European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network Database, ELGPN Database

Name of the good/interesting practice/initiative/policy

The German National Guidance Forum – a bottom-up approach

Country

Germany

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 German National Forum Guidance in Education, Career and Employment nfb was created following the OECD country review and the 2004 EU Resolution on Lifelong Guidance. The initiative for the Forum was set up alongside a national conference on the “Future of Guidance for Education, Career and Employment – Shaping and Networking” organised in 2004 by the Ministries for Education and Research, Economy and Labour, the Federal Employment Agency and the National Federal Training Institute (BiBB) as well as the German Leonardo da Vinci Office . A steering committee for the continuous development of the Forum managed to secure the support of most of the stakeholders and actors in the guidance field including the ideal support of ministerial authorities. Meanwhile two EU projects within the Joint Action programme (2004 – 2006) were set up by the European Commission to support the establishment of national guidance coordination and cooperation mechanisms. In this context through the exchange with other countries and partners the drafting and final agreement of a Mission Statement was crucial for the common understanding and approach of the German Guidance Forum. After this intensive bottom-up process involving all actors and stakeholders the National Guidance Forum was officially founded as a legal identity in 2006 by 21 members, amongst them, professional associations and guidance experts, the Federal Training Institute and organisations for further education, agencies and unions, research institutes and the Ministry of Labour as a supportive member.

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 general aim of the National Guidance Forum is to promote the professionalism and quality delivery of guidance in education, initial and further vocational training and in the employment sector in Germany. It aims to stimulate the (further) development of a coherent guidance system which meets the different needs of the users and to draft guidelines for quality and quality assurance which are accepted and recognized by all actors and stakeholders. The work of the Forum is guided by the definition of guidance of the European Union and takes account of internationally accepted ethical standards and competences for practitioners while respecting the specific profiles of services and institutions in the different sectors. Further, the Forum intends to signal the importance of guidance for the development of individual skills and competences as well as for the competitiveness of the economy and promotes the equality within society. Through its activities the Forum aims to support policy development on national and regional level according their respective responsibilities. Thereby, the Forum stands for the preservation of plurality and competition within the guidance scene. To guarantee transparency of and easy access to guidance services the Forum considers that better networking and coordination among actors in the different areas of guidance is indispensable.

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 National Guidance Forum offers a platform to exchange knowledge and experience for all actors and stakeholders, practitioners, policy makers and researchers in the field through workshops and conferences, its website and through participation in projects and events. It takes action in networking, cooperation and coordination between the different actors in the fields of guidance and education. Though expert’s reports and statements as well as proposals the National Guidance Forum takes part in policy development, for instance 2009 through a Discussion Policy Paper on necessary reforms in the guidance sector. In addition, international cooperation and networking is used to exchange knowledge and experiences for the development of educational and career guidance in Germany. The Forum was appointed by the Federal Ministry of Education to be part of the German delegation in the ELGPN. Hence, it cooperates and supports the Ministry for Education in guidance matters and in the ELGPN. The National Guidance Forum implements projects to develop quality and professionalism in guidance and identifies needs for research and evaluation. With the funding of the Ministry of Education the Forum started a joint project with the Institute for Education and Research of the University of Heidelberg to develop quality standards and a quality development framework for guidance institutions.

Monitoring and evaluation

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

- What actors are involved?

Being an incorporated legal association according to German Civil Law the National Guidance Forum has standing rules of procedures which make sure that decisions are made democratically and that all members accept the goals of the Forum. Through this structure it keeps its impartiality and independence of interests. The Forum is constituted by 3 bodies. The member’s general assembly elects the Board of Directors. A Board of Trustees (Kuratorium), which is assigned by the Board of Directors, monitors and accompanies the work of the Forum professionally, particularly in relation to policy development. The members of the Board of Trustees provide the link to the policy makers and give advice the Forum how best to realize its aims. Members of the Board of Trustees are representatives of the Federal Education and Labour Ministries, the Federal Employment Agency, a Member of Parliament, representatives of the social partners and the Federal States and the Permanent Conference of Education Ministers of the Lander. The General Assembly meets at least once a year and evaluate the progress and success of the Forum in relation to its aims and purposes.
The Board provides an annual report to the Member's General Assembly on the activities which can be discussed and monitored by all members. Throughout the year there are Newsletters to the Members. The use of the public webpage is another instrument to monitor the public interest in the Forum’s 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

Specific results:
- The Forum took part in the Federal Minister’s Innovation Committee and stimulated recommendations concerning guidance policy development and a research study on guidance quality and professionalism.
- The National Forum is a member of the German ELGPN delegation.
- It organised 3 workshops and a European Peer Learning event on guidance quality within the ELGPN. A documentation booklet with statements of all stakeholders was published in 2008.
- A joint project – involving all relevant actors and supported by the Federal Ministry of Education - for the development of common agreed quality standards and counsellor competence profiles has been initiated.
- The website is a permanently updated professional communication platform which contains European and international documents.
- In 2009 the Forum published a White Paper “Corner stones of a sustainable and future-oriented guidance system in Germany” in which it calls for a coherent guidance system and proposes relevant reforms.

Cost effectiveness and Budget:
The members and the board are working voluntarily. The running costs are covered by the member fees, donations and by project based allowances by the Ministry of Education and Research. This kind of financing guarantees the cost effectiveness of the work and sustainability regardless of changing governments. Despite its low budget the National Guidance Forum successfully expanded and was able to set up an office in Berlin in 2009.

Innovative aspects:
The cooperation of many different actors and stakeholders in the field of guidance is quite innovative in Germany where guidance provisions are still fragmented. Thus, the Forum was able to start a number of initiatives for a coherent guidance system and for quality. The bottom-up approach secures involvement of all actors and also consideration of different professional and user interests.

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 successful start of the National Guidance Forum could only be achieved through consistent networking with the key actors in the field. Particularly, the active engagement and personal commitment of nationally and internationally recognised key players in the guidance scene laid the basis for all activities in relation to the Forum. Professional personal leadership is one of the success factors. The support of many participating experts and the stimulation of the EU Guidance Resolution 2004 and the Joint Action Project facilitated the foundation of the Forum. Through the European communications and networking on the importance of Career Guidance, the engagement of policy makers and key players in guidance policy development has been increased. The structural link to policy makers within the Board of Trustees is also crucial.

Strengths and weaknesses

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

- Are there still challenges ahead?

After having consolidated itself in its first 3 years, the National Guidance Forum now aims to continue and intensify its work towards more quality in guidance in Germany. In the next two years the Forum will coordinate a joint project with the University of Heidelberg on quality development in Guidance. Together with many partners from policy and practice it will agree quality guidelines following the European developments. The project will also set up a Quality Development Frame for guidance institutions with tools supporting its implementation. The development of sustainable structures for quality assurance and evidence-based policy in Germany will be a great challenge. The Forum will continue to contribute to lifelong guidance policy development, and to initiate relevant research, especially on the impacts of guidance for Lifelong Learning, the economy and the society. Weaknesses are the restricted resources which limits activities.

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

The German National Forum Guidance in Education, Career and Employment (nfb) is an independent network in which all institutions and organisations, relevant research and training institutions for guidance practitioners, governmental authorities and non-governmental agencies dealing with, offering or financing guidance and counselling as well as organisations of guidance users and consumers can collaborate.
The Forum deals with guidance provided for individuals in education, vocational training and employment sectors. Psychotherapeutic and business consultancy of companies or organisations do not belong to the area of activity of the National Forum. The Forum understands itself as a platform of all stakeholders and actors in the field of career guidance providing an opportunity for exchange of knowledge and experience across all institutional sectors, for the discussion of common concerns and projects, and for the achievement of common aims. The interesting difference in comparison to other co-operation mechanisms is the bottom-up approach of the German guidance community. Instead of a top-down model which is launched and lead by governmental activities as in other European countries, the Forum is a combination of professional expertise and independence and co-operation with governmental authorities through the Board of Trustees (Kuratorium).
Founded in 2006 the Forum currently has 51 members (25 organisations, 25 individual experts and one sustaining member, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs) who support the mission and the aims.
The general aim of the National Forum is to promote the professional delivery of guidance in education, vocational training and employment sectors in Germany, to stimulate the (further) development of guidance services which meet the different needs of the users, to draft guidelines for quality and quality assurance, and to motivate all partners to accept and recognise them. Based on the EU Council Resolution 2004 on guidance and with reference to the results of the various studies of the OECD, EU and the World Bank (2001-2004) the Forum intends to contribute with its activities to the professional development of the guidance field in Germany. The work of the National Forum is based on the definition of guidance of the European Union and takes account of internationally accepted ethical standards and competences for practitioners while respecting the specific profiles of services and institutions in the different sectors. It intends to signal the importance of educational and vocational guidance for the development of skills and competences of the individual as well as for the human capital of the society. Modern societies and the global economy depend for their well-being on the mobilisation of the talents and strengths of their members. Guidance assists in discovering and developing these talents and strengths and thus contributes to the improvement of competitiveness, of economic wealth and social integration.
The National Forum promotes all developments and activities integral to good and comprehensive guidance to enhance autonomous initiative, responsibility of the self and the competence of an individual to manage its own education and career; to promote and increase the educational potential of individuals and their abilities to participate in social life and labour market; to maintain and improve the employability of individuals; to support citizens in using their basic legal rights according the constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany, especially the right of free development of the individual, of free choice of a career and employment, and to stimulate equal opportunities.
Through its activities the Forum intends to support the responsible authorities in the Federation and the Federal States and in other public bodies in achieving these tasks. Thereby, the Forum stands for the preservation of plurality and competition within the guidance scene. However, to guarantee transparency of and easy access to guidance services the Forum considers that better networking and coordination among actors in the different areas of guidance is indispensable. In Germany guidance is in general only offered at points of transition (at the choice of initial training, education and studies, during unemployment and for decisions to further training). But the implementation of a strategy of lifelong learning needs a continuous and coordinated system of guidance services.
In the past the National Guidance Forum has been very active in the field of public relations and communication for the issue of guidance. As part of the Innovation Committee for Further Education by the Ministry of Education and Research the Forum supported the articulation of targets for the extension and improvement of guidance in Germany. Since 2008 the Forum supports and advises the Ministry of Education and Research concerning its cooperation in the ELGPN. On the basis of international developments and as consequence of a series of workshops and events the National Guidance Forum started the “Process of open coordination for quality development and professionalization in educational, vocational and career guidance” in October 2009. In order to carry out the project, the National Guidance Forum cooperates with the Institute for Education and Research (ibw) of the Ruprecht-Karls University of Heidelberg as joint project partners. The joint project is supported by government grants from the Federal Ministry for Education and Research during the time of 27 month (1.09.2009 – 31.11.2011). The joint project aims to develop and implement guidelines for quality and professionalism in guidance in education, career and employment in Germany which, if possible, should be supported by all relevant actors. Furthermore, the project will develop and test tools for lasting quality assurance. For this purpose active cooperation of the many different stakeholders from the distinct areas of guidance is encouraged.
In addition, the Forum will further strive to improve the quality and transparency of guidance in Germany through the encouragement of cross-sectoral cooperation of all actors and stakeholders in the field of educational, vocational and career guidance. It also will contribute to a strategy of Lifelong Learning in which a coherent system of lifelong guidance is an integral component.

Additional information

Name of contact

Dr. Bernhard Jenschke, nfb

Role (in policy initiative)

Vice President of German National Guidance Forum

Organization name

Nationales Forum Beratung in Bildung, Beruf und Beschäftigung e.V.

Address

Nationales Forum Beratung in Bildung, Beruf und Beschäftigung e.V., Kurfürstenstr. 131, 10785 Berlin, Germany

Phone

+49 30 263 980 993

Fax

+49 30 263 980 999

E-mail

bernhard@jenschke.de; info@forum-beratung.de

Website address

http://www.forum-beratung.de

Documents and publications

- Nationales Forum Beratung, „Eckpunkte für ein zeitgemäßes und zukunftsfähiges Beratungsangebot in Deutschland“ (2009) (White Paper on Reforms)
- Nationales Forum Beratung,“Dokumentation Qualitätsentwicklung und Professionalität in der Beratung in Bildung, Beruf und Beschäftigung“ (2009)
- Nationales Forum Beratung, Mission Statement of National Guidance Forum
- Jenschke, Bernhard, “The Development of the National Guidance Forum in Germany” in:Lifelong Guidance for Lifelong Learning, ed.Peter Härtel et.al., Krakow, 2007

Attached files

Links

http://www.forum-beratung.de

This information was provided/updated by:

Dr. Bernhard Jenschke

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