This tag is for all posts relating to Projects.

Updates on ENSURE project

27 March, 2018 By Editor

Alba County Council, Romania is one of 14 partners of the international project ENSURE, which stands for European Network for the Cohesion and Solidarity in Rural Areas. The partners representing local and regional authorities, federations of public bodies, a University, and Civil Society Organizations come from the European Union, Serbia and Montenegro. The project Leader is the Development Information Center Slovenska Bistrica, Slovenia.

The ENSURE project serves to increase the relevance of policy makers as actors addressing needs of rural citizens in the context of EU policies and European citizenship. In a time where citizens’ confidence in the EU decision making is at an all-time low, and especially the support from rural citizens is rapidly declining, this project aims to understand Euroscepticism, and then to build European approach by making use of available EU democracy tools, as well as by providing new engaging instruments for citizens.

The project addresses day-to-day issues which are prevalent for rural citizens, such as: local development, cross-border mobility of agricultural workers, food security, local action groups, community-led local development, etc. By bringing up issues that acquire great interest among rural citizens, this project can hit such questions as: the decline of support of the EU, Euroscepticism and the EU citizenship on rural areas. The long-term outcome could be a lasting partnership as a ENSURE Network.

There are planned 6 international ENSURE Events that will take place in Greece, Spain, Croatia, Slovenia and Italy. Each partner will then organise a follow-up local action in their country addressed to local people of all ages, on topics like rural development, rights and obligations of EU citizens, volunteering in Europe, impact of EU policies at local level, etc. The project results will be delivered to over 1600 participants directly and to min. 50.000 indirectly.

A brochure was created to show the diversity that builds up the ENSURE Network. It will follow a Webinar and a final publication available and open for everyone interested. The project is co-financed by the European Union, Europe for Citizens Programme and is implemented between July 2017 and July 2019.

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New project within Erasmus+ Sport Call: interested to join?

27 February, 2018 By Agnese Pantaloni

The Basque Government (Sport and Physical Directorate) is looking for partners to take part in a project under Erasmus+ Sport Call (Collaborative Partnerships).

The overall objective of this project is to increase the availability and quality of European sport related evidence and data at regional and national level. The goal is to define and develop a set of shared indicators which will be measured by the participating European regions and member states, and then gathered in a shared web platform.

This project would allow public authorities, private entities and other interested stakeholders to know the state of the art of sports at regional and member state level and to analyze and compare data at regional, member state and European level. Moreover it would help public authorities to develop sport related policies based on high quality objective evidence and data, thus enhancing good governance.

The idea is that this project will serve as a pilot which will then be opened to the participation of all European regions and member states.

The Basque Government, that is leading this project, is searching other region and member state’s public authorities that could join the consortia.

If you are interested in being involved on this project, please come back to us by 2nd March 2018.

Contact

European Projects

Agnese Pantaloni

Phone: +32 2 400 10 52
E-mail: a.pantaloni(at)aer.eu
Skype ID: agnesepanta
Languages: it, en, pt

Articles by Agnese

EU funding
Calls for projects and tenders
Partner search

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Improving school performance for children with a migrant background: partners wanted!

20 February, 2018 By Editor

Would you like to join a three year project on education within the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund?

Building on its longstanding work with migrants, especially in the fields of education and culture, AER is pleased to support our member – Government of Catalonia – in searching partners to complete the consortia. We wish to encourage AER members and partners to look carefully at this project idea and express their interest. The issue tackled is incredibly relevant at the European level, as it has a heavy impact on social cohesion in the EU and beyond.

The Project

This project idea on inclusive and non-segregated education aims to tackle the issues of children with a migrant background achieving lower scores compared to their fellows with a local background. Such a trend clearly affects social cohesion. This project will put in place a number of actions to help closing the gap in educational outcomes.

Key objectives are:

to improve the school performance of all students, regardless of their cultural origin or their socio-economic situation and close the gap in educational outcomes so that they can continue with their studies at higher levels;
link extracurricular activities with the improvement of the academic results of the students, through the coordination of these activities with the educational team of the school;
to improve the links between students, their families and the schools, promoting interactions between children and families from different backgrounds in the school framework and promoting an intercultural perspective in education;

The project will focus, in particular, on after-school and extra-curricular activities, and better linkage between parents and professionals. Project activities will also aim at building capacity, training representatives of the community, and involving parents in school facilities.

Call for partners!

The project promoters are now looking for partners who would like to engage in the design of after-school activities that can help students with a migrant background improve their school performance. Perfect partners would be local or regional authorities or NGOs working in the field of education and after school activities.

If you believe this idea could be of interest to your region, or for targeted actors within your region, AER encourages you to express your interest and join the partnership. In order to do so, please come back to us by Friday 23rd February!

Photo Credit @visualhunt

Contact

European Projects

Agnese Pantaloni

Phone: +32 2 400 10 52
E-mail: a.pantaloni(at)aer.eu
Skype ID: agnesepanta
Languages: it, en, pt

Articles by Agnese

EU funding
Calls for projects and tenders
Partner search

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Interreg NWE Project Ideas Lab: call for registration

8 February, 2018 By Agnese Pantaloni

The Interreg North West Europe organises a transnational Project Ideas Lab on the 28^th of February in London!

This event is specifically aimed at prospective applicants and will be structured around giving participants the floor to network, find new partners and develop project ideas. The NWE team will also share examples of successfully funded projects and explain in-depth the programme’s priorities for funding.

The countries target by the Interreg NWE are: Ireland, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and parts of France, Germany and the Netherlands.

This is the perfect occasion for applicants to get some help in developing their project idea making sure to be ready for the upcoming call for project proposals (deadline on 26 April 2018).

Participation is free, but registration is mandatory, therefore register now! The deadline for registrations is Wednesday, 14^th February.

For more information, please visit the event page.

How to get the most out of the Project Ideas Lab?

Start exchanging with other participants, scout potential partners, and give your project idea more visibility through the Project Ideas Lab group on Linkedin.

You can also submit your project idea and share it on the dedicated project ideas database.

Contact

European Projects

Agnese Pantaloni

Phone: +32 2 400 10 52
E-mail: a.pantaloni(at)aer.eu
Skype ID: agnesepanta
Languages: it, en, pt

Articles by Agnese

EU funding
Calls for projects and tenders
Partner search

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Work-Life balance the focus of the new EaSI call for projects

31 January, 2018 By Editor

Funding Opportunity

The European Commission has made available some funds to implement the Europe 2020 strategy. The European programme for Employment and Social Innovation “EaSI” addresses social challenges tackling key issues such as sustainable employment and decent social security, along with the fight against poverty and social exclusion.

A new social innovation call for proposals was published on 19 January 2018.

The call concerns social innovation and national reforms on Innovative Work-Life balance Strategies to facilitate reconciliation of professional and caring responsibilities. The AER network has already been working on this topic and published a political report on how to measure tangible progress on the quality of life.

The aim of the call for projects is to support governmental and non-governmental actors, social partners in delivering national policy reforms as regards reconciling work and private life in line with the rights and principles set out in the European Social Pillar.

The fundings will support projects that develop, test, and implement innovative work-life balance strategies in the workplace. The purpose of these strategies is to facilitate the reconciliation of work and private life through supporting a more equal share of care responsibilities between working women and men, thereby encouraging a higher participation of women in the labour market.

The budget earmarked is estimated at €10.000.000 and the Commission expects to fund 5-7 proposals.

This call is part of three actions on social innovation and national reform composed. Call for projects on “Access to Social Protection” and “National reform support” will follow soon as declared by the European Commission.

Deadline for submission is 18 April 2018.

Further details and the submission form can be found here.

Should anyone be willing to engage in projects related to cultural heritage, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Agnese Pantaloni, from the AER Secretariat.

European Projects

Agnese Pantaloni

Phone: +32 2 400 10 52
E-mail: a.pantaloni(at)aer.eu
Skype ID: agnesepanta
Languages: it, en, pt

Articles by Agnese

EU funding
Calls for projects and tenders
Partner search

Photo credits @visualhunt

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Erasmus+ Sport InfoDay: have a look at the opportunities & tips!

31 January, 2018 By Editor

Funding Opportunity

The European Commission and the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) organised an Erasmus+ Sport Info Day on 30 January 2018, in Brussels.

The main aim of the event was to explain the funding opportunities available as well as to give an update on policy developments. For those who were not able to attend, the Info day was also web streamed, having all useful information available here.

The Sport Chapter in the Erasmus+ Programme aims to support European partnerships on grassroots sport in order to pursue the following objectives:

Tackle cross-border threats to the integrity of sport, such as doping, match fixing and violence, as well as all kinds of intolerance and discrimination;
To promote and support good governance in sport and dual careers of athletes;
To promote voluntary activities in sport, together with social inclusion, equal opportunities and awareness of the importance of health-enhancing physical activity, through increased participation in, and equal access to sport for all.

If you are interested to be involved in a project dealing with Sport, do not forget to use the dedicated partner search tool.

Contact

European Projects

Agnese Pantaloni

Phone: +32 2 400 10 52
E-mail: a.pantaloni(at)aer.eu
Skype ID: agnesepanta
Languages: it, en, pt

Articles by Agnese

EU funding
Calls for projects and tenders
Partner search

Photo credit @visualhunt

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Explore the opportunities of the Town Twinning Action Between Turkey and EU Grant Scheme

30 January, 2018 By Agnese Pantaloni

Following AER’s focus on Turkish member regions and the work addressed to them in terms of EU funding and relations, we would like to focus again on an initiative aimed at strengthening sustainable structures between local administrations/authorities in Turkey and EU Member States: the Town Twinning Action Between Turkey and the EU Grant Scheme.

Within this initiative, which has been already shared with member regions, an information meeting for representatives of local authorities in the EU Member States, Unions and networks representing the local administrations in EU as well as all related parties will take place in Brussels on 8th February 2018.

If you are interested in joining this meeting, please register here by 1st February.

We would like to stress the importance of this meeting having in mind the deadline for submission of proposals on 23rd of March 2018 at 17:00 hrs (local time). With a total budget of 2.6M euros, the grant scheme will provide support for projects aiming at developing town twinning relationships between local administrations/authorities in Turkey and EU Member State and strengthening their role in the EU accession process.

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How to Write a Project Proposal: the Experts’ Top Tips

14 December, 2017 By Editor

On 20 November, during the ERRIN Projects Development Week, professor Nikolaos Floratos gave an inspiring presentation “How to Write a Successful Proposal”. Despite the presentation being focused on Horizon 2020, suggestions and information given can be useful for each and every project proposal. This article summarises the main points of the presentation.

First Remarks

When considering to embark on a project, applicants must get acquainted with the documents and technicalities of the programme they want to apply for. Tailoring the project idea on programme priorities is a prerequisite of every successful project preparation. Evaluators will look closely at the sustainability of the project, avoiding to finance project ideas which are likely to end in nothing once the money flow from the commission stops. The application must show that project partners are committed to the idea and have the capacity to keep the project going and deliver lasting and meaningful results. The surest way to do this is to make sure that the project idea is in line with the mission and vision of the partners. Only then the project will last. Equally important to ensure sustainability are good dissemination and exploitation strategies.

A project can be approached either from a top-down or from a bottom-up perspective. The way in which applicants decide to approach a project depends on their strengths and on what they want to achieve. If prospective applicants have a great idea that they want to realise as such, they will choose a bottom-up approach, trying to find the perfect call to finance their idea. Unfortunately, it is not that common to have the perfect match between one’s idea and the calls issued by a programme. Therefore, the original idea will have to be tailored on the priorities and requirements of the targeted call. This can make the project idea change drastically compared to the original, and therefore partners will always have to check if the new idea still matches their mission, vision and expertise.

Partners can alternatively choose to focus on their expertise. In that case, they will focus on previously identified problem they have the capacity to deal with. Understanding the difference between these approaches is very important. Competition is very high, and almost EUR 2 000 000 000 are waisted in unsuccessful applications under Horizon 2020 only. In order to avoid such a waste, projects should set SMART objectives. The objectives of a successful project should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable and Realistic, while the project itself should be delivered within a reasonable Time frame. Crucial steps during the preparation phase are also to look around and understand which kind of projects have been previously financed under the targeted programme, trying to learn best practices and seeking the advise of those who have experience of writing and evaluating winning project proposals.

The Project

In order to write a successful proposal, partners should first identify the most attractive call topic according to their capacity and the capacity of the client. It is also crucial to understand the process of submission of the application, which can vary according to the programme and the call one applies for. Thirdly, given the high number of rejected proposals and the short time allocated to the evaluation of each proposal, it is of utmost importance to impress the evaluators. Some good everyday habits can help:

Build to last: each and every project should be conceived as to last after the money flow from the commission ends. Partners must be committed to the objectives of the project.
Upset the status quo by keeping things simple. Innovation and clarity are very important aspects of successful applications. Evaluators do not have much time to assess applications. The most effective way to impress them is to present the main ideas of the project in a clear way.
Exchange ideas with the partners
Don’t delay, delegate: this very important concept should be applied both to the members of the team and the members of the partnership. According to Floratos, a good organisation should include at least four partners with different responsibilities. The proposal writing team should include the following figures:
- someone with expertise in the topic
- someone with experience in the impact part of the project. Applicants should try to emphasise how project results will be applied in specific domains and to specific target groups.
- someone responsible of all administrative tasks
- an external evaluator (National Contact Point or other)
Leverage good to great. Most projects are good. However, given the number of projects submitted and the relatively low available budget, only great project ideas presented in a very good way win. Floratos stresses that projects should never compromise, nor in the consortium-building phase nor in the writing process. The more compromises we make, the lower the quality of the final project. For this reason, it is crucial to get feedback from people who do not belong in the project team. One other “must do” to leverage good to great is to allow time to the project. The preparation of a project should take no less than three months, and the project should be complete two weeks before the deadline for submission. In this way, partners allow themselves some time to get feedback and improve the quality of the application.
Recognise mistakes. In the case of unsuccessful applications, it is crucial to recognise mistakes and be ready to put aside feelings and change the project idea dramatically if needed. General observations from the European Commission as explanation of the project’s rejection are not enough to leverage projects from good to great. Unsuccessful applicants should be ready to analyse they project idea thoroughly, and to identify the mistakes they made while conceiving and presenting their project idea. If they are ready to do so, and they still believe in the importance of their idea, they will go for the next call with a better proposal.

Let us stress again that most project proposals are good. A new article will put forward some more specific suggestions on how to leverage a project proposal from good to great.

To the next time!

Photo credits @visualhunt &@visualhunt

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WANTED! EU – Projects INTERN (CLOSED)

11 December, 2017 By Editor

Are you interested to learn and to be part of the team working on EU projects for the largest independent political network of regions in Europe?

We are looking for an intern to join the Project Unit at our Brussels Office, supervised by the European Projects & Private Partnerships coordinator.

Your main tasks will be:

Mapping calls for proposals and collecting information on funding (both based on desk research and by participating to relevant events as Info Days on funding programmes)
Supporting AER’s projects team in its partner searches and follow-ups with its members.
Writing articles on the results of your mapping
Contributing to the implementation of ongoing projects for all concerning activities and finances
Providing inputs in terms of drafting documents to join new project proposals

Finally, the intern will assist the team in general office management tasks.

This is who we are

Here are some great things about us:

We are a team where everybody is treated equally
We are a very great team, with awesome people on board
What we do is super cool: who could be against helping people across Europe to work together?
It is a place for personal growth. As you get to work with so many very different people with different backgrounds your horizon widens and you change
We use cloud-based team collaboration tools, which allow us to keep in close contact. despite frequent travels and different locations. Such tools are also super useful for community building.

This is the best place for you if…

You have any knowledge or previous experience in European project management and funding.
You have excellent knowledge of both oral and written English. Knowledge of any other European languages is considered as a useful asset of your work here.
You are self-motivated and have interest in helping people to work together on tackling challenges.
You are able to perform tasks autonomously and take responsibilities as well as to coordinate your work with the rest of the team.
You are a creative and problem-solving oriented person.

AER is happy to offer you the opportunity to:

Gain a practical experience in the field of projects funded by European programmes.
Be in contact with high ranking politicians, project officers and partners across Europe and get inspired by them.
Learn about regions and get a deeper insight into current European political issues
Work in a dynamic, multinational and multicultural environment
Develop personal responsibility and initiative
Gain invaluable experience in an international professional environment

The internship period will be of 6 months, starting at the end of February/beginning of March.

From your arrival onward, you will be considered as full team member.

Before applying, please keep in mind…

A contract for internship must be signed by AER, the trainee and the sending University/School/Institute.

You will receive a monthly financial contribution of EUR 150 during your internship period. Travel and living costs must be covered by the intern.

If you are a citizen of a non-EU country, you will have to make sure that you meet all the legal requirements (visa, residence permit, etc) to stay in Brussels as specified by the Belgian Law for foreigners. Health insurance must be ensured during your stay.

How to apply?

If you are interested in joining us and making AER your next professional experience, please send your CV and cover letter to Davide Grison at his email address [email protected] by 19 January h 12:00 CET, with email subject “AER European Projects Intern”.

Interviews will take place from 22 January to 24 January.

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Last call to join the Horizon 2020 Project Development Week!

8 November, 2017 By Editor

What are you waiting for to join the Horizon 2020 Project Development Week? The deadline for the registration, set on the November 27^th, is getting closer so do not miss this fantastic opportunity to exchange project ideas, find partners for consortiums, ensuring your success when applying for Horizon 2020 funding.

What?

After the success of the brokerage event on the green economy and innovation, we are this time proposing a new type of event in collaboration with ERRIN to stimulate project development: the Horizon 2020 Project Development Week. This 5-day event replaces the half day brokerage event on e-health initially foreseen. It will bring together over 400 different regional stakeholders around a series of selected EU calls to initiate project partnerships, in a wide range of relevant topics, such as health, energy, ICT, smart cities, opening science, blue innovative growth and transport, among others.

Why?

By attending any of the proposed sessions within the ERRIN Project Development Week you will be able to:

Obtain detailed information on the Horizon 2020 2018-2020 Work Programs;
Expand your network, set up consortia, and build new partnerships;
Get sound expert advices on concrete project ideas;
Increase the chances to submit a successful proposal and be funded!

How?

Check the agenda of the event (see below), consider the type of involvement and project ideas, register at the website, and decide on how you can contribute to the different breakout sessions.

You can contact ERRIN for further inquires at the following e-mail address: [email protected]

(The event is free of charge and open to everyone although participation is upon selection)

Agenda

And AER Regions?

The AER, as a supporting partner of ERRIN in this event, would like to take the opportunity to invite all member regions to engage in the breakout sessions and get to know the project ideas that will be presented by regional stakeholders. This event can provide regions with valuable inputs regarding EU research and innovation policy and can contribute significantly to helping them develop successful projects and thus raise their profile at the EU level.

Contact

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Fairer Assessment for Migrants with Disabilities? Accomplished, with the AMiD Project!

27 September, 2017 By Editor

Good news for AER partners! EASPD, the European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities, and AER, together with 10 other partners, struck a grant agreement on a new project. We believe such initiatives to be particularly interesting for regions and local authorities dealing with migrants to better support those with disabilities. Three AER member regions are represented in the project Advisory Board, providing a link between project outputs and the regional dimension. This makes the project even more appealing for other AER members, disabilities being a long-standing issue on the agenda of the organisation. The project will have a duration of 2 years starting in December 2017.

Want to know more?

The Access to services for Migrants with Disabilities – AMiD project addresses scarse communication between European regions about the treatment of migrants with disabilities. The project will result in the creation of a Specific Needs Assessment Tool to be circulated among all actors dealing with migrants assessment. Such a tool will empower Local Authorities, NGOs and EU agencies to assess and support with adequate responses migrants and refugees with disabilities, hopefully serving as a foundation for launching a common EU approach to this topic.

The project aims to give proper instruments to NGOs and local personnel to evaluate and consider disabilities while assessing migrants in need of first help by EU Member countries or Frontex. Such an initiative appears to be most in line with AER commitment on finding territorial-based solutions for migrants and refugees. The impact of culture on refugees relocation is also taken into account. This will be accomplished through the implementation of four workshops, to take place on a regular bases starting from month eight of the project. Participants will be trained in the use of the new assessment tool and know-how exchange will be encouraged between staff working with migrants and staff working with disabled people. Workshops will also be the perfect place for practitioners to exchange good practices among themselves and report those in their own region.

What’s in it for regions?

In our view, European regions would benefit from this project by adopting a common approach to migrants with disabilities. At present, all actors involved seem to be working with different and informal tools; a standard procedure to assess disabilities in relation to refugees and asylum seekers is needed. Therefore, AER supports the systematisation of the assessment of migrants and refugees with disabilities, and is actively taking part in the project by managing a key action in the project’s implementation; AER will facilitate communication and cooperation among Local Authorities in order for them to make the most of the new evaluation tool. AER regions involved in the project will have the chance to increase the efficiency of the welcoming of refugees with disabilities thanks to a specific tool adopted by all the actors of the first aid. Equally important will be a better coordination with EU agencies. Finally, Regions will come up with an operative manual to transfer project results to other Local Authorities.

Partner regions are also represented in the Community Advisory Board (CAB), including key regional representatives and other external experts. The Community advisory Board will aim to identify the tools currently in place for NGOs and service providers and tune them to Local Authorities’ needs. The presence of Timis, Valencia and Värmland AER member regions in the Board is crucial to ensure a link between the two phases of the development of the tool. Key aims of the CAB will be:

valorising project results through the whole project cycle and beyond,
developing a permanent task-force able to coordinate future common actions together with EU Agencies, and
inspiring a shared EU approach to this issue, with a view to improve the European Asylum System.

Contacts

If you would like to know more about this project, please do not hesitate to contact Andrés Muñoz at the AER Secretariat, via email or dialling +32 (0)2 400 10 50.

Photo credits: @visualhunt; @visualhunt

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The SEED Project is knocking on your door again!

6 September, 2017 By Editor

We do not tire of saying how proud the AER is of being a partner of the SEED Project!

Following the 2017 General Assembly in Sankt Pölten (AT) – which was an important milestone in terms of promotion –, AER would like now to share with member regions more information being the time for the launching of new activities concerning the Silver Economy Awards.

What’s next?

On the occasion of the 2017 Autumn Plenary in Nancy (FR), the AER will take this opportunity to promote the Awards providing key information on the application process and encouraging the participation among the AER network. To this end, just as it happened at the General Assembly, the AER team will set up an info stand accessible to all the participants during the three-day event.

AER wants member regions to submit all the great experiences they are sharing on how regional authorities and stakeholders are committed and innovative in this field.

The third webinar edition is almost here!

Save the dates: Thursday 21^st September from 11 AM to 12 PM CEST

On this occasion, SEED consortium members will explain the aim of the Award Scheme and where and how to apply for the first edition of Silver Economy Awards. Benefits and possible outcomes for those that will apply will be highlighted and some time will be also dedicated to answer questions from potential applicants.

What are you waiting for to get registered? Click here to join the webinar!

What else?

The SEED Consortium is organizing on the 10^th of October, within the 2017 European Week of Regions and Cities (EWRC), a joint event titled “An alternative for the future: Silver Economy for cities and regions” which will be open to the participation of all audiences.

This workshop will take its participants through four inspiring examples of how a Silver Economy can help regions and cities to better match the needs of their ageing population while supporting local businesses and solution providers. It will be the opportunity to discuss the complementarity between these examples and the initiatives at EU level. The networking session that follows will bring together potential partners around issues related to the Silver Economy.

If you wish to attend this event, click on this link, select the indicated event and fill the registration form.

For more information, you can contact Andrés Muñoz from the AER Secretariat at the following email address: [email protected] or by phone dialling +32 (0)2 400 10 50

What’s in for regions?

The Silver Economy Awards is a unique opportunity to enhance both the visibility and recognition of Silver Economy in the Digital Era. The aim is none other than to reward ICT-based innovative solutions that improve the lives of European seniors, and thus support the growth of this cross-cutting sector across Europe.

From our perspective, this initiative can definitely contribute to heightening awareness on the opportunities of the European Silver Economy. On top of this, SEED project represents a good achievement for AER within the project side, having a big potential for the three Committees and member regions both in terms of content and activities.

Do not miss the opportunity to apply! The deadline to submit proposals is set for November 15^th.

For further information, click on the following link: http://silvereconomyawards.eu/2017/home

Photo credits: @SEED: http://silvereconomyawards.eu/2017/home

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Preserving cultural landscapes in Europe? A fight we can win!

5 September, 2017 By Editor

Hello there! It seems like you are doing great, but… would you really leave your cultural landscapes behind, in your march towards economic progress? If your region is looking for a way to balance economic development with traditions, this project is here for you to join!

Want to know more?

2018 will be known as the “European Year of Cultural Heritage”. In this framework, “Documenting Cultural Heritage Landscapes in Europe”, promoted jointly by Norconsult AS and AER, aims at identifying and safeguarding cultural landscapes around Europe, documenting and advertising them through various channels. The project is still in its ideational phase, and we are looking for partners to join and contribute to it. By participating in the project you will preserve and highlight links between producers, land, your traditional products, and the culture which lies behind the final product.

If you are committed to preserving your landscapes, especially those linked with your food traditions, answer the call! The project promoter and his amazing team will pay a visit to your landscapes between October 2017 and September 2018; they will take pictures, make interviews and collect pieces of landscapes’ history. Articles will be published on websites, and a blog will showcase the most interesting stories, reaching for the widest possible audience through all 2018. Once the consortium will be made up, the project idea will be perfected, and final outcomes will be delivered in November 2018.

Main targets

To give you an example of the subjects this project is especially thought for, we could think of the following (non-exhaustive list):

Cultural and productive landscapes producing edible products (food/drink)
Landscapes with a strong connection between local and traditional knowledge, production and people.
Landscapes that are facing challenges and/or obstacles in up-keeping production and traditions and therefore the maintenance and preservation of the area and/or regions that are implementing initiatives to meet these challenges
Productive landscapes related to (or similar):
- Vineyards (wine) Orchards (oils, ciders or other products)
- Dairy farming (cheese, yogurt and other dairy products)
- Fishing (fish and other seafoods)
- Brewing (Beer, hop farming, malteries)

For example, we are convinced that this idea could be good for the Colares region, in Portugal; by joining, the region could preserve their historical vineyards, and boost the impact of such an excellent production on both regional and national economy. In order to build up a strong consortium, we’re looking for similar cases from the widest possible spectrum of regions. The more countries represented in the consortium, the stronger its appeal.

What’s in it for regions?

We are convinced that this idea has a strong potential, and could be interesting for all administrations experiencing competition among tradition and development. By implementing this project, regions would make their strengths known to a wider public, and turn competition into fruitful synergies. This project could make your tradition, history and cultural landscapes powerful agents of development. As an interested partner, AER encourages its member regions to take part in this promising initiative and make the most of it.

How can you express your interest?

Anyone interested in getting involved should contact Luca Magri from the AER Secretariat at his email address: l.mag[email protected], or by phone dialing the +32 2 400 10 53.

Photo credits: @visualhunt: https://visualhunt.com/photo/4352/

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Take part in the Horizon 2020 Project Development Week! (Deadlines Extended!)

24 August, 2017 By Editor

Do you have a project idea but are looking for good partners to build a consortium and get Horizon 2020 funding? Do you have skills and capacity to offer but have not any project ideas to submit for funding?

Then the ERRIN Project Development Week is your chance!

What is it about?

The aim is no other than to promote the exchange of knowledge in a wide range of relevant topics, such as health, energy, ICT, smart cities, opening science, blue innovative growth and transport, among others. Participants will therefore have the chance to share project ideas and innovative solutions as well as getting sound expert advices to submit successful proposals and thus get Horizon 2020 funding.

Four reasons to attend the event

By attending any of the proposed sessions within the ERRIN Project Development Week you will be able to:

Obtain detailed information on the Horizon 2020 2018-2020 Work Programs;
Expand your network, set up consortia, and build new partnerships;
Get sound expert advices on concrete project ideas;
Increase the chances to submit a successful proposal and be funded!

How to get involved?

The event is free of charge and open to everyone but participation is upon selection.

Have a look at the deadlines, consider the type of involvement, register on the website, and decide on how you can contribute to the sessions by contacting ERRIN at the following e-mail address: [email protected]

You can also contact them by phone dialing: +32 2 503 35 54

Save the dates!

Such event, which expects to bring together 400 participants to discuss about 60 project ideas in 8 sessions, will take place from 20^th to 24^th November at multiple venues in Brussels.

These events are open to your regional stakeholders, so do not hesitate to invite them to join and share project ideas!

Please, note that the deadline to register as a participant has been extended to October 30^th.

And AER regions…

The AER, as a supporting partner of ERRIN in this event, would like to take the opportunity to invite all member regions either to engage in the different sessions or to present their proposals before the 20^th of September. This event can provide regions with valuable inputs regarding EU research and innovation policy and can contribute significantly to helping them develop successful projects and thus raise their profile at the EU level.

Please, note that both deadlines (projects submission and participant registration) might be closed ahead due to capacity constraints.

Check the official website to get more info: http://www.errinh2020pdw.eu/node/35

Photo credits: @ERRIN http://www.errinh2020pdw.eu/node/35

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Erasmus+ project on peer review in adult learning

5 July, 2017 By Editor

AER is happy to share a successful project from Umbria region, aimed to provide a good practice adaptable for future projects in the field of formal and non-formal adult learning.

PRALINE project – ‘Peer Review in Adult Learning to Improve Formal and Non-Formal Education’, funded by the Erasmus+ Programme, aims at developing innovative and sustainable initiatives to support Adult Learning (AL) providers through a piloting of the European Peer Review methodology adapted to the adult education sector and tested in five countries: France, Italy, Lithuania, Malta and Portugal.

The final conference of this project, part of the EAEA’s campaign – the Year of Adult Education in Europe 2017, was organised in Brussels on 10th May at the Umbria region office and got an high number of participants as well as relevant speakers and experts. AER Secretariat was in attendance, getting the chance to learn about the project’s experience and findings.

Why PRALINE?

Quality Culture is a priority in the EU Agenda for Adult Learning aimed at ensuring the “possibilities for adults to access high-quality learning opportunities…” Quality of human capital ensures competitiveness. Most of the countries are currently developing or transforming their legislation for this sector, focusing more on quality assurance. Implementation of strategies on adult learning is challenging (Panteia, Developing the adult learning sector, p.XII – 2013).

What is the aim of PRALINE?

Developing innovative and sustainable initiatives to support Adult Learning providers, specifically targeting those in non-formal education sector, in approaching Quality Assurance in their organisation and training provision.
Raising awareness on the positive impact of education in terms of personal and professional development, as well as social integration.

What are the main findings?

‘Warming-up Strategy for developing a Quality Culture’ to achieve the overall objective of initiating Formal and Non-Formal Adult Learning providers to Quality Culture
Turning quality assurance into practice by implementing activities including piloting of the Adapted Peer Review methodology in AL providers, production of Recommendations for developing a quality culture and implementing peer review in formal and non-formal adult learning sector and dissemination/exploitation of the results.

The results on the project can be found in the Qualitative Analysis of the Piloting of the Peer Review Methodology for the Adult Learning Sector and in the Recommendations for Developing a Quality Culture and Implementing Peer Review in Formal and Non-Formal Adult Learning Sector.

Qualitative Analysis of the Piloting of the Peer Review Methodology for the Adult Learning Sector

It helps to understand what are the strengths and areas of improvements by piloting the European Peer Review methodology.

The methodology previously validated for other educational domains was confirmed to be:

Flexible enough for providers with non-mature Quality Management systems in place
Effective for the non-formal learning sector and thus able to support the dialogue with formal learning providers and their more structured and regulated approach
Functional for the reinforcement of soft skills
A support to the organisations going through period of change
A way to improve the use of self-assessment practices in the organisations QM systems coherently with the objectives of EU policies.

However, some aspects could be improved. In particular, some tools in the European Peer Review Tool-Box needs to be simplified. More flexible ways for application of the methodology needs to be formed in order to adopt it to specific contexts. The role of Peers as catalyst needs to be investigated for a smooth approach to quality assurance. Better impact assessment of participation to Peer Reviews is needed in terms of soft skills development. The educational value of the Quality Areas has key role in quality culture development, therefore, its promotion is inevitable.

Recommendations for Developing a Quality Culture and Implementing Peer Review in Formal and Non-Formal Adult Learning Sector

Recommendations are made starting from the results of the ‘Warming-up Strategy’, as well as from the conclusions of ‘the Qualitative Analysis of the Piloting of the Peer Review Methodology for the Adult Learning Sector’ and of the Stakeholders’ Committees.

Some potential implementation areas at both provider and policymaker levels were identified.

For policy makers:

Systemising the framework of the European Peer Review Methodology in a transversal way to encompass all educational sectors
Clear position of European Peer Review in wider quality assurance system of adult learning sector to ensure its use and recognition at national and European level
Encouraging synergies between policies and instruments, greater transparency and consistency between sectors also operating separately

For adult learning providers:

Promoting the professional qualification and continuing training of staff responsible for education and training, in particular on issues of quality assurance and the consequent recognition of these skills as relevant to their professional profile.
Considering the possibility of adaptation to the specificities of the organisations and of the educational offer, in order to include everyone in the process of improvement, starting from the sharing of a common framework.

For both policy makers and adult learning providers:

Integrating Peer Review methodology with other Quality Assurance methods moving towards a system of “performance-based awarding schemes”.
Supporting an approach based on voluntary basis through institutional and shared forms of recognition and visibility, as Registers of Peers, a Peer Review European Label, etc
Identifying links between European and national levels for a sustainable introduction and mainstreaming of the European Peer Review methodology
Supporting opportunities for interaction and exchange between VET providers and AL providers for the sake of quality of learning offer.
Developing quality network among providers, valuing and rewarding initiatives of mutual evaluation among organizations also from different sectors
Promoting information and training meetings on the issues of quality of learning offer addressed not necessarily, or not only, to quality specialists.
Supporting the use of the conceptual framework of the European Peer Review methodology (Quality Areas, criteria and related indicators) for self-evaluation and in order to raise awareness about the importance of a culture of quality among different AL providers.

For AL providers:

Promoting the professional qualification and continuing training of staff responsible for education and training, in particular on issues of quality assurance and the consequent recognition of these skills as relevant to their professional profile.
Considering the possibility of adaptation to the specificities of the organisations and of the educational offer, in order to include everyone in the process of improvement, starting from the sharing of a common framework.

If you wish to learn more about this project and ways to cooperate with Umbria region, please get in touch with the AER Secretariat.

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Qualitative Analysis of the Piloting of the Peer Review Methodology for the Adult Learning Sector

Recommendations for Developing a Quality Culture and Implementing Peer Review in Formal and Non-Formal Adult Learning Sector

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