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CIP EQUAL
... This evaluation is financed from the
EQUAL Community Initiative Programme, from “CIP EQUAL Evaluation”
Project No. 9/2005, Reg. No. CZ.04.4.09/6.1.00.2/00. ...
... The evaluation project
“Evaluation of CIP EQUAL Transnational Cooperation Principle” commissioned
by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic (MoLSA)
took place in the period from April to October 2008 in the territory
of the Czech Republic and ten European Union (EU) countries, to be specific,
in Austria, in Germany, in Poland, in Slovakia, in the Netherlands,
in the United Kingdom, in Portugal, in Spain, in Italy and in France.
The individual evaluation steps, i.e. analysis of documents, questionnaire
survey, evaluation visits and interviews, case studies, focus groups,
SWOT and process analysis took place in accordance with the stipulated
time schedule. The evaluation output was in total six reports (including
this Final Report), which, in accordance with the stipulated time schedule
and the contract, answered the individual evaluation tasks and questions. ...
... ) and brings recommendations directed at the
individual recipients of the outputs of this evaluation and the target
groups (Chapter 7). In this report, the evaluation methodology is introduced
in details, including description of the particular tools (Chapter 3.4),
namely on the basis of an analysis of global and partial evaluation
objectives, thus the objectives covering wider evaluation context and
its particular steps (Chapters 3.1- 3.3). As we have structured the Final
Report differently from the original tender documentation in the sense
that we have used the above-mentioned combination of three views (observations
according to the methods, findings according to the topics, recommendations
according to the target groups), we mention an outline of the results
of the evaluation according to the original points of the assignment
by the contracting authority in Chapter 6. A highly valuable annex to
this report is a summary of all the contacts and documents the twelve-member
international team has gathered and used for the evaluation of the transnational
cooperation (TC) principle of the Community Initiative Programme EQUAL
(CIP EQUAL). We mention this annex above all because we presume further
utilisation of these contacts and documents by the contracting authority’s
representatives and also by the other evaluators. ...
... The Community Initiative
EQUAL differed from the main forms of the aid from the European Social
Fund (ESF) in the past periods, among others, by the transnational cooperation
principle. During the 2007–2013 programming period, within the framework
of the ESF programmes, also the chosen principles of the Community Initiative
EQUAL are supported in cross-sectional way for the very first time.
To be specific, besides the partnership and innovativeness principles,
the transnational cooperation principle is concerned; the experience
from CIP EQUAL is transposed into the Human Resources and Employment
Operational Programme (OP LZZ), in which the transnational cooperation
is included in the form of priority axes, to be specific, these are
Priority axis 5a Transnational Cooperation (Convergence) and Priority
axis 5b Transnational Cooperation (Regional Competitiveness and Employment).
It is assumed that fulfilment of the transnational cooperation principle
will enable to achieve still better results of the individual projects
than those that would be able to be achieved without its application.
Thus the sense of the evaluation of the transnational cooperation principle
CIP EQUAL was, among others, to contribute to the improved quality of
the results of the 2007-2013 programming period. ...
... The Community Initiative
EQUAL differed from the main forms of the aid from the European Social
Fund (ESF) in the past periods, among others, by the transnational cooperation
principle. During the 2007–2013 programming period, within the framework
of the ESF programmes, also the chosen principles of the Community Initiative
EQUAL are supported in cross-sectional way for the very first time.
To be specific, besides the partnership and innovativeness principles,
the transnational cooperation principle is concerned; the experience
from CIP EQUAL is transposed into the Human Resources and Employment
Operational Programme (OP LZZ), in which the transnational cooperation
is included in the form of priority axes, to be specific, these are
Priority axis 5a Transnational Cooperation (Convergence) and Priority
axis 5b Transnational Cooperation (Regional Competitiveness and Employment).
It is assumed that fulfilment of the transnational cooperation principle
will enable to achieve still better results of the individual projects
than those that would be able to be achieved without its application.
Thus the sense of the evaluation of the transnational cooperation principle
CIP EQUAL was, among others, to contribute to the improved quality of
the results of the 2007-2013 programming period. ...
... CIP EQUAL ...
... This citation and the following two citations come from Austrian evaluation reports concerning the CIP EQUAL implementation. ...
... All of it – the better
an the worse – clashed in various extent and various proportions within
the framework of the transnational cooperation within the framework
of the evaluated projects, and it is possible to state with certainty
that it was very inspiring and that the international partnership within
the CIP EQUAL framework was appreciated as high in the Czech Republic
as in the other participating European countries. ...
... Evaluation of the CIP
EQUAL transnational cooperation principle was conducted within the framework
of the whole programme, its objectives and context of national and European
policies. The mentioned wider framework is outlined in this chapter;
the following chapter explains then how the evaluation was interconnected
with this wider context in particular. The Community Initiative EQUAL
is one of the four Community initiatives, which were co-financed from
the structural funds in the 2000–2006 programming period. The Community
Initiative EQUAL co-financed from the ESF is one of the tools to achieve
the objectives of the European Employment Strategy (EES). ...
... CIP EQUAL supports the
transnational cooperation in development and promotion of new tools
of fight against all forms of discriminations and inequalities in the
labour market in the whole EU territory. The objective of the Initiative
is thus to develop and promote the tools to support the members of disadvantaged
groups (long-term unemployed, low-qualified, school graduates, older
citizens, disabled persons, ethnical minorities, women, asylum seekers
and the like), who encounter discrimination or unequal treatment either
directly at work or when searching for it. One of the thematic areas
of the Community Initiative EQUAL is focused on the issues of social
inclusion and career opportunities of the asylum seekers. ...
... In the 2000-2006 EU
programming period two rounds of calls to submit CIP EQUAL grant applications
took place in the EU-15 Member Countries. The Czech Republic, as one
of two candidate countries, took part also in the first round announced
in 2001 in the Phare Programme. ...
... Since the accession
of the Czech Republic to the EU, the ESF it has been a tool of direct
EU aid to the Czech Republic in the area of human resources development,
labour and employability; the aid was implemented by means of the operational
programmes of the 2004-2006 programming period and by means of CIP EQUAL.
Drawing of the ESF funds in the Czech Republic and in the Capital City
of Prague was enabled by the following operational programmes: ...
... The Czech Republic participated
in the second round of the CIP EQUAL calls, financed by the ESF, on
the basis of the Community Initiative Programme EQUAL CZ (CIP EQUAL
CZ) after the accession of the Czech Republic to the EU in May 2004,
together with partners from other Member Countries. ...
... The Czech Republic participated
in the second round of the CIP EQUAL calls, financed by the ESF, on
the basis of the Community Initiative Programme EQUAL CZ (CIP EQUAL
CZ) after the accession of the Czech Republic to the EU in May 2004,
together with partners from other Member Countries. ...
... The Community Initiative
Programme EQUAL CZ, the MA of which became MoLSA and which was financed
of 73 % from the ESF and of 27 % from the state budget of the Czech Republic,
was approved by the European Commission in June 2004, namely for the
2004-2006 period; its implementation took place from June 2004 till
the end of August 2008; MoLSA is responsible for the CIP EQUAL CZ management. ...
... CIP EQUAL CZ in the 2004–2006 period ...
... The CIP EQUAL CZ Programme
defined the terms and conditions for providing aid from the ESF for the
shortened programming period 2004–2006, with the implementation till
August 2008. ...
... The objective of
the CIP EQUAL CZ Programme ...
... The CIP EQUAL CZ
target groups were: ...
... The CIP EQUAL CZ budget
was EUR 43,973,880, i.e. ca CZK 1.4 billion (as it was already mentioned
above, of 73 % the ESF funds and of 27 % the funds of the state budget
of the Czech Republic were concerned). ...
... The CIP EQUAL Programme
had three implementation stages both in the Czech Republic and in the
partner countries – these were Actions 1, 2 and 3. The foreign partners
were both from the existing and new member countries. Besides their
national regulations and rules of the programmes, the common regulations
of the EU for the ESF and CIP EQUAL were valid for them. ...
... The CIP EQUAL Programme
had three implementation stages both in the Czech Republic and in the
partner countries – these were Actions 1, 2 and 3. The foreign partners
were both from the existing and new member countries. Besides their
national regulations and rules of the programmes, the common regulations
of the EU for the ESF and CIP EQUAL were valid for them. ...
... Condition for participation
in the CIP EQUAL CZ Programme was, accordingly with the other Member
Countries, creation of national development partnerships on the basis
of DPA and of the partnership for transnational cooperation on the basis
of TCA. According to the conditions of participation according to Chapter
2.1 of the Instructions for Applicants, an applicant could be a legal
person with a registered office in the Czech Republic representing DPA;
the conditions mentioned in the Instructions for Applicants related
to the partners, too. The projects had to have a non-profit character.
The project implementation was divided into three actions – Action
1 with the period of duration from one to five months, Actions 2 and
3 with simultaneous course in duration of 24–36 months. The Instructions
for Applicants specified eligibility of expenses and other terms and
conditions for the project budget. The grant amount for the individual
applicants was not specified; however, the condition was that it had
to correspond to the costs of the project activities. ...
... Within the framework
of a CIP EQUAL CZ separate priority, technical assistance was provided
to the managing authority and the development partnerships. ...
... Later the National
Support Structure
(NSS)
was charged with the technical assistance tasks to the managing authority
including the support to the development partnerships. The company PricewaterhouseCoopers
carried out the function of the National Support Structure for CIP EQUAL
CZ. ...
... The strategic documents
of the Government of the Czech Republic were incorporated in the CIP
EQUAL CZ Programme and in the program documents of the operational programmes.
In CIP EQUAL CZ it was by means of the following priorities: ...
... The strategic documents
of the Government of the Czech Republic were incorporated in the CIP
EQUAL CZ Programme and in the program documents of the operational programmes.
In CIP EQUAL CZ it was by means of the following priorities: ...
... The starting point of
the transnational cooperation was the announcement of common thematic
areas for all EU states. Each thematic area had specific target groups
and conditions for formation of development partnerships. The CIP EQUAL
thematic areas come out from the original four pillars of the EES. The
following thematic priorities are concerned: ...
... The theme of support
of the asylum seekers, which is within the CIP EQUAL framework designated
as a thematic priority, was announced separately in the EU. ...
... The previous Community
Initiatives ADAPT and EMPLOYMENT, focused on human resources development,
took place in the 1994–1999 programming period. For CIP EQUAL in the
2000–2006 programming period it is characteristic that the human resources
development became a crosswise theme and a result of programme and project
activities. ...
... All-around development
of abilities occurs with all persons engaged in the CIP EQUAL projects,
thus the project management, partnership members and also their clients;
however also NTS, NSS and MA are developed. ...
... The European Employment
Strategy endeavours for cooperation in the area of employment, contributes
to better results and efficiency of the active employment policy, to
improvement of the situation in the area of unemployment and social inclusion
through fulfilment of the CIP EQUAL principles. ...
... CIP EQUAL was implemented
in the whole EU territory, namely both in the developed and undeveloped
areas; also in the Czech Republic CIP EQUAL was implemented in the whole
territory. The transnational cooperation has showed up as possible and
beneficial. ...
... CIP EQUAL was implemented
in the whole EU territory, namely both in the developed and undeveloped
areas; also in the Czech Republic CIP EQUAL was implemented in the whole
territory. The transnational cooperation has showed up as possible and
beneficial. ...
... In the 2007–2013 period
it will be possible to apply in the Czech Republic advices from the
CIP EQUAL implementation in all forms of transnational cooperation based
on the partnership principles, in operational programmes and in other
Community initiatives. ...
... CIP EQUAL is an independent
form of aid from the structural funds that supports development and
promotion of new approaches to solving of inequalities and discrimination
at work and access to employment. Its sense is to supplement other programmes
contributing to achieving the objectives of EES and to serve as an innovative
laboratory for development and promotion of new tools, while those that
will prove useful will be supported further within the framework of
the main forms of aid from the ESF during the following programming
period. CIP EQUAL differed from the main forms of aid from the ESF in
the past periods among others by the principle of transnational cooperation.
Thus in the course of the 2007–2013 programming period also selected
CIP EQUAL principles will be supported within the framework of the
ESF programmes on cross-sectoral basis for the very first time.
To be specific, the principles of innovativeness and transnational
cooperation are concerned besides the partnership principle. It
was decided on cross-sectoral
support of these principles together with the EU Member States and the
European Commission representatives on the basis of the experience with
the CIP EQUAL implementation in individual EU Member States, therefore
among others the documents, on which this decision was based, were used
for preparation of the evaluation strategy. ...
... CIP EQUAL is an independent
form of aid from the structural funds that supports development and
promotion of new approaches to solving of inequalities and discrimination
at work and access to employment. Its sense is to supplement other programmes
contributing to achieving the objectives of EES and to serve as an innovative
laboratory for development and promotion of new tools, while those that
will prove useful will be supported further within the framework of
the main forms of aid from the ESF during the following programming
period. CIP EQUAL differed from the main forms of aid from the ESF in
the past periods among others by the principle of transnational cooperation.
Thus in the course of the 2007–2013 programming period also selected
CIP EQUAL principles will be supported within the framework of the
ESF programmes on cross-sectoral basis for the very first time.
To be specific, the principles of innovativeness and transnational
cooperation are concerned besides the partnership principle. It
was decided on cross-sectoral
support of these principles together with the EU Member States and the
European Commission representatives on the basis of the experience with
the CIP EQUAL implementation in individual EU Member States, therefore
among others the documents, on which this decision was based, were used
for preparation of the evaluation strategy. ...
... CIP EQUAL is an independent
form of aid from the structural funds that supports development and
promotion of new approaches to solving of inequalities and discrimination
at work and access to employment. Its sense is to supplement other programmes
contributing to achieving the objectives of EES and to serve as an innovative
laboratory for development and promotion of new tools, while those that
will prove useful will be supported further within the framework of
the main forms of aid from the ESF during the following programming
period. CIP EQUAL differed from the main forms of aid from the ESF in
the past periods among others by the principle of transnational cooperation.
Thus in the course of the 2007–2013 programming period also selected
CIP EQUAL principles will be supported within the framework of the
ESF programmes on cross-sectoral basis for the very first time.
To be specific, the principles of innovativeness and transnational
cooperation are concerned besides the partnership principle. It
was decided on cross-sectoral
support of these principles together with the EU Member States and the
European Commission representatives on the basis of the experience with
the CIP EQUAL implementation in individual EU Member States, therefore
among others the documents, on which this decision was based, were used
for preparation of the evaluation strategy. ...
... CIP EQUAL is an independent
form of aid from the structural funds that supports development and
promotion of new approaches to solving of inequalities and discrimination
at work and access to employment. Its sense is to supplement other programmes
contributing to achieving the objectives of EES and to serve as an innovative
laboratory for development and promotion of new tools, while those that
will prove useful will be supported further within the framework of
the main forms of aid from the ESF during the following programming
period. CIP EQUAL differed from the main forms of aid from the ESF in
the past periods among others by the principle of transnational cooperation.
Thus in the course of the 2007–2013 programming period also selected
CIP EQUAL principles will be supported within the framework of the
ESF programmes on cross-sectoral basis for the very first time.
To be specific, the principles of innovativeness and transnational
cooperation are concerned besides the partnership principle. It
was decided on cross-sectoral
support of these principles together with the EU Member States and the
European Commission representatives on the basis of the experience with
the CIP EQUAL implementation in individual EU Member States, therefore
among others the documents, on which this decision was based, were used
for preparation of the evaluation strategy. ...
... All these starting points
and all these assumptions were included in the strategy of evaluation
of the CIP EQUAL transnational cooperation principle. The evaluation
ranges within the framework defined in this way and follows up with
the outputs of the previous evaluations and Final Reports
(respective framework documents, reports and studies are mentioned in
the list of the sources used). With regard to the requirement of
follow-up and comparability of the CIP EQUAL evaluations, the standard
methodology of evaluation was used Navreme Boheme, s.r.o., uses
for other evaluations commissioned by the European Commission and that
is recommended to the CIP EQUAL evaluators. ...
... With regard to the requirement of
follow-up and comparability of the CIP EQUAL evaluations, the standard
methodology of evaluation was used ...
... All these starting points
and all these assumptions were included in the strategy of evaluation
of the CIP EQUAL transnational cooperation principle. The evaluation
ranges within the framework defined in this way and follows up with
the outputs of the previous evaluations and Final Reports
(respective framework documents, reports and studies are mentioned in
the list of the sources used). With regard to the requirement of
follow-up and comparability of the CIP EQUAL evaluations, the standard
methodology of evaluation was used Navreme Boheme, s.r.o., uses
for other evaluations commissioned by the European Commission and that
is recommended to the CIP EQUAL evaluators. ...
... general
objectives of the CIP EQUAL ...
... The partial evaluation
of the transnational cooperation principle is related to the general
objectives of the CIP EQUAL
evaluation stipulated by the
European Commission. We have numbered the
general objectives of the CIP EQUAL evaluation for we use the numbers
of the objectives afterwards for reference in the following text: ...
... To support due course of
the CIP EQUAL implementation and management; ...
... To assess suitability of
the chosen strategies, future possibility and available impacts of CIP
EQUAL; ...
... To identify and assess the
added value of CIP EQUAL to the existing tools and policies in the labour
market; ...
... To assess, to which extent
CIP EQUAL succeeded in inclusion of its results into national policies
and actions and into the ESF mainstreaming programmes; ...
... To facilitate comparability
of the CIP EQUAL evaluation results at the level of the whole EU; ...
... We have identified the
following specific objectives for the evaluation of the CIP EQUAL
transnational cooperation principle, which we understand as a partial
one in this respect: ...
... To analyse the practice
of the existing transnational partnerships within the framework of DP
CIP EQUAL; ...
... To formulate concrete practical
recommendations for implementation of the transnational cooperation
for the individual levels of the CIP EQUAL implementation structure. ...
... For accomplishment of
the evaluation of the CIP EQUAL transnational cooperation principle
the following countries were selected: ...
... We have selected all
the countries that were included in the development partnerships, in
which CZ was in the role of a transnational secretary, and further the
countries where the Czech partners were a part of the development partnership
supported by the CIP EQUAL funds of the given country. ...
... European Commission
(CIP EQUAL, Evaluation Department) ...
... Clients (clients of
services provided/initiated by the CIP EQUAL projects) ...
... CIP EQUAL Monitoring
Committee ...
... CIP EQUAL National
Support Structure in CZ ...
... CIP EQUAL Managing
Authority ...
... The evaluators chose
70 representatives of final recipients representing at least 35 different
development partnerships supported within the specified period of CIP
EQUAL CZ, the foreign experts approached four representatives in each
country, representing at least two development partnerships supported
abroad (primarily those, in which Czech organisations participated,
too), and six representatives in each country (including CZ) representing
the projects supported from the ESF (especially those in the area of
human resources development). Further the representatives of each of
the implementation structure bodies (MA, NSS) were addressed in each
of the analysed countries. The final selection of persons that were
addressed and visited is mentioned in Annex 8.4. Notes were taken from
each evaluation visit. These notes were supplemented with the data provided
in additional interviews (by telephone). The notes have a uniform structure
and the promise of anonymity of those, who provided their expression,
is kept, therefore we do not mention the notes from the visits themselves
in an annex. ...
... Evaluation of processes
is a succession of activities aiming at identification, analysis and
assessment of processes within the framework of a certain defined body,
for example of a company, an organisational unit, a programme, managing
structure and the like. Inasmuch as this method is oriented only at
exploration of the internal environment, it was used in our case at
the evaluation of internal management bodies of CIP EQUAL (i.e. MA and
NSS) and further of the parts of the implementation structure directly
related (i.e. MONIT). ...
... We have adjusted the
method of focus groups in this evaluation specifically to the needs;
therefore two focus groups were carried out with the representatives
of MA and NSS. The sense was to record the substantial experience with
the programme management towards the recommendations concerning the
2007–2013 programming period and further to support the findings of
the process analysis. Sets of questions for the individual groups
and a scenario of the group were created. Then the evaluators asked
questions and noted reactions and communications. Then the team of evaluators
processed these expressions and made conclusions. With regard to sensitiveness
of some expressions, it is not possible to publish these records. The
results from the focus groups are transposed into the findings and recommendations
in the Third Interim Report of the project Evaluation of CIP EQUAL Transnational
Cooperation Principle. ...
... A case study is a common
research tool in social sciences and an evaluation tool. A case study
is, in fact, a type of a research strategy because it works with the
context of the reality, it is not a purely qualitative analysis and
it combines the data analysis and qualitative elements of the research.
It is often supplemented with other research methods, which was the
case of this evaluation, too. The evaluation team worked with 35 studies
of development partnerships in CZ and with more than 20 foreign studies.
The studies were based on the analysis of documents, interviews, visits
and additional determination. The list of the case studies is mentioned
in Annex 8.7. The studies were processed in standard
way (structured descriptions of situations and processes elaborated
in writing) then an analysis of them and interpretation of the differences
and specifics was carried out. The precise structure of the case studies
is mentioned in Annex 8.8, it contains in general: description of the
situation (number of employees, competences, formation, powers, tradition),
description of processes, environment, identification of effective methods
of work, identification of barriers, solving conflicts, coherence with
the surrounding CIP EQUAL management systems, links to the CIP EQUAL
objectives, etc. The aim was to capture above all the well-established
ways of partnership formation and development, the areas of its added
value, thus the areas of solutions the transnational cooperation contributes
to. ...
... A case study is a common
research tool in social sciences and an evaluation tool. A case study
is, in fact, a type of a research strategy because it works with the
context of the reality, it is not a purely qualitative analysis and
it combines the data analysis and qualitative elements of the research.
It is often supplemented with other research methods, which was the
case of this evaluation, too. The evaluation team worked with 35 studies
of development partnerships in CZ and with more than 20 foreign studies.
The studies were based on the analysis of documents, interviews, visits
and additional determination. The list of the case studies is mentioned
in Annex 8.7. The studies were processed in standard
way (structured descriptions of situations and processes elaborated
in writing) then an analysis of them and interpretation of the differences
and specifics was carried out. The precise structure of the case studies
is mentioned in Annex 8.8, it contains in general: description of the
situation (number of employees, competences, formation, powers, tradition),
description of processes, environment, identification of effective methods
of work, identification of barriers, solving conflicts, coherence with
the surrounding CIP EQUAL management systems, links to the CIP EQUAL
objectives, etc. The aim was to capture above all the well-established
ways of partnership formation and development, the areas of its added
value, thus the areas of solutions the transnational cooperation contributes
to. ...
... The contact data (e-mails)
for addressing potential respondents from the individual target groups
were obtained partly from the contracting authority, partly from the CIP
EQUAL web portal (to be specific, from the ECDB database) and from the
related web portals (e.g. ...
... The team used also the
documents that were created during the evaluation or obtained from organisations.
Further, in particular the ESF Forum belonged to important sources of
up-to-date information; in order to obtain more detailed information
on the ongoing evaluation of CIP EQUAL in CZ in process, among others,
the advantage of participation in the seminar held by the company IREAS,
o.p.s., on 23 March 2008 was taken. ...
... The link to the electronic
questionnaire was sent to 1,786 e-mail addresses(5) while 69
of them returned as undelivered (i.e. 1,717 addresses were addressed
successfully); 254 received questionnaires represent the
response rate 14.8 %. Of this number, 219 questionnaires contained
a set of questions focused on the representatives of the development
partnerships, clients of the services created within the framework of
the EQUAL projects (the target groups of the projects), members of the
National Thematic Networks, independent experts and potential applicants;
the set contained 21 questions. The remaining 35 questionnaires were
filled in by the representatives of MA, NSS, the Payment Authority,
the European Commission, the Monitoring Committee and the politicians
and strategy makers in the area of HRD and the ESF; the set contained
thirteen questions in total. None of the questions – with the exception
of the inquiry about the country of the origin and the respondent type
with respect to CIP EQUAL – was obligatory. Duplicities were removed
from the obtained set of questionnaires, the questionnaires were deleted,
in which less than 20 % of answers were filled in, and further corrections
were carried out, on the basis of which the number of the answers being
analysed reduced further by eight to the resulting 212 questionnaires
focused on particular projects or recipients and 34 questionnaires,
which were filled in by the management structure members, i.e. to 246
in total. A detailed outline of the work with the questionnaires and
the results of the questionnaire investigation are mentioned in Annex
8.3. ...
... As regards the estimation
of those, who profit of these benefits most, all respondents concur
in the opinion that the partners of the projects profit most in the
long-term perspective. In the opinion about the benefit for the users
of the products and services created, who should benefit from the transnational
cooperation in the CIP EQUAL projects potentially, too, the representatives
of the managing structures appear to be more sceptical than the project
implementing entities. ...
... The focus groups were
always designed so that they might balance the findings from the questionnaire
investigation and from the evaluation visits and interviews. Above all
the visits and interviews were conducted, with some exceptions (interviews
with the representatives of the European Commission and CIP EQUAL agencies
in the Netherlands, France, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Spain and the
United Kingdom) with the representatives of the development partnerships
and the transnational cooperation coordinators. Thus the observations
mentioned in the previous chapter are based on this sample very clearly
and the very focus groups should bring another view of the matter. For
this reason two groups were suggested, one with the NSS representatives
and one with the MA representatives. A scenario was established for
each group, i.e. the questions that were asked during the discussion
and the sense of which was to observe how the transnational cooperation
management and implementation proceeded, how the monitoring and the evaluation
were used, what kind of support was provided to the implementing bodies.
A supplement to the focus groups was then the evaluation of processes,
in this case above all of the information and communication flows among
the mentioned bodies, i.e. the managing authority, PricewaterhouseCoopers
and representatives of the development partnerships. Moreover, this
picture of the flows becomes somewhat complicated by the fact that,
within the framework of the transnational cooperation, it is necessary
to negotiate also with the bodies outside the national field, thus with
the representatives of the foreign development partnerships and even
with the representatives of the foreign managing authorities (e.g. in
case of TCA modification) and ministries (e.g. in case of proposals
of international coordination of search for partners and gathering information
to the transnational cooperation). ...
... In the self-evaluation
statements about the experience with management and implementation of
the transnational cooperation in the CIP EQUAL projects, the stress
on the administration of projects prevails. This represented such burden
and was so demanding that the majority of the interviewees agree that
at least one or two full-time jobs are necessary to be earmarked purely
for the administration. The participants of the evaluation recommend
earmarking one special person for the transnational cooperation itself.
If the transnational cooperation is really active, then its coordination
and work related to it will require one full-time job, too. We do not
mention this argumentation as a recommendation for increasing the funds
or warning against waste. But two realistic areas of problems result
from it: 1) at the persons, who are able to do this work, there is high
fluctuation rate, at the same time they are difficult to be substituted
– and this is then an actual threat for the project and can affect
it significantly negatively; 2) it is not manageable for the implementing
organisations to pay from the salary of a “coordinator”/“administrator”
of the development partnership their ordinary employees, who will manage
the transnational cooperation beyond the framework of their normal work
duties (also this finding was a reason for high fluctuation). ...
6.1 Topic 1: Part of the study focused on the support in the preparation the first call of Priority axis Transnational Cooperation OP LZZ [go to this article ]
... The original time schedule
of the project assumed that this part would be drawn up as the first
one and would be a part of the Input Report. Due to the overall shift
in commencement of the evaluation and procedure of successive works,
the framework introduction in the First Input Report was supplemented
by the document of July 2008. Above all, the first outputs from the
questionnaires and realized visits and interviews were used in it. Study
of documents and advices of people involved in CIP EQUAL management
abroad were used to great extent; background research of the available
sources was carried out, namely both of the documents concerning OP
LZZ and the given priority axis and also the related documents (in the
time of processing the task only a document from France was available),
methodologies to transnational cooperation in general and above all
the evaluations and good experience (what proved useful, how the transnational
cooperation actually proceeds). For the purpose of consideration of
the suitable areas of intervention and suitability of selection of the
partners, the evaluation team drew up a SWOT analysis based on the experience
from the partnership across countries, and summarises thus the specifics
of the environment, topics, conditions, cultural and historical tradition,
experience and potential for partnership with bodies from CZ. These
findings were transposed into relevant recommendations. The Third Interim
Report followed up with this process. ...
... A significant requirement
to MA relates to this, namely to assist the projects in mainstreaming,
thus to find and hand over suitable contacts, to help with lobbying,
to assist in dissemination of outputs, namely both at the national and
international level. MA should become a partner to projects, not only
an administrator, it should introduce the outputs of the projects to
the political scene and lobby for them. A frequent rebuke was the administrative
burden; the majority of the respondents agree that at least one or two
full-time jobs are necessary to be earmarked purely for the administration.
Everyone recommends earmarking of one special person for the transnational
cooperation itself. In the self-evaluating statements on the experience
in the transnational cooperation management and implementation in the
CIP EQUAL projects, the accent on the administration of the projects
prevails, the representatives of the solving entities construe their
contingent failure above all as failure of the administration. However,
in the implementation and mainstreaming stage it is necessary for the
partners to be able to agree not only upon the form and practical form
of the project management, but also upon the content of the implementation
of the project itself, the methods of work being used, quality of the
outputs, involvement of various groups of people and bodies, etc. On
the other hand, it is necessary to have sufficient space for the work
on the project itself for it is not possible to plan innovations in
advance, practical solutions come into existence only in the course
of the project. If it is possible within the framework of the rules,
MA should assist in modifications in plans and financing of the projects
at the most, it should become a support, an advisor, take away the administrative
burdens of the projects to the maximum possible extent defined by the
programme rules. ...
6.5 Topic 5: Analysis of interesting approaches and specific areas of HRD in other EU countries [go to this article ]
... The transnational cooperation
was an obligatory part CIP EQUAL and a number of the participating organisations
would not have included it in their projects on their own. The investigation
has proved that the participating bodies in absolute majority have gradually
begun to perceive it as a component part of the programme as a whole.
Often, in spite of the initial disbelief and low expectations, they
evaluate it as a very valuable and unexpectedly rewarding
part. In a wide scale of concrete contributions it is possible to find
a common denominator: it is widening of the views, or in general “the
experience”, widening of the context of thinking, perception, attitudes,
behaviour, solutions and further significant knowledge that the problems
the given organisations deal with have European dimension and solution. ...
... However, it is possible
to trace some differences, namely substantial. These relate above all
to the extent of experience in the projects and partnership of the similar
type, while it is not possible to state unambiguously that greater experience
means higher effectiveness and project contribution at the same time.
The experience may play both positive and negative role. Nevertheless
it is possible to state already now that the international partnership
within the CIP EQUAL framework is appreciated as high in the Czech Republic
as in the other participating European countries. ...
7.2.2 Formulation of expected outputs and results of the transnational cooperation [go to this article ]
... Support from the part of
the managing authority must be available for the applicant, especially
when searching for partners and finalising the partnership agreements.
However, besides that it is necessary not to forget about the possible
overlaps of the projects into other programmes thanks to the transnational
aspect of the projects, therefore it seems as convenient to prepare
common documentation to the application - this has already been introduced
in the Rural Development Operational Programme (the Leader axis and
pre-established local action groups – LAGs - as applicants), where
also the projects of the CIP EQUAL type may be. The calls should not
contradict the terms and conditions contained in the operational programmes
and Community initiatives. ...
... First of all, an overall
problem related to “project financing” of significant part of the
bodies that are the recipients of the programmes (among others CIP EQUAL)
is concerned. Nobody casts doubts that after the termination of the
projects oriented at transnational cooperation it is suitable to make
further use of such outputs or results that are in compliance with strategy
of the given body, which considers their utilisation. Formally, the
responsibility of the body is indisputably concerned that has created
these tools and that started the implementation and mainstreaming processes
within the framework of the project, but the question, what the roles
of the other interested bodies are, is legitimate. ...