Good Practice Criteria
Inclusivity & Participation
Does the practice ensure that its services are accessible and responsive to diverse groups?
The project sought to overcome a systemic deficiency in the provision of services by the Labour Office, which stemmed from existing barriers between Labour Office staff and migrants. The project also strengthened the relevant qualification of the institution’s employees, through provision of methodological materials and training courses. Services for foreigners were provided in a range of languages, based on needs of the institution’s staff. A social interpreting service was provided by the Labour Office throughout the project implementation period, and its interactive application – updated during the follow-up project – is now available to all via the website.
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 project primarily responded to the needs of Labour Office employees in communicating with migrants. The methodological material contains recommendations for establishing and maintaining communication with, for example, employers of foreigners, and the round tables were attended by employers as well as experts. The project did not involve any further involvement than this on the part of the receiving society.
ned via cooperation with both the local community and participants, and everyone is free to participate equally. While at the beginning the project was run solely by volunteers, it now also has paid employees. The receiving society is also involved through the project’s cooperation with schools and local businesses (which offer employment support and experience to participants). |
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?
Services were provided in various languages according to the needs of Labour Office employees, which were assessed prior to the initial phase of the project. These employees were also regularly asked to provide feedback on their experience of the project via both a general questionnaire and individual interviews.
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 project was indeed relevant to the needs of migrants: it was a response to a situation wherein migrants – depending on their type of residence permit – in theory had the same rights as Czech citizens when it came to accessing the services of the Labour Office, but in reality found that certain barriers prevented or limited their access to such services. The project, in particular its social interpretation services and interactive app, represented an important attempt by the Labour Office to remove these barriers.
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?
Among other things, the interactive app provides a map of life situations related to employment and a glossary of basic relevant terms. It strengthens the ability of migrants to independently navigate employment issues and the services of the Labour Office. The social interpretation support provided by the project made services such as career counselling and employment advice more accessible and efficient, strengthening migrants’ chances of finding and keeping a job and in so doing promoting their long-term integration.
Inspiring tools:
Inspiring tools: Interactive map.
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 project piloted the use of social interpreting and other tools which have the potential to fundamentally strengthen the ability of a key public institution to provide services to migrants. All of this aligns with state integration and employment policies.
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 project was implemented on the basis of a detailed plan. Basic information on its objectives, progress, outputs and results is available on the ESF CR website as well as on the project’s web portal. Educational courses for Labour Office staff were designed around the project’s comprehensive methodological material.
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.
✓ 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 implementation of the project was regularly monitored by the donor. Most project indicators were quantitative in nature (numbers of people supported; graduates of courses; number of methodological materials and products created). The provision of social interpretation (locations; intensity; languages) was adapted as necessary to meet real needs throughout the implementation phase, and the service itself was qualitatively evaluated on an ongoing basis. This evaluation mapped the experience of the Labour Office staff, and concluded that the service was significantly improving the effectiveness of counselling for foreigners and that the staff would welcome its continuation.
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
Is the practice prepared to sustain its positive effects after completion?
Use of the project’s outputs (methodology, trained staff, digital outputs) after its completion was foreseen in the planning phase. At least 115 Labour Office employees from 41 towns and municipalities participated in the project’s training sessions, and have been able to put this training to use ever since. A follow-up project was also prepared, which expanded the services to include practical and individualised support for foreigners at the Labour Office.
Good practice checklist
✓ During the design phase, anticipate opportunities to continue the intervention after completion.
✓ Prepare and apply a well-defined sustainability plan to ensure the continuation of positive effects / outcomes.
✓ Devote resources to building capacities during the implementation phase, in order to ensure that the necessary human resources, expertise and infrastructure are in place to sustain the services upon completion of the action.
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 project was implemented by a contributory organisation of the Ministry of Labour. It was delivered in partnership with the Labour Office of the Czech Republic and involved consultation with employers, academic experts and experts from the non-governmental sector. It also collaborated with German and Austrian public employment service institutions.
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?
Relevant round tables on the employment of foreigners, attended by employers and representatives of the Ministry of Labour, discussed possible improvements to policies promoting the integration of foreigners in the labour market. The project also organised a conference at the national parliament, which served to raise awareness on migration, the employment of foreigners and the role of public employment services.
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.