Displaying items by tag: validation and recognition

Based on the results of the 34 months long European exchange and consultations process, the recommendations for the validation and recognition system for the European project managers working in civil society organisations are:

  • Acknowledge that the dimension of mission and purpose is crucial in the 3rd sector.
  • Define clear definitions/understandings of competences, skills and experiences.
  • Build competence validation and recognition systems encompassing theoretical and practical parts of a competence.
  • Allow flexibility that considers the diversity of the civil society.
  • Recognise cultural and social differences.
  • Be sensitive to the qualities of values and attitudes.
  • Ensure validation through transparent procedures.
  • Ensure recognition of formal, non-formal and informal knowledge.
  • Ensure simplicity to understand and measure.
  • Allow accessibility for those already working in the area [of civil society] and also those without experience.
  • Consider the complexity of the individual personality [of the candidates to validate and recognise their competences].
  • Take into account work experience in various areas.
  • Have the recognition and validation system evidence-based to achieve recognised status in the European Union.
  • Include references to the already existing, similar/relevant recognition and validation schemes to avoid “reinventing the wheel".


By making progress in the areas as mentioned above, we will address the most critical and helpful root characteristics of the valuable and practical validation system for the European projects' managers and achieve positive change in many other areas such as:

  • Transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications on the European level.
  • Extending and developing the competences of educators and other personnel who support adult learners.
  • Supporting the setting up of and access to upskilling pathways.
  • Strengthening the European Civil Society Organisations sector.
  • Promoting lifelong learning among the Europeans.

The reccommendations were developed in the frame of the project AER-V "Recommendations for international project managers competences recognition and validation for lifelong learning" co-funded by the Erasmus Plus Programme of the European Union, involving the following FIRST Network members:
Fundacja Alternatywnych Inicjatyw Edukacyjnych (PL), www.fundacjaaie.eu (Leader)
Cooperativa Sociale COOSS MARCHE ONLUS scpa (IT), http://www.cooss.it/it/
Interfolk, Institut for Civilsamfund (DK), www.interfolk.dk
EDUCULT - DENKEN UND HANDELN IN KULTUR UND BILDUNG (AT), www.educult.at
Rightchallenge - Associação (PT), www.rightchallenge.org
and
Future Worlds Centre (CY), www.futureworldscenter.org

More details: HERE

Based on the results of the two-year-long European exchange and consultations process, the recommendations for the validation and recognition system for the European project managers working in civil society organisations are:

  • Acknowledge that the dimension of mission and purpose is crucial in the 3rd sector.
  • Define clear definitions/understandings of competences, skills and experiences.
  • Build competence validation and recognition systems encompassing theoretical and practical parts of a competence.
  • Allow flexibility that considers the diversity of the civil society.
  • Recognise cultural and social differences.
  • Be sensitive to the qualities of values and attitudes.
  • Ensure validation through transparent procedures.
  • Ensure recognition of formal, non-formal and informal knowledge.
  • Ensure simplicity to understand and measure.
  • Allow accessibility for those already working in the area [of civil society] and also those without experience.
  • Consider the complexity of the individual personality [of the candidates to validate and recognise their competences].
  • Take into account work experience in various areas.
  • Have the recognition and validation system evidence-based to achieve recognised status in the European Union.
  • Include references to the already existing, similar/relevant recognition and validation schemes to avoid “reinventing the wheel".


By making progress in the areas as mentioned above, we will address the most critical and helpful root characteristics of the valuable and practical validation system for the European projects' managers and achieve positive change in many other areas such as:

  • Transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications on the European level.
  • Extending and developing the competences of educators and other personnel who support adult learners.
  • Supporting the setting up of and access to upskilling pathways.
  • Strengthening the European Civil Society Organisations sector.
  • Promoting lifelong learning among the Europeans.

The context: AER-V

An international team composed of six Civil Society Organizations from Poland, Italy, Denmark, Austria, Portugal and Cyprus worked together for over two years to develop the recommendations supporting the recognition and validation of knowledge, skills and competences of the European project managers active in Civil Society Organisations.

In the frame of the project AER-V "Recommendations for international project managers competences recognition and validation for lifelong learning" co-funded by the Erasmus Plus Programme of the European Union, the team has conducted six international exchanges of experiences and good practices, concluded with the short-term joint staff training event, Structured Democratic Dialogue Co-laboratory.

The goal of the AER-V initiative was to support the recognition and validation of knowledge, skills and competences of international project managers active in Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the adult education sector, acquired through formal, non-formal and informal learning.

The AER-V team has been working for the benefit of the direct target group, including the members, workers, co-workers, educators and volunteers of the Third Sector adult education organisations
(i.e. Civil Society Organisations, including informal groups, Non-governmental organisations and other non-profit organisations).

The AER-V initiative was the follow-up initiative building on the conclusions and recommendations of a previous project, the "First-time international projects realisers support network", realised in the period October 2018 – December 2020. One of the results of this project was the founding of the FIRST Network, an international network of civil society organisations operating in the area of adult liberal education (lifelong learning). The Mission of the FIRST Network is to strengthen the capacity of civil society organisations and entities active in the adult education sector to operate in the international arena, enhancing innovativeness and the ability to adapt to changes in the modern world. All the organisations realising the AER-V initiative are also members of the FIRST Network.

As a result of the AER-V initiative, a list of Recommendations to give suggestions for the validation and recognition system for the European project managers working in the civil society organisations was developed and is now being shared with the civil society organisations and the other stakeholders interested in European cooperation, lifelong learning and the broad public.


We consider that raising awareness of the need and usefulness of the validation and recognition system of the competences of the European project managers working in civil society organisations is one of the most important steps to ensure transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications on the European level as well as to facilitate the European cooperation and promote lifelong learning.

We would highly appreciate it if you endorse this initiative and the Recommendations.

The FIRST Network Team.

ATTACHMENTS:
1. Report: The short-term joint staff training event, Structured Democratic Dialogue Co-laboratory, picturing the whole process of developing the recommendations.

2. The set of conclusions concerning the 4 subsequent stages of developing the competence recognition and validation systems for the European Project Managers (PM) active in the adult learning Civil Society Organisations.

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