WHAT IS VALORISATION?

Originally a French term, the concept of valorisation is now widely accepted among the European vocational training community. Valorisation involves not only the testing and dissemination of the results of the most innovative training and education projects, but also the exploitation of these results and their development in new contexts and environments. It encompasses the sustainable application of these results over time in formal and informal systems, in the practices of companies and associations as well as in the personal training goals of every individual. WHY HAVE A VALORISATION POLICY? Valorisation in training and education was first discussed within the context of the Leonardo da Vinci programme. Following an evaluation of the first phase of the programme, the second phase of Leonardo da Vinci (2000-2006) features an increased focus on the impact the dissemination, sustainability and exploitation - of project results at the professional training practices and systems level. Since the conference held in Madrid under the Spanish Presidency in April 2002 and the adoption of a specific work plan, we have gradually implemented a policy of exploiting and transferring innovative content from the Leonardo programme both at the European Commission level as well as with the various National Agencies involved in the programme, who play an important role in the field. Originally designed with the products of finished projects in mind, the valorisation policy has gradually been expanded throughout the Leonardo programme, to focus on "ongoing" projects, following the model of the European research and development programmes. More precisely, the inclusion of valorisation at the project design stage greatly improves the possible impact of the project and ensures full exploitation of the project results. This ex-ante approach took form in 2004 with the mandatory inclusion of a valorisation plan in each Leonardo project. The presentation of the three first Leonardo da Vinci prizes at the Maastricht conference in December 2004 is an excellent opportunity to bring all those involved up to speed on the programmes projects and results. The challenge for valorisation in the coming years lies in the new integrated training and education programme, which gives pride of place to the dissemination and exploitation of results throughout the programme lifecycle (2007-2013). Valorisation will be one of the cross-disciplinary activities of the new programme and will, in fact, be integrated into the four sectorial programmes: Comenius (education at school), Erasmus (cooperation and mobility), Leonardo da Vinci (vocational training) and Grundtvig (adult education). The tools and methods developed over six years within the Leonardo programme represent an invaluable resource for fine-tuning the valorisation processes to be applied to all European programmes and actions in the area of training and education. In 2005, a valorisation document will outline these processes, which aim at improving the dissemination and exploitation of results of all efforts made on the European level in training and education.

THE BENEFITS OF VALORISATION THE EXAMPLE OF THE LEONARDO DA VINCI PROGRAMME

The two main benefits of valorisation are the improved return on public and private investments in the area of training and education as well as innovation in training and educational systems. "Valorisation" means planning in such a way that the resources committed to a project yield results that can be used and exploited on a large scale, with the view of benefiting as many citizens as possible. To achieve this goal, valorisation must be based on a meticulous ex ante analysis of needs to be fulfilled by a project as well as on a clear identification of the results anticipated from the outset. Similarly, effective valorisation requires the active involvement, at the project design stage, of the potential users and target groups who are to benefit from the project and who are ultimately expected to exploit the results. The experience of the Leonardo da Vinci programme has confirmed this: working with the project promoters, the Commission and the National Agencies are an important driving force in terms of valorisation. In 2003 alone, over one thousand vocational training professionals in Europe took part in various European valorisation events. During these events, over 200 innovative projects and products resulting from the Leonardo programme were presented and made available to potential users. Since 2000, several different multilingual publications and databases have been created within the context of the programme to increase awareness about projects, products and the good practices of Leonardo, with a view to providing a forum on the supply and demand of vocational training in Europe. "Valorisation" also means a better transfer and deployment of the results of a project once it has been completed. This approach avoids having to "reinvent the wheel" with regard to training and education. Sharing and capitalising on the good practices developed by others elsewhere in Europe is an efficient way to modernise and improve training and education systems. By transferring results, valorisation allows for innovation in systems and practices, while creating substantial economies of scale. With a reduced overall investment (thanks to transferring from one system to another and adapting a training product to a context different from the original), new products are rapidly made available to new target groups in this way. In 2002, an initial pilot project in the Leonardo programme adapted and updated, in only twelve months, eleven different training products, while ensuring their transfer and integration into the regional training systems of eight European countries. All this was done at a greatly reduced project cost. Since then, dozens of projects of this kind have had the backing of the European Commission. Thanks to the experience of the Leonardo programme, many wide-reaching projects are under study. In Tuscany, for example, legislation has been adopted in favour of regional-level valorisation of results from every training and education project financed with public funds. This case demonstrates the increased political importance of valorisation in Europe.

The regions swing into action a Europe-wide example of valorisation

In 2002, eight regions led a very successful valorisation project: Tuscany (Italy), Vejle County (Denmark), the Vstra Gtaland region (Sweden), the Madona region (Lithuania), the Balearic Islands and the Basque Country (Spain), Wales (United Kingdom) and the Northern Folk Academy (Sweden). Depending on its priorities with regard to vocational training, each region chose one or two products that had been developed with the support of the Leonardo da Vinci programme. For example, the Vstra Gtaland region in Sweden decided to import the methods and resources developed by an English project, designed to help women gain and hold on to positions of responsibility. In the same way, the Madona region in Lithuania chose to import a learning product developed in Italy in the area of computer-assisted language learning. The regions adapted the selected products to meet their own specific needs and then integrated them into their regional training programmes. Following the experience, all were unanimous in underlining the benefits of the operation at very little cost, their systems had integrated new products that are being used by an ever-increasing number of beneficiaries. As an example, the training product for female managers, valorised in the health sector in Sweden, has very recently been put into action in other regions, such as Tuscany, Catalonia and Wales.
For further information: www.earlall.org/

For further information: Internet: http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/leonardo/new/valorisation_en.html