Good Practice Criteria

Inclusivity & Participation

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

The practice works to erase all obstacles to information about COVID-19, as well as to its prevention, detection and treatment (including vaccination). The involvement of local communities is an essential part of the INTERSOS approach, and awareness-raising is at the centre of this vaccination intervention. Timetables for services and focus group discussions have been diversified in order to facilitate the participation of all groups, and to accommodate limitations imposed by third parties (women victims of sexual exploitation, for example, have a regularly scheduled day for medical visits).

Inspiring tools:

Inspiring tools: INTERSOS report.

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 views its interventions as temporary and functional, empowering local institutions, services and individuals and helping them to interact with each other independently. INTERSOS actively supports public institutions in their efforts to improve intake capacities and to overcome bureaucratic, cultural, linguistic, and practical barriers to accessing healthcare. The training of community-based organisations reinforces this.

 

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 INTERSOS community-based approach involves beneficiaries in the implementation of its practices.

In each informal settlement, some beneficiaries are trained to support the service in reaching potential beneficiaries and collecting relevant information and feedback.

 

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 supports the most marginalised migrants to improve their health conditions and protect their rights. The involvement of volunteers and the use of focus groups helps in the identification of needs and design of actions.

 

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 active involvement of migrants is a constitutive element of the INTERSOS intervention model. In this way individuals are empowered, and supported for further intervention where needed. Awareness is at the centre of the vaccination intervention process: the aim of the practice is not persuasion, rather increased awareness. This can be achieved only in the long run, through small steps and the establishment of mutual trust (and this mutual trust in itself promotes integration in the longer term). The involvement of local institutions in the practice is pursued in order to improve public services in the long run.

 

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 aims to strengthen the services of public institutions, rather than to substitute them. Such institutions are supported to increase their intake capacities and to overcome bureaucratic, cultural, linguistic, and practical access barriers. Since the beginning of the vaccination period, INTERSOS has carried out related advocacy at both regional and national level.

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 practice is monitored in a systematic way, based on analysis of previous interventions. Specifically-determined indicators are used to monitor two of the three main activities: information dissemination and practical support.

 

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 actions of INTERSOS and the community-based organisational partners are monitored on either a weekly or a daily basis. Previous experiences and relevant expertise was taken into account in the creation of the practice, and it was designed to be flexible enough to accommodate new elements as needed.

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?

Since the initial design phase, the practice has improved the ability of both local communities and public services to accommodate the needs of migrants and others who are socially excluded. INTERSOS aims to make relevant actors autonomous as soon as possible, in order to better sustain the practice in the long term

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.

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?

In the INTERSOS approach, interventions are temporary and local institutions and actors are trained to ultimately become autonomous. To achieve this, different sources of funding are utilised and responsibilities are transferred. For example, multicultural mediators are now used at the Foggia health institution, thanks to a project funded by Fondazione con il Sud (a banking foundation).

 

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)

Along with being involved in advocacy activities itself, INTERSOS works to involve relevant local actors in the process as much as possible.

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?

Participating in different clusters and networks at national and regional levels, INTERSOS contributes to the exchange of information and the improvement of integration support policies. At every site where INTERSOS is operational, its staff members create new – and work to enhance existing – coordination groups so that they might collaboratively review operations and outcomes, and advocate more effectively at local and regional level.

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.

Inclusivity & Participation

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

Meeting the specific needs of LGBTIQ persons in all matters related to asylum is the core objective of the Queer Base project. Information is available in English, German, Persian, French, Turkish, Kurdish, Russian, Ukrainian and Arabic, via a multilingual telephone hotline and contact form. Project services are delivered by mixed teams and interpreters with experience of the asylum procedure, in order to ensure both accessibility and suitability for 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?

Queer Base follows the innovative approach of community organising with the local LGBTIQ community: the “Friends of Queer Base” platform connects the target group and local civil society via a buddy programme.

 

Inspiring tools:

the Friends of Queer Base platform.

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?

Queer Base is a grass roots organisation wherein activities are planned and implemented by both beneficiaries and organisers. The practice is innovative in its combination of professional support, other service provision and grassroots organising, and the interpreters hired tend to be queer refugees themselves.

 

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 conceived in response to the overwhelming and well documented need for support of the LGBTIQ migrant community. Besides the provision of individual counselling and support, integral objectives of the practice include structural lobbying, awareness-raising and capacity building.

 

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?

Queer Base takes an emancipatory approach, working to empower LGBTIQ refugees with the involvement of receiving communities. Ensuring that their asylum applications are professionally dealt with guarantees a refugee individual access to a residence permit, which is essential to their long term integration and reduces the time they are required to spend in temporary reception facilities.

 

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?

Queer Base cooperates with all relevant stakeholders in the asylum sector and beyond, to ensure the mainstreaming of support for the particular needs of LGBTIQ refugees. It also takes into account EU standards for the inclusion of particularly vulnerable groups with specific needs. Further, it participates in discussion fora and lobbying, and writes position papers on legislative and policy amendments. In 2017 Queer Base provided substantial input to expert recommendations on first interviews in asylum procedures, and a position paper on fair and high quality asylum procedures.

 

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?

he project is a reaction to the well-documented need for individual and structural support of LGBTIQ refugees, and was planned within the community and in consultation with relevant external stakeholders. Statistics in the annual report show the impact and relevance of its support (legal; administrative; psycho-social). Given the sensitive context, knowledge and understanding of the particular needs of the target group is a prerequisite for all staff, and is key to ensuring the trust of participants and the effectiveness of the work.

 

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?

Regular monitoring and evaluation of project results is not only key to ensuring the functioning of its services, but also forms part of its annual planning and reporting. Positive feedback from beneficiaries, ongoing cooperation with partner NGOs, and consistently high demand for the project’s counselling and support services shows that the outcomes of the practice are so far successful.

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?

After an initial phase built on crowd-funding and other donations, the project secured structural funding from the municipality of Vienna. It remains in need, however, of more structural funding and new sponsors.

 

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)

Cooperation with all relevant actors in the field is necessary not only to support individual cases, but also to work towards structural change and the sustainable integration of LGBTIQ refugees in Vienna / Austria.

 

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 organisation regularly takes public positions and cooperates with other actors to highlight areas in which improvement is needed to ensure the better inclusion of LGBTIQ refugees. While the project is primarily focused on securing access to safe legal status for its participants (as a foundation for long-term-integration), as well as on developing safe reception environments, broader educational and support activities are also offered depending on available resources.

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.

Inclusivity & Participation

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

All refugees are informed of their entitlement to access the project if it exists in their municipality. It is open to all over the age of 18, regardless of gender or other characteristics, and anyone can volunteer as a friend. Project information is translated into 7 languages besides Danish and is available on 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 receiving society is part of the project in that refugees are referred via the local municipality. The project’s main focus is the establishment of relations between local Danes and refugees, in order to improve refugees’ language skills and their understanding of the receiving society. The project mobilises local people to promote the integration of refugees, and their active participation is an integral part of 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?

Project beneficiaries – refugees and local volunteers – are not part of the project steering group. They do, however, have a strong influence on the activities that are available and on those they take part in, as these are arranged individually according to the needs of each participant. Although beneficiaries are not compensated for their contributions to the project, they can apply for small amounts to cover certain expenses.

 

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 aims to meet the needs of refugees in order to improve their active participation in society. The relationship takes as its starting point an individual’s needs and interests – usually this takes the form of language training, but can also be sports introductions, employment support, food and culture information, or democratic participation support. Some participants are also keen to ‘give back’ to the receiving society, for example by sharing the culture and food of their home country.

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 demonstrates that learning the local language and establishing personal, supportive relationships within the local community is essential to migrants’ empowerment and their long-term integration. Many refugees who have integrated successfully mention one person or family that played a crucial role in their integration: no matter how much formalised teaching and support is offered, the development of personal relations will always be what most empowers new arrivals.

 

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 is a collaboration between NGOs, local administrative bodies and state institutions for integration. It has already become a strong part of the integration framework in Denmark. Human rights standards and principles are at the core of the work of the two NGOs managing this project.

 

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 has a strong foundation, based on professional knowledge, clear goals, a steering group and external evaluation. It was launched more than 5 years ago, and there are now thousands of people involved across most of the country. Its overall outcome / impact is not directly measurable, but certain evaluation questionnaires have seen the majority of respondents report that the project has improved participating refugees’ language skills and increased the likelihood of their successful integration.

 

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 implementation and development is monitored in different ways: consultants from the two coordinating organisations report on its implementation twice a year, and local coordinators complete an annual survey about their activities. Risks and obstacles are assessed on an ongoing basis, and project activities are adjusted accordingly if necessary. Evaluation (including feedback from volunteers, refugees and municipalities) has generally been very positive.

 

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?

The relations established through the project have no end date: some continue for years to become lasting friendships or “family” relationships. The project itself also has no end date, and care is taken to ensure its sustainability.

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.

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?

The project receives structural funding, granted by the state every 4 years. As project results have so far been overwhelmingly positive, it is unlikely that this funding will be stopped. There are no plans for the project to generate its own resources.

 

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)

The project was born from a partnership between two large NGOs, in collaboration with local municipalities and the state. Other civil society actors are involved indirectly, as the project works to promote the active participation of refugees in local activities.

 

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 project focuses on personal, individual relations, rather than on pushing for change at the structural level. Over time, however, insights gained from this personal approach may help to address certain gaps in integration policy and planning. Project steering group meetings often identify challenges that can be solved at the political level, though this is not a direct goal of the project.

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

Subscribe to our newsletter:
See our: Privacy Policy
Contact: g.gilardoni@ismu.org

SPRING has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation under the grant agreement 101004635. All views expressed are those of SPRING and the European Commission is not responsible for any use of the information this website contains.

© SPRING. All rights reserved.