How ESF Managing Authorities and Intermediate Bodies support

partnership

Leda Stott Content expert COP

Workshop 07C16 - Supporting partnerships to foster employment and social inclusion OPEN DAYS Brussels - October 7th 2008

Methodology

Material has been collected through:• Desk research • Interviews • Collection of country fiches• Good practice templates• Online discussion• Basecamp meetings

Key findings

• Limited awarness of rationale for partnership and added value

• The importance of context • Tension between innovation and accountability• Concern about how to promote ‘real’ partnerships that

go beyond paper requirements • Need for focused training in partnership competencies

and skills • Time needed to develop structures and systems and

embed partnership idea

Rationale for partnership

By drawing upon different sector competencies a common goal can be achieved more effectively,

legitimately and sustainably than when each sector operates separately

Partnerships are highly suited to addressing issues that face today’s employment, social inclusion and human resource development policies, which are too complex and interdependent for any one institution to effectively

respond to alone.

Key Success Factor Framework

CALLS FOR & APPRAISAL OF

PROPOSALS

OP ANALYSIS AND DESIGN

OP DELIVERY PLANNING

ANIMATING

MONITORING

PREPARATORY WORK

INITIATIONDEVELOPMENT

& TESTING

MAINSTREAMING & FURTHER

ACTION

EvaluationEvalu

ati

on

OP ANALYSIS AND DESIGN

Contextual analysis

Promoting an enabling environment

Stakeholder engagement in analysis & design process

Contextual analysis

SwedenSpecific target groups identified for

‘cooperation projects’

PortugalDomains identified where

working in partnership will add value e.g. skills training in areas

where there are gaps and supporting holistic approaches to

vulnerable groups entering the labour market

Czech RepublicESF MA created own definition

of partnership in order not to collide with public procurement

legislation

AustriaA focus on innovation and cooperation has enabled

Territorial Employment Pacts (TEPs) to develop and co-fund

projects that try and bring in those on labour market margins

OP ANALYSIS & DESIGN

Promoting an enabling environment

Pressing for:• Positive government policies• Supportive legal and regulatory frameworks • Encouragement of intermediary organisations • Widening partnership knowledge and skills-base• Flexible programmes

Promoting an enabling environment

PortugalPostgraduate Partnership

Project Management course developed for EQUAL DPs

Ireland Pobal’s work to

implementing principle of partnership

Greece Legal framework developed

for EQUAL DPs

OP ANALYSIS & DESIGN

Stakeholder engagement in analysis and design process

Ensuring stakeholders are clearly identified and brought into analysis and design process to make relevant connections to on-going change processes and achieve coherence between all levels and areas of intervention.  

HungaryAbout 4000 partner

organisations invited to advise on direction of

OPs. Access and comment open to general

public via webpage

Stakeholder engagement in analysis and design process

EnglandCountry-wide consultation with wide range of sector organisations - responses used to make adjustments

to OP

Belgium FlandersWorkshops with relevant stakeholders to identify

priority issues for new ESF programme

RomaniaIntegration of stakeholders

at regional, county and local level through

Employment and Social Inclusion Pacts

MaltaSWOT workshop with public dialogues held

OP DELIVERY PLANNING

Setting up systems for stakeholder involvement

Developing partnership support structures & networks

Setting up systems for stakeholder involvement

Belgium FlandersExisting regional social

dialogue structures have been integrated into the

governance mechanisms for ESF OP

SwedenStructural Fund Partnerships

must include 50% membership from municipal and regional politicians plus social partners, NGOs and

public authorities

Developing partnership support structures and networks

AustriaPartnership projects are provided with support,

advice, information and exchanges through a neutral intermediary

body, the Co-ordination Unit of Austrian TEPs or

“Kooo” Italy

Regional technical assistance structure for

partnerships

IrelandPobal works as an

umbrella organisation to support MAs on how to

facilitate the implementation of the

partnership principle at both programme and

project levels.

CALLS FOR AND APPRAISAL OF PROPOSALS

Focusing attention on partnership mechanisms and engagement at project level

Drawing upon expertise of stakeholders in assessing proposals

Focusing attention on partnership mechanisms and

engagement at project level

Belgium Flanders 

Assessment criteria for project proposals incorporate explicit

questions regarding stakeholder involvement and partnership

added value

Drawing upon expertise of stakeholders in assessing proposals

Belgium FlandersThree analysts judge quality

of project proposal. One from MA & others from well-

placed stakeholders

SlovakiaParticipation of social

partners, regional and local government authorities is

being applied to evaluation and selection of submitted grant applications for OP

Education

ANIMATION

Providing proactive guidance and advice 

Promotion of partnering skills

Sharing learning

Providing proactive guidance and advice 

PortugalMA personnel are viewed as accessible, proactive, warm -

personal connection has assisted work

Ireland Pobal provides a liaison

system with officers who link up regularly with

partnerships through Board

and Management meetings

AustriaTEP Co-ordination Unit promotes information

exchange, advises and assist

TEPs on joint activities

Czech RepublicMA has provided standard

contract to ensure partnership compliance with legal framework

Promotion of partnering skills

PortugalEQUAL thematic networks

have helped build and reinforce participants skills

and create collaborative culture to assist partnerships

Sharing learning

Sweden National Thematic Group on

Partnership works to research and share knowledge about

partnerships more widely

Ireland Up/down communications

stream facilitates communication of information

and good practice in a

structured manner

AustriaTEP Co-ordination Unit

promotes learning exchanges between

partnerships through joint publications, dedicated

online platform, seminars

and common TEP processes

MONITORING

Reporting on status of partnership

Reporting on financial management of partnership

Reporting on status of partnership

PortugalInternet platform developed

for management of data from ESF projects

AustriaIn 2003 Kooo developed “TEP-

Open Reflection Cycle” to learn from failures -

reapplication planned for 2009

Reporting on financial management of partnership

Ireland A rigorous financial

compliance system has been developed which has

enabled partnership projects to focus on development of

good practices

ONGOING EVALUATION

Participatory evaluation

Feeding back systematically into practice

Participatory evaluation

Belgium FlandersEQUAL partnerships offered

a standardised questionnaire to score

project. Partners encouraged to use tool to identify

divergences for discussion

PortugalEQUAL self-evaluation

exercises promoted reflection from different viewpoints and

enabled contributions from the different partners and

stakeholders

Feeding back systematically into practice

PortugalLearning culture promoted

through dissemination of project work in meetings, seminars and

dialogue

AustriaOnline platform for TEPs

shares learning via documents and case studies

that are filled in on an ongoing basis

For more information

www.partnership.esflive.eu