European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network Database, ELGPN Database

Name of the good/interesting practice/initiative/policy

NATIONAL NETWORK OF COUNSELORS AND COUNSELLING STRUCTURES - ICT WEB FORUM “IRIDA”

Country

Greece

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 ICT web forum IRIDA is the electronic communication platform of the Greek Lifelong Guidance Forum.
The development of a network and electronic communication platform targeted to guidance practitioners was implemented in 2007 by the National Centre for Vocational Orientation (EKEP). Following a Ministerial Decision in 2011, the National Organization for the Certification of Qualifications and Career Guidance (EOPPEP) has incorporated all the responsibilities previously carried out by EKEP.

The motivation of the initiative was to develop a forum of dialoque and consultation on important issues of LLG in order to promote cooperation and coordination of career guidance counselors and services of the public and private sectors in national, regional and local levels according to the 4th priority set by the 2008 EU resolution on life long career guidance.
Through the coordination of all career guidance stakeholders of both the public and private sectors a certain complimentarity of actions is achived together with better exploitation of financial and human resources with ultimate result the improvement of quality of career guidance provision

The project is linked to the following LLG policy priorities: Quality, Coordination and Cooperation and Access.
The initiative is part of EOPPEP’s responsibilities as a National Euroguidance Center. For its operation, many European good practices of networking are taken in account, as well as CEDEFOP’s study "Establishing National Lifelong Guidance Forums».

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 aim of the platform is to connect all services providing career guidance at national regional and local levels, including:
Centres for Career Guidance (KESYPs)" that operate in the capitals of the prefectures under the juristiction of the Ministry of Education
Centers for Promotion to Employment operating within the Greek Public Employment Services.
Career offices in tertiary education
Career guidance services of the private sector: (The Centers of Life Long Learning (KDVM) (former Vocational Training Centers), The Private Job Finding Offices and The Temporary Job Enterprises
Social partners’ guidance structures.
The target group is mainly the Career Guidance Counselors of the public and private sector that work in the above services, who need to get informed and exchange ideas concerning issues of career guidance services in national and european level.
The initiative is the result of a fertile collaboration between its coordinator (EKEP and now EOPPEP) and an important number of career guidance centers.
The platform is designed as an ICT interface. It consists of an information data base and a dialogue interface, accessed only by subscribed users. It is controlled and supported by an administrator and several moderators.
The subscribed users of the platform are trained by the tool itself.

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)

For the implementation of the forum, the following actions have been undertaken:
• Definition of platform’s stakeholders and needs by EOPPEP
• Collaboration among the stakeholders and EOPPEP’s Career Guidance Directorate for the subjects to be discussed in the platform
• Design and implementation of the platform by an ICT company (EPAFOS) in collaboration with EOPPEP
• Testing of the platform by EOPPEP
• Creation of platform users’ accounts

The development of the platform is completed and the instruction of moderators is under way. The platform is about to be presented to the public afterwhich its official operation will start.
The communication among IRIDA users will be in a national, regional and local level.

Monitoring and evaluation

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

- What actors are involved?

EOPPEP has the role of scientific and ethical supervision of the web forum. Moreover it facilitates the active participation to the platform of all represantatives and stakeholders of career guidance services of the education, VET and employment sectors including social partners and users of the career guidance services. The contribution of the forum to the improvement of quality of career guidance services will be evaluated by EOPPEP
EOPPEP is responcible for the promotion of the platform to the public and of the technical maintenance

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: The platform will give to its users (counselors of the Career Guidance Centers (KESYPs) of the ministry of education, Career Offices of the Universities, Centers for Promotion to Employment (KPAs) of the Greek Manpower Organization (OAED) of the Ministry of Labour etc) the possibility to communicate to each other, to exchange ideas, practices and knowledge, to discuss various subjects (e.g. career management skills, european dimension in career guidance etc) to raise questions etc thus promoting the cooperation and coordination of all career guidance stakeholders.

Cost effectiveness: The cost effectiveness is high since the complimentarity of actions, the dissemination of innovative policies and good practices and the exchange of information on available services, training opportunities, awareness seminars and scientific conferences will promote both the coordination and better access to career guidance services, all of which result in the improvement of quality in career guidance provision for the sake of its users.
In financial terms there will be reduced costs as the communication is evolved by economical means, i.e. mail and internet instead of high budget live meetings. Through the coordination of LLG activities, the cost of parallel and similar policies is eliminated.

Budget: Since the platform was developed in the framework of another ICT tool (Interactive Internet Portal for Adolescents) it had no cost. However, it will require annual technical maintenance.

Innovative aspects: Irida is the first and only web forum connecting career guidance counselors and services of the public and private sectors in national, regional and local levels. It is an easy to learn and use tool that stimulates cooperation and coordination of policies, projects and actions and promotes dialogue and exchange of opinions on issues relating to guidance practice..

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?)

The forum’s development and improvement is a continuing procedure. EOPPEP has a daily relation with interested stakeholders in a formal (cooperation contracts) or informal way (phone contacts).
Its successful design and implementation is based mainly to the collaboration among stakeholders and to the consultation provided by EOPPEP.

Strengths and weaknesses

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

- Are there still challenges ahead?

The initiative can encourage cooperation on specific activities of the participants. They can have lot of benefits as described above .
The platform can inform career guidance counselors about several themes like career guidance tools and methods, career management Skills, quality assurance in career Guidance , career development of practitioners, seminars and conferences in Greece and abroad, ect.

The tool is interactive. The users can upload questions and answers on interesting issues. The practitioners can actively participate in conversations and get updated on innovative tools and methods. They can also make changes in their electronic profile.

In order to access the platform they need to create an account, after a relative application to EOPPEP.

EOPPEP is responsible for the coordination and the support of the platform, through a team work of internal users (moderators and administrator).

The biggest challenge for the forum is to become a strong and active mean of communication that will be accepted and widely used by all career guidance stakehloders.

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

Additional information

Name of contact

Fotini Vlachaki, (MSc) Manager of the Directorate of Career Guidance of EOPPEP - Dimitrios Gaitanis (PhD) Head of the Department of Scientific Support of Career Guidance Counselors and Services

Role (in policy initiative)

COORDINATORS

Organization name

EOPPEP - NATIONAL ORGANISATION FOR THE CERTIFICATION OF QUALIFICATIONS AND CAREER GUIDANCE

Address

41, ETHNIKIS ANTISTASEOS AVE. 14234 ATHENS GREECE

Phone

+30 210 2709172-7

Fax

+30 210 2709178

E-mail

guidance@eoppep.gr

Website address

http://guidanceforum.eoppep.gr/

Documents and publications

Attached files

Links

http://guidanceforum.eoppep.gr/

This information was provided/updated by:

Dimitris Gaitanis and Marina Katsimani, department of scientific support of career guidance counselors and services.

No comments by users.

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Name of the good/interesting practice/initiative/policy

Development and Pilot Operation of National Database of educational opportunities - PLOIGOS

Country

GREECE

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

Ploigos gives valid information about Learning opportunities and training possibilities available in Greece in all educational levels and all types of education.

The decisions of EU councils of Lisbon and Stockholm called for the creation of unified information systems on education and training opportunities in Europe. The first phase (2002-2008) of such an information system was completed with the development of PLOTEUS I (Portal on Learning Opportunities throughout the European Space), a European internet portal which aimed to help students, job seekers, parents, guidance counsellors and teachers to find out information about studying in Europe. The development of Ploteus I was assigned by DG Education and Culture to Euroguidance Network. EKEP as the Greek Euroguidance center provided Ploteus I with links to web sites of universities and higher education institutions, databases of schools and vocational training and adult education courses in Greece. The second phase of a European Internet portal on learning opportunities PLOTEUS II (2009-today) does not provide links to websites of education institutions, instead it gives the actual information – details of each educational opportunity. Necessary prerequisite for this was the creation from every EU country of a national database of learning opportunities and the connection of these datasources on the basis of a common protocol. The development of the Greek National Database on Learning Opportunities "Ploigos" was assigned by the Greek Ministry of Education to EKEP.

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)

Objective: The development of the first national database on educational opportunities in Greece

Target group: students of all education levels, their parents, graduates interested for post graduate studies, teachers, counsellors, european citizens interested for studying in Greece

Method: Cooperation with education opportunity providers for the collection of information - Field Study.

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)

Implementation:
1. First we communicated with supervising ministries asking for their support in order to secure the cooperation of the departments, services and organizations within their competence, to define all the sources of educational opportunities within their competence and to assign a representative responsible for the co-ordination of the relevant departments, services and supervised organizations
2. As a result relevant ministerial decrees were issued
3. We created the tool for gathering information, a questionnaire in excel form with the 21 fields - elements (in 4 data sheets) comprising each educational opportunity according to the common protocol of Ploteus II
4. The blank queries were sent by e-mail to the contact person of each educational institution together with detailed instructions for filling
5. The contact persons filled the queries and returned them to EKEP in electronic form (either by e-mail or by regular mail – cds) before a certain deadline
6. EKEP’s team checked the queries for right filling and sent them to contractor for translating in English and insertion to the data base

Level of Implementation: National

Monitoring and evaluation

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

- What actors are involved?

Ploigos is already accessible trough the website of EKEP. In order to safeguard the smooth operation, monitoring and evaluation of the database a "team for support and renewal of Ploigos" has been established. In particular this team is responsible for: administration of the database, communication with Ploteus II as well as with national education opportunities providers, enrichment and renewal of the contents of Ploigos (insertion - modification - deletion of educational opportunities), promotion of national educational opportunities database
The following steps have been taken:
1. The contractor (ICT company that developed the Greek national database "Ploigos") has offered EKEP a 5 years warranty for good operation and technical support
2. Since Ploigos will be a permanent national database, EKEP conducted a viability study in order to define the technical, financial and organizational factors that will permit the smooth operation of the database. The system’s architecture permits the enrichment of the content of the database e.g. the entry of new or the change of existing educational opportunities. This can be done either by the institutions themselves with the use of specific passwords or by EKEP’s ploigos team
3. In order to strengthen the dissemination of Ploigos there are plans to promote it by brochures, articles, advertisements in newspapers-TV-radio, presentations in conferences e.t.c. A promotional booklet in Greek and English has allready been handed out to students and guidance counsellors.
The actors involved are:
1. EKEP's "team for support and renewal of Ploigos"
2. ICT company CYBERCE (The company that developed the Greek National Database Ploigos)
3. ICT company EUROPEAN DYNAMICS (The company responsible for the provision of technical assistance to the Commission, in order to ensure the smooth running of Ploteus II portal) and from January 2010 onwards "Intrasoft International"
4. National Educational Opportunities Providers (Ministry of Education, Lifelong Learning and Religious Affairs, Ministry of Labour and Social Security etc)

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

"Ploigos" is the first official database of educational opportunities in Greece.
It gives valid information to a broad target group about learning opportunities and training possibilities available in Greece in all educational levels and all types of education. It so promotes the mobility of European citizens within the European space and offers them equal access to educational opportunities

The cost effectiveness is high since Ploigos is the first and only such database in Greece. The information it contains helps students, graduates etc in their educational and career decisions and functions as a multiplier of their opportunities in today's labour market.

The project was financed by the Operational Program “Education and Initial Vocational Training” (EPEAEK II) of the Ministry of Education - Action 2.4.1.a.: “Strengthening of the Counselling & Vocational Guidance structures” - “Support of the EKEP” (European Social Fund program). The development of the database was undertaken by the private ICT company “Cyberce” after the conduct of an international open competition announced by EKEP. The overall budget of the project was 143.266,48 Euros. The development of the system started in 10-9-2007 and finished in 15-5-2009

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?)

The support we had from the supervising ministries e.g. the Ministry of National Education , Lifelong learning and Religious affairs, helped us very much in the process of communication and collection of educational opportunities of schools, initial vocational training institutions etc. However in the cases of educational opportunities providers that were somewhat independent e.g. higher education institutions, it proved more difficult to collect all the educational opportunities on time. Another lesson learnt is that the value of a good ICT company is very important for the successful completion of the project. Good project managing was also a very important factor as well as good cooperation – coordination of all participating parties.

Strengths and weaknesses

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

- Are there still challenges ahead?

We can learn lessons about the use of an electronic tool (database) in order to promote access to educational opportunities and education information. Other areas are: The interconnection of such tools in European level into a bigger portal (Ploteus II) which supports european mobility. The cooperation between so many different actors (educational opportunities providers, ICT companies, Ploteus II central authority etc)

The challenge is the continuous renewal and upgrade of both the contents and systems of Ploigos in order for it to be technically modern and uptodate in terms of its contents

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

Additional information

Name of contact

Dr. Dimitrios Gaitanis

Role (in policy initiative)

Project Manager of "Ploigos" National Database of Educational Opportunities

Organization name

EKEP (National Resource Center for Vocational Guidance)

Address

1 Parassiou str. & 99 Aharnon str.

Phone

+30 210 8233669

Fax

+30 210 8233772

E-mail

dimitrisgaitanis@ekep.gr

Website address

www.ekep.gr

Documents and publications

Attached files

Links

http://ploigos.ekep.gr/ekep/external/index.html

This information was provided/updated by:

 

No comments by users.

ELGPN, good practice, initiative, interesting practice, policy, adult education, career information, career management, career planning, education planning, education provision, Greece, guidance in schools, schools and training, student counselling, vocational adult education and training (VET), career management skills, access, quality

Name of the good/interesting practice/initiative/policy

Greek model system for quality assurance in guidance services

Country

GREECE

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

This is the first system for quality assurance of guidance services in Greece aiming at the initial and continuous evaluation of public and private guidance services of both the education and employment sector. It was developed by EKEP (National Center for Vocational Orientation), National Euroguidance Center, executive body of System 6 of ESSEEKA “System of Counseling, Vocational Guidance and Connection with the Labour Market” (Law 3191/2003) and member of ELGPN network. The Greek model system for quality assurance in guidance services is a top-down model based on the British matrix standard and consists of 6 groups of benchmarks: 1. Leadership 2. Organizing – planning 3. Guidance practitioners – human resources 4. Client satisfaction 5. Delivery of services 6. Premises and equipment
Leadership group connects with the Policy development level, Organizing – planning, Guidance practitioners- human resources and Premises and Equipment connect with the organizational level, while Client satisfaction and Delivery of Services consist the Practice level. The system coincides fully with the theory of the quality circle of Deming et al.
• The motivation of the initiative
The diversity of guidance services in Greece, both public and private and the absence of a legal framework as far as the requirements that these services should fulfill, made necessary the creation of a system for quality assurance of guidance services in Greece.

• Linkages with LLG policy priorities
The Resolution of the Education Council on “Strengthening Policies, Systems and Practices in the field of Guidance throughout life in Europe” (May 2004) identified 3 priorities among them:
1. Developing high quality, broadly accessible guidance provision
2. Improving quality assurance mechanisms for guidance provision
Also the 2008 EU Council Resolution on better integrating lifelong guidance into lifelong learning strategies invited the Member States within their respective competences to develop the quality assurance of guidance provision.

• Participants
The participants of the initiative were: EKEP, IEKEP (the company that developed the system), the Greek Ministry of Education, Lifelong Learning & Religious Affairs – Directorate of Vocational Guidance and Educational Activities (SEPED) and the Greek Manpower Employment Organization (OAED), the official public authority responsible for the provision of Counselling and Vocational Guidance services in the employment sector which operates the Centres for Promotion to Employment (KPAs), that provide vocational guidance services to the unemployed at local level.

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)

• Objectives of the initiative
1. Set common quality standards in guidance provision in both public and private sector in Greece.
2. Develop know-how in quality assurance for guidance services in Greece
3. Create the necessary legal framework for monitoring and evaluation of Guidance services
4. Raise the quality of guidance provision in Greece for the sake of its citizens and protect them from low quality uncertified guidance services

• Target group
1. Public guidance services of
all levels of the education sector (primary –secondary and tertiary)
all types of VET sector (initial and continuous)
Employment sector
2. Private guidance services
3. Local government services

• Methods applied to reach the objective
1. Bibliographical research.
2. Development of benchmarks, quality indicators and documents of proof by a scientific committee of guidance counsellors
3. Pilot application in public guidance services of Greece
4. Gathering feedback from the services themselves
5. Revision of benchmarks and indicators
6. Consultation with ministries and responsible bodies (e.g. national guidance forum) (future action)

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)

Firstly EKEP conducted a study “International systems for quality assurance in Guidance services” which: 1. referred to the most important international quality management systems like ISO 9000etc 2. described the most well known quality assurance systems for career guidance like the Matrix quality standard for information advice and guidance services and the Canadian Blueprint for life/work Designs 3. presented the systems developed for the quality assurance of various public sector services in Greece e.g. the system for the evaluation of the continuous education and training centers of the Ministry of Employment. The fourth part of the study proposed a model system suitable for quality assurance in guidance services of Greece. The system describes the values, the quality indicators and the documents of proof according to the theory of the quality circle. All indicators produce indications for quality development. The values produce indicators, the indicators produce indications and the indications produce Evidence or measuring tools according to the theory.
The next phase was Pilot application in public guidance services e.g. the University of Piraeus Career Office, a Counseling and Guidance Center (KESYP) of Piraeus and a Centre for Promotion to Employment (KPA). The aim of pilot application was to inform the services about the system for quality assurance and to get their feedback concerning the values and quality indicators of the system.

• Level of implementation
National

• Implementation
The procedure for initial evaluation or continuous monitoring of a guidance service is the following:
1. The service submits a portfolio which contains all the elements that prove the implementation of t he quality system.
2. A team of external evaluators visits the service and conducts the evaluation on the spot following a specific written form
3. The evaluators are asking to see specific evidence and documentation which proves the observance of each criterion
4. A quality certificate of conformity is awarded to each service reaching the desired marking
5. Data of certified services are entered in a special register
6. An electronic platform supports the whole procedure from applications to results of each evaluation

Monitoring and evaluation

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

- What actors are involved?

There was a Pilot application phase aiming at gathering feedback from services themselves. Actors involved were public guidance services of the education and employment sector (KESYPs, KPAs and Career Offices). This phase is still continuing. EKEP plans to have further consultations with ministries and responsible bodies (e.g. national guidance forum)

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
The first system for quality assurance of guidance services in Greece

• Cost effectiveness
The cost effectiveness is high since raising the quality of guidance provision in Greece will ultimately result in lower unemployment rates, higher mobility of citizens, better access to information and career opportunities

• Budget
The project was co financed by the Ministry of Education and the European Social Fund program). The overall budget was 40.000 Euros.

• Innovative aspects
The system includes values like: “The Service investigates client satisfaction by the services provided and the staff and makes use of the findings” and uses a mechanism for making use of client feedback. The mechanism which includes client satisfaction surveys, follow up activities, etc. researches citizens’ expectations and the level of their satisfaction by the services and the staff. The description of the mechanism includes the methodology used and the way the Service is making use of clients’ feedback for improving its services.

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?)

• Lessons learnt

Unintended impacts
Evaluation is a delicate matter. Sometimes services were suspicious of the system. They thought that they are being criticized and were afraid that the evaluation will reveal drawbacks and negative points of their functioning.

Strengths and weaknesses

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

- Are there still challenges ahead?

Receiving feedback from guidance services at the development phase of the quality assurance system is a major strength of the system.

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

Additional information

Name of contact

Dimitrios Gaitanis PhD

Role (in policy initiative)

Member of the scientific committee that developed the system. Author of the English translation and the english revised version.

Organization name

EKEP

Address

1 Parasiou & 99 Aharnon street

Phone

+30 210 8233669

Fax

+30 210 8233772

E-mail

dmitrogaitanis@hotmail.com, info@ekep.gr

Website address

www.ekep.gr

Documents and publications

Attached files

Links

http://www.ekep.gr/library/ekdoseis/odigoi/Diethni_Sys_Poiotitas.pdf

This information was provided/updated by:

Dimitrios Gaitanis PhD

No comments by users.

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