INCEPTION REPORT EU CARDS Local partnerships for employment - Phase 2 REVISED. EuropeAid/121013/C/SV/HR: Service Contract No.

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1 CARDS 2004 Local Partnerships for Employment Phase 2 This project is funded by the European Union EuropeAid/121013/C/SV/HR: Service Contract No EU CARDS 2004 Local partnerships for employment - Phase 2 REVISED INCEPTION REPORT May 2006

2 General Information Report REVISED INCEPTION REPORT Period covered by the report 7 November January 2006 Project number Project title Locations of implementation Date of the commencement of the contract Date of the completion of the contract Name and Surname of the contact person Position Project Office EuropeAid/121013/C/SV/HR: Service Contract No EU CARDS 2004 Local partnerships for employment - Phase 2 The 4 counties of: Brodsko-posavska; Pozesko-slavonska; Karlovacka; Licko-Senjska 7 November May 2007 Peter Newman Team Leader Croatian Employment Service - Central Office Radnicka cesta 1, Zagreb Project Telephone number (01) Project Fax number (01) Project Company Address Peter.Newman@hzz.hr WYG International Ltd Newstead Court, Little Oak Drive, Sherwood Business Park, Annesley Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom. NG15 0DR Company Telephone number Company Fax number Company enquiries@wyginternational.com

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Background and Introduction Background and policy context Project description and detail 1 2. Inception Period - Activities and Findings Initial Mobilisation of Project Meetings with relevant institutions / stakeholders at National Level Activities conducted at the Regional Level Composition of Steering Committee Linkage between ROPs and Local Partnerships for Employment Summary of main findings during Inception Period 6 3. Plan of action and proposals for implementation of tasks Capacity building in all tasks as a foundation for the future Phase 1: Identification of counterparts and information gathering Phase 2: Strategy design Phase 3: Design of local partnership project Phase 4: Implementation of local partnership project Phase 5: Dissemination Issues for consideration during project implementation Project Management Issues Wider challenges to project implementation Timetable of Planned Activities 24 LIST OF ANNEXES Annex 1 Brodsko-posavska - Monthly Reports for November and December 2005 Annex 2 Pozesko-slavonska - Monthly Reports for November and December 2005 Annex 3 Karlovacka - Monthly Reports for November and December 2005 Annex 4 Licko-senjska - Monthly Reports for November and December 2005 Annex 5 Annex 6 Annex 7 Proposal for Project Presentations Proposal for Initial Training Variations between this Inception Report and the ToR / Technical Proposal

4 ABBREVIATIONS CARDS CES EC ESF HRD LPE MELE MSTTD NEAP NGO PIU RD ROP TA ToR VET Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilisation Croatian Employment Service European Commission European Social Fund Human Resource Development Local Partnership for Employment Ministry of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship Ministry of Sea, Tourism, Transport and Development National Employment Action Plan Non-Governmental Organisation Project Implementation Unit Regional Development Regional Operational Programme Technical Assistance Terms of Reference Vocational Education and Training

5 1. BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background and policy context Structural unemployment in Croatia is widespread, as mass redundancies have not been compensated for by the new work places being created in growth sectors. It is exacerbated by the failure of the educational system (currently under reform) to prepare young people adequately for the world of work in a market economy, and to offer retraining opportunities for older workers. Moreover, the four counties in which the project will operate have rural areas of high unemployment, with low levels of education and skills and with older population profiles. The National Employment Action Plan (NEAP) 2004 of the Croatian Employment Service (CES) sets out actions to develop a modern, flexible and high-quality labour supply which is responsive to the market demand and which can enhance the competitiveness of Croatia in the global economy. This will have a regional application as, after accession to the EU, Croatia will be fully covered by the new Convergence Objective policies and instruments. The regional interventions will comprise a process of integrated programming, where funds work together to achieve regional strategic objectives. Some Human Resource Development (HRD) measures will be programmed at regional level in conjunction with other types of measure in Regional Operational Programmes (ROPs). In preparation for EU Regional policy structures and the goal of EU accession, the Croatian government is developing structures and models for a regional development framework compatible with EU norms. This project is an integral element of Croatia s preparation for EU membership. It will address the human resource and employment issues involved in the promotion of national economic and social cohesion in Croatia. It ill also develop the capacity of local actors to secure resources for local employment priorities, and to manage EU Structural Funds in particular the European Social Fund - in the post-accession period. 1.2 Project description and detail This project is focused on HRD actions in the four Croatian counties of Brodsko-posavska, Pozesko-slavonska, Karlovacka and Licko-senjska. These actions are complementary to the measures of the relevant ROPs, which describe a socio-economic vision and strategy for each county with the associated objectives and priorities. The Contracting Authority is the European Commission (EC) and the project Partner Institution is the CES. Through its network of 22 regional and 92 local offices, the CES is in charge of job mediation; preparation for employment; vocational and career guidance; and the implementation of Croatian labour market policy including active labour market measures. The CES National Employment Action Plan 2004 seeks to promote a multiagency strategy towards redevelopment, including working in local partnerships of employers, trade unions, public institutions (especially education) and NGOs. The overall objective of the project is to strengthen the capacity of local actors to design and implement training and active labour market measures within the framework of a local partnership approach and by using European Social Fund (ESF) procedures. The specific objective is to ensure that the regional operative goals as outlined in the Regional Operational Programmes of 4 counties in Croatia are complemented by appropriate human resource development measures taking into account the methodology developed through CARDS 2002 Local Partnerships for Employment project. 1

6 The five primary phases of the project are: Phase 1: Identification of counterparts and information gathering Phase 2: Strategy design Phase 3: Design of local partnership project Phase 4: Implementation of local partnership project Phase 5: Dissemination The expected results ( as described in the TOR) are: 1. Labour market knowledge at county level improved. 2. The ability to foster HRD at county level increased. 3. Awareness of ESF principles and mechanisms among local counterparts in all 4 counties raised local partnerships being the principal approach to planning and implementation. Local partnerships formed in each county and their members properly trained in ESF principles and mechanisms. 4. Unemployment rate at county level reduced. Active labour market measures through local partnership projects in all 4 counties designed and successfully implemented, meeting their activity output indicators. 5. Awareness of ESF rules and procedures raised among HRD regional policy actors. Information that the project is being financed from EU resources, along with the EU logo, will be included in all published materials, as well as during training sessions, seminars and conferences. Visibility activities will follow the relevant Visual Identity Guidelines. This Inception Report covers the first period of project activity following the commencement of operations on 7 November The inception period included the holiday period of Christmas and New Year, with its associated public holidays. Therefore, it was agreed with the Delegation of the European Commission (EC) - the Contracting Authority - that the inception period could be extended. This Inception report describes the situation on the project up 9 January For convenience, an overview table showing the small number of differences between this Inception Report and the ToR / Technical Proposal has been included as Annex 7. 2

7 2. INCEPTION PERIOD - ACTIVITIES AND FINDINGS 2.1 Initial Mobilisation of Project Central Project Office The Team Leader took up position in Zagreb on the commencement date of the project, 7 November Office space was made available in the Central Office of CES (the Project Partner) as from that date. A full-time Office Manager (Vlatko Rosner) was appointed by the Contractor, and he began work on 17 November Introduction to the CES Regional Offices On 16 and 17 November 2005, visits were made by the Team Leader to each of the four CES Regional Offices. The purpose of these meetings was to introduce the project to the CES Regional Director and other relevant staff, and to emphasise the importance of the local counterpart to be identified to work alongside the project key experts assigned to each of the participating regional offices. Each Regional Director confirmed the appointment of a local counterpart. On 23 November 2005, a general meeting of all four CES Regional Directors, the four local counterparts, and the key expert team was chaired by the Head of the PIU in the CES Central Office. This provided the opportunity for the key experts to meet the regional staff for the first time. During the meeting, a presentation on Local employment development in Croatia in the context of EU accession was followed by a detailed consideration of the project itself. Questions and clarifications then followed, a process which was facilitated by the contribution of the Sector Manager from the EC Delegation, who also attended the meeting. Regional Project Offices The four key experts (one for each county where the project is being implemented) began on 21 November After 3 days preparation in Zagreb, including the meeting with the representatives of the 4 Regional Offices as described above, the experts began their work in the counties on 24 November Prior to the start of the experts working, the Contractor had agreed that the responsibility within the expert team for two counties would differ from that in the Technical Proposal. This was for purely practical reasons associated with location and transport. As a result, the allocation of expert to county was as follows: Brodsko-posavska county: Pozesko-slavonska county: Karlovacka county: Licko-senjska county: Marius Haulica (unchanged) Marta Levai Tomasz Kozlowski (unchanged) Adriana Niedoszewska The four regional project offices were quickly established within the respective CES Regional Offices. The ToR had also indicated the alternative possibility of regional project offices being located in the Regional Development (RD) Project offices (established under another CARDS 2004 project). Whilst the importance of close co-ordination with this RD project has been recognised from the outset (see later in this report), it was felt to be much more appropriate to work on a day-to day basis with CES as the project partner. The capacity building objective of this project will be maximised by working closely and in proximity with CES staff in the regional offices. 3

8 Recruitment of local consultants During the inception period it was recognised that an issue that could affect the capacity building activity is that the time allocated to the four experts in the regions is approximately two weeks per month over the period of the project. This poses a danger that the momentum and continuity of the project actions could be lost during the time when the experts were not present. After consultation with the EC Delegation, it was agreed that the project would create the posts of 4 full-time local consultants, one in each of the 4 counties where the project is being implemented. These posts were funded from some of the budget available for short-term local experts, combined with a contribution from the contractor. It was agreed that these local consultants would be recruited locally, would have an appropriate professional background as well as good language skills, and their function would be: to work alongside the key expert and the local counterpart in the development and implementation of the project; to provide a permanent project presence within the regions (the key expert days only cover 50% of the project period); to provide knowledge and experience of the local area and of issues for HRD; to provide working interpretation where required with local counterparts; to deepen the relationship between the project team and the CES regional offices, by providing an interface to ensure that there are no misunderstandings. In addition, by working with the key experts on a day-to-day basis, the local consultants will develop their own knowledge and skills in the field during the course of the project, especially in their understanding of preparing for ESF. Thus, as well as enhancing the capacities of the regional offices, the project will also have contributed to the development of the local consultancy base for the future in labour market issues and ESF-type projects and measures. The posts were advertised through the normal systems of CES for job vacancies and also through Moj Posao, a recognised job-broking service. Searches were also made of the CES data-base of unemployed persons. The closing date for applications was set at 9 January It is planned that the successful applicants will begin in February Meetings with relevant institutions / stakeholders at National Level During the inception period, the Team Leader held meetings with the following institutions and stakeholders at the national level, to explain and discuss the project: Directorate for Regional Development Ministry of Sea, Tourism, Transport and Development (MSTTD) CARDS 2002 project in CES Local Partnerships for Employment CARDS 2004 project in MSTTD County Development Capacity and Management Directorate of Labour Ministry of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship CARDS 2002 project: Vocational Education and Training (VET): Modernisation and Institution Building Ms Franka Vojnovic Ms Davorka Hajdukovic Ms Maja Hranilovic Mr Wulf Schmieder Ms Irena Petricevic Mr Denis van Dam Ms Vera Babic Ms Janet Swainger In addition, the first day of the workshop on Improving vocational education and training organised by the CARDS 2002 VET project was attended on 29 November

9 2.3 Activities conducted at the Regional Level As previously indicated, the four key experts began their work in the counties on 24 November From then until the Christmas holiday period, they were each involved in a considerable number of internal meetings with CES and external meetings with other institutions who were potential stakeholders. These external meetings included: local administration - county, municipal and town levels development agencies educational institutions (including VET schools) CARDS 2004 ROP implementation project chambers of commerce chambers of crafts business community non-government organisations trade unions. Each key expert prepared a monthly report on their activities in their respective counties. The reports for November and December 2005 in respect of each expert are attached as Annexes 1-4. These are internal monthly reports of the contractor s team and have been appended to this Inception Report to demonstrate the contacts made and activities undertaken by the regional experts, as well as some of the findings and issues encountered. Project Presentations The project ToR had envisaged that there should be one project presentation in each county during the inception period to raise awareness and ensure the visibility of the project. It would also seek to confirm and enlarge the support of relevant institutions and their participation in the project. It was agreed with the EC Delegation that it would be most effective to have these presentations in January 2006, following the inception phase. A proposal for the project presentations was developed, and this is attached as Annex 5. The dates of the four project presentations during January were confirmed. 2.4 Composition of Steering Committee A meeting of the Steering Committee for the CARDS 2002 Local Partnerships for Employment project was held on 14 December All members present agreed with the suggestion that the same membership should serve as the Steering Committee for the CARDS 2004 project Local Partnerships for Employment - Phase 2. At the time of writing, the non-attending members have been asked to give their own approval to this suggestion. Once membership is confirmed, the first Steering Committee will be arranged to consider this Inception Report. 2.5 Linkage between ROPs and Local Partnerships for Employment (LPEs) The critical issue which emerged from the series of meetings at national level (summarised in Section 2.2) was the importance of co-operation and co-ordination with other CARDS projects, particularly the CARDS 2004 project in MSTTD. This County Development Capacity and Management project is implementing the ROPs in the same four counties as the Local Partnerships for Employment project. The EC Delegation has confirmed that the two projects were designed to complement each other and to concentrate development efforts. 5

10 Each project foresees the creation of formal partnerships from a group of stakeholders. During the preparation phase of each of the ROPs, a Regional Partnership Committee has been established, with representatives of different local stakeholders from the economic and social sectors, local public administration, civil society etc. In the CES project, local partnerships for employment will be created, largely from similar stakeholders, and the overall project is designed to ensure that the objectives of the ROPs are complemented by appropriate HRD measures. An exploratory meeting was held at the EC Delegation on 25 November 2005 between the two team leaders to discuss this issue. It was felt that in order for this local working together to be fully effective, there should be strategic guidance from the national level which will set the framework for co-operation at the regional / county level. Accordingly, the EC Delegation facilitated a meeting on 13 December 2005 of the three relevant national institutions (CES, Ministry of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship Directorate of Labour, MSTTD), the team leaders of the two CARDS 2004 projects, and the team leader of the CARDS 2002 LPE project. All agreed that the two projects were complementary, and that there should be linkage between Regional Development and Human Resource Development in the counties. Accordingly, consideration was given to the principles which could set the national strategic guidance and would underpin the linkage between the projects. These principles were seen to set the framework for local co-operation, and a preferred model for such co-operation was identified. It was agreed that a letter signed by the three national institutions would be sent to the various county institutions, identifying these principles and the preferred local model of co-operation. At the time of writing, a draft of this letter is awaiting approval. Current situation at local level At present, the linkage between the ROPs and CES varies between the four counties. In summary: In the two counties of Brodsko-posavska and Karlovacka, the CES office has no formal involvement in the ROP partnership committee. In Pozesko-slavonska county, the CES regional director is a member of the ROP partnership committee, and sits on the Public Administration sub-committee. In Licko-senjska county, a member of CES regional office staff (in fact, the local counterpart for the CES LPE project) is on the ROP partnership committee. 2.6 Summary of main findings during Inception Period Co-ordination and co-operation with other CARDS projects This emerged as a critical issue during the Inception Period. As was fully described in the previous section (2.5), the major finding was the importance of national strategic guidance to set the framework for local co-operation with the CARDS 2004 project implementing the ROPs. Action is underway to provide that guidance, with the intention that local models of co-operation will then be developed. Initial Training During the Inception Period, it became apparent that it would be beneficial for the CES staff to develop more in-depth knowledge and understanding in respect of the overall context of the project, thereby assisting the future development of the local employment partnership processes. This context consists of: the underlying European principles and strategies the creation and implementation of development policies at different levels the processes of local partnership and strategy development. 6

11 In response to requests from the CES regional staff, a proposal for initial training (that is additional to formal training envisaged in Phase 3 of the project) was developed, including a 2-day programme, and this proposal is attached as Annex 6. It was agreed that this would be delivered to the staff from CES offices from two counties working together, thereby facilitating a wider discussion and a greater exploration of the issues. Training will take place during January 2006, when CES staff from Pozesko-slavonska and Brodsko-posavska counties will participate together. Similarly, there will be a joint session for CES staff from Licko-senjska and Karlovacka counties. Timing of training for Phase 3 In the Technical Proposal, it was envisaged that the training in partnership projects under Phase 3 would take place during the summer period of July and August Discussions with project partners have indicated that that this would be impractical due to the likely unavailability of participants at that time. The Technical Proposal also offered that the training would be for 12 days, compared to the 8 days stipulated in the ToR. The first 3 days will meet the requirements for Phase 3.1 i.e. training of local counterparts on the ESF approach. The 9 days of training for Phase 3.2 on the design and management of projects will be provided as 3 modules of 3 days (as described later in this inception report). It is important that Phase 3.2 and Phase 4 (the implementation of local projects) remain closely linked together in time in order to maintain the momentum of the process from training to implementation. Accordingly, it has been proposed that the training for Phase 3.1 will take place in June 2006, and for Phase 3.2 in September / October This has been agreed at regional level and with the PIU, and endorsed by the EC Delegation. Furthermore, the resulting additional time period before the commencement of the Phase 3.2 training will enable a greater depth of approach in Phases 1 and 2 of the project, thereby facilitating the capacity building process. Creation of partnerships- process and timing The ToR are not specific about the exact point during the project when the local partnership for employment should be created in each county. It seems critical that the partnerships should be formed prior to the training in Phase 3. This will enable the members of the partnership to benefit from the training, and to be fully involved in the design and implementation of local projects. The process of creating the local partnerships will in fact start immediately after the Project Presentations in each county during January 2006, when institutions will be invited to participate. It is intended that the basic elements of the partnerships will have been formed before Phase 2 (Strategy design), and that the process of designing an HRD strategy will be a route whereby the partnership can become fully established. Involvement of counterparts in CES regional offices As described earlier, each Regional Director has identified a local counterpart to work alongside the project key expert. In practice, in some cases, local counterparts have many other demands on their time and have not always been able to give full attention to the work of this project. Bearing in mind that a fundamental principle of the project is capacity building, it is important that local counterparts are able to fully participate in the implementation of the project. 7

12 Process of co-operative working As indicated in the Technical Proposal, the approach of the expert team has been largely facilitative in nature and non-prescriptive. Clearly, this is seen as an essential element of capacity building, and a means of ensuring that the results of the project will be sustainable and give lasting and relevant benefits. Hence, the expert team has worked with the CES regional offices on the basis of: working together in partnership; sharing ownership and responsibility; sharing of knowledge and skills ; dialogue and communication; capacity building; problem solving; achieving objectives. Within this approach, technical knowledge and skills have been imparted on a formal basis and in co-operative work. This is principally a capacity building project, as confirmed by the overall objective in the ToR. It represents an important step in preparing for regionally appropriate labour market interventions as part of the process of EU accession. Consequently, it is important that CES staff develop their skills and knowledge so that they are capable of designing and implementing ESF measures in the future. It is the role of the project experts to assist and advise CES staff in this process, and to help them achieve the specific objective of the project i.e. to complement the regional objectives of the Regional Operational Programmes by appropriate HRD measures, developed through a process of partnership with other labour market stakeholders. Equally, it is recognised that the expert team will at times have to adopt a more pragmatic approach in order to ensure that project objectives are met within the time available. The balance between facilitation and pragmatism will be kept under constant review during implementation. 8

13 3. PLAN OF ACTION AND PROPOSALS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF TASKS 3.1 Capacity building approach in all tasks as a foundation for the future The issues and concerns identified in the inception period have implications for the timing and method of the overall project implementation. Taken in conjunction with the results of discussions and consultations with project partners and others, these have informed our approach. The project can form the first stage in a sound foundation for locally created labour market measures under pre- accession funding for economic and social cohesion, and ultimately under regionally designed and delivered active labour measures funded through ESF. There are five main tasks involved in the project this section sets out the proposed sub-activities with details and timings of task implementation. The activities for each task should be viewed in the context of the wider objective of the project, which is to strengthen the capacity of local actors, including and especially the regional offices of the CES. The design of projects for consideration under the grant scheme associated with the project offers a valuable opportunity for developing, in partnership, appropriate responses to local labour market barriers and problems. In the contractor s proposal, we stated that our approach to all tasks would maximise the capacity building contribution of the project and will develop sustainability. The findings of the inception period validate the importance of this element of our approach. Implementing each of the tasks with a capacity building focus will form a foundation by ensuring that the local actors - and in particular the staff of the CES regional offices can continue to create locally inspired, developed and delivered labour market measures after the project is finished. These will be based on locally identified needs and in line with ESF principles. Our vision for local employment development is one of partnerships of active stakeholders, led by the regional CES in developing and implementing such measures. In the following sections we have provided a brief background to the issues in each task context described the detailed activities in each Phase description indicated the planned timing of each task timing 3.2 Phase 1: Identification of counterparts and information gathering Tasks of Phase 1 The work of Phase 1 has already commenced early in the project, because of its nature and important role in establishing a foundation for the work of the rest of the project. It comprises sub activities, as described in the TOR as: 1.1 Identification of local counterparts; 1.2 Review of existing labour market analyses; 1.3 Design of a regional labour market outline survey 1.4 Completion of the regional labour market survey. The first of these represents a process of developing a local employment partnership with associated structures and functions. The remaining three sub activities are the three tasks which will together comprise the overall labour market assessment and analysis for each county. This will be a review of existing information as well as original survey and research, to provide a full understanding of the labour markets at individual county level. Although not mentioned in the Terms of Reference, the final activity needed to draw together the results of Tasks 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4 and to move to Phase 2 has been separately identified as: Task 1.5 Labour market review and assessment for each county. 9

14 In the tables below we have described the activities and timings proposed for each of the five tasks within Phase 1. Task 1.1 Context Description Identification of Local Counterparts The work of the four key experts at County level has included the identification of a wide network of local stakeholders and partners upon which to base the partnership and consultative structure of project action in each area. It is anticipated that the support generated from local leaders will stimulate interest in participating from a wide range of stakeholders in all three sectors, and they have had discussions with a range of potential local partners outside the CES who have an interest in the labour market including Public authorities at county level; Public authorities at municipality and other levels; Representatives of craft and local businesses; Representatives of the educational sector Trades Unions; Representatives of civil society organisations and support organisations; (frequently social care organisations representing youth, children and the disabled). The project team will assist the CES to identify and invite potential partners to an initial project presentation in each county. At these, presentations will be made by CES and the project team to a wide variety of local stakeholders, explaining the nature and purpose of the project and the benefits which partners can gain from participation in the project. At each of these meetings, stakeholders will be invited to indicate if they are willing in principle to participate further in project activity. We will assist the CES to follow up local contacts and to keep these local interested parties informed of project developments as they arise and opportunities to be actively involved in partnership activity. At an early stage we will assist the CES regional offices to identify which partners will be able to make an active contribution to the working processes of the project (through workshops and strategy and project development activities) and which are able to contribute on a more consultative basis. This will form the basis of the partnership model for that county. For the reasons of sustainability and capacity building outlined above, it is important that the CES is seen to take the lead in establishing the partnership bodies in each county, with the assistance and advice from the project team. This will ensure that the work has legitimacy and accountability within local communities, rather than be seen as a one-off idea invented and imposed by a foreign donor agency. Timing The work of this activity which is process based - has commenced in November 2005 and will be substantially complete at the time of the agreement of the local partnership structures and processes, expected to be by April

15 Task 1.2 Context Description Review of existing labour market analyses This will be a desk study, using all available up-to-date information on labour market issues at national and local level. In particular, it will attempt to identify issues which are relevant to individual counties, where such information exists, so that the eventual active labour market measures designed will be closely linked to the actual demands of the local labour market. The study will examine the supply side of the labour market, including issues of vulnerable groups; examine economic information to identify which sectors are actually growing and what skills they require as well as the spatial distribution of within the travel-to-work area; attempt to gain an understanding of the scale of hidden unemployment, as well as that of informal working in the grey economy; provide qualitative information regarding occupational mobility trends (and quantitative data if it is reliable); highlight the gaps in information which can be supplemented by original survey work and other research. To increase capacity building and maximise sustainability, a further activity in this task will consist in workshops familiarising the CES staff and potential project partners with the methods and uses of labour market information in identifying labour market problems and solutions. Timing: This activity will commence and also be completed in February 2006 Task 1.3 Context Description Design of regional labour market outline survey This will be county level survey work, based on the gaps identified in activity 1.2 above. At the inception stage it is not possible to predict what these gaps will be and therefore what survey subject or methodology is appropriate but it is likely to focus on the demand side of the local labour market as the work during the inception period indicates that there is already substantial county level information on the supply side available through CES. The demand side is less well understood and it may be necessary to undertake an original survey of employers needs in selected counties, or in particular municipalities in those counties. Depending on the information gaps and needs of each county, and the decisions of each CES Regional Director, it is possible that the survey subject and types may differ from county to county. a) The first part of the task will consist of agreeing and designing an appropriate level survey instrument, taking into account the following factors: the information needs which are most important in developing an understanding of the local labour market; the resources available to implement the execution of original survey work; the resources available to facilitate the analysis of the survey results. The design of the subject and type of survey to be undertaken will be the subject of agreement with the local CES offices, and the final design will reflect the resource level that they are able to contribute to the execution and analysis of the survey results. There are some limited resources for this purpose through the project and these will be made available, but the CES will have to find the appropriate staff resources (from itself or its partners) for whatever type of survey work is finally agreed upon for each county. The survey will be designed so that the CES at county level can replicate it in future on a regular basis using its own resources. b) the second part of the task will consist of a short workshop for appropriate staff in the CES or partners in how to carry out the survey work in a professional and robust manner. Timing: This task will be commenced in February 2006 and completed in early March 11

16 Task 1.4 Context Description Completion of the regional labour market survey This is the actual survey execution as well as the analysis of its results This task will comprise the implementation of one or more original surveys related to the dynamics of the local labour market, according to the agreements in relation to survey subject and design made in Task 1,3. The work includes the collection and analysis of the results of the survey. The feedback of the analysis will involve the CES counterpart staff in interpreting the results in a meaningful way. Timing: This task is planned to be commenced in March and completed by April 2006 Task 1.5 Labour market review and assessment for each county Context This will provide a full understanding of the labour markets at individual county level. Description This task will bring together the outputs from Tasks 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4 in a labour market review at county level which can form a robust basis for the formulation of a labour market strategy for each county. It will identify the match between the occupational characteristics and qualifications of the labour supply and the current and anticipated market in jobs; identify particular social groups at greatest risk of exclusion from the labour market; identify all existing and planned retraining and training courses and opportunities which are available to these groups; identify issues in enterprise education and new business start-up; identify the skills requirements of occupations where there is a current and growing demand for new workers. In this context, the review will examine the effectiveness of local employment services in this context and elaborate recommendations which can be used in the development of a strategy for tackling unemployment and combating social exclusion. This review can also inform the ROP reviews and can be updated for successive reiterations over the coming years. It will be considered by other stakeholders as the first step in the development of the HRD strategy. A workshop with CES staff will be held in each county to consider the result of the labour market review assessment. Timing: This task will be commenced and also completed in April Outputs of Phase 1 Phase 1 will have the following outputs in each county: Local counterparts for partnership activities identified and engaged; Local structures and frameworks for the implementation of the project agreed and functioning A high quality and robust analysis of the local labour market will be completed for each county 12

17 3.3 Phase 2: Strategy Design Tasks of Phase 2 The TOR identifies two main tasks in this phase of the project:- Task 2.1: Development of a human resource strategy and/or plan for human resources development, including strategy for setting up sustainable Regional HRD/ESF council, based on public/private partnership principles. The HRD strategy will incorporate the findings from the Labour Market Assessment of Phase 1 and will examine these in the context of the wider regional economy. It will be based on a consensus on regional directions for HRD and will identify objectives and priorities for project action in the labour market. Task 2.2: Design of guidelines for applicants of a grant scheme through which the projects developed by local partnerships could be funded. This refers to a fund of 650,000 euro which will be made available by the EU to fund future projects and proposals arising from the work of the project partnership and that of similar projects. Task 2.1 Context Description Development of a human resource strategy The HRD Strategy must ensure both commitment and alignment from the different organisations and institutions in the labour market. This will require substantial work with local stakeholders in the framework of the partnership. The partnership structures agreed will determine the framework for elaboration and consultation of the HRD Strategy. a) The work of the first stage of this task will comprise: Identification of suitable partnership models for each county and their agreement with the CES at local and national levels; Establishment of partnership structures for co-operative working and consultation. The identified partnership model will have wide stakeholder participation in order to ensure inclusivity. The project team will encourage the CES and other stakeholders in each county to play as active a part as possible in collaborative and co-operative working under the agreed structures. b) The work of the second part of the task will comprise: regular meetings of the working partners (CES and other stakeholders) and the project team to develop the HRD Strategy, which will include the determination of the most appropriate approach towards the possible establishment of HRD/ESF councils, taking into account the relevant experience of other CARDS projects. The labour market review will be considered as the first step in the development of the HRD strategy; regular meetings with the wider partnership group, in the structures agreed, to consult, discuss, amend, finalise and approve the strategy; wider consultation, where required, outside the partnership structures on the HRD strategy for each county; submission of strategy to CES and ROP formal structures, for its approval as a strategic framework for all county level HRD interventions. The Strategy will represent the first stage in an interactive process of strategic approaches to HRD issues which will be reviewed and revisited regularly in the years leading up to EU accession and beyond. Timing: This work will commence in March 2006 and be completed by the end of June

18 Task 2.2 Context Description Design of guidelines for applicants of a grant scheme This task is principally one for the experts of the project team, taking into account the findings of the labour market analyses in the four counties of the project as well as those of the previous four counties in the CARDS 2002 Employment Partnerships project. It will respect fully the guidelines of the EU PRAG in its design. It will take into account the HRD strategies and priorities in all 8 counties and its design will promote the achievement of the priorities of these strategies. The work in developing the guidelines will include the following detailed guidance: Activities to be supported; the types of activity which are eligible for support should be demand-driven they should respond to the locally identified needs and have a full fit with the local employment strategy and priorities. It is also important that they are in line with national policy frameworks. Funding allocations and amounts; the grant design will have to consider the size of projects which can be funded and the amounts of funding for which they can apply. Different project types will have different structural characteristics which determine the size of the project and the amount of funding required. Certainly, a minimum project size and funding amount will be required in the general operation of the programme to ensure efficiency. Likewise, it is advisable to have a maximum size allocated for projects to be funded so that a disproportionate amount of the fund allocation is not absorbed by a small number of individual projects. Eligibility and assessment criteria; the detailed design of such a grants scheme will include appropriate eligibility and assessment criteria. In addition to the standard EU PRAG criteria, selection sub-criteria may include other issues. General principles of operation: in line with the EU PRAG, any scheme must ensure that it adheres to the principles of transparency, accountability and fair competition. Timing: This work will commence in March 2006 and be completed in June Outputs of Phase 2 The outputs of Phase 2 will be: appropriate partnership structures agreed and established for each of the 4 counties; this will include determining lthe most appropriate approach towards the possible establishment of an HRD/ESF Council or body in each county. This approach will take into account all national and regional policy frameworks, the need to be consistent with existing structures, and the accumulated and tested experience of other relevant CARDS programmes; a HRD Strategy for each county which reflects the specific demands of the local labour markets and the chosen priorities for the economic development of the county as set out in the ROP Vision and Strategic Objectives sets out a principle for priorities and resource allocation across different groups (women, the long term unemployed, rural dwellers, youth) reflecting the partnership priorities for social inclusion and access to labour market; Sets out a principle for priorities and resource allocation between different types of active labour market measures justified on the basis of the labour market analysis. a set of guidelines for applicants for the proposed grants scheme. 14

19 3.4 Phase 3: Design of local partnership project Tasks of Phase 3 This phase of the project is concerned with the training of counterparts firstly on the ESF approach and secondly in the design and management of a local project(s) which could attract funding through the grant scheme or from alternative funding sources. The first training on ESF will be more technical and specific and will be aimed at labour market professionals, principally from the CES. The second part of training will be aimed at the wider partnerships at regional level. Task 3.1 Context Description Training of local counterparts on the ESF approach Discussions and consultations held during the inception phase have confirmed that, where possible, the activity of this phase should include the actual design of local projects during the training and as part of the training. This will enable Phase 4 to concentrate solely on implementation of the local project, and not design and implementation as indicated in the Output for Phase 4 in the ToR. Bearing in mind the specific content, this training of 1 x 3 days will be for representatives of staff from the 4 CES Regional Offices being trained together, along with staff from CES Central Office as appropriate. A Training Needs Analysis will determine the level and nature of training which is required. Although the ToR place emphasis on training for ESF operations, it will be beneficial to develop a common understanding of the wider issues of local development and the process of employment generation. It will be useful to demonstrate how knowledge of the operation of the European Structural Funds can be given a wider context related to economic and social cohesion, and how the European Employment Strategy (through NEAP) can be addressed. The training will cover: Lisbon Agenda and the European Employment Strategy Principles of the European Structural Funds (programming, partnership, additionality, co-financing, concentration etc) European Social Fund - main principles and mechanisms: Areas of intervention Funding levels Reporting issues Innovative projects Programming cycle Best practice examples from EU states on: Local employment development Active labour market measures Role of Public Employment Services in the EU Timing The training will be provided as one 3 day module in June

20 Task 3.2 Context Training for local counterparts in design and management of a project As this training is focused upon the design and management of local projects, the participants will be representatives of the local partnerships which will have been created in each county, including the CES representatives,. The ToR indicate that this training should be for at least 5 days, and the Technical Proposal has offered that this training should be for 9 days. It is envisaged that this will be provided as 3 modules of 3 days each, over a five week period. This would assist the development process, particularly as a local project(s) will be designed during the course of the training period. There are a number of options for the organisation of this training e.g. one set of training covering all four counties together; or two sets of training, each covering two counties together; or a separate training for each county. There are advantages and disadvantages to each approach, and discussions will take place regarding the optimal way to organise the training. The modules will be workshop based and highly participative in order to allow for maximum benefits from the training inputs and to increase capacities. We expect that there will be a wide range of locally inspired projects coming up through the work of this project, and they are likely to be innovative and creative. All projects will meet the needs of their local economies and labour markets. Description: The detailed content of the training programme will be determined by a Training Needs Analysis. However, the proposed programme will ensure that participants are able: to develop appropriate project(s) and identify sources of financing or cofinancing; to identify solutions for implementation; and to manage projects and monitor their performance. The training will cover : basic introduction of European Employment Strategy and ESF main ESF approaches and principles basic introduction to programming project design and management life-cycle of projects financial issues - project allocations and budgets; financial control; financial administration and reporting project implementation indicators (plan output and impact indicators for local projects) managing projects in partnership project monitoring and evaluation dissemination of project outcomes understanding the labour market needs in line with the national and regional development objectives development of project ideas based on the local labour market needs Once projects have been identified: development of implementation plans, including logframes identification of management risks preparation of financial flow-charts identification of co-financing Timing: The 3 x 3 day modules will be provided over a 5 week period during September and October