Theory_Dissemination

p1  The Comenius programme focuses on the first phase of  education, from pre-school and primary to secondary schools. It is relevant for all members of the education community: pupils, teachers, local authorities, parents’ associations, non-government organisations, teacher training institutes, universities and all other educational staff. 1.B.WHAT ACTION CATEGORIES ARE SUPPORTED? The LLP supports the following action categories: ** Charter ** A written document granted by the European Commission giving the possibility to the eligible higher education institutions to   participate in Erasmus activities. The Charter outlines the fundamental principles an institution should adhere to in   organising and implementing high quality mobility and cooperation and states the requisites it agrees to comply with in order to   ensure high quality services and procedures as well as the provision of reliable and transparent information. ** Certificate ** A certificate in mobility is the recognition of the capacity of an   institution or a consortium to implement a mobility activity of    excellent quality. These quality aspects cover the strategic framework in which the mobility activity is embedded (policy,   strategy, work programme) as well as the operational and financial capacity of the institution to organise mobility activities. It is used in the Erasmus programme (Erasmus Consortium Placement   Certificate) and in the Leonardo da Vinci programme (Leonardo da    Vinci mobility certificate). ** Mobility ** Spending a period of time in another participating country in order to undertake study, work experience, other learning, teaching or   training activity or related administrative activity, supported as    appropriate by preparatory or refresher courses in the host language or working language. Multilateral project A European cooperation activity with a defined and exploitable outcome developed jointly by a formal or informal grouping of   organisations or institutions. NA   United Kingdom British Council - Comenius, Erasmus 10, Spring Gardens UK-London SW1A 2BN Tel: (44) 207 389 4277 Fax: (44) 207 389 4426 E-mail: llp@britishcouncil.org Websites: http://www.britishcouncil.org/comenius [] Consortium A group of organisations or persons conducting a joint European cooperation Project, Partnership or Network. p.56
 * COMENIUS programme **
 * School Education **

** What is the rationale for the dissemination and exploitation of results? **  Systematic dissemination and exploitation of results are critical in helping to maximise the impact of activities undertaken under this and previous EU education and training programmes in support of the Europe 2020 strategy and delivery of the ‘Education and Training’ Work Programme. Benefits can include: • improving the sustainability of project results, in line with end-user needs • generating savings by exploiting existing practices (no ‘re-inventing the wheel’) • capitalising on investments • transferring results in order to transform systems and practices, thus enhancing the impact of EU-funded programmes and projects at systems level • reducing time-scales for policy and process innovation • feeding the policy process (peer learning, Open Method of Coordination). What is meant by "dissemination and exploitation of results"? 'Dissemination and exploitation of results' refers to activities designed to ensure that the results of the LLP and its predecessors are appropriately recognised, demonstrated and implemented on a wide scale. Within the context of the LLP, the following distinctions should be observed: ** 􀂾 Promotion and awareness-raising: ** This term is used primarily in the context of   publicising the existence of programmes and initiatives, their aims, objectives and activities and the availability of funding for given purposes. This definition excludes the publicising of results. As such, promotion and rising awareness occurs primarily before and during the actual implementation of the programmes or initiatives, and is   undertaken by DGEAC in cooperation with the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency and the National Agencies. ** 􀂾 Dissemination: ** This is defined as a planned process of providing information on the quality, relevance and effectiveness of the results of programmes and initiatives to   key actors. It occurs as and when the results of programmes and initiatives become available. This activity happens at both project and programme level, and involves the active participation of intermediary 'relay' bodies. ** 􀂾 Exploitation ** consists of 'mainstreaming' and 'multiplication'. 'Mainstreaming' is   the planned process of transferring the successful results of programmes and initiatives to appropriate decision-makers in regulated local, regional, national or   European systems. Multiplication is the planned process of convincing individual endusers to adopt and/or apply the results of programmes and initiatives.28 Again, this can happen at both project and programme level. 'Dissemination' and 'exploitation' are therefore distinct concepts, but closely related to   one another. The keys to a successful exploitation of results are: 􀂾 producing relevant results from projects and programmes/initiatives to satisfy the demands of providers, policy-makers and ultimately society more generally; 􀂾 ensuring, through the use of effective dissemination and exploitation, that such results reach the right target audiences in a format and at a time which enables them to benefit from them. Is this the same as valorisation? Yes, it is. 'Valorisation' is the French equivalent term for 'dissemination and exploitation of results'. The two terms are sometimes used interchangeably in English in the context of the EU Lifelong Learning Programme and its predecessors. //__ What are results? __//  The expression ‘results of programmes and initiatives’ encompasses the results of    individual projects, events, activities, periods of mobility, etc. These can be categorised into **__five main types__**: products, methods, experiences, policy lessons and European cooperation. Further information concerning DG EAC's strategy for the dissemination and exploitation of project and programme results and related activities can be found on the DG's   'Dissemination and Exploitation' webpage at the following address: [] //Who is this information for?// • Applicants applying for multilateral projects under the sectoral programmes must include a detailed dissemination and exploitation plan as part of their application. • Applicants applying for funding under the other actions of the sectoral and transversal programmes should check whether the specific requirements include dissemination and exploitation activities and plans. The general guidelines and 'checklist' may in any case prove useful to applicants under any part of the LLP in helping to improve the focus on project results and impact. // Key information for preparing a quality dissemination and exploitation plan // All applications for multilateral projects must include a clear, detailed and quantified dissemination and exploitation plan. This is one of the most aspects when assessing proposals. Consequently, a poor quality strategy for the dissemination and exploitation of the intended results will have a negative impact on the proposal's chances of being selected. A good dissemination and exploitation plan should address the following points in particular: • A clear and dynamic focus on user needs Proposals should be based on a clear and well-argued presentation of the analysis of user needs for the target groups concerned and the results proposed in response to  those needs. The dissemination and exploitation plan should set out how this analysis will be reviewed and updated during the project lifetime to ensure the results remain relevant to the targeted end users' requirements. The plan should also indicate scanning activities to identify broader target groups with a potential interest in the results, as well as measures to capture and respond to the needs of these wider groups where possible (transfer potential of the end results). • Shared responsibility across all partners Responsibility for the dissemination and exploitation of results lies with the whole partnership in their capacity as the repository/owner of those results. All project partners should therefore take an active part in implementing the measures set out in the exploitation plan. Exploitation of results should not be seen as the exclusive reserve of those partners who offer specific marketing expertise and dissemination capacity. The plan should set out clearly the specific tasks falling to each partner during the course of the project and in line with their particular interests and expertise. • A continuing process Activities for the dissemination and exploitation of results should be conceived and planned from the very outset of the project proposal, for example as a tool for developing and testing the design of the proposal, and should run through the whole of the project life-cycle to ensure that the end results are as relevant, applicable, visible and accessible as possible. • Life after the end of the project Dissemination and exploitation plans should include activities designed to ensure the continuing visibility, accessibility and use of the results after Checklist for Project Applicants // Needs Analysis // • Does the project include a satisfactory ex-ante analysis of the needs it is intended to meet? Consultation of future known and potential users/beneficiaries of the project results is fundamental at this stage. • Does the project incorporate an accurate analysis of the state of play in the proposed field of activity? This is important to show the project’s added value and to avoid any redundancy; SWOT 29 analysis may be useful at this stage. • Are the needs of final beneficiaries and of the potential users of the results taken into account both in the planning and design phases and during the project’s implementation? Are they kept informed and involved in the activities from the outset? // Partnership / Consortium // • Does the project provide for a stable Partnership/Consortium? Is the Partnership/ Consortium based on existing/previous cooperation? Is it part of a medium and/or long-term cooperation between the partners? Where mainly new partners are involved, does the project include specific actions to develop and reinforce cooperative working? • Does the Partnership/Consortium provide for links (directly or via reliable relays and networks) with the most representative decision-makers/stakeholders and professionals in the fields targeted by the project? • Does the Partnership/Consortium include organisations expected to incorporate the project outcomes in educational, vocational, culture or youth systems/practices at national, regional and/or sectoral level? • Can the project partners demonstrate their ability and readiness to ensure that the results will be followed up after completion of the project? (i.e. updating, implementation, continuous dissemination, transfer, follow up activities etc.) • Do the partners have professional experience in dissemination / publishing / communication / marketing? • Has provision been made for an agreement between the partners on intellectual property rights? Such an agreement is not compulsory, but could prove useful. In all events, it must not prevent any future use of the product by third parties, while abiding by the right to commercialise the product. // Dissemination and Exploitation Activities // • Do dissemination and exploitation activities form a continuous process throughout the project? 29 SWOT = strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (planning activities in the light of identification of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks connected with the project, the partners and the external   conditions). Dissemination and exploitation activities should commence at the start of the project and continue throughout its implementation and beyond the end of the contract, thus supporting the longer-term impact and sustainability of the project results. • Are dissemination and exploitation activities detailed, clear and quantified? Examples: number of persons targeted by and benefiting from the dissemination and exploitation activities, budget percentage earmarked for dissemination and exploitation, any dissemination/exploitation activities directed at other multipliers, means for dissemination and exploitation in the long term such as scientific articles, conference proceedings, Internet sites, commercialisation, agreements with users of the results for long-term exploitation; and in the short term, the media, seminars, conferences, exhibitions, test phases of prototypes with potential users/beneficiaries of the result • Are the dissemination and exploitation activities adapted to and suitable for the project goals and beneficiaries? Are the dissemination channels adequate to the target group? • Are dissemination and exploitation activities organised at different levels (i.e. local, regional, national, European and sectoral levels) via efficient relays such as  (transnational) networks? • Do all the project partners share responsibility for dissemination and exploitation? If not, why not? Are roles clearly defined and tasks clearly and appropriately allocated among partners? • Is there continuous interaction between project partners and known and potential end users/beneficiaries of the results? The project’s direct beneficiaries are the parties towards whom the project results are directly targeted, but provision should also be made for dissemination and exploitation activities among a broader group of potential users/beneficiaries, political decision-makers and/or key players in the project’s fields of activity. • Are end users and potential beneficiaries of the results directly involved in the different stages of the project and are they consulted regularly in the course of the project? Their advice and requirements are essential with a view to producing an immediately useable, quality output with a higher impact potential. The users may be involved at different stages, for example, when specifying and reviewing requirements, when testing the prototype, and in the assessment of interim and final results. This involvement is important to allow adaptation of the results and possible reshaping of certain project activities. End users and final beneficiaries could be involved via the official partner agreement, as silent partners, as members of a project steering committee or focus group etc.). • Does the project include for example a product test stage before finalisation with the  final beneficiaries / end users?  The results of the test should be taken into account in adapting and finalising the  product. // Follow Up // • What happens when the project ends? Is it planned to update the results after the   project has been completed? How will access to the results be assured after   completion of the project? How will necessary updating be funded? If the product  requires some elements of customer support, how will this service be provided?  • Has provision been made for passing on the project results to other potentially  interested persons and organisations, and in particular to decision-makers and key  stakeholders?  The ideal goal is to have results incorporated into systems and practices, for example  by having them recognised/certified in the case of training/educational tools. Involvement at policy-making level is therefore essential to the results’ sustainability. Transfer of the results and methodologies developed by a project for use in other organisations is also vital. Relaying these by the use of training courses organised by project partners or other suitably qualified organisations is highly recommended. • Could the expected results (products and processes) be transferred to and exploited in other sectors/target groups/social and cultural environments? Could the transferability of the results be improved? Examples - product easy to use from the technical point of view, product includes plans for maintenance and follow-up after completion of the project; process bringing new approaches to training; outputs aimed at target group not currently covered; product designed in such a way that its content and/or its technology can be easily adapted; processes solving European-scale problems; outputs available in several languages, etc Results can be categorised into five main types, of which the first three are direct project results and the second two are indirect project results and/or the results of programmes and initiatives. 1) //‘Products’// are tangible and durable outputs in the form of new learning products, new curricula, new qualifications, videos, etc. They include:  • reports and (comparative) studies;  • traditional education and training modules like handbooks and other training tools;  • innovative education and training modules  • new curricula and qualifications;  • guidance material to new approaches and methodologies;  • online education and training material (e-learning);  • events such as conferences, cultural events, youth gatherings, public awareness  campaigns, seminars, debates and symposia.  2) //'Methods’// include: • increased knowledge of the participants within a certain field and topic; • cooperation processes and methodologies; • managerial lessons learned and know-how; • exchange of ideas and good practice. 3) //‘Experiences’// are intangible and potentially less durable than products and methods. They include:  • experience gained by the project partners in the management and undertaking of   (trans-national) partnerships;   • experience gained by individuals, for example, experience gained from mobility  periods within the sectoral programmes of the LLP;  • exchange of experience and best practice through the establishment of networks,  notably under the centralised actions of the LLP;  • experience gained from the practical "Partnership"-type projects within the LLP's  sectoral programmes, etc. // 4) 'Policy Lessons’ // usually emerge from the overall experience of projects within a  programme or initiative (or group of programmes or initiatives) or from specific projects that are particularly innovative or effective. They are applied more widely at ‘systems’ level by multiplier agents. The generation of policy lessons is unlikely to be the primary consideration of project coordinators (and partners) or their main reason for participating in an EU programme or initiative, but some of them may nonetheless be very relevant and rich in potential for this purpose. // 5) 'European Co-operation’ // as a means, in part, to increase awareness about the benefits to be derived from cooperating with European partners and improve its  visibility but also to reinforce actions at EU level. It includes:  • new or extended European partnerships;  • transnational sharing of experience and best practice;  • cross-cultural dialogue and co-operation, development of inter-cultural  competence;  • in certain circumstances, new dialogue and partnerships between EU and non-EU   countries.   All grants awarded under the "Commission Procedure" (centralised actions) in the course  of a financial year must be published on the Internet site of the EU Institutions during the  first half of the year following the closure of the budget year in respect of which they  were awarded. This information may also be published using any other appropriate  medium, including the Official Journal of the EU. The names of individuals who have received a grant will not, however, be published in the Official Journal or on the Europa website. For legal entities which receive a grant: a) the following information will be published 30 : • name and address of the beneficiary;  • subject of the grant;  • amount awarded and rate of funding;  • The list of partner organisations  b) they must clearly acknowledge the EU’s contribution in all publications or in  conjunction with activities for which the grant is used. Furthermore, they are required to give prominence to the name and logo of the European Commission on all their publications, posters, programmes and other products realised under the co-financed action. Finally they need to publish a disclaimer that makes it clear that responsibility for the content lies with the consortium and not with the European Commission or its agencies. If this requirement is not fully complied with, the beneficiary’s grant may be reduced; c) they are required to make available on-line the description of the action and its interim and final results via a website to be maintained during the project or/and the  European Commission-supported informatics platforms devoted to project  dissemination of the programme (EVE, ADAM, etc), for a set period after its  completion. The website details should be notified to the relevant Agency at the   beginning of the action and confirmed in the Final Report.
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 * P **** LAN **
 * 5.C **** .G **** ENERIC **** T **** YPOLOGY OF **** P **** ROJECT **** R **** ESULTS **
 * 5.D. P **** UBLICITY **

Partnerships Partnerships are (often small-scale) projects for practical cooperation between organisations from at least 3 countries, with the exception of Bilateral Partnerships under Comenius which involve only two countries. One institution / organisation per Partnership is the “coordinator”; the others are “partners”. The Partnership application is jointly prepared by all the institutions participating, but each institution receives its grant from its own National Agency. Partnership grants are awarded for 2-year duration. The activities of Partnerships consist of **local activities** in a partner's own organisation (learning activities, fieldwork, research, etc) and **mobility activities** to visit partner institutions abroad (project meetings, study visits, staff exchanges, class exchanges,   learning exchanges etc.). The rules for Partnership projects are broadly the same, no matter under which programme they are implemented (Comenius, Grundtvig, Leonardo da Vinci), though the grants awarded may vary to some extent from one country or programme to another. ** Lump sums ** Each participating institution receives a project grant in the form of a lump sum as a   contribution towards all its project costs: travel and subsistence during mobility periods and costs linked to local project activities. Grants are defined on the basis of a minimum number of “mobilities” that the participating institution intends to carry out during the agreement period. One “mobility” corresponds to one trip abroad carried out by one person in the framework of the Partnership. The Grant Agreement defines the types of   eligible mobility activities. At Final Report stage, beneficiaries are not requested to   submit proofs of expenditure, but they will need to provide evidence that the activities foreseen in their application have been carried out in a full and satisfactory manner. d. Award criteria Award criteria are used to assess the quality of grant applications. Eligible applications will be assessed on the basis of the published award criteria for each action, taking into account the priorities set out in the relevant Call for proposals. The description of each action in Part II of this Guide contains the award criteria which will be   used in the assessment. The scoring mechanism and weighting of the award criteria will be published on the websites of the National Agencies or the Executive Agency respectively. In the case of decentralised actions, the weighting is nevertheless common for all National Agencies. Any additional national award criteria may differ in content from country to country, but their total weight will be the same for all countries. Any such additional national award criteria will be published on the relevant National Agency website. Identical or similar applications will be subject to a specific assessment in order to   exclude the risk of double funding. The Commission and the NAs reserve the right not to   fund identical or similar applications from the same applicant. The Decision establishing the Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) encourages the participation in decentralised actions of individuals or organisations not having previously participated in the Lifelong Learning Programme or its predecessors (Article 1.3.f). Participation of people with special needs and disadvantaged groups is similarly encouraged. Grants are awarded on the basis of the budget available and the relative quality of grant applications, taking into account the maximum contribution of the European Union (EU) and, where relevant, the maximum co-financing percentage to be provided by the EU. All applicants will be informed in writing of the results of the assessment. The grant award results will be published on the website of the Agency concerned