1. Application of the PROJECT CYCLE MANAGEMENT in Piedmont Region

2. Starting point: the First Round of Equal The bad surprise (and the bad practices) - July 2001 The regional staff involved in the evaluation of the projects presented on the first round of Equal realized that almost all the projects were strewn with the defeats listed below, so common to be considered a real bad practice: poor involvement of the beneficiaries in the aid process poor diagnosis of the problems the beneficiaries are affected by confusion between objectives and activities no measurable indicators for objectives poor identification of assumptions At that very moment, the Piedmont Region Department for Vocational Training and Labour – responsible for Equal in Piedmont Region – invited the retained Development Partnerships to re-design their projects according to the PCM methodology. The Department set up a task force in order to place support at DPs disposal, trying to make them aware of the advantages of the challenge either for the beneficiaries or for the DPs themselves. Just few of them accepted to be gone along with the methodology. The results are in! Those projects turned out better. This is not just what the regional Equal staff says; the Commission chose them as examples to be shown at international conferences and seminars.

3. Self - strengthening the regional department responsible for Equal. The three Matrixes of PCM The whole of the regional efforts in spreading PCM over the DPs would probably turn out to be not such a challenge if the regional Equal Unit did not strengthen itself in order to support the Development Partnerships in a more effective way. That means there are various Logical Framework matrixes for different institutional levels: the WHAT matrix for service delivery to the final beneficiaries (the matrix of the project) the HOW matrix for implementing organisations as service deliverers (the matrix of Equal Development Partnerships, in our case) the SUPPORT matrix for the Project Management Unit, responsible for the co-ordination of the DPs (the matrix of the Equal Unit in Piedmont Region).

4. The WHAT matrix as a logical framework describing what should happen to support the beneficiaries in alleviating their pain can be considered as the final result of two other matrixes: the Project Management Unit Matrix (SUPPORT Unit Matrix) and the Implementing Organisations Matrix (HOW Matrix). In short, - any support organisation (the Equal Unit in Piedmont Region) has to identify elements that need to be strengthened in order to provide adequate support to strengthen the implementing organisation (Equal DPs). Overall Objectives, Management Purpose, Results and Activities can be organised in a Matrix: the SUPPORT UNIT MATRIX; - each implementing organisation (Equal DPs, in our case) has to identify elements needed to create a professional organisation with competence and capability to implement the project. All these elements have to be organised in the HOW MATRIX, describing how the activities in the WHAT matrix are going to be organized internally in order to manage the project in the most effective way.

5. The Piedmont Region SUPPORT UNIT MATRIX About Piedmont Region, the Equal Unit has been operating in the Department for Vocational Training and Labour from 2001. The Equal Unit is the support organisation that needs to be strengthened in order to strengthen the Equal DPs running projects on Piedmont territory. Its Matrix: Overall Objective: effective support to strengthen Equal DPs provided. Management Purpose: Professional functioning support organisation.

6. The QUESTION the regional Department responsible for Equal has to ask itself is: Why does the Equal Unit Staff need the support?. The ANSWER is: Because the staff needs to have the CAPACITIES, COMPETENCES and CAPABILITIES listed below: advisory capacity: project evaluation, consultancy on PCM, support of the running projects competence on organisational capacity procedures and guidelines: the staff must be able to realize an effective guideline, to set up clear procedures quality control: mission, priority setting, deadline setting, reflection on effectiveness and impact finance: capability in supporting DPs for any financial matter: expense certifications, statements, accounts, financial reports co-ordination: communication lines and mechanisms for internal and external co-ordination evaluation of the quality of the projects public relations, promotion monitoring: mechanism, system, organisation In the Support Unit Matrix, the Results - intended as the services that will be received by the staff - contribute to realize an internal organisational environment, while the Activities contribute to realize the internal capacity building.

7. How to get the skills listed above? The Technical Assistance Service Unit The Department for Vocational Training and Labour, in order to strengthen itself with the competence and capabilities listed above, decided to set aside the financial resources assigned by the donors for the technical assistance for setting up a technical assistance service unit able to: support every single DP in building up the problem tree, the objective tree, the What matrix and the How matrix; help the regional unit in pointing out the common ground among the projects and stimulate the collaboration among Dps by working in groups in leaded workshops ; realize case studies in order to identify promising and best practices ; support the DPs for any financial matter ; support the DPs in the transnational activities ; support the DPs in setting up the self-monitoring and self-evaluation system ; support the regional unit in pointing out the results of the Equal experience and drive them into the ordinary policy instruments.

8. THE TWO MAIN RESULTS 1.Into Equal. The DPs that adopted/have been adopting PCM have been/are more effective in managing projects able to create new and better jobs for men and women who have difficulty in being integrated or re-integrated into a labour market and to enforce stable employment for those suffering from unequal treatment at work 2.Outside Equal. Innovative instruments, tools, products, methodologies, skills of professional operating in the labour and social field that have demonstrated to be effective in Equal have been driven/will be driven into the regional Catalogue of Services and Tools and into the Matrix of the Skills of the professionals operating in the work and social fields.

9. Leading the EQUAL DPs A TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SERVICE

10. AREA OF ACTIVITY 1: Supporting Equal Partnerships in improving the projects by applying the PCMs matrixes

11. DPs organizational skills improved Help the DPs construct the Problem Tree Help the DPs construct the Objectives Tree and in pointing out the areas of intervention Help the DPs set up the What Matrix Help the DPs set up the How Matrix DPs skills in building up projects improved Common language among DPs created Results Lead the project organization by applying the matrixes of PCM Activities Supporting project organization by applying the PCMs matrixes

12. Support the Piedmont Region in making the dossiers Common elements among different projects pointed out Results Compare the projects by working in groups in leaded workshops Activities Make a dossier for every single project

13. European Best Practices selected Design a methodology for Good Practices selection Gather the monitoring data and process them recurrently Select the Good Practices on the base of evaluation items fixed in advance Support the Piedmont Region in analysing and selecting potential Case Studies Participation in European working groups by the Piedmont Region improved Involvement in transnational activities improved Results Compare Case Studies in order to identify Best Practices at European level Activities Develope case studies in order to identify European Best Practices

14. Provide budget analysis of the projects Competences in financial management improved Results Support the DPs in setting up the financial framework Activities Check the budget adequacy as to the project activities Reset the budget as to the starting one Supporting the DPs in setting up the financial matrix

15. Support the DPs in taking part in transnational meetings hosted abroad Participation in transnational activity improved Results Support the DPs in transnational activities Activities Provide advice on managing transnational activities Support the DPs in taking part in transnational meetings hosted in Italy Support the DPs in the transnational activities

16. AREA OF ACTIVITY 2: Organization of working groups with the Development Partnerships

17. Common language among DPs created Organize thematic workshops with DPs within the same pillar Organize thematic workshops with DPs of different pillars Common elements among different projects pointed out Stream of experiences among DPs improved Results Workshops with DPs Activities Organization of working groups with the Development Partnerships

18. Organize meetings with the candidate DPs PCM methodology spread all over Europe Transfer of experiences among the DPs made easier Results Provide support to those projects that are candidates for European promising practices Activities Information and promotion of the projects outside of Italy improved Providing support to those projects that are candidates for European promising practices

19. Common language among the DPs created Organize workshops Gather information about the evolution of the activities of the different projects Report of opportunities of cooperation among the DPS (within the thematic tables of Action 3) Awaken the DPs to the advantages of the cooperation Common elements among the projects pointed out Stream of experiences among the DPs increased Results Stimulate the cooperation among the DPs Activities Stimulate the cooperation among the DPs

20. Presentation of the tools for setting up the self-monitoring and the self-evaluation Support the set up of the self-monitoring matrix Support the set up of the self-evaluation matrix Support the set up of the strengthening matrix (HOW MATRIX) DPs organizational skills improved Results Support the DPs in organizing and managing the self-monitoring and the self-evaluation activities Activities Support the DPs in organizing and managing the self-monitoring and the self-evaluation

21. Constantly update the regional website dedicated to Equal Activate synergies among the DPs Availability of the information and promotion of the projects on the outside increased Results Exchange of information among the DPs improved Activities Promote the circulation of the project dossiers Stream of experiences among the DPs increased Point out the common elements among the projects and make the exchange of information among the DPs easier

22. AREA OF ACTIVITY 3: Support the application of the self-organization and self-strengthening matrixes of the Equal Regional Unit and the Partnership

23. WHAT Matrix HOW Matrix Implementing Agencies SUPPORT Matrix Project Management Unit DONORS Overall Objectives (Why is the support important to the society) Assumptions Purpose (Why do the beneficiaries need the support) Results 1, 2, 3, 4 (Which services will be received by the beneficiaries) Activities 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, etc… (What will be done) Pre-conditions WHAT, HOW and SUPPORT matrixes Overall Objectives: implementing the activities Management Purpose; professional functioning organisation (Why the staff of organisation A needs the support) Results 1, 2, 3, 4 (internal organisational environment) (The services that will be received by the staff) Activities 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, etc… (internal capacity building) (What will be done) Overall Objectives: providing effective support to implementing agencies Management Purpose; professional functioning support organisation (Why the staff of Project Management Unit needs the support) Results 1, 2, 3, 4 (internal organisational environment) (The services that will be received by the staff) Activities 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, etc… (internal capacity building) The WHAT Logical Framework matrix describes what should happen to support the beneficiaries in alleviating their suffering The HOW matrixes describe for each implementing organisation HOW the respective activities in the WHAT matrix are going to be organised internally The SUPPORT matrix describes the internal strengthening of the project support organisation (e.g. partnership or project management)

24. DPs self-organization improved Results Support the DPS in setting up and visualizing the How Matrix Activities DPs organizational competences improved Support the DPS in setting up and visualizing the How Matrix

25. Piedmont Regions self-organization improved Results Support the Piedmont Region in setting up and updating the matrix of the Equal Intemediate Management Authority (SUPPORT UNIT MATRIX) Activities Support the Piedmont Region in setting up and updating the matrix of the Equal Intemediate Management Authority (SUPPORT UNIT MATRIX)

26. DPs self-organization improved Results Support the Piedmont Region and the DPs in pointing out the connections among the matrixes (What Matrix, How Matrix, Support Unit Matrix) Activities Support the Piedmont Region and the DPs in pointing out the connections among the matrixes (What Matrix, How Matrix, Support Unit Matrix)

27. AREA OF ACTIVITY 4: Support the identification of outputs of the Equal projects and of their role in the context of the strategies of the future Structural Funds

28. Participation of the Region to the European working groups improved Results Support the Region to the participation to the European Group Capacity Building Activities Prepare the Region to take part in the working parties Cooperate with the SNS Equal Participation of the TA to European thematic conventions and workshops Involvement of TA in the research activities settled by the working Party Support the Piedmont Region to the participation to the European Group Capacity Building

29. Transfer of experiences among the DPs made easier Results Activities Train the DPs for their participation to the European Thematic Groups Support the DPs in preparing the papers for the transnational working groups Get in touch with the Managing Authorities to obtain a cognitive panel Get in touch with ISFOL (Equal SNS) in order to know the schedule of institutional events of the second round of Equal Collect proceedings of the European Thematic working groups Information and promotion of the Equal projects outside of Italy improved Support the DPs in preparing their participation to the European Thematic Groups

30. Arrange the innovative elements of the projects as they are considered Good Practice and/or innovative solutions fit for the ordinary planning Organize joining events with regional integrated groups of experts in problems and needs of the beneficiaries Make a report with a deepening of transfer conditions of the innovations identified Support the Region in taking the innovative elements achieved by the Equal projects into the ordinary planning Innovation of the system of Labour and Social Policies for inclusion increased Results Support the Region in pointing out the innovative elements to take in the Ordinary Planning Activities Support the Piedmont Region in identifying the elements experimented by the Equal projects in order to take them into the ordinary planning

31. Drop a set up of procedures for the insertion of innovative elements experimented by Equal DPs into the Catalogue of Services and Tools Drop a set up of procedures for the transfer of innovative elements experimented by the Equal DPs in the ordinary planning Make available to different institutional levels, to Operators and citizens, the photo of the state of innovation of the system System of labour and social policy for the inclusion improved (vertical Mainstreaming) Results Support the connection between Equal and the Catalogue of Services and Tools Activities Specify the criteria for pointing out the innovative elements, in terms of services and tools, experimented in Equal Support the connection between Equal, I° and II° round, and the regional Catalogue of Services and Tools

32. Point out the professional figures developed within Equal projects. Process data and point out the innovative professional figures Change and improve the Competence of Operators Matrix System of labour and social policy for the inclusion improved (vertical Mainstreaming) Results Support the connection between Equal and the Competence of Operators Matrix Activities Support the connection between Equal, I° and II° round, and the Competence of Operators Matrix

33. Comparison between the Technical Assistances in order to compare the two different managements Identificate the common managing problems Integration with the Technical Assistance of POR Ob. 3 improved Results Set the connection between TA of Equal and TA of POR ob. 3 Activities Set the connection between the IC Equal and the TA for POR Ob. 3

34. AREA OF ACTIVITY 5: Support Piedmont Region in carrying out studies, seminaries, informative activities and in managing and supervising Equal

35. Information and promotion of the Equal projects outside of the Region increased Facilitate study groups with the DPs for thorough analysys of the outgoing experimentations Arrange a research plan shared with the Region and DPs Arrange (and constantly update) a specific Plan of Communication Set an index for seminarial activities Arrange documents for seminarial activities Make reports of seminars and workshops Results Activities Support the Region to carry out studies, seminaries, informative activities or take part in them Support the Region to carry out studies, seminaries, informative activities or take part in them

36. Adequate control of operations and support to evaluation of Equal provided Make reports based on all the indicators named by the European Guidelines Set up a working party (with Region, CSI, TA) whose mission is to establish synergies in order to support the interaction of the database of the activities of Equal with the regional Informatic system Support the Region in satisfying the requests of the Surveillance Committees Make reports on the state of physical performance and financial analysis of the activities carried out by the DPs Results Activities Support the Region in any supervision commitment over Equal Support the Region in managing and supervising Equal

37. Adequate control of operations and support to evaluation of Equal provided Drawing up of a proposal of planning of the evaluation activity Analysis of the managerial procedures adopted by the Region related to the IC Equal Evaluation of the results achieved by DPs in terms of: -new services -tools -skills -way of working in net Prepare the evaluation report Results Activities Support the Region in any evaluation activity Support the Region in the evaluation of the outputs of theEqual projects, I° and II° round

38. Information and promotion of the Equal projects outside of the Region increased Set up a working party (Region, CSI, TA) asked to design and update the website as a best value for users Analysis: what to put on the web? Who are the main users? Periodic production of contents according with what decided by the working party Set up procedures for the insertion of new Services and Tools in the Catalogue Results Activities Gather and arrange information for the constant updating of the Equal Website Support the Region in updating the Equal website

39. Promising and best practices selected Elaborate a methodological proposal for the selection of best practices Analyze the projects Constantly collect the monitoring data and process them recurrently Select the best practices on the basis of evaluation items set in advance Results Activities Support the Region to select promising and best practices Support the Region to select promising and best practices