The ESF Learning Networks (LNs) Some Issues for Consideration

1. The ESF Learning Networks (LNs)Some Issues for Consideration • A REMINDER OF THE THEMES • Themes that started in the first half of 2009: • Inclusive Entrepreneurship (COPIE); • Migrants and Ethnic Minorities (IMPART); • Ex-offenders (ExOCoP); • Partnership (CoP Partnership).

2. The ESF Learning Networks (LNs)Some Issues for Consideration • Themes that started in the second half of 2009: • Social Economy (BFSE); • Empowerment and Inclusion; • Youth Employment; • Transnational Cooperation; • Public Administration Reforms (ACB); • Results-based Management (RBM).

3. The ESF Learning Networks (LNs)Some Issues for Consideration • Themes that started in the first half of 2010: • Gender Mainstreaming; • Age Management; • Asylum Seekers. • As the three latest LNs are just getting up and running, this presentation only covers the 10 LNs that began their work in 2009.

4. Teething Troubles • Some of the LNs encountered a number of financial or legal difficulties in relation to: • Contracting experts or external services; • Making bilateral agreements between members; and • Some members withdrew, as in the current economic climate they no longer had the financial resources to participate . • Whilst this may have slowed the pace of progress, in the vast majority of cases, these difficulties have now been resolved by re-adjusting the budget or by some members taking on additional responsibilities.

5. The Scale of Operations • The LNs have introduced a variety of different – and sometimes innovative - arrangements to achieve their objectives in terms of content: • 12 Working Groups or Task Forces; • 12 Study Visits; • 15 Peer Reviews; • 26 Workshops; • 11 Seminars or Basecamps.

6. The Scale of Operations • With so many partners in different countries and events and activities taking place in a variety of locations, each network needs to have effective planning procedures in place and to ensure regular, on-going communication with all its partners and stakeholders.

7. Exploring Synergies • Inclusive Entrepreneurship and the Social Economy; • Inclusive Entrepreneurship and the Youth Employment; • Youth Employment and Age Management; • Empowerment and Inclusion with Migrants and Ethnic Minorities and also Ex-offenders; • Partnership and Public Administration Reforms ; • Gender Mainstreaming and most LNs. • Only suggestions and will be discussed later

8. Monitoring and Evaluation • Only one LN has agreed the terms of reference; • Three others have made provision for external evaluation; • One LN talks about internal evaluation; • No information from the remaining four. • The issue of ensuring suitable arrangements for the monitoring and evaluation of the work of the LNs will be an issue for further consideration.

9. Dissemination and Mainstreaming • Some like Transnationality and Partnerships target individuals or organisations responsible for the implementation of the ESF • Others have a wider target audience and some are actively involving potential stakeholders from the very beginning of their activities

10. Dissemination and Mainstreaming • At an EU policy level, the interests of some LNs also go beyond ESF concerns for example: • Empowerment and Inclusion LN - other units in DG Employment; • Migrants and Ethnic Minorities - DG EAC • (Ex)–offenders - is working directly with DG EAC and DG JLS • Inclusive Entrepreneurship - DG Enterprise and Industry DG • Social Economy - the Internal Market and Competition DGs.

11. Working on the Issues Together • DG EMPL Unit B4 recognises that there are three major areas with which it can assist the LNs by: • Providing LNs with access to other DG EMPL units and to other European Commission services; • Structuring opportunities for LNs to discuss potential synergies in their work and to exchange their good practices; • Ensuring that the work commissioned from the AEIDL team provides appropriate support  to the LNs.

12. Working on the Issues Together • In the last respect, he Commission has already asked AEIDL to draft a series of Common Methodologies on the following topics: • Reviewing good practice in the area of improving the quality of networking and learning through professional planning, monitoring and evaluation; • Supporting the development of Learning Networks and helping them to consolidate; • Mainstreaming network results into ESF OPs;

13. Working on the Issues Together • Measuring the impact and effectiveness of learning networks; • Providing better quality of evidence for policy development and change through sound identification, testing and validation of good practice and winning stories; • Reviewing good practice in the area of communication between participants in learning networks between face to face meetings; • Organising peer reviews as an element in peer learning.

14. Working on the Issues Together • The Common Methodologies will be presented in the form of a manual, the first draft of which will be discussed at a meeting of all LNs that will be held in June 2010. • In addition, if it is considered it to be useful, the AEIDL team could be asked to provide a regular, quarterly ‘newsletter’ for LNs and ESF MAs highlighting the recent developments in, and achievements of, all the LNs.