STRUCTURED ESSAY

Formative evaluation tool for the discipline:

MANAGEMENT OF THE EUROPEAN PROGRAMMES

Methodological instructions The goal o! essa" ela#oration and $resentation This activity has the goal to evaluate the students capacity of providing an adequate answer to an issue or problem outside of the framework imposed by the activities performed during the teaching course, seminar, etc. The essay will be publicly presented within the last course of the academic semester. Presentation will last ma imum !" minutes, and it will be followed by # minutes of questions $ answers. Two weeks before the public defence, the essay in its final form will be delivered to the teaching staff who is the course holder, both on paper and as a %ord file. &epending on the quality of the materials used for realising the presentation and also on the manner of presentation 'the technique used(, on the capacity of answering to different questions addressed by the audience, an evaluation of the presentation capacity will be done, which, together with the essays content will determine the mark 'score( granted for this compulsory activity 'essay(. This mark 'score( will be taken into consideration 'together with the mark granted for the seminar activity and with the mark obtained during the e am session( in calculating the final mark 'score( afferent to the discipline )*anagement of the +uropean programmes,. Thus, by the envisaged general evaluation ob-ectives it will be verified the students capacity to: !. collect the necessary bibliographic material. /. synthesi0e the information delivered by the bibliographic material. 1. properly use the obtained information in elaborating an adequate response to the imposed issue. 2. correctly type3render at imposed standards a scientific material. #. present and publicly defend 'argue( the material thus realised. Structure o! the essa" The essay has to be of ma imum 4 typed pages 'P5 typed(. Times 6ew 7oman font of !/ pt will be used, and the te t will be written at single spacing. The form below is compulsory to be used. For%ing the tea% and selecting the $rogra%%e Teams of appro imately # students each will be formed. +ach team will select one of the programmes: 5omenius, +rasmus, 8eonardo da 9inci, :rundtvig, 5ulture, ;outh, P<=7+, >?P=, ?=P=7&, +F7&, +?F, 5F thus to

not e ist two teams working upon the same programme and to not remain uncovered 'un@selected( programmes for the essay. STRUCTURED ESSAY & te%$late Title o! the essa" Lifelong Learning Programme - Grundtvig Max. 3 lines The !inancing $rogra%%e 'hich !ollo' to #e anal"(ed) Moti*ate "our choice))) To support a healthy development of its states, the European Union has managed to create and implement an important number of programmes which are strongly directed toward its citi ens, in order to create for them a modern society, in which education and training are on the top of the ob!ectives list without ta"ing into account the age or the provenience of the persons interested in having stronger and more diverse "nowledge# The European Union$s Lifelong Learning Programme %LLP& supports education and training cooperation between more than '( countries in Europe# Part of this programme, "nown as Grundtvig, specifically supports general and non-vocational adult learning through grants provided to adult education staff, adult learners and European pro!ects involving organisations active in this field# Grundtvig aims to open up new ways for adults of all ages to improve their "nowledge and s"ills, to develop their individual aptitudes and potential, and to contribute actively to the communities in which they live# )irstly, we have chosen to analyse the Grundtvig Programme because its range of adult education opportunities are not about wor" related s"ills and *ualifications# They are about learning for living and en!oyment+ the "inds of learning that often go unrecognised# Grundtvig helps to raise peoples life s"ills, "nowledge and competences# This not only has a positive impact on the communities they live or wor" in, but also encourages a more accepting and inclusive society# ,econdly, Grundtvig also puts adult education staff in touch with each other# ,taff, volunteers, and trainers can spend time seeing how colleagues across Europe approach things differently - for e.ample, by forming partnerships, underta"ing !ob shadowing, or attending courses and conferences abroad# /n other words, the Grundtvig programme focuses on the teaching and study needs of learners ta"ing adult education and 0alternative education courses, as well as the organisations delivering these services# /t aims to help develop the adult education sector, as well as enable more people to underta"e learning e.periences, notably in other European countries# Max. 24 lines Ai% and o#+ecti*es o! the $rogra%%e) Priorities o! the $rogra%%e) Particulari(e the situation !or Ro%ania, The Grundtvig programme addresses the teaching and learning needs of those in all forms of adult education, as well as the institutions and organisations providing or facilitating such education# /t is part of the new Lifelong Learning programme %1((2-1(3'&, which

supports pro!ects and activities that foster interchange, cooperation and mobility between education and training systems within the EU# ,pecific ob!ectives4 - to respond to the educational challenge of an ageing population in Europe - to help provide adults with pathways to improving their "nowledge and competences 5perational ob!ectives4 - to improve the *uality and accessibility of mobility throughout Europe of people involved in adult education and to increase its volume - to improve the *uality and to increase the volume of co-operation between organisations involved in adult education throughout Europe - to assist people from vulnerable social groups and in marginal social conte.ts, in particular older people and those who have left education without basic *ualifications, in order to give them alternative opportunities to access adult education - to facilitate the development of innovative practices in adult education and their transfer, including from a participating country to others - to support the development of innovative /6T-based content, services, pedagogies and practice for lifelong learning - to improve pedagogical approaches and the management of adult education organisations The specific aims of the Grundtvig programme are to4 - increase the number of people in adult education to 17 ((( by 1(3', and improve the *uality of their e.perience, whether at home or abroad+ - improve conditions for mobility so that at least 2 ((( people per year by 1(3' can benefit from adult education abroad+ - to strengthen the European dimension in adult education and lifelong learning across Europe+ - to encourage the development of innovative materials and resources+ - to stimulate the debate of lifelong learning and encourage the sharing of good practice# Priorities 8ecentralised actions4 national priorities 3# learning partnerships 1# mobility of staff %/,T, 9isits:E.changes, ;ssistantships& ' #mobility of learners %wor"shops, senior volunteering& 6entralised actions 3# multilateral pro!ects 1# networ"s -< 6ommon European priorities '# accompanying measures -< no priorities ,tarting from 5ctober 1((=, there was a pro!ect that carried on until 1(3( and it involved organisations from 7 countries4 ;ustria, Germany, /taly, The 6 ech >epublic and >omania+ its purpose was to give women over ?( the chance to get involved in cultural e.changes in the field of gastronomy but also to ac*uire new abilities, li"e for instance computer s"ills# The @ beneficiaries from >omania had the opportunity to ta"e part in 1 gastronomy wor"shops in Germany and ;ustria and they learned to document the results of

these events electronically in order to put them at the public$s disposal on the pro!ect web page# Last year, />EA, together with ' partners from European Union, through the Progress )oundation from >omania, developed a pro!ect that was funded through a Grundtvig initiative within the European Lifelong Learning Programme# The aim of this programme was to use the digital storytelling as a way to increase the use of /nformation and 6ommunications Technologies %/6T& among seniors citi ens, having as benefit a grater degree of involvement in society# Max. 48 lines Target grou$s) Particulari(e the situation !or Ro%ania, Target group can be defined as a group or entity that will be directly positively affected by the pro!ect ob!ectives and also is represented by any adult with an age over 3@ years, to the e.tent that it is no longer in formal education system# Grundtvig program aims to provide educational alternatives and improve the access of all ages who want to learn new s"ills through adult education forms# /n >omania it is considered important vocational education of young generation, generation of which the future of this country is depending# Boung people must reali e the importance of education in their lives# They need to communicate with people from many parts of the country and of course from other countries that have different lifestyles and education# People who are involved in target groups are adults between 3= and 77 years old with educational disadvantages who have completed the first level of education and need to improve the education to be good e.amples for their children# The following can also participate4 C Persons or institutions responsible for initiating and monitoring policies and adult education systems, local, regional and national+ C 5rgani ations providing guidance, counseling and information in the field of adult education+ C /nstitutions and organi ations providing adult learning opportunities by type formal, non-formal or informal+ C /nstitutions of higher education interested in adult education+ C /nstitutions engaged in initial and continuous training of staff in field of adult education+ C >esearch centers in the field of adult education+ C ;ssociations and representatives of organi ations involved in adult education, including teacher associations+ C Teachers, trainers and other staff of the institutions and organi ations dealing with adult education+ C Don- profit organi ations, voluntary organi ations in the area of the current DG5s# Max. 24 lines

Actual needs in the !ield en*isaged #" the !inancing $rogra%%e "ou chose) -a"s o! identi!"ing the%) Particulari(e the situation !or Ro%ania, Grudtvig programme is responding to certain needs such as4 -;s Europe is changing and with that the demands on ;dult education concerning for e.ample cultural and linguistic diversity -Ensure that future developments are coordinated throughout Europe and therefore prevent national wor" being carried out in isolation and so be able to offer wider opportunities to potential learners from all European countries# - Enowledge transfer from more e.perienced to less e.perienced partners and vice versa# -,preading : discussing the idea of holistic habilitation : rehabilitation in Europe by involving various sta"eholder groups# - E.changing models of good practice and best practice# - ;nalyse and discuss unconventional ideas %0thin" outside the bo.&# - ,hare e.periences in developing and offering course programs for comple. rehabilitationF6E professionals and non-professionals# -,upport the development of innovative /6T-based content, services, pedagogies and practice for lifelong learning# -)ind possible partners for future European cooperation# -Encouraging adults, regardless of age, to engage in various activities and organi ations speciali ed in adult education and preparing them for changes in society# -/mproving cooperation with local, regional and national organi ations to provide a solid foundation for developing activities and ideas promoted+ -;ttracting students and motivate them to engage in learning through service counselling and partnerships with enterprises+ -6alling for government organi ations to obtain charitable gestures #; good e.ample would be getting enter permits for adults to a county library to study or obtain theatre tic"ets and adult involvement in cultural activities# The ways of identifying the needs were many# 5ne of these methods was conducting surveys by educational organi ations in order to find people who have left school prematurely or immigrants who had no access to education People belonging to rural areas were also interested to participate in this program of lifelong learning# Max. 48 lines Hu%an resources a*aila#le in the !ield en*isaged #" the !inancing $rogra%%e "ou chose) -a"s o! identi!"ing the%) Hu%an resources %anage%ent) Particulari(e the situation !or Ro%ania, ;s concerning the human resources available in the area of the Grundtvig programme, these may vary according to the si e of the pro!ect, the diversity and the number of partners involved# >egardless of the number of human resources involved in the pro!ect, it is normal to create, through collaboration, a team which will show trust, mutual aid, transparency, collegiality, mutual support, in order for it to achieve its ultimate ob!ectives# /f the Grundtvig pro!ect involves partners from several countries, it is understandable that there may be obstacles in the management of human resources, obstacles such as language, personal and professional e.periences, environment in which the staff live and

others# To understand that human resource management is very important, yet difficult, we illustrate this4 in our pro!ect can be involved institutions such as schools from different countries, an university, an DG5, companies from several countries and others# ;s part of the pro!ects funded under Lifelong Learning Programme in Grundtvig pro!ects are invested public money and hence it belongs to the pro!ect sponsor# ,urely the sponsor wants to achieve some specific educational goals through funds provided by the pro!ect and the pro!ect team must "now very well those purposes# 5n the other hand, team members invest their human capacity and institutions behind them invest their resources in the pro!ect# )rom this we can e.tract the idea that human resources involved must be wellprepared for the program, aware of the responsibilities assumed and therefore prepared to face obstacles that can arise during the pro!ect# )or a better understanding, let$s ta"e a concrete e.ample# /ntegra >omania develops the pro!ect G)inancial Education for vulnerable personsG, which runs from 5ctober 1((2 Hune 1((I# Pro!ect partners are Jicrofinance 6enter in Poland, ,lova"ia /ntegra )oundation, ;utonomy )oundation in Kungary, Detwor" 6redit Dorway, European Jicrofinance Detwor" in )rance and Evers : Hung Germany# The ob!ectives of the pro!ect are4 sharing the e.perience of each organi ation in adult education methods and tools successfully used by partners+ creating a portal for information regarding financial literacy of adults, useful both to those who provide such services and direct beneficiaries+ integrating best practices of each organi ations$ current programs+ start collaborating on term between organi ations committed to help raise the financial education level of vulnerable people# /t follows from this that the human resources who are involved in the pro!ect are4 people from /ntegra >omania who accessed the program, who wor"ed on the drafting of the pro!ect, people who have contacted partners, representatives of partners directly involved in the activities posed by the pro!ect, along with the people who coordinate the activities %whether individuals within firms or persons recruited specifically for certain activities lectures, seminars - through which the ob!ectives will be reached&# /n selecting these individuals there is a selection phase inside the organi ations, when it is ta"en into account the professional e.perience, the desire to engage in this type of activity, openness to new and ability to help others in terms of financial education# /n this case, people involved in the pro!ect will be part of the aforementioned organi ations or trainers %persons that can be selected from outside the organi ations&# Max. 48 lines

Su$$ort on #ehal! o! the local. regional and national authorities) Particulari(e the situation !or Ro%ania, >ecent studies and reports place >omania among the European countries registering one of the lowest rates of absorption of the ,tructural funds# This situation resides into several wea"nesses encountered at the administrative level4 - Limited capacity of local and central public authorities to prioriti e attractive pro!ects in terms of their impact and *uality+ - Poor *uality of technical assistance and poor capacity of the beneficiaries to efficiently manage technical assistance pro!ects+ - ,ignificant difficulties %in terms of financial effort in time& in preparing the application files combined with high rates of pro!ect re!ections, public contestations and insufficient

"nowledge and e.pertise in public procurement processes which lead to huge delays in the grant awarding process+ - Limited e.pertise of central and local administration in implementing the pro!ects %lac" of sufficient and e.perienced speciali ed personnel, lac" of strategic financial planning doubled by poor budgetary administration&+ - Lac" of co-financing resources and incapacity of beneficiaries for raising proper cofunding# /n recent times, the economic recession that hit the country in 1((I and resulted in very important cuts among the budgetary system created supplementary institutional stress on the agencies dealing with the EU funds and their role in facilitating large scale absorption by different entities# Kowever, the government strategy shows that absorption of the ,tructural )unds is their Priority Lero, and one can fre*uently read in the >omanian press that, as a result of badly managed absorption the assessment results show a high level of mismanagement of these funds# /nformation regarding issues related to corruption can regularly be found in the >omanian press Max. 24 lines

Mentalit" o! the Ro%anian $o$ulation) /e*el o! rece$ti*it". $erce$tion o! the $o$ulation a#out the $rogra%%e and the $re*ious results o! its i%$le%entation in Ro%ania 0i! $ossi#le1) Mhen we tal" about the >omanian mentality regarding European programmes, we have to ta"e in consideration to what e.tent >omanians have the re*uired information about that specific programme# The access to information has always been one of the problems that the >omanian population had to deal with and in the case of the Grundtvig programme this is especially true# The target group doesnt usually possess the re*uired s"ills to access the information available at the European level, the lac" of "nowledge, in foreign languages of European circulation or basic usage of the internet, leads to a low level of awareness regarding this programme in the main target group# This doesnt mean that the programme is un"nown to all >omanians, even though most of the citi ens dont "now much about the Grundtvig programme, there are some that are up to date with the news in the area# The sad thing is that those people are usually the promoters of European porgammes and thus is not very relevant for the overall perception of this sub!ect# The root of the problem seems to be in the interest presented by the potential adult learners in our country# )or e.ample, even though on paper >omania has a low rate of unemployment, the 7,?N rate is dangerously misleading because the rate of unemployment is calculated by ta"ing in consideration those that either receive financial aid for being unemployed and those that are actively loo"ing for a !ob or are loo"ing to learn new s"ills needed for a new vocation# ,o we dont actually have a high employment rate, we have a large number of people that simply dont want to wor", people that stay away from any "ind of programme that could help them in the future vocation by learning new s"ills or new competences# This says a lot about how the Grundtvig programme is perceived by the masses in >omania, most people thin" that all they have to do during their lifetime is to learn one set of s"ills and apply them in one !ob for the rest of their live# They dont even ta"e into consideration the possibility of learning something new after a certain age and simply give up

altogether# )or them Grundtvig is !ust a waste of time because you cant teach an old dog new tric"s# 5n the other hand we have those that dont give up and dont consider themselves above learning something that is completely different from what they already "now# Those are the >omanians that ma"e it so that the Grundtvig programme actually has positive results in our country# >egardless of the poor level of "nowledge that most >omanians have about this sub!ect, there are adults that are interested in the opportunities offered by this programme, the number is not high, but those are the people that give legitimacy to such directions trough their involvement# The *uestion that naturally occurs is OMhat would happen if more >omanian adults would be interested in this programmePQ, we thin" that if more people would see" the information regarding such pro!ects there is a possibility for the overall results of the programme to get even better then they are now# That is why we thin" that we need to wor" towards changing the current mentality, we need to ma"e the system more transparent while giving more importance to the dissemination part of the pro!ects# This would mean that more adults have access to information on this sub!ect and so we increase the chance of them participating in or even promoting Grundtvig actions# 5verall we have to say that the current level of receptivity is *uite low, the main causes being the difficulty in accessing the information and the lac" of interest of the >omanian citi ens# Max. 48 lines Potential antici$ated ris2s and 'a"s o! reducing and 3 or eli%inating the%) Particulari(e the situation !or Ro%ania, European ;ssociation for the Education of ;dults made a statement about the Grundtvig programme in which they state that the time for dissemination of pro!ect results is too short# The resources needed for application writing in the centrali ed actions are seen as too heavy for smaller organi ations# E;E; members also critici e the long period between application deadlines and results# Tal"ing about decentrali ed actions in particular, members suggest a more uniform and better coordinated appearance and approach of the Dational ;gencies# /n order for the results of the pro!ect to be a very high standard there are a few issues to consider4 R Se ambitious in your plans, but try to remain realistic about the investment of time and resources# R Plan a reasonable number of transnational meetings for each year, e#g# two or three meetings, and ta"e into consideration the number of mobilities that you re*uested in your application# R Use the first transnational meeting to wor" on common rules of cooperation in the learning partnership# R Ja"e a glossary or inde. with definitions of concepts# ,ometimes you can use a general definition of a concept, or will have to create a definition especially for the partnership# R 6hoose a variation in wor"ing methods, li"e !oint plenary sessions, wor"ing in pairs or small groups, wor"ing after the caf model, or even a wal" and tal"# R Ja"e a fle.ible agenda with ice breakers# R 6onsider possible language obstacles# R Plan evaluation moments ahead# ;gree on evaluation to reflect on good understanding and communication, e#g# after half a year of common wor"# R ;gree on communication activities or promotion4 develop a plan of dissemination#

/n >omania the main ris"s are tied to the fact that the local authorities dont offer proper support and the bureaucracy can be a huge problem# >omania has a huge deficit when it comes to absorb European funds# Max. 24 lines Actual and $ers$ecti*e situation concerning the i%$le%entation o! the $rogra%%e in Ro%ania, /n >omania things went pretty good in 1(31 with the application and the implementation of the Grundtvig programme, at least in comparison with the previous year# /t covers not only teachers, trainers, staff and organisations wor"ing in the sector, but also learners in adult education# These include relevant associations, counselling organisations, information services, policy-ma"ing bodies and others such as DG5s, enterprises, voluntary groups and research centres# The adult learners participated in Mor"shops %learning events and seminars& ta"ing place in others European countries participating in the Lifelong Learning Programme# People from >omania participated at wor"shops in others European countries# Mor"shops bring together individuals or small groups of learners %3(-1( people& from several countries for their personal development and learning needs# Learners are also encouraged to share their competences and insights with others#Mor"shops are organised on many different topics, including4 - visual arts, music, the environment, creativity, numeracy, mathematics, science, and other topics which are not too heavily dependent on foreign language competence+ - language-learning, particularly for people wishing to build on basic competences %or improve in specialised areas& in the language of the country where the wor"shop is organised, notably where this is a less widely-used and less taught language+ - discussion groups on issues of common interest across Europe, with a view to stimulating greater interest in European affairs among the adult population+ - active citi enship and intercultural dialogue+ - health education# The EUs Lifelong Learning Programme %1((2-1(3'& was considered as relevant in reaching the "ey GEducation and TrainingG ob!ectives agreed at EU level and thereby contributing to the overarching strategic ob!ectives of the European Union# Three years after the start of the Lifelong Learning Programme the European 6ommission decided to launch an interim evaluation, loo"ing at the results achieved and e.amining the strengths and wea"nesses of the entire Programme as well as its sub-programme - Grundtvig# 5ne of the *uantified targets set, was the mobility of 2,((( individuals involved in adult education per year by 1(3' in the framewor" of the Grundtvig programme#The evaluation found that in its first three years of implementation the Lifelong Learning Programme successfully progressed towards its ob!ectives# Kowever, owing to the insufficient si e of the budget and other barriers, there is a ris" that some of the Programme *uantified targets will not be reached# Devertheless, in particular the implementation of new Grundtvig actions gains momentum and this sectoral programme faces the lowest ris" of non-achieving its target# 5verall even though there were more Grundtvig pro!ects implemented in 1(31 then the previous year, there are still gaps that can be filled# The level of absorption of founds is still *uite low but at least we are e.periencing a positive trend that gives us hope for even better results in 1(3'#

Max. 48 lines Co%%ents) Personal o$inions) Conclusions))) The Grundtvig programme is a European funding programme that is part of the European 6ommissions Lifelong Learning Programme 1((2-1(3' and aims to strengthen the European dimension in adult education and lifelong learning across Europe# /t is open to anyone in adult education# This includes adult learners, teachers and trainers from a variety of organisations including local authorities, non-governmental organisations, charities, universities, community groups, etc# $;dult$ in the Grundtvig programme refers to all persons over the age of 17 and all persons aged 3@-1? who are no longer undergoing initial education within the formal education system# The Grundtvig programme provides funding for a wide range of activities# ,ome e.amples are basic s"ills, foreign languages, parental education, arts and culture pro!ects# ;ll pro!ects involve wor"ing with European partners and offer learning and personal development e.perience for staff and learners# This programme is a great opportunity for >omanian people# /t follows the philosophy of learning all life long# /t offers to our citi ens the chance to improve themselves, to develop new s"ills and open new spheres of interests# Grundtvig programme offers "nowledge for those persons which are interested# Kowever, having a lot of advantages this programme is still a mystery for a big number of >omanians# )ew people from >omania benefit of Grundtvig programme facilities# ,ome reasons could be lac" of information, reduced transparency, bad administration and bureaucracy# Lac" of information is a two side story# 5n one hand there is little information offered about European lifelong learning programmes, on the other hand people a lot of people are too la y to find the information they need# The remained reasons are lin"ed to government activities# The growth of the efficiency of European programmes in >omania must be stimulated by >omanian government# ,pea"ing sincerely Grundtvig programme registered some success in >omania and a lot of adult eligible persons benefited from this programmes# Those persons who wanted to improve their s"ills and ma"e their life more interesting did it, and / am sure that right now they have more options and an easier life# /ncreasing participation in adult learning and ma"ing it more e*uitable is crucial# ; culture of *uality should be fostered, paying special attention to learners, the professional development of staff, the providers as well as delivery# /mplementation of systems for recognition and validation of non-formal and informal learning are essential to help motivate adults# )inally, the *uality and comparability of data on adult learning needs to be improved as a basis for future policy-ma"ing# /n order to obtain more success in this field and to involve more people in this programme European 6ommission must wor" closer with national governments and to continue this programme and the concept on which it is based as long as it is possible# Me need more time and more pro!ects must be implemented in >omania to sensiti e the biggest part of population# /t would be a pity if the programme will end because there are to many people that must attend Grundtvig wor"shops, there are too much information that must spread, there are too much things that must be improved and of course there is big future that must be composed of an educated society that want to develop every time# Max. 48 lines

Team members4 - ;nton 8iana - 8iTU ;ndreea - GhiTU ;ndreea - JareV ,onia - Jarica Jircea - Dedelescu ;ncuTa - ,ora 6ristina - WaranuTa 8umitru - Wtefan >o.ana