SMEs Qualification Handbook – SME_QUAL
Project Number: 538534-LLP-1-2013-1-IT-LEONARDO-LMP
Methodology guidelines for the analysis on the methodologies
and good practices of defining
competence-based qualifications for SMEs
in relation to ECVET
Final
Scienter CID
Legal notice: With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication / communication reflects the views only of
the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
1
SMEs Qualification Handbook – SME_QUAL
Project Number: 538534-LLP-1-2013-1-IT-LEONARDO-LMP
1. General Background
European and training policies
The Bruges Communiqué on enhanced European Cooperation in Vocational Education and
Training for 2011-2020 states as strategic objectives:
1. Enabling flexible access to training and qualifications through the definition of qualifications
in terms of learning outcomes and with the attribution of ECVET points.
2. Developing a strategic approach to the internationalization of I-VET and C-VET and
promoting international mobility, considering that economic globalization encourages
employers, employees and independent entrepreneurs to extend their scope beyond the
borders of their own countries.
The Education and Training 2020 Framework (ET 2020) explicitly sets a benchmark 15% of adults
participating in learning programmes. For reaching this objective it is necessary to apply common
European instruments and principles and use them to promote mobility for VET learners and to
encourage more adults to take up continuing training.
For reaching the above mentioned political priorities, several lifelong learning instruments have
been recommended at European level to the member states: ECVET, EQF, EQAVET, Europass,
ECTS.
ECVET and other European instruments
1. Definition of ECVET
The European Credit system for Vocational Education Training (ECVET) aims to facilitate the
accumulation, transfer and recognition of knowledge, skills and competences gained by individuals
who are aiming to achieve a Qualification.1
It was developed by Member States together with the European Commission’s Directorate
General Education and Training. Recently, the ECVET regulatory framework was adopted by the
European Parliament and the Council on 18 June 2009 through Recommendation 2009/C 155/02.
2 ECVET implementation
ECVET implementation is possible if each unit is documented and the learning outcomes it
contains are assessed, and validated. Hence learners can:
Progressively (unit-by-unit or set of units by set of units) accumulate learning outcomes in view of
achieving a qualification;
Obtain recognition for their learning outcomes achieved in other contexts without new
assessment (i.e. units can be transferred because the learner can provide the receiving institution
1
Source: European Commission, DG EAC, The European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training ECVET –
Get to know ECVET better. Questions and Answers, Revised by February 2011.
Legal notice: With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication / communication reflects the views only of
the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
2
SMEs Qualification Handbook – SME_QUAL
Project Number: 538534-LLP-1-2013-1-IT-LEONARDO-LMP
with evidence that s/he has been successfully assessed and has achieved the concerned learning
outcomes).
In countries where qualifications are not designed in terms of units or where they do not allow for
the accumulation of units, it is possible to use ECVET for mobility purposes by creating units used
only for mobility. 2
Units should be constructed and organised in a coherent way with regard to the overall
qualification.
To group the learning outcomes into units it is necessary to identify those outcomes that relate to
each other. There are different criteria according to which learning outcomes can be grouped into
units and the choice of which criteria to use depends on the qualifications system. Examples
include:
The fact that the learning outcomes relate to the same set of occupational activities/tasks (for
example the learning outcomes in a unit entitled “shampooing and hair treatment”);
The fact that they are related to the same product or production technique (such as the learning
outcomes in a unit entitled “prepare grilled dishes”);
They can also be grouped according to the stages in the production process or process of
performing a service (for example the learning outcomes in a unit called “informing the client
about the nature of maintenance intervention”); or
They can be grouped in a unit because they relate to the same field of knowledge, skills or
competence (for example the competence in foreign language can form a separate unit). 3
3 ECVET Benefits for Individuals, employers and training providers
the Learning Outcomes approach can be seen as an opportunity to tailor education and training to
individual needs, improve links to the labour market and improve the way non-formally and
informally acquired Learning Outcomes are recognized. (…) i.e., ECVET can help in including
mobility experience as part of a qualification and allows a flexible mapped development of
qualifications which improves the employability of SMEs employees and young people entering to the
world of work.4
By providing more homogeneity to training programmes offered by external training providers, it
raises the attractiveness and transparency of the training programmes to individuals and SMEs
and increases cooperation between VET providers.5
SMEQUAL contribution to these aims and approach
External conditions, infrastructures and educational & training system, which now are binding on
SMEs, have slowed down productivity. Today, the basic needs of SMEs are represented by the
reaffirmation of the quality of the products, the recognition of the human factor, the consolidation
2
Idem
Ibidem
4
EACEA and EBTN, BIF project’s ECVET User Guide, Leonardo da Vinci programme, oct.2011
5
Idem
3
Legal notice: With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication / communication reflects the views only of
the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
3
SMEs Qualification Handbook – SME_QUAL
Project Number: 538534-LLP-1-2013-1-IT-LEONARDO-LMP
of skills, through continuing training resources and effective recovery of the technological
inferiority of the other European countries.
Thus, the main problems to be addressed refer to the awareness and implementation of the
lifelong learning instruments, in particular to the ECVET application. These instruments (ECVET,
EQF and EQAVET) are systemic instruments that depend very much on national political strategies
and changes, but ECVET application, in particular, need to be strongly supported also by VET
providers. These are the stakeholders who should put them into practice within VET programmes
in order to make mobility and transparency happen, for the SME across Europe.
The SME-QUAL project aims to improve the quality of training systems for SMEs, by incorporating
the ECVET provisions foreseen in the Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the
Council establishing the ECVET system. In particular, the project will provide operational European
Guidelines and methods for the implementation of ECVET provisions in the VET programmes, for
the SMEs.
The project sets the following concrete objectives:
1. Analyse the existing experiences and good practices in designing qualifications for SMEs, in
units of LOs and with the attribution of ECVET points, in three Partners countries (BE, IT,
PL)
2. Develop the “European Handbook for the LOs based Qualifications for SMEs’, which will
include operational methods and guidelines for defining learning outcomes based
qualifications for the SMEs.
LOs and quality assurance are not deeply known in neither by VET providers, nor SMEs
employees in Europe. SMEs themselves and the social partners are often not even aware of
what is available at European level for professional qualification design. Thus, the expected
results of the European Handbook for learning outcomes based Qualifications for the SMEs
is to bring more trust and confidence in the qualifications of the SMEs, in LLL opportunities
and to enhance the mobility of employees across Europe.
3. Test the “European Handbook for the LOs based Qualifications for SMEs’ on a qualification
prototype: HR Planning & Recruitment Expert.
4. Define and test the quality standards for the ECVET implementation within competencebased SMEs qualifications.
Legal notice: With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication / communication reflects the views only of
the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
4
SMEs Qualification Handbook – SME_QUAL
Project Number: 538534-LLP-1-2013-1-IT-LEONARDO-LMP
2. Scope of the Methodological guidelines
This supporting document aims at providing the methodological framework to set out the
procedures and instruments to be followed by the project partners for the identification and
analysis at national and European level of existing methodologies and good practices for
designing competence based qualifications for the SMEs and for the identification of the current
state of art of ECVET implementation by HEI (Higher Education Institutions) and VET (Vocational
Education Training) providers.
Moreover, the analysis will also help the Consortium to identify the needs and gaps to be
addressed, and to collect recommendations for designing qualifications in term of LOs and with
the attribution of ECVET points.
However, during the Kick-off meeting celebrated in Granada on 11-12/11/2013, after having a
debate on the methodological approach, the project partners came to the conclusion that in order
to involve training organizations in the project development phase and to guarantee the wide
validation of the project outcomes, partners should already start the WP6 desk research for the
definition of the qualification at this stage (see KoM Minutes and new proposed Action Plan &
Gantt Chart), in order to include a synthesis of the qualification description to the survey to be
discussed with the analysis target groups. Thus, the objective would be also to verify the
usefulness and applicability in different learning contexts of the professional description
approach proposed and to make sure that it is coherent with the ECVET recommendations.
The European qualification identified after the KoM partner´s brainstorming was called: HR
Professional.
The analysis will be based on a common methodology, an online questionnaire and structured
interviews. These tools will be implemented mainly in three project countries: BE, IT, PL.
In addition, throughout the questionnaire and interviews partners will also collect existing
practices and suggestions regarding the most relevant quality standards for the ECVET
implementation on qualifications for the SMEs.
The review and posterior analysis of results will involve the project partners listed below:
P1 – University of Roma Tre (IT)
P2 – Effebi (IT)
P4 – EAPM (BE)
P5 – Eurocadres (BE)
P6 – Confapi (IT)
P7 – Paiz (PL)
P6 – Scienter CID, is the partner in charge of the development of WP3 methodology for the
analysis, analysis of data and provision of the report and recommendations, in collaboration with
Eurocadres (P5) and Confapi (P6).
Legal notice: With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication / communication reflects the views only of
the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
5
SMEs Qualification Handbook – SME_QUAL
Project Number: 538534-LLP-1-2013-1-IT-LEONARDO-LMP
The results of the analysis of data will be reported in a European Synthesis Report that will be used
for the implementation of the WP4 and WP6.
On the basis of the data gathered, partners will select the most relevant good practices and
recommendations to be considered for the definition of the “European Handbook for the Learning
Outcomes (LO) based Qualifications for SMEs”.
5. Methodology of Data collection
To define the methodology for performing the analysis on methodologies and good practices of
defining competence based qualifications for SMEs, the consortium agreed on the following
aspects to be considered:
1.
METHODOLOGICAL STEPS
ANALYSIS OF GOOD PRACTICES
DEFINE A EUROPEAN QUALIFICATION
 LOs based qualifications designed by:
HEI
VET
 ECVET knowledge/awareness and
application
 Recognition of LOs achieved in formal,
informal and non-formal learning
contexts
 Assessment
(work
based
and
competence based)
 How we identify the good practices?
 Descriptors for defining the Units of
the Qualification
2.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Useful - increase employability
Recognisable in the labour market
Transparent
Flexible - can be achieved through different
learning paths: formal, non formal and
informal, including work/life prior experience
5. Supporting lifelong learning (CDP)
Define A EUROPEAN QUALIFICATION IN LINE Design
a
qualification
that
integrates
WITH ECVET/EQF/EQAVET REQUIREMENTS ECVET/EQF/EQAVET instruments:
(HR Professional)
 Through ECTS integration
 Compatible with ECVET/EQF/EQAVET
 Definition of job profile & descriptors, Units,
LOs and recommendations of possible
learning paths/instruments
 Attribution of ECVET points
 Recommendations regarding EQAVET
Legal notice: With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication / communication reflects the views only of
the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
6
SMEs Qualification Handbook – SME_QUAL
Project Number: 538534-LLP-1-2013-1-IT-LEONARDO-LMP
3.
 Introduction in lifelong learning instruments
 The characteristics/benefits of a competence
based qualification in line with ECVET (and
EQF, EQAVET, ECTS)
 Guidelines for the different methodological
steps to be followed in order to define a
competence based qualification in line with
ECVET (and EQF, EQAVET, ECTS)
 Examples of existing good practices
 Design scenarios allowing the access of
different groups (HE students, VET
students, SMEs employees and young
people entering to the world of work
HANDBOOK: DESCRIBE/EXPLAIN THE PHASES
OF THE METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH
APPLIED
Figure 1: KoM methodological brainstorming proposal
QUALITY STANDARDS FOR THE ECVET APPLICATION
HR PROFESSIONAL
80 credits
ASSESSMENT
HR MANAGEMENT
40
1
HR ORGANISATION
HR DEVELOPMENT
20
2
PLANNING
20
3
RECRUITMENT
Figure 2: KoM methodological brainstorming proposal
Legal notice: With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication / communication reflects the views only of
the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
7
SMEs Qualification Handbook – SME_QUAL
Project Number: 538534-LLP-1-2013-1-IT-LEONARDO-LMP
4.1. Reference period
The reference period of the survey as mentioned in the official proposal is from month 2 to month
6 of the project, that is, from December 2013 to April 2014.
4.2. National sampling plan and participants
Each country (BE, IT, PL) should ensure having at least five in-depth questionnaires and five
interviews with relevant VET providers and stakeholders, as well as two or three good practices
and methodologies identified.
The participants that should be invited are:
 Schools Institutes and Universities
 Training providers
 SMEs/companies’ training departments
The performance indicators which have been proposed are:
 15 VET providers & other stakeholders (3x5) – answering the questionnaire
 15 VET providers & other stakeholders (3x5) – participating in the structured interviews
 6 selected good practices and methodologies.
Each country shall consider the approach which best meets its needs in obtaining a sufficiently
high response rate, nevertheless, as not all responded questionnaires will be useful for the
identification of good practices and methodologies in the design of qualifications, it would be
advisable to collect a number of questionnaires quite superior than the 15 required (between
20-25) in order to assure the expected minimum quality standard. Below you can find the
proposed tools to be used in our SMEQUAL survey.
3.3 Tools for the analysis
To ensure that data are collected in a consistent manner across all participating countries and to a
prescribed minimum quality standard, the selected tools to be provided for the collection process
are the following:
i Online Questionnaire (see Annex 1)
The European online questionnaire6 developed within WP 3 shall be used as the basis for the
survey. Any deviations from the common questionnaire must be noted in the national synthesis
reports. However, it is important that the sequence of questions as set out in the outline
questionnaire should be followed in all cases. This is necessary to ensure that the data are as
comparable as possible because the ordering of questions may influence the answers provided. If
there is a need of translation of the questionnaire into the national language, this task should be
performed with the utmost care, making sure that the concepts and definitions to be used for the
questionnaire are not distorted through translation. This is a key issue in relation to the objective
of establishing comparable results across countries.
6
i.e.: surveymonkey or google tool.
Legal notice: With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication / communication reflects the views only of
the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
8
SMEs Qualification Handbook – SME_QUAL
Project Number: 538534-LLP-1-2013-1-IT-LEONARDO-LMP
However, not all entities may respond positively to web based questionnaires and they may suffer
from the problem of possible low response rates because of a lack of direct personal contact from
an interviewer. To raise response rates, it is probably useful to make preliminary telephone
contact and send the questionnaire in advance to training providers. In addition, interviews should
be used to fill the gaps in responses.
ii Structured interview grid (see Annex 2 and also section 3 from the questionnaire -)
After a first step of screening analysis by the questionnaires, a second phase survey will respond to
a deeper case study of each good practice identified. For this reason, the consortium decided to
use individual face-to-face interviews with the expectation that this data collection procedure
would produce better data than other methods, especially for the qualitative aspects. Face-to-face
interviews have the advantage of guaranteeing high response rates and permit flexibility in
interviewing different persons within the working place in respect of different parts of the
questionnaire. Good field control and documentation are additional advantages of face-to-face
interviews.
Several things are worth remembering when asking question:
-The questions listed in Annex 2 have to be answered
-Questions should be carefully phrased and appropriately sequenced
-Questions should be asked in conversational manner
-Moderators should alter the sequence of questions or topics if some of them have already been
discussed or answered in previous discussion.
-Moderators should consider that when the discussion shift quickly off topic, moderators should
pull it back to the original intent
-Moderators should decide when enough has been said on a particular question/topic and when
to ask the next one.
The moderator has several options to close the interview. Some of the most common once are the
following:
-Summarise briefly the main points of the view and ask if this perception is accurate
-After the 2 to 3 minutes summary is completed, the moderator should invite comments,
amendments or corrections.
-The moderator should ask if the participant has any questions that can be incorporated to the
interview data collection
-As soon as possible, the moderator should debrief the discussion and fill the report.
iii Questionnaires and interviews’ reporting grids and template (1 Excel + 1 word document)
Each partner involved in the survey exercise will be provided with two reporting documents:
- one reporting grid to collect the quantitative (if the collection of data would have been done
manually) and qualitative questionnaire’s results;
- and one national synthesis report template to report both qualitative questionnaires results and
interview’s results.
Legal notice: With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication / communication reflects the views only of
the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
9
SMEs Qualification Handbook – SME_QUAL
Project Number: 538534-LLP-1-2013-1-IT-LEONARDO-LMP
The aim of these documents is to collect the results obtained from the survey and to facilitate the
analysis for the responsible partner of the Analysis and European Synthesis & Recommendations
work package.
4.3 Timetable and Data Transmission to Scienter CID
The survey shall be carried out in close cooperation with Scienter CID, Eurocadres and Confapi.
Countries shall take all measures necessary to avoid delays in carrying out the survey and so affect
the availability, quality and timeliness of the data. Field work should normally begin on 28th
January 2014. The questionnaire should be translated if necessary from English into national
languages. Further data processing would normally then take place until 15th March 2013. Project
partners will present to Scienter CID a full national report, in electronic form, in English no later
than end march 2013.
5. Basic concepts glossary
Assessment of learning outcomes*: Methods and processes used to establish the extent to which
a learner has attained particular knowledge, skills and competence.
Competence**: the proven ability to use knowledge, skills and personal, social and/or
methodological abilities, in work or study situations and in professional and personal
development. In the context of the EQF, competence is described in terms of responsibility and
autonomy
Competent institution*: Institution which is responsible for designing and awarding qualifications
or recognising units or other functions linked to ECVET, such as the allocation of ECVET points to
qualifications and units, assessment, validation and recognition of learning outcomes under the
rules and practices of participating countries.
Credit accumulation: Process through which learners can acquire qualifications progressively by
successive assessments of learning outcomes.
Credit transfer: Process through which learning outcomes achieved in one context can be taken
into account in another context. Credit transfer is based on the processes of assessment,
validation and recognition.
ECVET points*: Numerical representation of the overall weight of learning outcomes in a qualification and of the relative weight of units in relation to the qualification.
Formal learning***: Is learning that occurs in an organised and structured environment (e.g. in an
education or training institution or on the job) and is explicitly designated as learning (in terms of
objectives, time or resources). Formal learning is intentional from the learner’s point of view. It
typically leads to validation and certification.
Legal notice: With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication / communication reflects the views only of
the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
10
SMEs Qualification Handbook – SME_QUAL
Project Number: 538534-LLP-1-2013-1-IT-LEONARDO-LMP
Knowledge**: the outcome of the assimilation of information through learning. Knowledge is the
body of facts, principles, theories and practices that is related to a field of work or study.
Knowledge is described as theoretical and/or factual.
Learning outcome*: a statement of what a learner knows, understands and is able to do on
completion of a learning process, defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competence
Learning (education and training) programme***: Inventory of activities, content and/or
methods implemented to achieve education or training objectives (acquiring knowledge, skills
and/or competences), organised in a logical sequence over a specified period of time.
National qualifications system**: All aspects of a Member State’s activity related to the
recognition of learning and other mechanisms that link education and training to the labour
market and civil society. This includes the development and implementation of institutional
arrangements and processes relating to quality assurance, assessment and the award of
qualifications. A national qualifications system may be composed of several subsystems and may
include a national qualifications framework.
National qualifications framework**: an instrument for the classification of qualifications
according to a set of criteria for specified levels of learning achieved, which aims to integrate and
co-ordinate national qualifications sub-systems and improve the transparency, access, progression
and quality of qualifications in relation to the labour market and civil society
Qualification*: a formal outcome of an assessment and validation process, which is obtained
when a competent body determines that an individual has achieved learning outcomes to given
standards
Recognition of learning outcomes*: The process of attesting officially achieved learning outcomes
through the awarding of units or qualifications.
Sector: a grouping of professional activities on the basis of their main economic function, product,
service or technology
Skills**: the ability to apply knowledge and use know-how to complete tasks and solve problems.
Skills are described as cognitive (involving the use of logical, intuitive and creative thinking) or
practical (involving manual dexterity and the use of methods, materials, tools and instruments)
Unit of learning outcomes (unit)*: Component of a qualification, consisting of a coherent set of
knowledge, skills and competence, which can be assessed and validated.
Validation of learning outcomes*: The process of confirming that certain assessed learning
outcomes achieved by a learner correspond to specific outcomes which may be required for a unit
or a qualification.
Legal notice: With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication / communication reflects the views only of
the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
11
SMEs Qualification Handbook – SME_QUAL
Project Number: 538534-LLP-1-2013-1-IT-LEONARDO-LMP
Vocational education and training provider***: Any organisation or individual providing
education or training services.
Education and training providers may be organisations specifically set up for this purpose, or they
may be other, such as employers, who provide training as a part of their business activities.
Training providers also include independent individuals who offer training services.
Source:
* Definition adopted as part of the ECVET Recommendation
** Definition adopted as part of the EQF Recommendation
*** Definition extracted from Cedefop (2008) Terminology of European education and training policy.
Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities2.
****Definition from the DG EAC web-site on validation of non-formal and informal learning3.
6. Annexes
1. Example of questionnaire form regarding “the analysis on the methodologies and good
practices of defining competence-based qualifications for SMEs“
2. Qualification description synthesis of HR Professional
3. Example of structured interview grid
4. Template for reporting national survey results
5. Grid for data collection of analysis results
Legal notice: With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication / communication reflects the views only of
the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
12