"Education Development Guidelines for 2014-2020" defines the basic objective of the development of education - high-quality and inclusive education for personal development, human well-being and sustainable national development. To ensure development of education, it is necessary to work on quality management and improvement in VET institutions. The main objective of the project is to improve quality management approaches in VET institutions through promotion of self-evaluation and benchmarking, as well as implementation of change management thus ensuring sustainable and continuous growth and results among VET institutions. The concrete objectives:1. To examine and research existing approaches for quality assurance in Vocational education and training sector in participating countries2. To carry out self-assessment based on EFQM and EQAVET principles to identify both strengths and weaknesses of the partner organizations3. To share and validate identified tools and approaches and learn from each other4. To implement change management in partner organizations based on exchange of effective practices5. To develop a Guide of recommendations of effective practices and support their practical implementation in VET institutions.To reach the goals of the project there is built the partnership with vocational educational institutions from each partner country (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Bulgaria, Slovenia) and "Biedrība Eurofortis" (Latvia). Eurofortis is a multicultural non-governmenta organisation with broad experience in project realisation, also aimed at improvement of quality assurance process. Eurofortis is a member of the Latvian Society for Quality. One of latest projects where the partner were involved, is implementation of Excellence approach (EFQM) and quality assurance (EQAVET) to specific types of target audience. Project is focused on both experience exchange among VET institutions and practical implementation of identified change management. It emphasizes continuous growth and improvements at organizational level in a long-term vision, identifying not only effective ways to be shared, but also weakest approaches to be changed and improved by learning form each other practices. The project will be divided in 3 phases. In the first phase of the project the partners will undertake the process of researching and learning, while in the second and third phase they will become organizations to share know-how not only amongst partnership, but also to a wider scope of VET organizations by developing Guide of recommendations.Main activitiesPhase 11. Research / survey Research - identifying existing approaches for quality assurance in VET sector in participating countries. Objective of the study is to investigate if any and what type of quality management system in vocational schools around Europe is used and to point out it’s strengths and weaknesses2. Short term learning activity (3 days) - training in order to proceed the full self-assessment in schools which will be later turned into improvement actions. This course will bring to schools an understanding about how to proceed the self-assessment and use of various supporting methods for schools; know how to use various ‘Excellence’ techniques and methods; know how to work with self-assessment results and turn them into an improvement plan.3. Creation of project website. It will have the dissemination character presenting the project results in participating countries and Europe.Phase 21. The self-assessment as the tool for the identification of strengths and weaknesses of each participating organisation.2. Involvement of 2 (as minimum) associated partners in the project.3. Organisation of short learning activities in each country - exchange visits between participating schools across Europe to learn most effective practices and their later implementation4. National seminars in each country for Good practices sharing and result exploitationPhase 31. Compilation of the results in Guide of recommendatons of effective practices and their practical implementation in VET institutions.2. Event - Participation in project final conference.3. Project management, Quality management, Dissemination – seminars, articles, newsletter etc. as activities which take part since the beginning till the end, described in specific part of the project application form.Main impact is raised discussions on education quality and quality management in vocational educational institutions in national level and also in European level. Every participating organisation will distinguish the need of quality management system to be developed and improved and of being a good example for other vocational educational institutions to follow the good practice.The results of the research and Guide of recommendations can be used for developing of strategy for improvement of quality management in institutions.
PROJECT SUMMARY "Education Development Guidelines for 2014-2020" define the basic objective of the development of education - high-quality and inclusive education for personal development, human well-being and sustainable national development. To ensure the development of education, it is necessary to work on quality management and improvement in VET institutions. The main goal of the project „Change management forwarding to excellence in vocational educational institutions” was to improve quality management approaches in VET institution trough promotion of self-evaluation and benchmarking. Our concrete objectives were: 1. To examine and research existing approaches for quality assurance in Vocational education and training sector in participating countries 2. To carry out self-assessment based on EFQM and EQAVET principles to identify both strengths and weaknesses of the partner organizations 3. To share and validate identified tools and approaches and learn from each other 4. To implement change management in partner organizations based on the exchange of effective practices 5. To develop a Guide of recommendations for effective practices and support their practical implementation in VET institutions. Project partners were from Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania Slovenia, Bulgaria VET institution and Expert "Biedrība Eurofortis". The project was divided into 3 phases. In the first phase of the project, the partners made research and later in training activity learned about self-assessment which was provided with Excellence approach (EFQM) and quality assurance (EQAVET). After that organizations visited more than 20 VET institutions which are working hard to improve their organizations' quality in every aspect. Partners got many ideas from each other about VET institution in quality management and everyday school life that makes quality. At the end of the project partners shared not only in partnership know-how but also to a wider scope of VET organizations by developing a Recommendation guide which is available in the project website www.evet.lv. Project partners are surprised by the impact which is left after the project implementation: 1. Deputy Minister of Education and Science in Bulgaria, which before was director of Sofia Professional High School in precision engineering and optics "M.V. Lomonosov", became as deputy minister and made changes in self-assessment in all professional schools. This person participated in good practice sharing of our project where she got inspiration to change that system. 2. All partners started to care more about students and their wellbeing in school. Some partners in different aspects started to evaluate students and teachers about their feelings in school and what could be done better. 3. All partners understood that there is needed better communication among administration, teachers and students. It is a hard job to make qualitative dialogue between different generations. The most important thing that VET institution more than 20 have started care more about quality management which includes Excellence. In the project website, it is possible to find more information about the project, recommendation guide, good practice, and improvements which were made in every partner organization.