Jane Evans Head of Division European Social Fund Head of Division of 60 people: managing authority, paying authority, delivery, EQUAL, cross UK policy on ESF mention size of division because a main priority for many candidate countries at present is to ensure sufficient staff with the right competences to deliver ESF: time to train, not just people in place in 2004 Department for Work and Pensions Department for Education and Skills

Will speak about how to get the most out of ESF Deciding what you want Placing your wish list in the EU framework Effective planning Robust delivery mechanisms & SPENDING THE MONEY ! Twinning is not about imposing our views on candidate countries. More about suggesting options. However, time is now short and finding practical approaches to making ESF work for you is important Slide shows the bare bones of what you will need to firm up over the next year Lot of work in past on strategy. Your draft sectoral plans set the context. Need realistic but stretching targets for future. As you know, you need to place your own targets within the context of the European Employment Strategy And to plan how you will use ESF to support your national plan for HRD improvements Carefully constructed delivery mechanisms are very important: without those you can end up having to pay large amounts of money back to Brussels. And monitoring to make sure you do not get money de-committed

What does your country want from ESF ? Money ? Strategy ? European visibility ? Labour market leverage ? All of these and more ? This is the big question. Of course the money is important but when countries and regions are planning use of Structural Aid there is always the question as to whether the next period will operate in the same way. Must make best use of each programme as cannot be assured of how the Fund will operate in future. That is why labour market strategy is so important European visibility may be important. Your govt may wish to promote benefits of EU membership and ESF can form a key part of such a campaign.

ESF must support your National Employment strategy Your strategy – not the European Commission’s ! Will include: Combating social exclusion Promoting lifelong learning Preparing young people for work Fighting unemployment Of course, my saying that your strategy is not the Commission’s is a little tongue in cheek. As you know, the process is informed by dialogue. However, it is true that your employment strategy must be owned in your country and not in Brussels and that your partners must be committed to achieve the labour market changes you need.

Europe needs 15 million extra jobs by 2007 By promoting employability; and removing disincentives to work This is a pretty stretching target for us all Your labour markets, show higher unemployment, higher levels of economic inactivity among over 50s and relatively large numbers of young people needing help to get into work than in the EU

The EU policy context Luxembourg/Lisbon process European employment guidelines Peer review of NAPs for employment Joint employment report Recommendations to Member States  “open method of co-ordination” To move onto the EU policy framework. The current ESF regulation makes clear that this is the context in which ESF is delivered. Indeed, the regulations makes a close link between ESF and NATIONAL ACTION PLANS for employment.

ESF in the EU framework European employment strategy Policy frame of reference (all funds) Operational Programme Programme complement Regional plans Slide is an attempt to show a simplified continuum of key planning documents. Worth mentioning the policy frame of reference. This is defined legally in Art 9 of Reg 1260/98. While it relates to Objective 3 it sets the policy context for HR actions in all Structural Funds. A useful tool for Labour Ministries and a way of ensuring policy coherence in labour market interventions. The operational programme is clearly a key document and one on which you will doubtless wish to consult key partners The programme complement was intended to make it easier to make changes to the programme but, in reality, not convinced Finally, regional plans. Like many candidate countries Britain and indeed England are moving towards bringing govt closer to individuals. In the case of ESF, this has proved quite a difficult balancing act for us. Each region produces its Regional Development Plan based on the views of diverse regional partners but we, in the centre have to make sure that the money flows in the way the our Ministers and the Commission approved. Not always easy.

Planning your programme on the basis of the 5 ESF policy fields Active labour market policies Equal opportunities Lifelong learning Adaptability and entrepreneurship Women in the labour market Making them work for your labour market Many of you are currently discussing with the Commission how to make clear links between your draft operational programme and the ESF policy fields so I will do no more than note that you will wish to target money on your key priorities.

Effective Delivery ESF money and domestic funding in a single “pot” “CO-FINANCING” Finally, you will need to ensure you have delivery systems that work for you This slide refers to a recent development to try to deliver ESF more effectively in England First, you need to understand that we have a very fragmented market of training and employment project deliverers. This was a key outcome of the Margaret Thatcher years when the govt wanted all possible services to be delivered by the private sector on the basis of competition. The plethora of organisations bidding to deliver ESF projects had become very difficult to manage and, at any time, over 5,000 individula projects were running throughout England alone. This was an administrative nightmare. I strongly advise you not to go down this route! That is why we introduced a new approach we call co-financing. This involves large public sector organisations bringing together ESF with related domestic funds. WE believe that our new delivery model will both direct money at strategic targets and help us to ensure we spend it