WP 1. Current situation & exchange of good practices and challenges In this work package the experiences from applying employment criteria and the current situation of all participating organisations is analysed. This work package includes ongoing discussion and contact with the main partners and the first common transnational workshop where the participating organisations can exchange their experiences of employment criteria in public procurement and share their ambitions in detail for this project. To activate the mutual learning process and establish a shared understanding of the current situation and the goals for the project. To learn from the mistakes of the past and to exchange good practices. To increase the understanding between the different partners and to initiate the innovation work. Activities Videoconferences and continuing contact through e-mail and phone between the main partners. Transnational workshop: Current situation & exchange of good practices and challenges (date and place? Helsinki?) Outcomes An analysis of the current situation done by the main partners on all participating organisations based on the transnational workshop. A description of the partners and the project on a common web site. Important input for the upcoming workshops. Lead partner: THL & Upphandlingsmyndigheten Time schedule Spring 2017: the work package ends when the transnational workshop has been held in April 2017.
WP 2. Recruitment process & labour market analysis A well-functioning recruitment process is extremely important when employment criteria is set in public contracts. In this work package the recruitment process in every participating municipality is analysed and best practices are shared in the transnational workshop. Closely connected to the recruitment process is labour market analysis from the perspective of unemployment, this analysis gives good prospects for the recruitment process to succeed. In this work package also individuals belonging to the target group are heard for a customer oriented solution that better reflects the reality. Mutual learning and knowledge exchange on various different ways to find suitable jobseekers and how to take into account factors like gender and accessibility. Experiment with a more customer oriented methods to gain more knowledge of various recruitment channels for particular target groups. To find new partnerships and channels for successful recruitment and to streamline the existing processes. Activities Customer advisory group summoned for a workshop on recruitment channels. Transnational workshop: Recruitment process & labour market analysis. Outcomes An analysis of the current local labour market situation done by the participating municipalities. A description of the current possible recruitment processes (done ahead of the workshop). New possibilities and forms for recruitment are researched and new partnerships are formed. Lead partner: City of Gothenburg Time schedule Autumn 2017: the work package ends when the transnational workshop has been held in Gothenburg in September 2017.
WP 3. Employment supportive procurement pilots In this work package the employment supportive procurement pilots are conducted. The procurement pilots are the core of the project forming a base for the mutual development work. In this work package new innovative ways of applying employment criteria are tried out. Ways to combine education and employment for example in the form of offering apprenticeship placements for NEETs through public procurement are examined. Companies and other suppliers will be encouraged to increase the employment for example in the form of using bonuses. A special interest will be paid on how to give employment opportunities through public procurement for people with immigrant background. Mutual learning and knowledge exchange on the various different ways to apply employment criteria. Statistical data of the procurements will be collected and the different ways to apply employment criteria will be compared. Activities Procurement pilots in the participating municipalities will be conducted. Transnational workshop: Employment supportive procurement pilots Outcomes A comparative analysis of the different methods and their effectiveness will be conducted. Lead partner: City of Vantaa Time schedule The transnational workshop will be held in spring 2018. The work package ends by the end of the project in January 2020.
WP4. Transnational workshops In this work package the transnational workshops will be carried out. These workshops form an ongoing dialogue and a place to learn for all the participating organisations. The seven thematic workshops tackle with issues that are closely linked to the successful implementation of employment criteria. The workshops also enable the participating organisations to gain better understanding and contribute to the mutual learning of different challenges and solutions. Mutual learning and knowledge exchange on employment criteria through the series of thematic workshops. To give the organisations a platform for dialogue and mutual development of social innovations. The workshops will give the participants new ideas, concrete tools and support the change in their respective organisations. Activities Transnational workshops and the preparations for them: Thematic workshop (1) Current situation & exchange of best practices and challenges Thematic workshop (2) Innovative ways to apply employment criteria, SIB-model, use of bonuses Thematic workshop (3) Recruitment process and Labour market analysis Thematic workshop (4) Support measures for specific target groups (immigrants) Thematic workshop (5) Statistics and economic impact evaluation Thematic workshop (6) Communications and impact making Thematic workshop (7)The role of social enterprises, acknowledging responsible suppliers Outcomes Every workshop will be carefully documented and the results will be published online on the common web site. Lead partner: THL and Upphandlingsmyndigheten Partners: All participating organisations take turns in hosting the workshops. Time schedule The first workshop will be held in spring 2017 and the last in spring 2020 that also summons the project.
WP 5. Peer learning: work-shadowing, mentoring, study visits In this work package peer learning stands in focus. The project enables the participating organisations to create partnerships that support the work done with employment criteria in their own organisation. The participating partners are all in different levels of experience when it comes to employing through public procurement. In this project mutual developing is based on peer learning. There are three different methods for peer learning used in this project: work shadowing, mentoring and study visits. The organising of these methods into well-functioning activities demands time, planning and coordination. Through peer learning the mutual learning and knowledge exchange strengthens. Peer learning methods such as work shadowing and forming mentor partnerships support a lasting network to be formed. Peer learning takes the mutual development work into a deeper level. Activities Mentor partnerships are formed based on the needs of the participating partners. Work shadowing is made possible this enables individuals from the participating organisations to deepen their knowledge on the specific field of expertise they are particularly interested in as well as to learn through work. Study visits are organised for the learning process to not be limited to the two participating countries. Outcomes Partnerships that support the work done with employment criteria in public procurement are formed. Mutual learning and knowledge exchange strengthens and lasting connections are made. Lead partner: THL Time schedule This work package starts when the project starts in spring 2017 and ends when the project ends in spring 2020.
WP 6. Dissemination and impact making In this work package dissemination of the results and impact making as a whole will be planned and carried out. Effective ways for communication such as videos, infographics and social media will be used to make the wanted impact. Impact making is an integral part of the project as employment through public procurement is still not commonly used. Political decision makers and civil servants are still not aware of the possibilities that employment clauses give and a more extensive use of the clauses demands political decisions to be made. The results of this project are to be disseminated also to give more understanding of the possibilities for cooperation between EU member states to develop public procurement. To gather and refine information on the outcomes of the project and to disseminate the results and experiences gained through the project in an interesting way that reaches the target group for maximal impact. To make an impact on the decision makers and policies of the participating organisations and to further strengthen the usage of employment criteria in public contracts. One of the objectives is to ensure and enhance mutual support between the participating organisations in carrying out goals for the communication. Activities Thematic workshop Dissemination and impact making. Concrete goals for the impact making will be set and outspoken. Outcomes A communications plan for the whole project with the concrete impact goals. Videos, infographics, social media Website Lead partner: THL and Upphandlingsmyndigheten Time schedule This work package starts when the project starts in spring 2017 and ends when the project ends in spring 2020. The thematic workshop will be held in January 2018.
WP 7. Support measures for succesful recruitment In this work package the employment supportive measures for specific target group are assessed and embedded in the recruitment process. For the Swedish partners migrants and their integration into the labour market is the key objective for the project. In order to successfully do this certain support measures must be thought of in beforehand. Language training is one of the support measures for this group. When it comes to people with disabilities different support measures are often needed to make the transition into the labour market sustainable. NEETs also require support measures that will be analysed in this work package. Mutual learning and knowledge exchange on support measures for different target groups. The participating organisations are better prepared to support both the suppliers taking on the employment challenge and the individuals in need of support measures in the target groups. Activities Transnational workshop: Support measures for specific target groups Information exchange through phone, e-mail, web site Outcomes A target group specific set of support measures will be collected and published in the web site. An analysis on the effectiveness and comparison between different measures will be conducted. Lead partner: City of Gothenburg and City of Stockholm Time schedule The work package runs through the whole project. The transnational workshop will be held in Gothenburg in September 2018.
WP 8. Statistics, evaluation & impact analysis In this work package statistics from the results of the procurement pilots will be collected and refined. An overall comparative evaluation of the different methods to apply employment clauses and to encourage suppliers will be made. There will also be conducted an economic impact analysis to give information on the effects of applying employment clauses for both the municipality and the individual who will be employed. To ensure that the results are comparable, a common set of statistical data will be collected in all participating organisations carrying out public procurements with employment clauses. To make the economic impact of applying employment clauses in public procurement visible for decision makers and to support the dissemination of results. To give an opportunity for mutual learning for the participating organisations and a possibility to share good practices in regards to economic effects assessment. Activities Thematic workshop: Statistics, evaluation & impact analysis Defining common statistical variables and creating a toolkit for collecting the data. Outcomes A report on the economic effects of the employment clauses in public procurement for the municipality and the individual. A common comparable set of statistical data collected in all participating organisations carrying out procurement pilots. Visual infographics on the statistics collected in the project. Lead partner: City of Helsinki Time schedule The work package starts when the project starts in spring 2017 and ends when the project ends in spring 2020. The thematic workshop will be held in 2019.
WP 9. Social innovations through responsible procurement processes In this work package social innovations through public procurement stand in focus. To give the best possible platform for innovative new solutions to be found the project supports the participating organisations by organising a workshop on the topic and by enabling trials to put into effect fresh ideas that have not yet been tested such as bonuses to encourage suppliers to act more innovatively with employment targets. Participating organisations vary in their level of experiment this means that innovative new ways may also vary from organisation to organisation. The role of social enterprises will be researched and procurement criteria that enhances their possibilities to succeed in the tendering process will be assessed. The partners can support each other in carrying out experimental work by sharing their own experiences for example when it comes to applying employment clauses in different sectors. To create a network that supports the participating organisations to try out new innovative ways of applying employment criteria in public procurement. As a result new innovative ways of applying employment criteria will be tested and evaluated and the knowledge of these will be spread among the project group. Activities Transnational workshop: Social innovations through responsible procurement processes A Final seminar will be organised to summon the experiences so far and disseminate the results. Outcomes Experiences from new ways to apply employment clauses will be documented and information on the effectiveness of various different methods will be available. A set of criteria to enhance the possibilities for social enterprises and such to better be able to compete in the tendering processes will be formulated. A certificate for responsible suppliers will be launched to remark the suppliers doing a good work with the new demands. Lead partner: THL and Upphandlingsmyndigheten. Time schedule The work package starts when the project starts and the innovation work begins and ends when the final seminar is held and the results have been documented in spring 2020. The workshop will be held in November 2019.
WP 10. National and transnational project management In this work package the and resources of project management are planned and executed. The project management is divided into two different levels: to the managing of the national project and to the managing of the transnational collaboration. The work package includes all project management tasks such as organising and chairing the project group meetings, summoning the steering group and organising it s meetings, reporting to the financing authority and being responsible for the overall management of the budgeting. A coherent project management supports the result oriented work in the project. The role of the managing partners (THL in Finland and Upphandlingsmyndigheten in Sweden) is also to direct and re-direct the project if needed to the path of realising the project plan. To support the participating organisations through coherent project management and to make the reporting into a streamlined process. To support the financial administration of the participating organisations to meet the demands of the financing authority. To organise the project group and the steering group in a way that best fits the projects targets to be met. To enable an active knowledge exchange between the transnational partners through organising meetings, mentoring partnerships and work shadowing possibilities in cooperation with the main transnational partner. Activities Reporting to the financing authority and gathering the necessary information to do it. Organising the national project group and steering group meetings. Coordinating the transnational collaboration. Heading the processes for dissemination and impact making and the upkeep of the common web site. Outcomes ESF reports Minutes of the meetings and other relevant documentation of the project work Lead partners: THL and Upphandlingsmyndigheten Time schedule The work package starts when the project in spring 2017 starts and ends when the project ends and the final reporting has been done in 2020.