Evaluation of the ESF activities supporting the institutional system of labour market and social assistance. Summary of the final report

Transcription

1 Evaluation of the ESF activities supporting the institutional system of labour market and social assistance Summary of the final report 5th June 2008

2 The final report of the research Evaluation of the ESF activities supporting the institutions of labour market and social assistance presents results of the project s activities. Report includes detailed description of the research, conclusions and recommendations. Research assumptions The first chapter includes a short description of methodology and research assumptions. For purpose of the research the issue of EFS support for labour market institutions and institutions of social assistance was set forth in a number of detailed questions, which were divided into six modules. These modules include each of SOP HRD intervention areas. The following complementary data sources were used during the research: analysis of project s documentation financed within SOP HRD (sample = 383 projects all projects aiming at supporting the institutional system of labour market and social assistance); Computer Aided Web Interviewing (CAWI) covered applicants of the projects CAWI applicants (sample=235 projects), and representatives of wider group of labour market institutions and institutions of social assistance CAWI institutions (sample = 1259 institutions); Computer - Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI) refer to the participants of trainings and postgraduate studies financed within SOP HRD (sample = 500 persons); Individual In-Depth Interviews (IDI) with people who hold managerial position in chosen public and non-public labour market institutions and institutions of social assistance (sample = 20 people). Diagnosis of the situation of labour market institutions and institutions of social assistance The second part of the final report presents basic information on labour market institutions and institutions of social assistance and diagnosis of existing problems. Institutional system of labour market includes public employments services, voluntary labour corps, employment agencies, training institutions, social dialogue institutions and local partnerships institutions. Organizations which realise tasks in the social assistance area comprise: of regional social assistance centres, county and municipal family support centres, institutions of emergency care and education, crisis intervention centres and NGO s. The most important problems of the labour market institutions, in accordance with SOP HRD diagnosis and other analyses, includes: insufficient financial sources, inadequate number of employers and low staff qualifications. The most significant limitations in functioning of social assistance institutions, apart from low staff qualifications, are insufficient level of cooperation within whole institutional system of social policy and labour market as well as inadequacy of legal regulation to the present situation of social assistance. A drawback of the above diagnosis is that it does not indicate the degree of importance of particular problems for different institution s groups. In accordance with the results of CAWI institutions the most significant problems of non-public institutions of social assistance are limited financial sources, low number of employers and insufficient cooperation with labour market institutions. Public institutions often emphasise insufficient number of employees and a lack of universal quality standards of offered services. On the other hand, non-public labour market institutions consider that the most important limitation is an insufficient cooperation with other institutions. Attention should be also paid to the fact, 2

3 that representatives of all mentioned type of institutions unanimously classify insufficient employees qualifications as a problem, which has relatively low significance. Characteristics of analysed projects The third part of the final report is devoted to the presentation of detailed results of the analysis of SOP HRD projects. The projects documentation analysis covered 383 projects, 339 completed by 31 st of march projects aimed at supporting labour market institutions within activity 1.1, while support of institutions of social assistance was an aim of 128 projects within activity 1.5. Total value of all analysed projects amounted to 460 mln PLN. Average value of the project exceed slightly 1 mln PLN, with median budget equal to 492 thousand PLN in an analysed group only few projects had budgets significantly higher than average. All projects with the value over 4 mln PLN were realized within activity 1.1, but what is worth to mention, within this activity dominated projects with budget to the value of 500 thousand PLN. Most of all projects was realized in śląskie and mazowieckie voivodship, least in świętokrzyskie, łódzkie and podlaskie voivodship. The applicants of the projects were most of all public employment services, social dialogue institutions, training institutions and NGO s acting in the social assistance area. These institutions were also mostly final beneficiaries of the projects. Research Projects Slightly more than 11 per cent of analysed projects were classified to the module I, which included following type of projects: research and analyses of impact of existing legal regulations on labour market; research and forecast of demand and work resources supply; analyses of functioning of public employments services and other labour market institutions; evaluation of impact and effectiveness of different support forms for the benefit of persons threatened with social exclusion. In this module, the most frequent applicant was Ministry of Labour and Social Policy. The results of conducted research were distributed most often via internet (e-publications). Also press conferences and published publications were organised. CAWI institutions indicate, that the results of research and analyses realized within SOP HRD are not well distributed among labour market institutions and institutions of social assistance, despite existing needs. An analysis of the projects from module I indicate also, that they had a satisfactory essential level, and its subject matters were differentiated. It is also worth to mention that research on social policy issue was made relatively rarely. A part of projects from module I gave recommendations regarding desired legislative changes, however the results of CAWI applicants and IDI research indicate that these recommendations were seldom implemented. Improvement of institution employees qualifications Over 75 per cent of analysed projects aimed at enhancing professional qualifications of employees of labour market institutions and institutions of social assistance. These projects were classified to the module II. Percentage of support in the scope of vocational advancement is disproportionately high, with respect to the importance of the problem of an insufficient employees qualifications. Moreover, there is no relation between quantity and value of realized projects according to the voivodships and a number of registered unemployed people in these voivodships. Most of the projects from module II were preceded 3

4 by needs analyses. The most frequent measures were an analysis of recommendations included in government documents on labour market and social policy. Applicants used also results of research, studies and questionnaires among final beneficiaries. Review of undertaken needs analyses showed a lack of coherent system of discernment, anticipation and satisfaction of labour market institutions and institutions of social assistance. There is also a lack of cooperation between mentioned institutions in this scope. Support in module II was realized principally through training (90 per cent of them were provided stationary, and 10 per cent by e-learning). Every fourth project included post-graduate studies. Such structure of support was consistent with needs notified in CAWI research by representatives of labour market institutions and institutions of social assistance. For the most part training concerned interpersonal, language and computer skills, as well as issues related with working with socially excluded and unemployed people. Post-graduate studies included professional consultancy, management and job placement. Mentioned issues are generally consistent with needs, which were notified by respondents of CAWI institutions and CATI. Foreign languages courses and computer skills training constitute an exceptions in this scope. These skills do not correspond with the most urgent needs of labour market institutions and institutions of social assistance. Development and popularization of instruments and tools Module III covered projects aiming at development and popularization of instruments and tools of labour market and institutions of social assistance. Analysed support included designing and implementation of new labour market organisational solutions and also creation and development of Social Integration Centres. The projects documentation analysis covered 83 projects, which made about 20 per cent all of analysed projects. In this module, the most frequent applicants were non-public institutions, including institutions of social dialogue, training institutions and NGO s acting in the social assistance area. Majority of the project concerned instruments used directly by the analysed institutions. Applicants of the projects and also it s final beneficiaries (but to a lesser degree), highly evaluated an impact of realized support on their institution functioning. According to their opinion there has been a marked improvement in adjustment of undertaken activities to recipient s expectations, quality of employees work and quality of offered services. The lack of possibilities of the wider use of projects results is according to the IDI results a significant problem, which limited the effectiveness of projects from module III. The tools, which were most frequently used to the projects results dissemination were web pages, publications and conferences. Inter-institutional relations and media were used relatively less frequently. An effectiveness of all above mentioned activities is to a significant extent limited (in accordance with CAWI only minor percentage of institutions declared that they were reached by the results dissemination process). Those who had contact with modifications of instruments of labour market institutions, evaluated its adequacy in relation to clients needs negatively. Especially the scope of efforts regarding active labour market policies tools was recognised as insufficient. On the other hand, results of analysed projects, in the light of documentation analyses and CAWI, had permanent character. Final beneficiaries of the projects from module III, realized within activity 1.5, evaluated positively the support received and declared further use of solutions developed during projects realization. Only 8 projects from module III concerned standardisation of labour market and social assistance services. What is even worst, the results of standardisation projects were used rarely, what is the consequence of an insufficient participation of a wider group of institutions during the development stage. Summarized, impact of the support in the scope of labour market instruments and social assistance has fragmentary character and do not consider whole institutional system. 4

5 Partnership and cooperation Module IV of the research was devoted to the analysis of an impact of the SOP HRD projects on development of partnership and cooperation between labour market institutions and institutions of social assistance. In this context two types of projects were analysed. The first type covered projects realized in a partnership, with the partnership being only one of the features of the project and not a goal. The second type includes projects aiming to promote cooperation between institutions. The first of mentioned group covered 63 projects. Most of them had inter regional scope and only a few local extent. Applicants of the projects realized in a partnership were most of all institutions of social dialogue, rarely public employment services. Institutions, which were most frequently invited to the cooperation were NGO s, enterprises, training institutions and universities. As a rule, the scope of cooperation between non-public institutions is wider than between public institutions. As the advantage of cooperation applicants indicated possibility to benefit from partner s experience and easier way to reach the final beneficiaries. Among the most important problems applicants indicated delays in realization of tasks by a partner and problems with communication. Regardless of this, 85 per cent of project s coordinators evaluated cooperation as good and very good. Overwhelming majority of the coordinators declared also that they continue cooperation with partners after project realization. 24 projects aimed at promotion of partnership and cooperation. The most frequent applicants were institutions of social dialogue, universities and public employments services. Simultaneously, the same group of the institutions was most frequent final beneficiary of analysed projects. Provided support had most of all training character - one of the soft results of training was development of cooperation between labour market institutions and institutions of social assistance. Conferences organized within partnership and cooperation goal aimed at experience exchange and rarely common/joint promotion campaign. Exactly half of projects in this module included permanent cooperation, such as designing and creation of internet portal, preparation of common strategies or common standards. The applicants of analysed projects positively evaluated impact of the projects on functioning of labour market institutions and institutions of social assistance. Similar opinion expressed IDI respondents. Information and promotion Module V covered 33 projects concerning: dissemination of information on services provided by labour market institutions, promotion of professional development and identification and promotion of the most successful labour market programmes. Most of the projects aimed at promotion of professional development and the most frequent applicants (and beneficiaries) were public employment services. Activities of the projects concerned mostly information on institution activity and rarely information on specific services provided by the institution. The most frequently used tools were image campaigns. Both applicants of the projects and IDI respondents evaluated effectiveness of promotional SOP HRD activities very high. Analysis in module V also covered promotion of best practices. The use of best practices was declared most frequently by institutions which were engaged in EFS projects and participated in best practices development. 5

6 Impact of SOP HRD on labour market institutions and institutions of social assistance Over 50 per cent of institutional beneficiaries evaluated the impact of support for labour market institutions and institutions of social assistance as very high (CAWI institutions). The impact was evaluated as very high especially by the institutions of social assistance, especially non-public institutions of social assistance. However it is worth to mention that when evaluating the impact the institutions were more optimistic if they were applicant (CAWI applicants), comparing to the responses of institutional beneficiaries (CAWI institutions). The opinions on support for labour market institutions and institutions of social assistance differ significantly depending on type of support. Projects from module I were evaluated lower than other, while among projects from other modules positive notes dominated, with the best opinions on projects from module V. Respondents of CAWI institutions and CAWI applicants indicated, that the most important changes concern higher quality of work and better adjustment of services to the clients expectations. Summary of research results Basing on the above research, the following conclusions were drawn: The support was provided in accordance with guidelines of SOP HRD and in general it contributed to improvement of institutional system in all areas indicated in a programme, although to an uneven degree; Development of human resources of labour market institutions and institutions of social assistance was the dominating form of support. Trainings and post-graduate studies were effective, useful and easily available. In general the subject matter was well adjusted to the needs, although most often reflected preferences of employees than needs of institution; The coherent system of diagnosing the needs of potential institutional final beneficiaries is missing; Impact of large systematic projects is smaller than assumed. It concerns especially projects, which have undertaken modification of services and tools used by labour market institutions and institutions of social assistance. Although quality of offered services was evaluated positively, it is worth to mention that degree of use was slight and the scope of popularization insufficient; Cooperation between institutions in a scope of projects realization was slight. Partnership almost did not occurred in the case of centralwide projects which limited the effectiveness of developed solutions; An effectiveness and scope of promotion activities assumed in most of the projects was insufficient. It concerned especially popularization of best practices and research project s results. 6

7 Recommendations To overcome the limitations recognized in a process of SOP HRD s implementation, the following recommendations for supporting institutions within Human Capital Operational Programme may be used: Implemented projects should to a greater degree take into consideration local and regional needs of labour market institutions and institutions of social assistance. These entities should also to a greater extend cooperate to identify and solve their problems. In projects aiming at improvement of HR professional qualifications the needs of the institutions should be taken into consideration and not the preferences of their employees. Projects introducing organizational changes in the institutions (being final beneficiaries) or modification of their services and tools should be conducted in a partnership with at least one institution final beneficiary; The scope and intensity of cooperation between public and non-public institutions, between labour market institutions and institutions of social assistance should be increased, especially at the local level. Wider use of partnership as form of project s realization is worth consideration; It is advisable to create generally accessible, central, internet database of projects, best practices, solutions, research and publications prepared during the projects, which would greatly enhance dissemination of the results. It is necessary to improve intensity of comprehensive general research of social assistance area. The structure of the support should be monitored in accordance with catalogue of project s types and its division into priorities, activities and sub-measures. Granting access to the centralwide projects supporting institutional system of labour market and social policy should also for non-public institutions should be considered. In the last part of the report, the indicator of ESF impact on functioning of labour market institutions and institutions of social assistance was proposed, including calculation of initial value and proposition of target value of the indicator. The indicator was developed for the monitoring of Human Capital Operational Programme. 7