Strengths and weaknesses

- What areas of the policy can we learn lessons from?

- Are there still challenges ahead?

4. Additional narrative description of the policy/practice/initiative

Additional information

Name of contact

Steffen Jensen

Role (in policy initiative)

Organization name

Ministry og Children and Education

Address

Frederiksholms Kanal 26

Phone

0045033952135

Fax

E-mail

steffen.jensen@uvm.dk

Website address

evejledning.dk

Documents and publications

Attached files

Links

http://www.ug.dk/evejledning

This information was provided/updated by:

Hanne woller

No comments by users.

good practice, initiative, interesting practice, policy, schools, VET, higher education, adult education, employment, guidance in schools, unemployed, employed, career information, Denmark

Name of the good/interesting practice/initiative/policy

Development and Elaboration of the Open Information, Counselling and Guidance System (AIKOS)

Country

Lithuania

I am proposing that this example will be published also in the KSLLL database

1. Background

What makes this an example of good/interesting practice/initiative/policy?

- The motivation of the initiative (What is the history/background of the policy?)

- Linkages with LLG policy priorities (Please add references to other national/EU policies or documents)

- Participants

Main problems and challenges before the start of the project:
– The need of further development of the Open Information, Counselling and Guidance System (AIKOS) portal (www.aikos.smm.lt) in order to improve it’s usability, user-friendliness, appropriateness to different target groups, to ensure accuracy of information, to introduce on-line career information services. The need to develop and ensure effective interconnection of AIKOS and PLOTEUS II (Portal on Learning Opportunities throughout the European Space).
– The need to broaden the existing network of career information services by establishing 640 new Career Information Points (CIP).

Aims and targets

- Objectives of the initiative (What did the policy set out to achieve?)

- Target group

- Methods applied to reach the objective (technological and /or pedagogical)

The project had two main objectives:
1. elaboration of the Open Information, Counselling and Guidance System (AIKOS).
2. developing of the career information system facilities and establishing the network of Career Information Points (CIP).

Direct beneficiaries – students of general education, vocational education and higher education schools, career advisors, teachers. Indirect beneficiaries – all citizens interested in learning opportunities.

Methodologies and tools: applying IT technolgies, making research, creating models.

2. Implementation

Strategy and actions (Please describe the approach adopted to make the reform work and any actions taken.)

- Level of implementation (national, regional etc.)

- Implementation (description)

1. Development of the elaborated AIKOS portal programme equipment (new functional components, new contents produced according to the Standard – descriptions of occupations, qualifications, study programmes, other)
2. Development of the model of establishing the network of Career Information Points in the country. Establishing the CIP’S in the general schools, vocational schools, libraries, labour exchanges, prisons, etc. Equiping the CIP’s with the computors and other office facilities.

Monitoring and evaluation

- What has been put in place for monitoring and evaluation?

- What actors are involved?

The main indicators are:
1. number of the new AIKOS portal functional components and new content items (e.g. number of the descriptions of occupations, etc.).
2. number of the instititions in which the Career Information Points were established.

The Ministry had contracted the IT company (JSC “Sintagma”) for the development of the AIKOS portal, this company worked together with the project partner – Centre of Informations Technologies of Education.
The Ministry worked in cooperation with the 60 municipalities in order to ensure the establishment of the network of Career Information Points in the country.

3. Outcomes

Achievements (Please describe the main outcomes/results according to the following headings. Each option can be answered - up to 50 words)

- Specific results

- Cost effectiveness

- Budget

- Innovative aspects

1. New programme equipment of the Open Information, Counselling and Guidance System (AIKOS) portal.
2. 640 Career Information Points established in various institutions.

Success factors (What key success factors have led to or prevented success?)

- Lessons learnt

- Unintended impacts (Have there been any unintended impacts? Positive or negative?)

Strengths and weaknesses

- What areas of the policy can we learn lessons from?

- Are there still challenges ahead?

The main strength – usability of project results, free and easy access of the AIKOS portal and the network of Career Information Points for the beneficiaries (various groups of users).
The main weakness – need to find financial resoursces for persistent mainteneance of the AIKOS portal and support of the established Career Information Points.

4. Additional narrative description of the policy/practice/initiative

Additional information

Name of contact

Aleksandra Sokolova

Role (in policy initiative)

Representative from the The Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania in regard with the information about the Project

Organization name

The Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania

Address

A. Volano g. 2/7, LT-01516, Vilnius

Phone

00370 5 219 1190

Fax

00370 5 261 2077

E-mail

Aleksandra.Sokolova@smm.lt

Website address

http://www.smm.lt/es_parama/projektai/smm_projektai/projektas_%20aikos.htm

Documents and publications

General information about the project (in Lithuanian) and it’s results is available on the official web-site of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania (www.smm.lt)
Direct link to the poject’s information:
http://www.smm.lt/es_parama/projektai/smm_projektai/projektas_%20aikos.htm

Attached files

Links

http://www.smm.lt/es_parama/projektai/smm_projektai/projektas_%20aikos.htm; http://www.smm.lt

This information was provided/updated by:

The Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania and Euroguidance

No comments by users.

good practice, initiative, interesting practice, policy, guidance, career management skills, access, quality, guidance in schools, people at risk, tertiary education, unemployed, employed, older adults, disadvantaged groups, career information, qualifications, Lithuania

Name of the good/interesting practice/initiative/policy

National Quality System for Guidance Provision - Portugal

Country

Portugal

I am proposing that this example will be published also in the KSLLL database

1. Background

What makes this an example of good/interesting practice/initiative/policy?

- The motivation of the initiative (What is the history/background of the policy?)

- Linkages with LLG policy priorities (Please add references to other national/EU policies or documents)

- Participants

The present initiative stands as the first articulated attempt to create a fully comprehensive system of quality assurance for guidance activity in Portugal.
Although previous measures existed, providing the quality of instruments and methods used in PES-supplied guidance, as well as basic training for professionals, there was a clear need for a more integrated instrument, with adequate monitoring tools.
Given its institutional mission of assuring the adaptability and adequacy of guidance provision, the national public employment service, IEFP, has taken initiative in establishing a national standard, which will also account for the visions of an advisory network of relevant participants.
Other entities will be enrolled in the project to guarantee diffusion and improvement of standards, namely: the Portuguese Ministry of Education; Universities with research on guidance; professional/scientific associations; inter-national structures.

Aims and targets

- Objectives of the initiative (What did the policy set out to achieve?)

- Target group

- Methods applied to reach the objective (technological and /or pedagogical)

The objectives of the initiative can be resumed in three main points:

- Gaining efficacy and efficiency in guidance provision through implementation and constant check of clear standards, measures and practises
- Increasing autonomy of citizens in establishing critical learning and labour pathways, both by competence building and ease of access
- Sponsoring innovation through systematic research on critical factors in guidance for employability and job stability/success

The end target of the system is the guidance user, although we can also consider both guidance professionals and employment/educational service managers as being targeted by the measures undertaken.
The system is implemented by understanding guidance activity as part of a value chain and acting upon the phases of that chain, considering inputs, process and outputs. Primarily is considered the intervention of the PES and its creation of public value and economic spillovers.
Up-date of instruments, improvement of registry tools, accessibility, competence-assessment and of management information supports and fluxes are part of the methodology, affecting all aspects of guidance provision (materials, contents, technology).

2. Implementation

Strategy and actions (Please describe the approach adopted to make the reform work and any actions taken.)

- Level of implementation (national, regional etc.)

- Implementation (description)

The system has a national scope and is sustained in an incremental and progressive logic. Firstly, its scope is the operation of the PES services with a test run in some of its main job and training centres. Secondly, the initiative should be generalised to the full PES network. A third step should enable the adjusted diffusion of the system to different sectors and networks, namely education and private operators. As early as step two, the standard is to be shared and discussed in a advisory forum of external participants.
Common standards and information tools are already under development.
Some key measures to undertake are:
- Set periodic updates and testing of diagnosis tools, guidance methodologies, information supports, on-line contents/tools
- Improvement of registry and information transitions that allows for interchangibility of user information while guarantying users' rights
- Improvement of accessibility by development of comprehensive e-guidance tools and the improvement of information to disabled people (paper and online) and immigrant users
- Set evaluation and update of guidance professionals' competencies, with strict standards and ethical conduct
- Development of adequate tools for the follow-up of guidance users
- Balanced score-cards for guidance management and multi-level modelling of supervised

Monitoring and evaluation

- What has been put in place for monitoring and evaluation?

- What actors are involved?

Monitoring and evaluation is primarily undertaken by the Guidance Directorate of IEFP in articulation with other network participants.
A monitoring mechanism has been established, measuring the efficacy of the planned measures affecting inputs and process as well as a system of indicators aimed at measuring impact variables.
Input variables are monitored through direct control of measures and by user enquiring.
Process/organisation variables are monitored by tools' assessment, management enquiring and technical staff enquiring.
Outputs are monitored by follow-up of PES users (with and without guidance), defining samples that have as basic statistical unit the job/training centres. Follow-up focus on job stability/success, job mobility, autonomy assessment (labour and education), educational success, labour market queuing, entrepreneurship capacities.
A balanced scorecard has been defined with all the assessment dimensions deemed relevant.
A statistical modelling process is being developed to enable research-based adjustments to guidance policy, using as a methodology multi-level analysis.

3. Outcomes

Achievements (Please describe the main outcomes/results according to the following headings. Each option can be answered - up to 50 words)

- Specific results

- Cost effectiveness

- Budget

- Innovative aspects

Specific results: only planning and tools have been developed
Cost effectiveness: progressive implementation and thigh instrument control should allow for low costs of project and improvement of present cost-result ratio in provision
Innovative aspects: Research-based approach

Success factors (What key success factors have led to or prevented success?)

- Lessons learnt

- Unintended impacts (Have there been any unintended impacts? Positive or negative?)

Strengths and weaknesses

- What areas of the policy can we learn lessons from?

- Are there still challenges ahead?

4. Additional narrative description of the policy/practice/initiative

Additional information

Name of contact

Pedro Moreno da Fonseca

Role (in policy initiative)

Organization name

IEFP

Address

Phone

Fax

E-mail

pedro.fonseca@iefp.pt

Website address

No links specified.

Documents and publications

Attached files

Links

No links specified.

This information was provided/updated by:

Pedro Moreno da Fonseca PhD

No comments by users.

ELGPN, good practice, initiative, interesting practice, policy, career management skills, access, quality, evidence-based policy, co-operation, guidance in schools, people at risk, unemployed, employed, disadvantaged groups, career information, qualifications, effectiveness, Portugal