Good Practice Criteria

Inclusivity & Participation

Relevance & Complementarity

Effectiveness

Sustainability

Partnership & Collaboration

Inclusivity & Participation

Does the practice ensure that its services are accessible and responsive to diverse groups?

The practice applies multiple strategies to ensure its services are accessible and responsive to diverse groups. Some services are open to all groups; others are aimed at specific target groups such as women, children, and families. A large variety of inclusive, participatory activities is offered, all of which are delivered in such a way as to ensure equal opportunities. Some activities are aimed particularly at children, families or women. Basic information on available services is provided in several languages and formats. Efforts are made to actively include the target group (refugees and asylum seekers) in service delivery (through cooking, translating and so on). Adjustments are made at the individual level to ensure the accessibility of basic reception and counselling services for all at the refugee reception centre, from where people are referred to more specific services. Childcare is offered at certain hours in both the reception and service centres.

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Good practice checklist

✓ Adopt a participatory, gender mainstreaming, age sensitive, inclusive approach and secure equal opportunities for beneficiaries.

✓ Make sure to provide precise and accessible information on how to access services in different languages, formats and through different communication channels

✓ Ensure that equality and diversity are an essential part of how services are delivered, taking into consideration different needs and capacities.

✓ Make reasonable adjustments to service delivery in order to take into account particular needs of the target group.

Does the practice involve the active participation of the receiving society?

Several activities raise awareness of the situation of refugees and asylum seekers at the local level, and their needs are met though collaboration with local institutions. The involvement of local volunteers is a guiding principle of the practice, and beneficiaries are also involved as volunteers.

Good practice checklist

✓ Consider integration as a two-way process, and aim for change on the side of the receiving society.

✓ Foresee an active role for the receiving society in the design and implementation stages of the practice, and involve actions that encourage native communities and beneficiaries to work together.

Relevance & Complementarity

Are the objectives of the practice relevant to the needs of the migrants?

The objectives of the practice are relevant to the needs of its target group of refugees and asylum seekers, and its delivery is flexible in order to respond to emerging needs. Relevant needs are identified by employees and volunteers through their daily work with beneficiaries, and integration support measures are designed around this. In exceptional situations, beneficiaries are consulted to ensure full understanding of their immediate situation. Systemic improvement through collaboration with relevant stakeholders is a goal of the practice’s public and policy outreach activities.

Good practice checklist

✓ Identify and analyse the needs of the relevant migrants and prioritise methods which directly ask them about their needs.

✓ Identify and analyse gaps in integration support and design actions to fill these gaps.

✓ Aim for systemic improvement, satisfying the needs of the majority of target groups in the target area.

Is the practice relevant to the empowerment of migrants, the strengthening of their autonomy and the support of their long-term integration?

The practice works to empower and strengthen the autonomy of its participants, mainly through information provision, counselling, and teaching and tutoring activities. Beneficiaries are supported to actively help themselves, for example though explanation of relevant options and procedures and referral to relevant responsible stakeholders. Activities that bring beneficiaries and the receiving society together, such as cooking, cultural and artistic activities, aim to foster these two groups’ joint engagement. Discrimination and information gaps are partially addressed as part of other activities.

Good practice checklist

✓ Devise actions with the overarching goal of providing positive feedback and making migrants more confident, autonomous and independent.

✓ Contribute to migrants’ engagement with the community for the common good.

✓ Ensure that services contribute to the strengthening of the capacities of migrants/migrant communities.

✓ Include (or create the preconditions for) actions that facilitate long-term integration.

✓ Address discrimination and information gaps as obstacles to long-term integration.

Does the practice align with the priorities, strategic goals and policies of other relevant stakeholders, and contribute to the wider integration framework?

The practice contributes to the wider integration framework at both the local and national level. It is not in a position to effect immediate change within institutions, but through its outreach activities it is able to connect with policy makers, politicians and institutions in order to raise awareness of key issues affecting refugees and asylum seekers and to offer support in the implementation of processes that meet the needs of project beneficiaries.

Good practice checklist

✓ Ensure that all actions are in line with international and European human rights standards.

✓ Employ regional/local, national and EU/international level integration-related guidelines and tools.

✓ Make sure that the services offered contribute to the strengthening of the capacities of relevant institutions to support future development.

Effectiveness

Is the practice adequately planned and based on a comprehensive design?

The action is based on a comprehensive design and is able to respond in a flexible way to emerging needs, ensuring successful outcomes at the individual, community, and institutional level. Employed staff members are selected based on their skills, and the effective delivery of most project activities relies on the involvement of volunteers. Project ccommunication processes use a variety of channels to connect with both host communities and authorities.

Good practice checklist

✓ Aim for actions that achieve observable outcomes among the target group or contribute to changes during the implementation of the action.

– Make sure that the objectives and planned results of the activity are feasible and clear.

✓ Develop a communications strategy during the design phase of the action and pay attention to communication with host communities and local authorities.

– Ensure the practice is based on indicators that are measurable, achievable, and relevant.

✓ Develop a staff management plan to identify team members with the right skills to work with beneficiaries, and their needs for training and further qualification.

Does the practice regularly monitor implementation and evaluate its results?

Project monitoring is mostly guided by the requirements of different funders, with annual reports providing records of overall project performance. Project coordinators, the board and its working groups ensure the achievement of relevant goals. There are no structured or consistent strategies for identifying the successes of the practice, rather situational consultations, feedback and regular observation is used for this purpose.

Good practice checklist

✓ Ensure regular monitoring of action implementation and compare actual performance to goals set during the design phase.

− Anticipate obstacles that might occur and plan alternative scenarios during the design phase of the action.

✓ Ensure achievement of intended outputs / outcomes.

✓ Determine whether practice outcomes are considered successful by beneficiaries, the host and practitioner communities, funders, and policymakers.

− Assess whether interventions contribute to long-term sustainable change.

Sustainability

Does the practice attract structural funding and support from new sponsors and individuals, or have the potential to develop a business model to generate its own resources?

Structural funding has been secured for individual parts of the practice, including for core staff positions, and it has the potential to attract new sponsors. Long-term partnerships to ensure its continuation have been established, and additional funding opportunities are being sought. A diverse funding model has been established which includes a form of social entrepreneurship.

Good practice checklist

✓ Develop partnerships and relations with relevant stakeholders at the early stage of the action to ensure that the practice has strong support and potential partners for after the primary funding terminates.

✓ Identify new EU and national funding opportunities for long-term integration (e.g., shifting from project-based initiatives that are limited in time or dependent on one (external) donor to a comprehensive, multi-year strategy based on secured funding or diverse funding opportunities).

✓ Diversify funding opportunities and identify options for self-financing through business activities or social entrepreneurship.

Partnership & Collaboration

Does the practice establish communication and coordination with other relevant actors to foster the integration of migrants? (e.g., migrants, civil society, public authorities, businesses)

Multiple stakeholders are involved in the project, including via multi-stakeholder consultation. The practices provides training to professionals, runs discussion events on relevant specific topics, and organises awareness-raising events.

Good practice checklist

✓ Ensure the involvement and participation of key stakeholders in the development phase and create strategies to involve them in the action.

✓ Include multi-stakeholder consultation with professionals, institutions, and citizens, in order to promote the meaningful participation of refuges and migrants and support a joint sense of ownership of decisions and actions.

Does the practice contribute to discussion on the improvement of integration support policies?

Through multi-stakeholder collaboration and policy and stakeholder outreach, the practice contributes to the development of comprehensive integration strategies at the local and regional level. It works with multiple partners (e.g. NGOs, universities, public and local authorities, the municipality) to review practices and integration outcomes.

Good practice checklist

✓ Seize opportunities to contribute to the development of comprehensive integration strategies involving EU-level/national/regional/local authorities, service providers and civil society.

✓ Work with relevant partners to jointly review operations, practices, services, and integration outcomes.

Good Practice Criteria

Inclusivity & Participation

Relevance & Complementarity

Effectiveness

Sustainability

Inclusivity & Participation

Does the practice ensure that its services are accessible and responsive to diverse groups?

Participation is considered the basis of the entire project, which is designed to be accessible to all, with individual focal points set through activity selection. Services and activities are open to everyone, including hotel guests, residents, asylum seekers, volunteers, locals and internationals. The restaurant is the main meeting point of the project, and works to bring people together against a backdrop of different cultures and related foods. The project’s framework and activities are flexible and can be easily adapted to the needs of the target group.

 

Good practice checklist

✓ Adopt a participatory, gender mainstreaming, age sensitive, inclusive approach and secure equal opportunities for beneficiaries.

– Make sure to provide precise and accessible information on how to access services in different languages, formats and through different communication channels

✓ Ensure that equality and diversity are an essential part of how services are delivered, taking into consideration different needs and capacities.

✓ Make reasonable adjustments to service delivery in order to take into account particular needs of the target group.

Does the practice involve the active participation of the receiving society?

The receiving society can participate in the project – in so doing benefiting from the cultural exchange – if desired: it is open to everyone and offers many opportunities for (passive) participation. Both building residents and guests can contribute creative ideas to further develop the project.

 

Good practice checklist

✓ Consider integration as a two-way process, and aim for change on the side of the receiving society.

✓ Foresee an active role for the receiving society in the design and implementation stages of the practice, and involve actions that encourage native communities and beneficiaries to work together.

Does the practice consult its beneficiaries and involve them in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the action?

The project is designed to encourage strong collaboration between and input from asylum seekers, hotel guests, neighbours, and volunteers. The active participation of all those staying at the hotels is explicitly welcomed.

Good practice checklist

– Organise consultation activities with migrant beneficiaries in order to co-create actions where possible and secure their feedback on the design and evaluation of the action.

– Provide appropriate feedback mechanisms by which beneficiaries can safely express their opinions on service quality.

✓ Use flexible and interculturally-adapted formats and compensate participants for their contribution.

Relevance & Complementarity

Is the practice relevant to the empowerment of migrants, the strengthening of their autonomy and the support of their long-term integration?

The practice strengthens the autonomy of its migrant participants through early integration measures such as language courses and support with the search for accommodation. The involvement of migrant participants in the design of the project and its services also serves to empower them, as well as reducing the costs involved for the government in maintaining accommodation.

Good practice checklist

– Devise actions with the overarching goal of providing positive feedback and making migrants more confident, autonomous and independent.

✓ Contribute to migrants’ engagement with the community for the common good.

✓ Ensure that services contribute to the strengthening of the capacities of migrants/migrant communities.

– Include (or create the preconditions for) actions that facilitate long-term integration.

– Address discrimination and information gaps as obstacles to long-term integration.

Does the practice align with the priorities, strategic goals and policies of other relevant stakeholders, and contribute to the wider integration framework?

The practice aligns with common integration measures and strategies and contributes to the wider integration framework. It collaborates with the migrant counselling service of welfare organisation Diakonie, for example, as well as the government of Swabia, and offers practical support with key integration-related issues such as housing and language. The practice is well-known in the integration environment: it has received much media coverage and has been granted various awards.

 

Good practice checklist

✓ Make sure that the services offered contribute to the strengthening of the capacities of relevant institutions to support future development.

✓ Employ regional/local, national and EU/international level integration-related guidelines and tools.

Effectiveness

Is the practice adequately planned and based on a comprehensive design?

The practice was planned via a comprehensive design process involving many actors. It aims to promote new ways of cohabitation and to bring together different parts of society, including through collaboration with local authorities. At the project’s inception, the local community was engaged in discussion around its design and objectives.

 

Good practice checklist

✓ Aim for actions that achieve observable outcomes among the target group or contribute to changes during the implementation of the action.

– Make sure that the objectives and planned results of the activity are feasible and clear.

✓ Develop a communications strategy during the design phase of the action and pay attention to communication with host communities and local authorities.

– Ensure the practice is based on indicators that are measurable, achievable, and relevant.

− Develop a staff management plan to identify team members with the right skills to work with beneficiaries, and their needs for training and further qualification.

Does the practice regularly monitor implementation and evaluate its results?

Good practice checklist

✓ Ensure regular monitoring of action implementation and compare actual performance to goals set during the design phase.

− Anticipate obstacles that might occur and plan alternative scenarios during the design phase of the action.

✓ Ensure achievement of intended outputs / outcomes.

✓ Determine whether practice outcomes are considered successful by beneficiaries, the host and practitioner communities, funders, and policymakers.

− Assess whether interventions contribute to long-term sustainable change.

Sustainability

Does the practice attract structural funding and support from new sponsors and individuals, or have the potential to develop a business model to generate its own resources?

According to the available information there is no structural funding, but the practice receives project funding and generates its own income through the hotel/hostel, the restaurant, the kiosk and its (online) shop. It also receives support though its long-term cooperation with the local government and Diakonie, although this does not finance the activities and services of the Cosmopolis Grandhotel.

Good practice checklist

✓ Develop partnerships and relations with relevant stakeholders at the early stage of the action to ensure that the practice has strong support and potential partners for after the primary funding terminates.

– Identify new EU and national funding opportunities for long-term integration (e.g., shifting from project-based initiatives that are limited in time or dependent on one (external) donor to a comprehensive, multi-year strategy based on secured funding or diverse funding opportunities).

✓ Diversify funding opportunities and identify options for self-financing through business activities or social entrepreneurship.

Good Practice Criteria

Inclusivity & Participation

Relevance & Complementarity

Effectiveness

Inclusivity & Participation

Does the practice ensure that its services are accessible and responsive to diverse groups?

The practice is focused on refugees and asylum seekers with psychotherapeutic needs. Accessibility for a range of groups is ensured through collaboration with and training of language mediators, interpreters and health mentors who are familiar with both German culture and the culture/language of refugee and asylum seeker communities. This approach is an essential component of the project, ensuring high cultural sensitivity and adaptability. Another key component is its strong collaboration with relevant local institutions.

Good practice checklist

✓ Adopt a participatory, gender mainstreaming, age sensitive, inclusive approach and secure equal opportunities for beneficiaries.

✓ Make sure to provide precise and accessible information on how to access services in different languages, formats and through different communication channels

✓ Ensure that equality and diversity are an essential part of how services are delivered, taking into consideration different needs and capacities.

✓ Make reasonable adjustments to service delivery in order to take into account particular needs of the target group.

Does the practice involve the active participation of the receiving society?

The practice involves and collaborates with relevant local institutions, authorities, and professionals (including counselling services, health actors, therapists, professional networks, volunteers, and the University of Konstanz). It aims to secure simpler, more regular access for refugees and asylum seekers to the public health system (specifically to psychotherapeutic care) by filling certain gaps, such as those relating to interpretation services and cost.

Good practice checklist

✓ Consider integration as a two-way process, and aim for change on the side of the receiving society.

✓ Foresee an active role for the receiving society in the design and implementation stages of the practice, and involve actions that encourage native communities and beneficiaries to work together.

Does the practice consult its beneficiaries and involve them in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the action?

The practice carries out regular evaluation of its services and gathers feedback from patients and health mentors, in order to adapt as needed. Health mentors are paid for their work, and refugees and asylum seekers benefit from free access to professional psychotherapy.

 

Good practice checklist

✓ Organise consultation activities with migrant beneficiaries in order to co-create actions where possible and secure their feedback on the design and evaluation of the action.

✓ Provide appropriate feedback mechanisms by which beneficiaries can safely express their opinions on service quality.

✓ Use flexible and interculturally-adapted formats and compensate participants for their contribution.

Relevance & Complementarity

Are the objectives of the practice relevant to the needs of the migrants?

The practice aims to build sustainable cooperation structures between relevant stakeholders, including local health actors, that will enable better analysis of migrants’ specific needs and improve capacity to address them. It is also creating a coordination office through which it will be able to expand its activities.

Good practice checklist

✓ Identify and analyse gaps in integration support and design actions to fill these gaps.

✓ Aim for systemic improvement, satisfying the needs of the majority of target groups in the target area.

Is the practice relevant to the empowerment of migrants, the strengthening of their autonomy and the support of their long-term integration?

Migrant patients are empowered through improvements to their psychological health, as well as to their understanding of and access to the German (psychological) healthcare system. In addition, the practice’s health mentors are empowered through greater experience of the treatment of trauma and the specific needs of migrants that have experienced trauma.

Good practice checklist

✓ Devise actions with the overarching goal of providing positive feedback and making migrants more confident, autonomous and independent.

✓ Ensure that services contribute to the strengthening of the capacities of migrants/migrant communities.

✓ Include (or create the preconditions for) actions that facilitate long-term integration.

✓ Address discrimination and information gaps as obstacles to long-term integration.

Does the practice align with the priorities, strategic goals and policies of other relevant stakeholders, and contribute to the wider integration framework?

The practice promotes and secures the right of migrants to access psychological healthcare. Collaboration with relevant actors promotes integration measures.

Good practice checklist

✓ Ensure that all actions are in line with international and European human rights standards.

✓ Make sure that the services offered contribute to the strengthening of the capacities of relevant institutions to support future development.

Effectiveness

Is the practice adequately planned and based on a comprehensive design?

The practice is well designed with a clear objective and involves relevant actors from different sectors, ensuring comprehensive support. Since the project is evaluated in scientific studies, indicators are likely to be measurable and achievable. Measures were developed in strong cooperation with the district and the local administration. It employs well-trained professional staff (e.g. psychologists), operates a coordination office, and coordinates the recruitment, training, work and supervision of health mentors and interpreters.

Good practice checklist

✓ Aim for actions that achieve observable outcomes among the target group or contribute to changes during the implementation of the action.

✓ Make sure that the objectives and planned results of the activity are feasible and clear.

✓ Develop a communications strategy during the design phase of the action and pay attention to communication with host communities and local authorities.

✓ Ensure the practice is based on indicators that are measurable, achievable, and relevant.

✓ Develop a staff management plan to identify team members with the right skills to work with beneficiaries, and their needs for training and further qualification.

Does the practice regularly monitor implementation and evaluate its results?

The project is scientifically supervised and evaluated, including at the individual level in terms of treatment success among patients.

Good practice checklist

✓ Ensure regular monitoring of action implementation and compare actual performance to goals set during the design phase.

− Anticipate obstacles that might occur and plan alternative scenarios during the design phase of the action.

✓ Ensure achievement of intended outputs / outcomes.

✓ Determine whether practice outcomes are considered successful by beneficiaries, the host and practitioner communities, funders, and policymakers.

− Assess whether interventions contribute to long-term sustainable change.

Good Practice Criteria

Inclusivity & Participation

Relevance & Complementarity

Effectiveness

Sustainability

Partnership & Collaboration

Inclusivity & Participation

Does the practice ensure that its services are accessible and responsive to diverse groups?

The practice’s services are accessible and responsive to the needs of the defined target group: young people who are disadvantaged due to their socio-economic status, learning needs or immigration background, including – but not limited to – refugee students. Access for these young people is facilitated by cooperating organisations. Diversity is ensured in the sense that the ‘buddy teams’ that form part of the programme usually comprise both locals and newcomers. Buddy teams shape their own activities according to individual needs.

Good practice checklist

✓ Adopt a participatory, gender mainstreaming, age sensitive, inclusive approach and secure equal opportunities for beneficiaries.

✓ Make sure to provide precise and accessible information on how to access services in different languages, formats and through different communication channels

✓ Ensure that equality and diversity are an essential part of how services are delivered, taking into consideration different needs and capacities.

✓ Make reasonable adjustments to service delivery in order to take into account particular needs of the target group.

Does the practice involve the active participation of the receiving society?

The receiving society is significantly involved in the practice, via the buddy teams, and service delivery starts from an understanding of integration as a two way process. Evaluation of the practice indicates that this leads to greater intercultural exchange and understanding, and promotes the development of acceptance, tolerance and empathy. These effects have been mentioned by participants both with and without a refugee background.

 

Good practice checklist

✓ Consider integration as a two-way process, and aim for change on the side of the receiving society.

✓ Foresee an active role for the receiving society in the design and implementation stages of the practice, and involve actions that encourage native communities and beneficiaries to work together.

Does the practice consult its beneficiaries and involve them in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the action?

Beneficiaries are systematically involved in evaluation of the practice, but their participation in the design of the practice is more informal.

 

Good practice checklist

– Organise consultation activities with migrant beneficiaries in order to co-create actions where possible and secure their feedback on the design and evaluation of the action.

✓ Provide appropriate feedback mechanisms by which beneficiaries can safely express their opinions on service quality.

– Use flexible and interculturally-adapted formats and compensate participants for their contribution.

Relevance & Complementarity

Are the objectives of the practice relevant to the needs of the migrants?

The objectives of the practice are relevant to migrants and are continuously adjusted according to migrant participants’ needs, which are identified based on evaluation findings and the previous experience of implementing organisation Stiftung Bildung. Initial creation of the practice came about from the identification of a gap in integration support.

Good practice checklist

✓ Identify and analyse the needs of the relevant migrants and prioritise methods which directly ask them about their needs.

✓ Identify and analyse gaps in integration support and design actions to fill these gaps.

– Aim for systemic improvement, satisfying the needs of the majority of target groups in the target area.

Is the practice relevant to the empowerment of migrants, the strengthening of their autonomy and the support of their long-term integration?

Evaluation findings so far indicate that the practice facilitates refugee students’ adjustment and orientation in Germany, promoting their sense of belonging, personal development and development of personal relationships. The practice does not specifically foster migrants’ community engagement, but this could be considered a secondary outcome. Through the personal relations that they develop, migrants’ language and educational outcomes are also improved, and generally speaking buddy teams contribute to decreasing prejudice, developing mutual understanding, and strengthening cross-cultural awareness and appreciation.

Good practice checklist

✓ Devise actions with the overarching goal of providing positive feedback and making migrants more confident, autonomous and independent.

– Contribute to migrants’ engagement with the community for the common good.

✓ Contribute to migrants’ engagement with the community for the common good.

✓ Include (or create the preconditions for) actions that facilitate long-term integration.

✓ Address discrimination and information gaps as obstacles to long-term integration.

Does the practice align with the priorities, strategic goals and policies of other relevant stakeholders, and contribute to the wider integration framework?

Through its close links with national ministries, the practice contributes to national integration frameworks. It also strengthens the capacities of cooperating organisations.

Good practice checklist

✓ Employ regional/local, national and EU/international level integration-related guidelines and tools.

✓ Make sure that the services offered contribute to the strengthening of the capacities of relevant institutions to support future development.

Effectiveness

Is the practice adequately planned and based on a comprehensive design?

The practice is adequately planned and based on a comprehensive design. The objectives and planned results are clear and are regularly assessed through internal evaluation. The indicators used are measurable and relevant. The main aim of this programme is to facilitate the arrival of newcomer children and youth through personal interactions with local youn people, and evaluation findings indicate that it is successful in doing so.

Good practice checklist

✓ Aim for actions that achieve observable outcomes among the target group or contribute to changes during the implementation of the action.

✓ Make sure that the objectives and planned results of the activity are feasible and clear.

– Develop a communications strategy during the design phase of the action and pay attention to communication with host communities and local authorities.

✓ Ensure the practice is based on indicators that are measurable, achievable, and relevant.

✓ Develop a staff management plan to identify team members with the right skills to work with beneficiaries, and their needs for training and further qualification.

Does the practice regularly monitor implementation and evaluate its results?

Implementation is regularly monitored, and – in addition to internal evaluation – external evaluations are conducted annually. Training and supervision regularly take place for those involved in delivery of the programme. Stiftung Bildung offers supervision, seminars and information events to support buddy teams.

Good practice checklist

✓ Ensure regular monitoring of action implementation and compare actual performance to goals set during the design phase.

− Anticipate obstacles that might occur and plan alternative scenarios during the design phase of the action.

✓ Ensure achievement of intended outputs / outcomes.

✓ Determine whether practice outcomes are considered successful by beneficiaries, the host and practitioner communities, funders, and policymakers.

− Assess whether interventions contribute to long-term sustainable change.

Sustainability

Does the practice attract structural funding and support from new sponsors and individuals, or have the potential to develop a business model to generate its own resources?

National funding is already being used by the practice, strengthened by contributions from sponsoring associations which might facilitate continuation of the practice after the primary funding ends. Due to the nature of the practice model, it is unlikely that it could become self-financing.

Good practice checklist

✓ Develop partnerships and relations with relevant stakeholders at the early stage of the action to ensure that the practice has strong support and potential partners for after the primary funding terminates.

✓ Diversify funding opportunities and identify options for self-financing through business activities or social entrepreneurship.

Partnership & Collaboration

Does the practice establish communication and coordination with other relevant actors to foster the integration of migrants? (e.g., migrants, civil society, public authorities, businesses)

Communication and coordination with other relevant stakeholders, especially with the implementing organisations, is established to foster the integration of newcomers. Multiple types of stakeholders are involved in the implementation of the practice, including schools, language course providers, sponsoring associations, parents, youth, policy makers, and kindergartens.

Good practice checklist

✓ Ensure the involvement and participation of key stakeholders in the development phase and create strategies to involve them in the action.

✓ Include multi-stakeholder consultation with professionals, institutions, and citizens, in order to promote the meaningful participation of refuges and migrants and support a joint sense of ownership of decisions and actions.

Does the practice contribute to discussion on the improvement of integration support policies?

The contribution of the practice to the integration of newcomers is being reviewed in conjunction with cooperating organisations and policy makers.

Good practice checklist

– Seize opportunities to contribute to the development of comprehensive integration strategies involving EU-level/national/regional/local authorities, service providers and civil society.

✓ Work with relevant partners to jointly review operations, practices, services, and integration outcomes.

Good Practice Criteria

Inclusivity & Participation

Relevance & Complementarity

Effectiveness

Partnership & Collaboration

Inclusivity & Participation

Does the practice ensure that its services are accessible and responsive to diverse groups?

The practice is designed to meet the diverse needs of a specific target group in a specific region, and to be easily accessible for those belonging to this group. The project website provides information in both German and English, and those who participate in the programme receive information through a variety of different channels. The practice offers tailored opportunities and individualised learning plans, taking into account the diverse composition of the students attending the programme, and combines practical work experience with relevant theoretical learning.

Inspiring tools:

OECD Education Working Papers

Good practice checklist

✓ Adopt a participatory, gender mainstreaming, age sensitive, inclusive approach and secure equal opportunities for beneficiaries.

✓ Make sure to provide precise and accessible information on how to access services in different languages, formats and through different communication channels

✓ Ensure that equality and diversity are an essential part of how services are delivered, taking into consideration different needs and capacities.

✓ Make reasonable adjustments to service delivery in order to take into account particular needs of the target group.

Does the practice involve the active participation of the receiving society?

The receiving society – particularly companies and collaborative actors – is actively involved in practice delivery. Work experience placements are offered by companies aligned with students’ interests, and advice and support is given by relevant professionals to promote participants’ access to higher education and the labour market.

Good practice checklist

✓ Consider integration as a two-way process, and aim for change on the side of the receiving society.

✓ Foresee an active role for the receiving society in the design and implementation stages of the practice, and involve actions that encourage native communities and beneficiaries to work together.

Does the practice consult its beneficiaries and involve them in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the action?

Beneficiaries are partially involved in the design and implementation of the action, in that feedback is collected from them on an ad-hoc basis.

Good practice checklist

− Organise consultation activities with migrant beneficiaries in order to co-create actions where possible and secure their feedback on the design and evaluation of the action.

✓ Use flexible and interculturally-adapted formats and compensate participants for their contribution.

Relevance & Complementarity

Are the objectives of the practice relevant to the needs of the migrants?

The objectives of the practice are very relevant to the needs of the specific target group (migrant students who have difficulties in following classroom-based teaching methods). A needs assessment was carried out during the initial design of the practice to ensure relevance to existing needs, and a Productive Learning approach is used to give students an improved, inclusive learning experience

Good practice checklist

✓ Identify and analyse the needs of the relevant migrants and prioritise methods which directly ask them about their needs.

✓ Identify and analyse gaps in integration support and design actions to fill these gaps.

− Aim for systemic improvement, satisfying the needs of the majority of target groups in the target area.

Is the practice relevant to the empowerment of migrants, the strengthening of their autonomy and the support of their long-term integration?

Evaluation of the practice shows that it promotes the empowerment, autonomy, and long-term integration of young refugees. It also supports them in developing a sense of direction, defining their personal goals, and improving their German-speaking skills. Participants continue to receive support after they have transitioned into vocational training or other educational institutions.

Good practice checklist

✓ Devise actions with the overarching goal of providing positive feedback and making migrants more confident, autonomous and independent.

✓ Ensure that services contribute to the strengthening of the capacities of migrants/migrant communities.

✓ Address discrimination and information gaps as obstacles to long-term integration.

✓ Include (or create the preconditions for) actions that facilitate long-term integration.

Effectiveness

Is the practice adequately planned and based on a comprehensive design?

The practice is adequately planned and based on a comprehensive design that is continuously adjusted according to evaluation outcomes and emerging needs. Outcomes among the target group, especially the results of individual learning plans, are monitored to ensure that goals are being achieved. The practice also provides qualifications and counselling to the teachers and education assistants that work with the students, to ensure comprehensive support, and relevant stakeholders are regularly consulted.

Good practice checklist

✓ Aim for actions that achieve observable outcomes among the target group or contribute to changes during the implementation of the action.

✓ Make sure that the objectives and planned results of the activity are feasible and clear.

✓ Develop a communications strategy during the design phase of the action and pay attention to communication with host communities and local authorities.

✓ Ensure the practice is based on indicators that are measurable, achievable, and relevant.

✓ Develop a staff management plan to identify team members with the right skills to work with beneficiaries, and their needs for training and further qualification.

Does the practice regularly monitor implementation and evaluate its results?

Implementation of the practice is monitored and regularly evaluated, and participants’ levels of skill and knowledge are evaluated before and after their involvement in the programme, in order to assess progress. Progress is also monitored and evaluated at the individual level on an ongoing basis, according to participants’ personal learning plans.

Good practice checklist

✓ Ensure regular monitoring of action implementation and compare actual performance to goals set during the design phase.

− Assess whether interventions contribute to long-term sustainable change.

✓ Ensure achievement of intended outputs / outcomes.

✓ Determine whether practice outcomes are considered successful by beneficiaries, the host and practitioner communities, funders, and policymakers.

Partnership & Collaboration

Does the practice establish communication and coordination with other relevant actors to foster the integration of migrants? (e.g., migrants, civil society, public authorities, businesses)

The practice has established strong ties with other actors that foster the integration of refugees. Key stakeholders – such as companies, schools, and NGOs – have been actively involved since implementation began: their inclusion in the practice is a key part of its strategy for the promotion of integration.

Good practice checklist

✓ Ensure the involvement and participation of key stakeholders in the development phase and create strategies to involve them in the action.

✓ Include multi-stakeholder consultation with professionals, institutions, and citizens, in order to promote the meaningful participation of refuges and migrants and support a joint sense of ownership of decisions and actions.

Does the practice contribute to discussion on the improvement of integration support policies?

The practice contributes to discussion at the local level on improvements to integration support policies. It is a key player in local integration strategy, due to its supervision by the Berlin Senate for Education, Youth and Family, and relies on input from its local partners when reviewing operations, practices and outcomes.

Good practice checklist

✓ Seize opportunities to contribute to the development of comprehensive integration strategies involving EU-level/national/regional/local authorities, service providers and civil society.

✓ Work with relevant partners to jointly review operations, practices, services, and integration outcomes.

Consortium

Non- EU Partners

Associate

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