Identification of critical

success factors for

implementing NLLS,
through collaboration and
exchange of expertise
IDENTIFY
147742-LLP-2008-RO-KA1-KA1NLLS
History
 Restricted NLLS call for proposals
published at the beginning of 2008,
deadline for proposals 13 August 2008
 18 proposals received, 7 selected for
funding
Basic data

 Eligibility period: 1 March 2009 – 28 February

2010
 Total eligible budget: 149.212 EUR
 Total Community grant: 111.670 EUR (74.84%)
Partners
Partner number Country Legal name
P1 Applicant and coordinating Romania National Agency for Community Programmes in
organisation the Field of Education and Vocational
Training
P2 Romania Agentia Romana de Asigurare a Calitatii in
Invatamantul Preuniversitar
P4 Bulgaria Human Resources Development Centre (LLP
National Agency)
P5 Turkey Ministry of National Education, Directorate
General of Apprenticeship and Non-Formal
Education
P6 Germany DVV-International
Objectives
 Aim: identify the key factors for a successful
implementation of NLLS in partner countries

 Objectives:
1. to identify the common/recurring difficulties and challenges in the
implementation of NLLS and the solutions developed to overcome
them;
2. to initiate and sustain transfer of knowledge and expertise from
European partners regarding the implementation of NLLS; using
the knowledge and expertise of other Member States in the
development and a quality assured implementation of lifelong
learning strategies.
3. encourage cooperation between key actors involved in the
development of a national lifelong learning strategy
Envisaged results (I)
1. Reports on the identification of problems and solutions
in the implementation of NLLS, at the level of each
partner country.
2. Workshops focused on exchange of good practices and
transfer of expertise and development of joint guidelines
The workshops will include:
 Joint analysis of results from national reports
(see above),
 Identifying critical factors for success,
 Establishing common guidelines for a
successful and a quality assured
implementation of NLLS.
Envisaged results (II)
3. Project conference; the conference aims to present the project’s
results so far and to gather feedback for their further adjustment
and refining, as well as to ensure that the results are visible at
the level of the stakeholders and are likely to be used in further
policy development.

4. Publication 1: booklet with problems, challenges as well as

success stories in implementing NLLS at European level

5. Publication 2: guidelines for a successful implementation of

national lifelong learning strategies. It will describe different ways
of dealing with these identified problems, give access to
professional recommendations gathered from the invited
consultants & experts and propose ‘tried and tested’ solutions to
recurring problems and common difficulties.
Target groups
 Persons involved in policy development in education
and training, at national and regional level

 Decision makers (Ministries of Education, public or

private bodies involved in policy development,
curricula development, quality assurance,
evaluation, accreditation)

 Organisations active in the labour market and

organisations connecting the education and training
system with the labour market
WP1 – Overall project
management
 Management of partnership (including organisation of partnership
meetings, issuing bilateral contracts, making payments to partners etc),

 Planning and organisation of activities (kick-off and evaluation meetings,

workshops, conference),

 Planning and implementing a monitoring and evaluation strategy,

 Project evaluation (internal and external),

 Overall financial management (interim financial reports from partners),

 Participation in project meetings organised by the European Commission,

 Dissemination and exploitation activities.

WP2 – Data collection & analysis
This package includes the following activities:

 Gather data regarding the level of development and/or

implementation of NLLS in each partner country,
 Identify recurring problems in developing the NLLS and their causes,
 Relate the national context with European political priorities and
initiatives,
 Identify the challenges and priority areas for development, at national
level.

Each partner institution will be responsible for carrying out data

gathering and analysis in their respective national context, as a
prerequisite for implementing the next work packages. Partners will
agree on a common format for data gathering, in order to ensure
consistence, comparability and transferability of data across thematic
domains and national contexts.
WP2 – Data collection & analysis
 National reports on NLLS development/implementation:

Common reporting format:

 Existing legislation (NLLS document & others)
 Brief description of NLLS (where applicable)
 Legislation in development
 Level of implementation of NSSL: responsible authority,
supporting organizations etc.
 List of brief description & links to relevant resources
(projects, initiatives)
 Challenges & areas for improvement
WP3 – project workshops
While the partner organisations from the organising country will be in
charge of all administrative and logistic aspects related to workshop
organisation, all partners will be involved in the planning and
management of workshop content.

Analysis/discussion during each workshop will provide the content

basis for the next one – they are planned as integrated events, each of
them feeding into the next one. They will focus on:
 Identifying difficulties and challenges encountered in the development or
implementation of NLLS,
 Identifying solutions which were tested and/or implemented,
 Encouraging debate and transfer of expertise between participants,
 Guidelines and recommendations from participants and from the invited
experts/consultants.

1st workshop, Turkey

2nd workshop, Germany
3rd workshop, Bulgaria
WP4 – project reunion
The reunion is intended as a forum for presenting the results
of previous workshops and for encouraging exploitation of
project outcomes. It will also provide an opportunity for further
discussion and analysis, with the participation of policy and
decision makers in education & training, experts, education &
training institutions, organisations active in the labour market,
employment services, employers’ associations etc.

The event will include:

 presentations of project activities,
 an overview of NLLS development and implementation in partner
countries,
 discussion and refining of the two project publications,
 presentation of success stories in the implementation of NLLS,
 discussion on the guidelines for successful implementation of NLLS.
WP5 – quality management system
 Key aspects to be monitored: agreement on a minimal quality plan
and a list of indicators to be monitored. The aim is to ensure a
common understanding of quality assurance activities throughout
the partnership and a common reporting procedure.

 Each partner will be responsible for monitoring the implementation

of the quality plan in project activities at national level. They will
prepare an interim report mid-way through the project, in order to
ensure that main objectives are addressed. At the end of the
contractual period, the coordinator will be responsible for collecting
information regarding the implementation of the quality plan from
each partner and for compiling a final report on quality assurance.

 An independent evaluator will report on the quality of project

management and project outcomes.
WP6 – Project publications
1. Booklet with success stories in implementing NLLS at European level.
This document aims to offer access to good practices related to the
implementation of lifelong learning strategies in partner countries and to highlight
different approaches and priorities that underline these national strategies.

2. Guidelines for a successful implementation of national lifelong learning

strategies.
An essential outcome of the project, this document should serve as a reference
base for both ‘beginner’ and ‘advanced’ countries in the implementation of NLLS.
It will propose ‘tried and tested’ solutions to recurring problems and common
difficulties.

The booklet will be developed and published by the time of the conference, in
order to be disseminated to a wider circle of stakeholders. The draft document on
guidelines for successful NLLS implementation will be circulated and discussed
during the conference, and published shortly after. The two products will be
disseminated during and after the conference to stakeholders in education,
training and the labour market.
WP7 – dissemination strategy
Dissemination activities will include:

 Information and promotion through the project website; all partner

organisations will promote the website through their specific
channels of communication (networks of promoters, project
coordinators, institutional partners etc.)

 Dissemination of project publications

 A dissemination and exploitation event will be organised in each

partner country. This event will focus on promoting the project
activities and outcomes to a wider public, beyond the initial target
groups. Priority: involvement of policy and decision makers, in order
to ensure that results will be taken into account in future policy
development.
Dissemination
 Website: www.identify.ro
 Common promotional material: to be discussed
 National events
 Networks, collaborators