1. ERASMUS + Care to Work project (2014) Abused no More project (2015)
KA2 – Strategic Partnerships - Youth
Care to Work project (2014)
Abused no More project (2015)
9th November 2016
EU Visit
Dr. Theo Gavrielides, IARS Founder & Director

2. IARS International Institute: Our Story
In 2001, we were informally set up by young volunteers as an international youth-led network on youth matters. Since then we have expanded our remit and we are now recognised as one of the world's leading user-led Institutes with a mission 
"To give everyone a chance to forge a safer, fairer and more inclusive society." 
We are focused on empowering the most marginalised communities through direct service delivery, while enabling organisations to achieve, measure and improve their social impact.
Followed by Activity 1 and Activity 2

3. ERASMUS + & IARS INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE
ERASMUS + enables us to achieve our strategic aims:
Empower and enable young people, particularly those with fewer opportunities, to influence, shape and inform policy and practices that affect them, the media and other stakeholders in the youth field at a European level.
Provide youth-led policy development, research and voice to the youth-led sector and young people at local, national and European levels.
Work with governments and statutory bodies (nationally & European) to ensure that youth issues and the views of the youth-led sector are heard and disseminated.
Pilot new ideas in order to demonstrate new models, opportunities and emerging good practice for the benefit of young people and the youth-led sector

4. ERASMUS + & IARS INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE
ERASMUS + enables us to achieve our strategic aims:
Act as a European network that enables young people and the youth-led sector to communicate with each other, work together and share best practice with the ultimate goal of encouraging debates on youth policies affecting local, national and European matters and practices.
It also enables us to:
Work together with others in order to improve provision for learners and share innovative practices within and beyond the partner organisations.
Share, develop and transfer innovative practices in education, training and youth provision among our partners.

5. User-led and Rights Based Approach
All our projects promote user-led and rights based approaches
A human rights based approach means that individuals and communities should know their rights. It also means that they should be fully supported to participate in the development of policy and practices which affect their lives and to claim rights where necessary.
Through our independent Youth Advisory Board, we directly involve users in the development, delivery and evaluation of our projects. Through their active engagement and involvement not only they learn their rights but also shape, influence and inform policies and practices that affect them directly.

6. Managing and Working with Partners
Develop Partnership Agreements that set out expectations, communication and reporting methods
Ensure that partners are clear in terms of their technical, financial reporting, risk management etc.
Convey information effectively and communicating in clear and transparent manner (e.g using mailing lists)
Communicate in clear and transparent way partners requests, questions to the National Agency
Establish a project’s steering committee and plan regular (once a month) e-meetings

7. Managing and Working with Partners
Meet with partners periodically (transnational meetings) for team building and to discuss work plans, project’s milestones and risks
Prepare detailed agendas, detailed minutes and action points to ensure that all key issues are covered and followed up
Address any issues or concerns at early stages to prevent risks (dissatisfaction, escalation)
Encourage sharing, learning and best practice development

8. Overall Project Management
Effective Planning
Overall understanding of the project, objectives and methodology including targets, outputs, deliverables etc.
Understanding of rules, procedures set out by funders
Project Plan development (activities, targets, outputs, responsibilities, deadlines)

9. Overall Project Management
Monitoring - Evaluation (internal & partners)
Ensure systems in place for monitoring progress of the project activities
Check-points
Weekly Reflection on actions, activities & learning
Keep project log
Supervisions
Monthly e-meetings with partners / committee
Quality Control
Evaluation

10. Overall Project Management
Project’s Visibility for recruitment purposes and sharing knowledge and learning
Develop a Communications Strategy
Identify Target audiences
Identify Channels including networks
Develop tools (newsletters, flyers etc) – EU Visibility Guidelines
Promote success stories
Social media strategies
Communications Strategy Monitoring and Evaluations (KPIs’, outcomes etc.)

11. In-built evaluation
Theory of Change: Our building blocks

12. In-built evaluation
Evaluation of specific outputs (e.g. events, seminars) through evaluation forms (hard copy and online)
External evaluation conducted by an independent expert looking at methodology, outputs, activities, results and outcomes.
Internal evaluations by:
Looking at hard indicators (e.g. number of national reports produced, number of beneficiaries, downloads, website visits)
Conducting an online survey with the project’s beneficiaries
Collecting information from partners about administrative and financial management
Peer review of all national reports and final publication.

13. In-built evaluation
Standing independent Academic & Editorial Board: This exists to act as a sounding peer review board for IARS' publications and research projects (26 international experts)
Standing independent Youth Advisory Group: This consists of a diverse group of young people and it exists to scrutinise the organisation’s projects, activities, policies and engagements methods so that they are aligned with all its users’ needs, realities and wishes.
Standing Women’s’ Advisory Group: This consists of a diverse group of women most of whom are from migrant, refugee and asylum seeking backgrounds. The Group exists to scrutinise projects that are coordinated by IARS and have an impact on gender issues. It also looks at the management of these projects and gives feedback in terms of user policies such as volunteer and expenses policies.

14. Risk Register: Transnational Project Meetings (check points)
Risk Management
Risk Register: Transnational Project Meetings (check points)

15. Thank You!
The IARS International Institute 14 Dock Offices Surrey Quays Road London SE16 2XU United Kingdom Tel. (0044)
Followed by Activity 1 and Activity 2