Evaluating the joint learning process in Brussels

Tampere University has a key role in the EME project as an evaluator of the joint learning processes of the transnational partners and of the best practices shared in the project.  This blog entry describes the evaluation process, the first surveys conducted in the project as well as the learning café workshop organised in Brussels in December 2018.  

Researcher Katriina Tapanila observing the discussion in Brussels.

The targets of the project evaluation are the best practices shared in the EME project, the joint learning process between the transnational project partners and the added value of the EME project for each partner. As researchers, we collect data in transnational meetings by observing the discussions and by organising evaluative discussions with the transnational project partners.  

Project partners also respond to surveys concerning visits during the transnational seminars and their reflections on the seminars. The data helps us to develop the 
joint learning process together with the project partners. 

High expectations on the transnational cooperation

Tampere University made a survey before the first transnational seminar in Brussels. We asked about the project partners´ expectations for the EME project, challenges they thought might arise and their initial ideas about the best practices to enhance the employment of immigrants or to valorise their skills.  

The project partners had quite high expectations and wishes for the EME project – how they could learn from other countries experiences and find new ways to support the employment of migrants. They wished to be able to compare different national practices and to learn from the not-so-successful practices, as well. Especially the innovativeness of the ideas was seen as important.  

The challenges described by the project partners, however, indicated some realism towards the project aims: for instance, the size of the group, finding enough time for the project and different starting points of the partners. Some project partners gave some examples from the good practices they had previous experience on. Many of these practices were related to personal support and guidance for the migrants seeking for employment. 

Working together on the project themes 

In Brussels, the transnational project partners from different countries met each other for the first time. To deepen the understanding of the goals of the EME project and the plans for collaboration, the steering group organised a learning café workshop. In the learning café there were four groups concentrating on a specific theme related to the project aims. Each of the project partners participated in each group for a 20 minutes long discussion.  

The themes were the project partner’s individual expertise and its relation to the project aims, the content of the handbook which will be published in the end of the project, the thematic groups that will work together between the transnational seminars, and the policy recommendations and dissemination of the project outcomes. 

The observation of the learning café showed that the method works well when the purpose is to get to know each other, to share different kinds of perspectives and examples from national contexts and to give responses within a limited time. The challenge was that if the theme of the discussion is too broad, it is impossible to get deeper in only 20 minutes or to find justifications for the opinions. Narrowing on one theme in one group seemed also be difficult, which caused same issues to repeat in almost all groups.  

Suggestions for future cooperation 

We suggest that the project partners should have more time to prepare themselves for the workshops in seminars. Therefore, the themes of the workshops should be shared between the project partners before the seminar. There are differences in definitions of the terms like empowerment and valorisation of skills in different countries, and also in challenges projects face when implementing their actions. These might be good themes for discussion in the next workshops.  

In the next seminar in Sweden we will have a chance to participate in a training constructed for the participants of the national project of ABF. We are looking forward to the seminar in Sweden and experiencing new methods to share knowledge and best practises – and to learn together in innovative ways. 

Tampere University together with Vrije Universiteit Brussel is responsible for the evaluation study in the Empowering Migrants for Employment EME project. The study is done in collaboration with the transnational project partners during the project.

Satu Heimo & Katriina Tapanila, Tampere University