Annexes Country National
quality assurance system?
Details Implementation
Austria Yes The quality-assurance system is organised in parts, not as a general overall system. The key elements are detailed procedures for various areas, e.g. PES, guidance in schools, adult education, etc.
Belgium No
Bulgaria No
Cyprus No
Czech
Republic No The list of priorities defined by the NGF act from 17.5.2010 includes analytical surveys and research as one of the main pillars of policy development in guidance. Whilst a comprehensive quality-assurance policy tool remains to be created, there is a consensus among the main policy stakeholders regarding the main targets:
• Development of vocational/career counsellors’
competences on different levels (PES, school counsellors, others)
• System of sustainable supervision for counsellors
• Synergies between various components of LLG/vocational/
career guidance
• Interconnection of databases for searching suitable requalification and further professional education (national qualification system, national vocational system, database of educational opportunities)
• Thematic classification of counselling programmes in various parts – modules and the creation of their minimum standards for various groups of clients
• Promotion of the counselling services and their importance for employment
• Preventive role of LLG in order to avoid drop-outs of learners in upper secondary schools and synergy with incentives to study.
*Denmark Yes Benchmarking of guidance services is conducted in a centrally driven system of mainly numerical outcome indicators linked to educational take-up and retention.
This represents a sectoral approach which deals with educational guidance.
The Ministry of Education provides guidance centres with a set of quality-assurance tools to support them in reaching their main targets through continuous evaluation of their activities. This includes tools to report quality level, results and effects of the activities. Several indicators are included in the quality-assurance system (see Case Study 14).
Generally, the work related to quality assurance is a task for each of the municipal or regional centres. However, annual reports and developments will be discussed at yearly reviews with the municipal councils and the Ministry respectively. The Ministry of Education has implemented the statistical indicators of the quality- assurance system. It also provided the technical set-up for the surveys in 2009.
Annex 6: Current development of national quality-assurance systems or feedback
Annexes
Country National quality assurance system?
Details Implementation
Estonia No Exchange of good practice within the WP4 has supported the development of quality handbooks for regional information and counselling centres (national network of 17 centres).
Finland No National development programmes for basic, second stage, adult and higher education as well as the employment sector to develop information, advice and guidance services in general, including quality assurance and evaluation mechanisms for guidance services.
France Yes In higher education, the evaluation agency for research and higher education (AERES) evaluates every four years (during the negotiation for the new contract with state universities) the training and guidance activities developed by universities.
Creation of a label mechanism for bodies that provide everyone with quality services on the basis of quality standards developed by the delegate for information and guidance. The decree for implementing this label is expected shortly, with an implementation phase over the next two years.
The OFPTLV law: preparation of decrees fixing the quality criteria for labelling the structures taking part in the lifelong guidance public service.
*Germany No The only nationwide monitoring and feedback system is that operated by the German PES (Bundesagentur für Arbeit), which applies to the overall goals and outcomes of the service. Vocational guidance is seen as one of several interventions which influence the overall outcome of the PES.
For the vocational guidance service of the PES (which includes placement in apprenticeship training) the outcome and quality of guidance is measured by an index which is constructed by several indicators including:
successful integration into apprenticeship training, successful filling of apprenticeship vacancies, and a customer satisfaction index based on a yearly survey.
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research supports and funds the project “Open co-ordination process for the enhancement of the quality and professionalisation of educational and career guidance” conducted by the National Guidance Forum and the Institute for Educational Research of Heidelberg University (see Case Study 15).
As the PES is operating nationwide with local and regional offices, there are yearly data reports and surveys.
The results of this reporting (within a more general control mechanism) are the basis for a benchmarking process between the local employment agencies.
Within the project “Open co- ordination process for the enhancement of the quality and professionalisation of educational and career guidance”, the involvement of all actors and stakeholders in this process and the link to policy-makers in an advisory council is innovative and expected to enhance the acceptance of the outcomes.
Annex 6. (continued)
Annex 6. (continued)
Annexes Country National
quality assurance system?
Details Implementation
*Greece Yes The Greek model system for quality assurance of guidance services uses a feedback mechanism for investigating the needs of its target groups in order to ensure that what is on offer is what clients need. In addition, it uses feedback in order to investigate client satisfaction with the services provided and the staff, and makes use of these findings.
The key elements of the feedback mechanism are the appropriate quality indicators (e.g. client need surveys), the methodology for conducting the surveys, the necessary evidence (e.g. questionnaires for client need surveys), and the way the service is making use of clients’ feedback for improving its services (see Case Study 16).
The data collection can utilise several techniques, e.g. client need surveys with the help of a special questionnaire, communicating with mainstream citizens by mail, e-mail and by word of mouth, collecting information from persons connected to a specific target group (e.g.
parents, teachers, members of clubs), investigating the needs at different time periods etc. The client need surveys always take into account the different needs of the two sexes as well as of disadvantaged social groups. Following the statistical processing and analysis of the data collected, the guidance service revises its action plan to make its services more consistent with client needs and client views.
*Hungary No A national evaluation of the SROP 2.2.2 career counsellors’
work will be launched in 2010. The NPT has ordered some policy researches in this field. A national customer satisfaction survey is under development (see Case Study 17).
Iceland No In the midst of Iceland’s severe economic crisis, the Althing (Icelandic parliament) passed a law in March 2009 which stated that only certified guidance counsellors (with an MA in Guidance) can be employed as such, and that all students have a right to guidance from a certified guidance counsellor.
Ireland No The National Guidance Forum quality guidelines provide the following:
(a) Framework for developing quality guidance-related activities.
(b) Code of principles that should be adhered to in the provision of guidance-related activities. The NGF quality guidelines are designed as a development tool. It is recommended that internal and external assessment are the most appropriate forms of evaluation to be used in organisations.
Work to develop a quality-assurance system for the Adult Educational Guidance Services is ongoing. Also, the Post-Primary Whole School Guidance Planning process ensures quality assurance in the provision of guidance within the secondary- school system.
Italy No ISFOL with the support of the Italian Ministry of Labour is promoting a national survey called: “Indagine Naionale sullo stato dell’Orientamento in Italia”. In April 2010, a first report of the results on guidance provision at national level was presented. The collection of data and information is still ongoing: the idea is to move from a quantitative to a qualitative analysis of the guidance systems, where quality is the main issue.
Annex 6. (continued)
Annex 6. (continued)
Annexes
Country National quality assurance system?
Details Implementation
Latvia No The assurance of quality guidance in the education sector is not yet operational. However, the national education inspectorate has agreed to develop a separate module and quality indicators on implementation of careers education within the national mechanism for school accreditation.
Lithuania No The elements of the guidance quality-assurance mechanisms have been created; the legal acts regulating the accreditation of the career information points and career guidance centres have been created and are being implemented.
Luxembourg No
Malta No
Netherlands No Quality assurance is receiving more attention but there are no implementation proposals yet. Evidence-based policy making is being introduced at national level.
Norway No The regional partnerships have worked in networks to promote quality development. Many of the career centres have developed quality-assurance routines in their local practices. Recommendations for formal qualifications for career guidance practitioners in schools have recently been developed by the national education authorities.
Poland No Recently many activities have been undertaken, aiming at improving the quality of career guidance services in public employment services. In 2007 two regulations of the Minister of Labour and Social Policy were prepared: on standards for labour market services; and on the detailed rules for providing labour market services by public employment services.
To ensure high quality of vocational counsellors’ services, the necessary qualifications of a teacher-vocational counsellor were specified in a regulation of the Minister of National Education on 12 March 2009.
To improve qualifications and provide high-quality services of vocational counsellors in schools and educational institutions, training courses are organised on e.g. the counselling interview, and the rules for working with a disabled client or with a client from a different cultural background. On-line training, using ICT, was introduced in 2009.
*Portugal Yes A long-standing mechanism has been based on a set of measures monitoring the typology of users and the interventions developed in the public employment service.
At present the system is undergoing a strong change to widen the assessment so to include impact measures (skills, employment) through follow-up activities, monitoring the quality of processes, and assessing the levels of tranparency and of citizen access to services. Also, a joint effort of stakeholders is being undertaken to harmonise quality measures and indicators across sectors (education, labour market, other) (see Case Study 18).
At present the employment services possess a systematic harmonised system that is regularly updated by the guidance personnel and analysed centrally for policy adjustments.
Romania No
Slovakia No
Annex 6. (continued)
Annex 6. (continued)
Annexes Country National
quality assurance system?
Details Implementation
Slovenia No On policy level, foreseen in an existing ESF operational plan as a part of a future project.
Spain No Some materials for guidance practitioners have been produced to improve their daily practice.
Sweden Yes The National Schools Inspectorate is a new separate authority in Sweden. It has the task of examining the quality and equivalence in schools through educational inspection and supervision.
Turkey No
UK Yes The Matrix standard provides a quality framework for the effective delivery of information, advice and/or guidance (IAG) on learning and work. It uses an outcome-based approach and is used in any setting where IAG is given to support individuals in their learning and work, regardless of the type, size or sector of the service or organisation. It has eight elements (four focus on delivery and four on management), covering 40 performance measures. The Matrix quality award for advice and guidance providers has been established for several years. It is currently under review to ensure it remains fit for purpose.
Accreditation of the guidance providers is for three years.
Annex 6. (continued)
* For detailed case study, see Case Studies 14–18.
Annexes
Lifelong Learning Programme project databases
Leonardo da Vinci: Compendium & Products
This database (http://leonardo.ec.europa.eu/pdb/
index_en.cfm) includes all (not just guidance- related) pilot projects, mobility projects and other measures financed under the Leonardo da Vinci Pro- gramme phases I and II (1995–2006). It contains information both about projects (title, year, partners, short project description etc.) and about their prod- ucts. The database permits the use of the following search criteria: type of measures (including ‘pilot projects’), target groups, themes etc. This database has been transferred into the Eve portal (see below), but the advantage of the Compendium & Products database is that guidance is one of the search catego- ries. Using the criteria ‘pilot projects’ and ‘vocational/
career guidance’ in 2009 resulted in a substantial number of guidance-related projects: 337 in all (255 from phase I; 82 from phase II). However, not all of these projects were guidance projects per se: in some, guidance was just one of several elements in the project.
Adam
Adam (http://www.adam-europe.eu) is an EU portal which offers access to information and products of the Leonardo da Vinci projects. Since 2008, co- ordinators of Leonardo da Vinci projects have been obliged to enter information on their projects into the Adam database, which also includes some but not all previous projects. Entering the search crite- rion ‘guidance’ in 2009 resulted in 49 hits; enter- ing search criterion ‘career guidance’ resulted in 103 hits. But some guidance-related projects appear to be missing, and many of the projects listed are more strongly related to other themes than guidance.