QUALOBSTER SUSTAINABILITY & TRANSFERABILITY PLAN Qualobster Quality Assurance in Learning Organisation in the Banking and Financial Sector in Europe LU/07/LLP-LdV/TOI/156005 Sustainability & Transferability Plan Legal notice: The content of this document does not necessarily reflect the view or legislation of the European Commission. Neither the European Commission nor the project partners or any person acting on behalf of the Commission is responsible for the use that might be made of the information in this document.
Table of contents INTRODUCTION..3 METHODOLOGICAL STRUCTURE.4 COMPONENTS OF SUSTAINABILITY & TRANSFERABILITY CHART..7 KEY ELEMENTS...8 EBTN Page 2 of 16
1 INTRODUCTION This document presents an analysis of the sustainability and transferability of the results that QUALOBSTER Project is creating during its 2-year-lifecycle. Furthermore it will try to put forward some proposals concerning how to allow the sustainability and transferability of the key outcomes of the Project, even beyond the Project s lifetime. The contents of the Project regarding the quality assurance in learning organisation will be supported by the results of self assesment and benchmarking questionnaires. The Sustainability Plan is the starting point of a consultation on how to contribute, from the Project perspective, to building a strong and articulated reference base for the development of a system to improve the quality of training provision in the Financial Services Sector at European level, integrating the existing benchmarking approach and tool for the Learning Organisation with Quality Assurance principles and methods. One of the main purposes of the document is to identify a list of ongoing and new commitment and activities that supports the sustainability and transferability of the Project results. EBTN Page 3 of 16
2 METHODOLOGICAL STRUCTURE The QUALOBSTER system aims to improve the quality of training provision in the FSS, integrating the existing benchmarking approach and tool for the Learning Organisation with Quality Assurance principles and methods. This is expected to improve diversity management practices, by fostering organisational learning and enhancing continous professional development programmes. In this respect, the Project aims to increase: The innovative potential of the benchmarking approach to the FSS Diversity Management Quality Assurance in Learning Organisation Professional Development The European Common Quality Assurance Framework (CQAF) Knowledge Management and team work Sustainable innovation A virtual space to share experiences Laboratory of Innovation The QUALOBSTER Project idea is to combine quality assurance and diversity management using the methodological structure foreseen in the proposal and producing the following outcomes: The project management is a specific tool to contribute to: support the development of work packages assuring that the quality requirements are achieved, ensure effective communication and decision-making and effective project development on the basis of specific project management procedures and tools, support Quality Assurance in project development by carrying out regular project level evaluation, establish and keep contacts with stakeholders. EBTN Page 4 of 16
The main aim of the project is to define an European system to improve Quality Assurance and Diversity Management in Learning Organisation, principally through the benchmarking tool. The final and potential users of the project results will be: Banking and Financial Institutes, as well as training providers in other service sectors. Employees and middle managers in the Financial Services Sector and in other service sectors. The innovative and flexible approach to learning organisation in QUALOBSTER, together with its high quality assurance standards, is expected to extend the project results beyond the target groups defined in the project, also giving benefit to the life long and vocational training practices and frameworks in the EU sector. The procedures and mechanism will be described in depth also in the Evaluation Plan. The valorisation and dissemination activities will be developed continuously during the project lifecycle with the support of a dedicated Project website (www.qualobster.eu) that will be maintained and updated on regular basis, and with the support of the Laboratory of Innovation as a virtual community of practice. Through the National overview analysis of the receiving countries (Portugal and Slovenia), it will be possible to define a clear reference framework. After it, a piloting and validation experiences will involve practitioners working in banking and financial services sector. They will be asked to validate the revised benchmarking system; their feedback will provide data and information on the effectiveness and transferability potential of the system. Therefore it will be possible to provide some Guidelines for Transfer of Innovation, for Training and Validation, for Human Resources Development according to a Learning Organisation approach. EBTN Page 5 of 16
As foreseen in the project, two pilot experiences will be carried out to involve practitioners working in FSS: in Slovenia coordinated by B.A.S., in Portugal coordinated by IFB. The results of the pilot phases will be presented and discussed during the meetings. Before finalising, the QUALOBSTER results will be circulated among project partners, EBTN Members, stakeholders and the LdV National Agency, as well as presented to the large public through the project website and during the Dissemination Conference. During the lifecycle of the Project some articles will be published on professional press (magazines and newspapers) to spread the contents and the QUALOBSTER achievements. Furthermore the key project outcomes will be presented in a thorough and sound way on specialised journals. The Dissemination Conference will be organized to present and discuss the final key outcomes of the project. The main purpose of the Conference will be to receive full consensus and approval by relevant stakeholders of the Banking and Financial Sector and from representative of the EC. To reach these goals, a copy of the CD containing the key project results will be distributed among the participants and sent to other relevant actors. After the meeting, the main proceedings of the Conference will be printed together with a book containing the most relevant results of the different activities developed during the 2-year-Project. EBTN Page 6 of 16
3 COMPONENTS OF SUSTAINABILITY & TRANSFERABILITY CHART The outcomes of the Project highlight its self-sustainability. The following elements will be proposed to outline some of the possible directions for the use and application of the QUALOBSTER Project: 1 Applicability of the benchmarking approach to the FSS. 2 Creation of a Laboratory of Innovation to share experiences. 3 Tight interconnection among the QUALOBSTER Project and the other European EBTN Projects. 4 Chance of disseminating the results through a dedicate website. 5 Organization of local workshop/conferences. The following chapter deals with the description of the aforesaid sustainability elements. EBTN Page 7 of 16
4 KEY ELEMENTS The main results of the Project are the integrating the existing benchmarking approach and tool for the Learning Organisation with Quality Assurance principles and methods. The QUALOBSTER Project will contextualise and adapt the benchmarking approach to the specificities of the Financial Services Sector. Through the ongoing validation, the project partners and other EBTN Members will create the conditions for the adoption of the project across the EU and beyond. In this respect, the QUALOBSTER Project was designed to have a powerful impact on the valorisation of employees working in the Financial Services Sector. It should increase the quality of service in the market and its competitiveness vis-à-vis other global financial markets. The project will also aspire to contribute to the process of building up a knowledge-based society in the EU with the provision of large scale professional expertise on the required competences and qualifications in the sector, which is the backbone of the EU and the partner countries economy. The European sectoral relevance of the project, and the high interest of the stakeholders to offer the FSS a suitable and validated benchmarking approach and tool so to increase human resources development processes and quality of service at large could lead to an effective integration into the practices in a very short time. Furthermore, the acceptance expressed by interested organisations will open the way to real sustainability of the system in different Countries in Europe, in the Mediterranean and Asiatic Countries, and possibly in other sectors too. In this respect, it has been planned that after the launch of the QUALOBSTER Project in the final Dissemination Conference, additional organisations from the Financial Services Sector, as well as from other sectors, will express their commitment to work with the QUALOBSTER system and to endorse it. EBTN Page 8 of 16
TIGHT INTERCONNECTION AMONG THE QUALOBSTER PROJECT AND THE OTHER EUROPEAN EBTN PROJECTS. The contains and the results of QUALOBSTER Project can be considered the reference points on which other EBTN EUROPEAN PROJECTS were developed. Herewith a short description of the other EBTN European Projects explaining the complementary element of the quality assurance. Trough EUROBANQUA (EUROpeans BAnking Network for QUality Assurance) Project the Quality Assurance mechanism was developed and applied in the B&FSS. Aim of the project: To apply the Common European Quality Assurance Framework (CQAF) to the Banking and Financial Services Sector in Europe by linking this model with current developments and challenges towards improvement of training provision in this Sector. In particular, the project has identified and evaluated tools able to increase the responsiveness of training systems to newly emerging demands in the Sector. Objectives: 1) An overview of good practices containing inter alia methods and tools used to improve the match between training supply and qualification demand by implementing practical projects based on the use of the CQAF in different national settings. 2) A mapping and identification of the roles of observatories operating in the participating countries and in some of the relay points providing qualitative and quantitative data on skills and competencies needs in the short, medium and long terms. 3) The identification of key areas for further cooperation and networking to improve the quality and the responsiveness of VET systems to changing demands. EBTN Page 9 of 16
With the results of the QUALIFISE (European QUalification Assurance League In FInancial SErvices) it will set up a League to assure the quality of EQF levels assigned to FFS and to promote the Copenhagen and Bologna Process. Aim of the project: To set up a European Financial Services (FS) Qualifications League to promote the Copenhagen process and to ensure that the EQF levels assigned to financial qualifications by national organisations are reliable and consistent throughout Europe, taking account of the differences between knowledge based and professional competence based qualifications. Objectives: 1) To develop a methodology for assigning EQF levels that takes account of the distinction between knowledge-based qualifications and professional qualifications; 2) To assign EQF and NQF levels to the FS Qualifications in the Partner countries; 3) To share experience and develop best practice between the Partners; 4) To set up a system to monitor, review and endorse the EQF levels that are assigned by the Partners (taking academic qualifications and the Bologna process into account); 5) To set up a permanent League that will promote the Copenhagen process in the European FS Sector and provide overview and assurance of EQF levels (and potentially of ECVET and quality) that are assigned by national organisations; 6) To hold a conference to launch the League and its work at the end of the project. EBTN Page 10 of 16
The QUADULTRAINERS Project (towards a European QUalification prototype for ADULts TRAINERS) aims to analyze the feasibility of an associative technical coordination mechanism to guarantee European Qualification for Adult Trainers in the different working contest. Aim of the project: This Project aims at increasing the recognition, the social prestige and the attractiveness of the adults trainers profession by proposing - through a multistakeholder research and consensus building process - a European Qualification Prototype for Adult Trainers. Objectives: 1) To mobilise professional associations in this domain to collect their views on existing needs/opportunities and on the implementation framework that would be needed to implement a European Qualification in this domain. 2) To build - through an open dialogue among all involved categories of stakeholders - a European definition of the professional area and a representation of the related competencies and levels of performance/expertise, suing EQF as a reference point. 3) To analyse the feasibility of an associative technical coordination mechanism to guarantee European Qualification for Adults Trainers, focusing this initial activity on the trainers of adult learners in the different working context (industry, finance, non profit organisations etc). EBTN Page 11 of 16
The CERTIFIED Project (CERTIFIcation & Accreditation System for Financial Services Sector EDucation and Training) aims at the creation of a new system for the Certification of competences. Aim of the project: This Project aims at the creation of a new system for the Certification of competences and the Accreditation of Training Providers in the FSS in the EU. CERTIFIED explores the key segments of the FSS and provides European certificates based on competences corresponding to EQF levels 4 and 5 (which translates into expert employees and middle managers working in the FSS). Objectives: 1) To accompany and facilitate the increasing macro-level regulation process occurring within the European Financial Services Market. 2) To build a comprehensive, transparent and self-sustaining system for the certification of employees competences and for the accreditation of training providers related to FSS. 3) To carry out a carefully designed validation process, through pilot experiences (in Portugal, Poland and Greece) and the ongoing involvement on the research and dissemination activities of other Members of EBTN. 4) To extend the range and scope of the sector-based certification and accreditation system by creating a wide and active community of practice in certification and accreditation for FSS in UE, involving not only national banking and financial institutes, but also higher educations institutions, banking and financial association, VET providers and Trade Unions, in order to maximize social dialogue, consolidate the perception of ownership and guarantee widespread dissemination of the final CERTIFIED system across the EU. EBTN Page 12 of 16
EC VET EBTN EUROPEAN PROJECTS VEBS Virtual European Banking School EFCB European Foundation Certificate in Banking LOBSTER EUROBANQUA CERTIFIED QUALIFISE Learning Organization in the BFS Quality Assurance Eur. Certification System on Competences EQF QUALOBSTER Quality Ass. In L.O. EBTN Proposal: EC VET on EFCB & European Banking and Financial Diploma QUADULTRAINERS Certification for Adult Trainers CREATION OF SHARED PLATFORMS One of the action for the self sustainability of the QUALOBSTER Project is the creation on the web of shared platform to create regular dialogue, sharing knowledge and suggest improvements. The communication and exchange of information is fostered by ICT-based tools such as: forum laboratory of innovation: a communication platform for network animation is set up, creating the conditions for transnational collaboration and exchange of information and experiences. community of practice: the creation and consolidation of a transnational community of practice, within which information and, on a more complex level, also knowledge could circulate and diffuse best practices, represents one of the main objective of QUALOBSTER Project. EBTN Page 13 of 16
The set up of a community of practice will help create and strengthen relationships existing among the experts, professionals and practitioners working in the field of HR development and knowledge sharing. The degree of innovation which will be brought about will mainly depend on the level of involvement and of willingness to contribute to the effective development of the community s overall knowledge base. Thanks to confrontation and exchange of experiences in various settings (from formal events to informal workshops and meetings) it will be possible to enhance the dissemination efforts and reach wide audiences. Moreover, it will be also possible to seek partners to contribute additional knowledge, thus improving the nature of the contents to be disseminated. It is important to highlight that the main sustainable and transferable results of QUALOBSTER are not only the documents and deliverables which will be produced, but also the overall awareness to be nurtured among the professionals, experts and decisionmakers who work in the banking sector or in related areas, who have a special interest in the issues related to HR development and to organisational learning, and who will be involved in the discussion for a animated by the QUALOBSTER partners. CHANCE OF DISSEMINATING THE RESULTS THROUGH A DEDICATE WEBSITE In order to disseminate the results of the Project a dedicate website was implemented. The Qualobster Project website address is: www.qualobster.eu The website represents the most general dissemination tool which will be set up for QUALOBSTER. It includes a kind of resource centre, containing the project s main outcomes as well as valuable downloadable material and references to interesting literature and other websites. Dissemination activities prove to be essential to enable such dynamic exchange of good practices concerning learning organisations/learning banks. According to prevailing viewpoints, dissemination is one of the necessary conditions for project and project outputs sustainability and transferability. In fact, dissemination ensures the visibility needed to reach large audiences not directly involved in the project itself. EBTN Page 14 of 16
Dissemination makes the project visible, enables the consolidation of networks of real and potential users, allows a possible official recognition on the topic, as well as a continuous users feedback. When these conditions are in place (but the list may be made longer), then dissemination can really be a prologue for project and outputs sustainability and transferability. Dissemination activities will thus start at the very beginning of the project and will go on all through its duration. The main objectives pursued are the following: To support the ongoing dissemination of project results and outputs at national and at transnational level. The purpose pursued is twofold: on one hand, thematic debate within each partner country will be nurtured and awareness among practitioners and experts will be enhanced; on the other hand, discussion at an international scale will foster exchange of ideas, supporting critical thinking and circulating best practices all over Europe. To foster sustainability of project outputs through the involvement of large numbers of final users in the project community of practice. The Dissemination activities will provide the main lines which will be followed by the QUALOBSTER partnership in order to give value to the project s outcomes, thus contributing to their visibility. The main project s outputs will comprise working documents, reports and guidelines, as well as a number of discussion and knowledge-sharing tools, aimed at distributing knowledge and experiences among the participating actors. The results of these discussion events will represent interesting outcomes to be integrated in the planned project deliverables. In particular, these will represent non tangible value-adding contributions to the overall development of the project s themes. EBTN Page 15 of 16
ORGANIZATION OF LOCAL SEMINARS/CONFERENCES The effectiveness of the valorisation strategy is mainly based on the credibility and competence of EBTN and of its Members. As a matter of fact EBTN is a transnational network made of 36 European organisations which has been working since its creation in 1991 for the promotion of knowledge of EU sectorial regulations by organising international workshops and conferences. Specifically, VET, professional certification and quality assurance represent the main interest areas. In general, the stakeholders active involvement should be considered as an added value of the project and it is suggested as good practice. The opportunity of continuous exchange of points of view allowed a consistent development of the delivered outputs, ensuring a potential high exploitation of the project results. Another important sustainability, transferability and valorisation tool will be the organization of workshop and conferences at national level during the Project and after its end. These meetings will aim to disseminate the main results and to involve as many stakeholders as possible. EBTN Page 16 of 16