The ELGPN Work programme 2008
During the first initial year the main goal has been establishing the infrastructure and communication procedures between the ELGPN members. In 2008 the work packages covered network management and chairmanship, and the key monitoring and evaluation processes of the network, as well as implementing the substantive project aim and the network objectives. Each WP is introduced on the left navigation bar.
WP 1: Project management and chairmanship
Overall project management and chairmanship focuses on effective co-ordination of the network and the co-operation arrangements with the Commission, Cedefop, ETF and other relevant bodies or networks at national, European or international level. The management promotes the achievement of network objectives and outputs that add value to existing EU lifelong guidance policies and practices. The first task in this work package is to establish an infrastructure for communication among the network participants. The members will designate a national reference point which will form the consultative mechanism between the whole network and national structures. This task acts as a mapping of existing guidance policy structures within the Member States. This work package includes on-line and face-to-face communication between network members, supported by network meetings, written action plans and deadlines, and periodic reviews. This work package includes the development and management of an Internet-based platform for the network activities. The management of finances is included in this work package.The main responsibility for this work package lies with the coordination unit, with the support of the steering group (FI, AT, DE, FR, PT, SL). Each network member organisation has signed a Letter of Intent that will specify the responsibilities, including management responsibilities that they themselves commit to undertake.
WP 2: Support for policy development and implementation at national level
The Resolution of lifelong guidance invites the Member States to improve guidance provision in education, training and employment sectors through review in the light of international and national study findings.
The network arranges a thematic peer learning and peer review meeting for national policy and decision makers, practitioners and other relevant stakeholders on issues of cross-sectoral guidance policy development and service delivery. The structure of this peer learning is constructed according to one of the EU common lifelong guidance reference tools: “Key features of a lifelong guidance system”. The goal is to support the application and further enhancement of this specific common reference tool.
Another task in this work package is to support guidance policy development at EU level. The network meetings and work in thematic working groups provide informed opinions and views regarding EU policy developments in education, training, employment and social inclusion. The peer learning meetings identify areas of guidance where national developments can be enhanced by European cooperation and support. A main goal is to support the next European guidance policy conference, to be held in 2008. The focus of the peer learning activities takes into account the French presidency guidance conference priorities.
Leading partner: CZ
Participating countries: AT, FI, PT, NL, LU, DK, HU, CY, LT, NO, EL, SI, DE, RO, SK, SE
WP 3: Strengthening representative structures at national level
One of the priorities in the Resolution of lifelong guidance relates to strengthening structures for policy and system development at national and regional levels.
This work package builds on the work of the two previous Joint Action projects which have been assisting the development of National Guidance Fora or other national co-ordination mechanisms. The goal is to assist the emergence of such mechanisms in network member countries where they do not yet exist and strengthening of already existing and still developing co-ordinating guidance fora,. Such mechanisms support lifelong guidance policy development within member-states by involving relevant stakeholders and sectors of guidance provision (including schools, VET, tertiary education, public employment services, community-based services). The nature, tasks and structures of such mechanisms should be related to the needs within each country, and are accordingly likely to vary considerably.
The tasks of this work package are driven by the interest of Member States which do not currently have a national co-ordinating mechanism and from the results of the Finnish EU-Presidency lifelong guidance policy conference 2006 and from the experiences of the two EU Joint Action projects.
Leading partner: AT
Participating countries: BE, CY, CZ, DK, HU, IT, LT, LV, LU, MT, NL, NO, PT, RO, TR, DE, BG, SK, GR and IS
WP 4: Synergy between EU funded projects on lifelong guidance
This work package is setting up arrangements how to link the work of the network with EU funded lifelong guidance projects. The goal is to promote synergy among the projects by clustering the various projects and sharing best practices more systematically.
During the initial phase the aim is to launch a brief thematic study on this topic. The study focuses how current EU agencies, thematic monitoring groups and networks are contributing the development of project databases. The study will feed the development of the ELGPN work programme 2008-2009.
WP 5: Support for outcome focused evidence-based practice and policy development
This work package has a long term strategy and it builds on the previous work of Cedefop commissioned studies of indicators and benchmarks in career guidance at European level and further recommendations based on these studies by the European Commission’s Lifelong Guidance Expert Group. The work package has an interface on the outcomes of the Cedefop peer learning event on Evidence-based policy-making in guidance, November 19-20, 2007
The aim is to start the preparation of this work package during the initial phase of the ELGPN. Within the first year the aim is to map the existing parallel international initiatives and make a strategic plan in co-operation with the network members how these themes can be integrated in work programme 2008-2009.
The work package promotes the development of appropriate evidence collection systems for lifelong guidance: for example, by embedding them in already existing surveys, preferably on a cross-sectoral basis. The work covers all the areas identified as needing improvement in the recent international career guidance policy reviews (i.e. financial and human resources allocated to career guidance; citizen need and demand; the characteristics of users; user satisfaction; the outcomes and cost-effectiveness of career guidance). This work package is conducted in close association with parallel international research initiatives focusing on evidence-based lifelong guidance practice and policy development.
Leading partners: FI and UK.
Participating countries: DE, DK, HU, LT, LU, EE and TR
WP 6: Monitoring and evaluation
The aim of this work package is to provide an evaluation of the network process and outcomes relating to the network objectives. During the initial phase in 2008 the evaluation focuses especially on the relevance, efficiency and effectiveness of the network. Another task is to evaluate the operation and management of the network, including the role of the co-ordinator and network members. The main outcome is to evaluate, together with the network and the Commission, whether a sound foundation has been developed for the network and what conclusions can be drawn from its first experiences. The co-ordinator is responsible for internal evaluation and monitoring. An external evaluation will be contracted. Network members are also involved in evaluation, by co-operating with the evaluation process and also through peer evaluation of the network’s progress.
WP 7: Dissemination
This work package builds upon the dialogue within the EU policy network and other mechanisms established during the pilot phase. The goal is to ensure that the outcomes of the network are disseminated within the network’s member countries and have an impact upon regional, national and European lifelong guidance policy development. The dissemination and exploitation activities include support for EU-level dissemination conferences and presentations at national and international events, and articles published in relevant national/European newsletters and academic and professional journals. The dissemination and exploitation process is also embedded in the network website design.
