Based on the results of the two-year-long European exchange and consultations process, the recommendations for the validation and recognition system for the European project managers working in civil society organisations are:

• Acknowledge that the dimension of mission and purpose is crucial in the 3^rd sector.
• Define clear definitions/understandings of competences, skills and experiences.
• Build competence validation and recognition systems encompassing theoretical and practical parts of a competence.
• Allow flexibility that considers the diversity of the civil society.
• Recognise cultural and social differences.
• Be sensitive to the qualities of values and attitudes.
• Ensure validation through transparent procedures.
• Ensure recognition of formal, non-formal and informal knowledge.
• Ensure simplicity to understand and measure.
• Allow accessibility for those already working in the area [of civil society] and also those without experience.
• Consider the complexity of the individual personality [of the candidates to validate and recognise their competences].
• Take into account work experience in various areas.
• Have the recognition and validation system evidence-based to achieve recognised status in the European Union.
• Include references to the already existing, similar/relevant recognition and validation schemes to avoid “reinventing the wheel".

By making progress in the areas as mentioned above, we will address the most critical and helpful root characteristics of the valuable and practical validation system for the European projects' managers and achieve positive change in many other areas such as:

• Transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications on the European level.
• Extending and developing the competences of educators and other personnel who support adult learners.
• Supporting the setting up of and access to upskilling pathways.
• Strengthening the European Civil Society Organisations sector.
• Promoting lifelong learning among the Europeans.
  
  

The context: AER-V

An international team composed of six Civil Society Organizations from Poland, Italy, Denmark, Austria, Portugal and Cyprus worked together for over two years to develop the recommendations supporting the recognition and validation of knowledge, skills and competences of the European project managers active in Civil Society Organisations.

In the frame of the project AER-V "Recommendations for international project managers competences recognition and validation for lifelong learning" co-funded by the Erasmus Plus Programme of the European Union, the team has conducted six international exchanges of experiences and good practices, concluded with the short-term joint staff training event, Structured Democratic Dialogue Co-laboratory.

The goal of the AER-V initiative was to support the recognition and validation of knowledge, skills and competences of international project managers active in Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the adult education sector, acquired through formal, non-formal and informal learning.

The AER-V team has been working for the benefit of the direct target group, including the members, workers, co-workers, educators and volunteers of the Third Sector adult education organisations
(i.e. Civil Society Organisations, including informal groups, Non-governmental organisations and other non-profit organisations).

The AER-V initiative was the follow-up initiative building on the conclusions and recommendations of a previous project, the "First-time international projects realisers support network", realised in the period October 2018 – December 2020. One of the results of this project was the founding of the FIRST Network, an international network of civil society organisations operating in the area of adult liberal education (lifelong learning). The Mission of the FIRST Network is to strengthen the capacity of civil society organisations and entities active in the adult education sector to operate in the international arena, enhancing innovativeness and the ability to adapt to changes in the modern world. All the organisations realising the AER-V initiative are also members of the FIRST Network.

As a result of the AER-V initiative, a list of Recommendations to give suggestions for the validation and recognition system for the European project managers working in the civil society organisations was developed and is now being shared with the civil society organisations and the other stakeholders interested in European cooperation, lifelong learning and the broad public.

We consider that raising awareness of the need and usefulness of the validation and recognition system of the competences of the European project managers working in civil society organisations is one of the most important steps to ensure transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications on the European level as well as to facilitate the European cooperation and promote lifelong learning.

We would highly appreciate it if you endorse this initiative and the Recommendations.

The FIRST Network Team.

ATTACHMENTS:
1. Report: The short-term joint staff training event, Structured Democratic Dialogue Co-laboratory, picturing the whole process of developing the recommendations.

2. The set of conclusions concerning the 4 subsequent stages of developing the competence recognition and validation systems for the European Project Managers (PM) active in the adult learning Civil Society Organisations.

The title: ”EUropean NETworking as a method for further training and exchange of ideas in the lifelong learning sector” [EU NET].

Short description:
The main challenge EU NET addresses is lower than possible level of European networking of Civil Society Organisations (CSO) active in the lifelong learning, adult education sector.

The project Partners identified the reasons of this situation in the two main areas: Firstly -  the lack of proper/affordable legal and formal solutions supporting networking accessible for the non-profit and/or not-for-profit CSOs. Secondly - the need for more practical examples, more case studies, material for further self-education in the field of European level cooperation and networking of the adult learning CSOs.

The overall aim of the EU NET initiative is to support the European level networking of the Civil Society Organisations active in the lifelong learning sector.

This support would be offered in two forms:

1. Designing, developing and disseminating the Toolkit on European Project Management for the Civil Society Organisations active in the Lifelong Learning Sector. The toolkit is to be an interactive handbook for self-directed learning and upgrading competences in the field. It would be delivered in two parts:
   Part 1: Project planning and designing.
   Part 2: Realising, monitoring & evaluating the project.
   
   
2. Conducting European level research and legal analysis, and designing and developing the Recommendations for European Networking of the Civil Society Organizations active in the Lifelong Learning Sector – proposing new ways of networking available and affordable for non-profit and not-for profit CSOs.

We shall widely invite to test/review these solutions!
(If interested to take part in the testing/reviewing, please contact the EU NET coordinator: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. We shall inform you directly when the testing begins!)

The EU NET continues and builds on the conclusions from the two preceding projects, initiated and coordinated by FAIE: The “First-time international projects realisers support network”, realized in the period 2018 – 2022 and the “Recommendations for international project managers competences recognition and validation for lifelong learning", realized in the period 2019 – 2022.

EU NET is an element of a long-term strategic plan of the project core partners, aiming at delivering sustainable support for international cooperation of the adult learning sector CSOs.

The period of realisation: February 2022 – May 2023.

The project partners:
Fundacja Alternatywnych Inicjatyw Edukacyjnych, PL (Coordinator), www.fundacjaaie.eu
Cooperativa Sociale COOSS MARCHE ONLUS scpa (IT), http://www.cooss.it/it/
Folk High School Association Surrounding Budapest, Hungary, http://www.bknsz.hu/
Rightchallenge - Associação (PT), www.rightchallenge.org
Húsavík Academic Center (IS), www.hac.is

Co-financing: The European Union.