Austrian Partnership Practice:

1. Austrian Partnership Practice: Innovations to integrate marginalised groups into sustainable employment (TEP: Territorial Employment Pacts) Bucharest, 18-19 September 2008

2. For refreshment • Territorial Employment Pacts are ... • _ contracted regional partnerships to better link employment policy with other policies; • _ established country-wide (9 regional and 11 sub-regional/local TEPs); • _ supported by the Operational Programme for Employment 2007-2013 (ESF) by means of a specific focus (priority 5); • _assist in implementing the OP through improved coordination at the regional and local levels in all priorities; • _ coordinate measures amounting to € 800 Mio. (2008).

3. TEP - Partners Provincial Government Labour Market Service Federal Office of Social Affairs Federation of Industry Budgets of the partners: over EUR 800 Million p.a. Chamber of Labour Federation of Trade Unions Economic Chamber Provincial School Board Chamber of Agriculture Educational Institutions Municipalities NGOs (Local Initiatives) Gender Mainstreaming Experts

4. New Challenge for TEPs in 2007-2013 • Priority 3b of the OP for Employment Austria 2007-2013 • Priority 3b calls for innovative projects for the integration of persons distant from the labour market. • The TEPs develop and co-fund projects at regional/sub-regional/local level to reach out those on the margins of the labour market and bringing them into the mainstream, thereby building on results of EQUAL-DPs.

5. Analyses • Analyses: • _ 13,2 % of the Austrian population are in danger of becoming poor (Sozialbericht 2003/2004) • _ 6% are poor (Sozialbericht 2003/2004) • Reasons for poverty of employees: • _ discontinuation in employment • _ job position (unskilled labour face a higher danger of becoming poor) • _ ‘atypical’ employment (marginal social security, 15% of independent workers are poor, part-time work & working poor) • _ gender gap (earned income of females is below income of male, 87% of female workers work part-time; 2004)

6. Why can TEPs help? • _ The responsibility for supporting the target group lies within the Labour Market Service as well as the Regional Governments and cities and municipalities. • _ A well established cooperation between above mentioned institutions is a necessity for an improved assistance for the target group (personal, social and labour market problems need to be solved). • _ The above mentioned institutions already cooperate within the TEPs and now should deepen their cooperation for the specific target group. • Overall strategic aims of Priority 3b: Improvement of the integration of marginalised groups into the labour market via testing and developing innovative measures and improved cooperation of institutions.

7. Programme Details • _ First call for proposal was launched in winter 2007 for projects at the interface of labour market and social policy (target group: beneficiaries of social welfare, persons without any subsidies) • _Only TEPs can apply for projects (all partners have to agree on the project). • _ Projects need to be based on a joint analyses, strategy and implementation plan of allactors. • _ Only innovative projects and measures will be funded (new projects or adapted projects of EQUAL-DPs). • _Projects budgets (first round) per TEP: € 2-8 Mio. (2 years; co-financing of 54% to be provided by regional means).

8. Quality Criteria for TEPs • Quality criteria for priority 3b were established by the TEPs together with the Nation-wide Coordination Unit (Kooo): • _ Criteria for TEP structures: • TEP is responsible for the overall project, all relevant partners are integrated, enlargement of action space of TEPs, overcome institutional, financial, legal and economic barriers, minimize communication gaps, etc. • _ Criteria for Project implementation: • Criteria are established for the overall strategy as well as for the quality of actions, sustainability and monitoring and evaluation. Criteria range from system development to the implementation of holistic & integrated approaches for solving problems (e.g. integration chains, mix of actions and target groups, etc.)

9. Innovations • System development(Improved interface between labour market and social policy) • Structural innovations • (e.g. One-stop shops for persons concerned (one support point) • Integrated & holistic approaches of all TEP partners(e.g. integration chains, mix of actions and target groups)

10. Project Example of TEP Vienna • Demand-oriented integration in Vienna • _ partnership consists on 8 strategic, 12 operative and 3 financing partners (out of a total of 17 partners); • _ target group: youth, migrants, social welfare beneficiaries, drug addicts; • _ 11 coordinated measures in labour market and social policy (support for employment, social workers assistance, social advice, dept counselling, crisis intervention, housing, recovering and health measures); • _ close gaps in supporting the target group with a holistic bundle of innovative measures; • _ improve the cooperation between actors involved (e.g. overcome legislative burdens) • _ Budget: € 9 Mio for 2 years (46% ESF, 54% regional means).

11. To sum up • Priority 3b … • _ assists in closing gaps between policies (labour market and social); • _ strengthens the TEP’s role in implementing innovative measures; • _ improves the situation of the poorest; • _ presses the partnerships forward to make best use out of their unique position (the cooperation) via enlarging their scope of activities; • _ supports structural and systemic developments; and • _ contributes to mobilising reforms in the field of social and labour market policies.

12. Contact Centre for Social Innovation - ZSI / Vienna Co-ordination Unit of Austrian TEPs Anette Scoppetta kooo@zsi.at Homepage: http://www.pakte.at http://www.zsi.at Thank you