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Section 2: Work Package reports

practices, further refinements were made, and and accreditation of careers practitioners. Close
a revised and update version was agreed for monitoring of careers practitioners’ compe-
further testing. The quality-assurance and evi- tence and capabilities is required to ensure that
dence-base elements within the draft Glossary policies and practices keep up-to-date with the
were reduced and made more succinct. Five latest technologies, labour market trends, and
member countries volunteered to translate and new ways of working effectively with differing
pilot the ‘online’ Careers Service Impact Inven- clients in differing contexts.
tory. • There is an urgent imperative to improve
• The synthesis meeting held in Dublin reviewed knowledge and understanding of effective evi-
policy developments in Northern Ireland and dence-based policies, including quality-assur-
the Republic of Ireland. Following a review of ance systems and accountability frameworks.
findings from the application of the revised Investments made in lifelong guidance systems
draft of the QAE Framework, final revisions and services must demonstrate more clearly the
were made to the Framework; and preparations added-value returns for individuals, communi-
were undertaken for field-testing the Careers ties and societies.
Service Impact Inventory (see Annex 6). The • The aims of quality-assurance systems and
draft Resource Kit and Progress Report were mechanisms are to improve efficiency in ser-
reviewed and updated. vice provision, to increase institutional finan-
cial accountability and to create transparency
An outline of the development of the QAE Frame- from the perspective of the citizen. The latter
work is provided in Annex 5. is often neglected by both policy-makers and
service providers.
WP4
2.4.2 Key conclusions • In many countries, quality-assurance frame-
works have evolved which contribute to the
• The balance between quality assurance and evi- gathering, analysis and presentation of data,
dence should be strongly influenced by a small helping to inform and develop lifelong guid-
number of agreed quality elements, criteria and ance policies and practices. However, there is
indicators for measurement that can be tested still a paucity of data relating to costs and ben-
and applied in practice, supported by examples efits, broken down for analysis by specific target
of possible data, as highlighted in the QAE group(s) and/or by specific types of interven-
Framework. tions. Lessons learned from EU policy-maker
• A specific focus is required on investments in experiences and other allied sectors are crucial
workforce development and capacity building, in developing more robust accountability data.
to ensure that policy-makers, practitioners and • With the exception of some Public Employ-
managers have sufficient knowledge, skills and ment Services, few services if any have used data
competence to gather evidence and construct statistical modelling to analyse the immediate,
appropriate data-sets that can both inform medium and longer-term calculated savings to
policy decisions and withstand public scrutiny. the public purse in the form of economic and/
• The EU and national set goals of learning or social returns on investment.
mobility and employability must be supported • As fiscal arrangements tighten, there will be
through stronger evidence-based policies and ever greater pressure from governments to jus-
practices. This should include strategies for the tify expenditure on lifelong guidance services
validation of ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ learning in relation to competing demands. So far, most

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