1

OUT-IN: Organising, Using and Transferring INnovation

 LLP-LDV/TOI/07/IT/017

THE IDENTIFICATION OF COMPETENCIES

THE PROCESS

Focus GroupManchester, 14th – 16th February 2008

Venue: Manchester Digital Development Agency (MDDA)

2

Mapping EU Programmes for education and vocational training

Analysis of EU programmes related to education and vocational training so as to identify similarities, complementarities and peculiarities.

Programmes analysed:

1. Leonardo da Vinci2. Socrates – Erasmus3. Socrates – Comenius4. Socrates – Grundtvig5. Youth6. Equal

Documents analysed:

DecisionsRegulationsCall for proposals Application forms (and annexes)Financial handbooksAdministrative regulations

3

Rationalizing information, data and documents

What for?

-To present the complexity of different programmes, facilitate the comprehension of contents and standardize the “language”

-To check feasibility and pertinence of project ideas with respect to different programmes (the matrix logic)

-To highlight the rationale behind each programme to understand the origin of obligations and objectives, thus assuring relevance and coherence of projects

-To support the decision-making process (fast decision) concerning the submission of a proposal (to go or not to go)

-To funnel investments (increase of internal expertise, network enlarging, lobbying, etc.)

Reconstruction of a general framework and synoptic tables highlighting similarities, complementarities and peculiarities.

4

Different programmes... similar planning logic

Analysis of Application forms for the submission of project proposals within EU programmes, to detect common and specific elements characterising them and the logical process and principles hidden behind the sequence and nature of the sections requested when filling in a form Evidence: similar and comparable planning logic

1. Context analysis (Justification of the proposal/Reason why)

2. Specific Goals3. General Aims4. Outcomes/Outputs expected5. Feasible planning (Work Plan/Work

Programme)6. Impacts/Effects7. Innovation8. Dissemination/Valorisation9. Partnership/European Dimension

Main macro-areas that forms have in common

PLANNING

5

Implementing projects...main common actions

Identification of main areas concerned referring to the phase of projects implementation

Main macro-areas

IMPLEMENTING 1. Project/Work plan re-planning2. Financial and administrative

management3. Partnership management and

coordination4. Products realisation/Aims achievement5. Dissemination/Valorisation6. Evaluation7. Preparing Mobility/Exchange activity

6

From best practices you can learn

Two sessions:

Session A: Planning and writing a proposal when answering to a Call

Session B: Implementing a Project

Focus Group with representatives of “best practices” (Leonardo da Vinci, Equal, Interreg, Socrates) selected, to share with Promoters their experience so as to get information concerning:

- difficulties met during project planning and implementation

- elements perceived to be relevant to the quality of projects, during planning and implementation period.

7

FG Session A: Planning

Issues proposed 1. Context analysis (Justification of the proposal/Reason why)

2. Specific Goals3. General Aims4. Outcomes/Outputs expected5. Feasible planning (Work Plan/Work Programme)6. Impacts/Effects7. Innovation8. Dissemination/Valorisation9. Partnership/European Dimension

Sequence of K-Questions related to the specific issue concerned > discussion (opinion and suggestions provided by participants on the basis of their direct experience).

Preliminary introduction of the facilitator to each issue, to help the participants to understand the aspects on which they had to focus:

- brief description of topics implied in the issue- examples of possible critical competencies - examples possible difficulties encountered

8

Introducing the issue..- Topics to deal with (type of contents/information requested) to fill in an

Application form- possible related critical Competencies required- possible Difficulties encountered

Contents requested

- Description and analysis of the current situation with respect to geographical areas involved

- Status/conditions local/sectoral- Existing sources- Sector of intervention- Target Groups (direct, indirect, potential)- Needs identified related to sector and target

Possible Critical Competences required

- Searching/collecting materials/documents- Knowledge of existing sources- Analysing and diagnosing data and information collected- Managing small research actions- Synthesising

Possible difficulties encountered

- Materials and data retrieval.- Reading and understanding of information useful to focus

needs/problems and related categories of beneficiaries.

Example: Context analysisPLANNING

9

Discussing the issue..

- Process adopted to develop the issue (e.g.: staff involved, methodology used, logic adopted, etc.)

- Agreement on critical Competencies indicated (scale from minimum to maximum)

- Possible further critical Competencies that could be requested/useful (and reason why)

- Availability of internal Competencies (or how external competencies were “acquired”)

K-Questions

10

FG Session B: Implementing

Issues proposed 1. Project/Work plan re-planning2. Financial and administrative management3. Partnership management and coordination4. Products realisation/Aims achievement5. Dissemination/Valorisation6. Evaluation7. Preparing Mobility/Exchange activity

Sequence of K-Questions related to the specific issue concerned > discussion (opinion and suggestions provided by participants on the basis of their direct experience).

Preliminary introduction of the facilitator to each issue, to help the participants to understand the aspects on which they had to focus:

- brief description of actions implied in the issue- examples of possible critical competencies

11

- Possible Actions implied- Possible related critical Competencies required

Example: Partnership management and coordinationIMPLEMENTING

Actions implied

- Choice of a lingua franca, necessary to establish and facilitate an efficient exchange among partners

- Clear sharing of project aims- Sharing of operative modalities- Balanced distribution of tasks and responsibilities with respect to each

partner competences, specialisations and experiences - Management and organisation of Transnational, national, bilateral

meetings- Sharing of all project results and continuous updating on project status

and work in progress- Sharing of problems and difficulties- Sharing of final products typology and quality

Possible Critical Competences required

- Language written and spoken- ICT use- Communication/relation- Management/coordination- Problem solving- Writing Lateral/parallel thinking- Flexibility- Adaptability- Cost-benefit analysis- Staff working

Introducing the issue..

12

Discussing the issue..

- Agreement on Actions indicated (and possible further actions that might be implied)

- Agreement on critical Competencies indicated (scale from minimum to maximum)

- Possible further critical Competencies that could be requested/useful (and reason why)

- Availability of internal Competencies (or how external competencies were “acquired”)

K-Questions

13

From experiences…to competencies

Results of Desk analysis + Focus Group

Large range of Competencies

What competencies / knowledge:- can be transferred in self-learning modalities?- are the most critical and lacking?

Selection

Basic ●●Technical/Professional ●●●Transversal ●

COMPETENCIES

In translating the chosen competences in didactic modules and units:- dropped the transversal ones (since they are not transferable through

the didactic modalities and support chosen, a CD ROM)- focussed mainly on the technical-professional ones (including only a

few basic ones) for which it was possible to transfer know how (examples, models, prototypes) acquired through direct experience and realise a sort of collection of operative good practices.

14

Thank you for your attention