Inclusion Guidelines For National Agencies

• An important task for the National Agencies is to bring the European Inclusion Strategy down to national level.
• SALTO Inclusion developed a practical publication helping NAs to do so, called "Shaping Inclusion".
• Shaping Inclusion has lots of tips and advice on how to develop an inclusion strategy at national level. Download it here.

Inclusion is a priority of the Youth in Action programme. The national authorities, National Agencies and Executive Agency have a high responsibility for its success as well as for the overall European coherence and a joint commitment towards inclusion. The following are guidelines for the implementation of the Inclusion Strategy by the National and Executive Agencies:

National and Executive Agencies shall address all obstacles and situations mentioned in the definition of young people with fewer opportunities (point 2 of the present document), without excluding any particular target group.

Project cycle

National and Executive Agencies shall provide systematic and tailor-made support to the promoters of inclusion projects at all stages of the project cycle. To do this effectively, National and Executive Agencies must have the expertise in a wide range of special needs (socio-economic, educational, disability, social exclusion, discrimination, etc.) or be able to access it externally.

Evaluation committees shall include at least one person with a good knowledge of the different groups of young people with fewer opportunities.

The selection committees shall treat the applications for inclusion projects as a priority. National and Executive Agencies can choose to give higher priority to projects involving young people who face several obstacles.

When assessing grant applications, particular emphasis needs to be put on:

• analysis of the profile and special needs of the young people
• a corresponding tailor-made approach
• learning potential
• linguistic support
• pedagogical competence and/or inclusion experience of the promoter
• involvement of the young person
• solid partnership between all project partners
• thorough follow-up plan which could benefit the young persons' personal and professional pathways.

The National and Executive Agencies shall monitor which types of groups with fewer opportunities apply and which groups are not reached yet. They are encouraged to make special efforts to reach out to underrepresented groups with fewer opportunities.

Similarly, National and Executive Agencies shall monitor the range of inclusion themes addressed in Youth in Action inclusion projects, and could stimulate and/or prioritise inclusion projects about unaddressed topics.

The National and Executive Agencies shall keep statistics on:

• number of inclusion projects within the Youth in Action programme
• number of young people with fewer opportunities that participated
• kind of obstacles/situations faced by these young people

The National and Executive Agencies shall pay special attention to the evaluation and follow-up of projects involving young people with fewer opportunities, to make sure the educational work and personal development doesn't stop after the project.

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Programme Guide

All criteria for the different Actions are laid down in the Programme Guide or in specific Calls for proposals, which are the basis for the grant application. Inclusion-related flexibility (e.g. in terms of age, procedures, etc.) as well as financial incentives are clearly defined in the Programme Guide.

Exceptional costs are designed to provide extra support for the special needs of young people with fewer opportunities and/or with special needs in Youth in Action projects. There is no exhaustive list of what can be considered as eligible exceptional costs. However, National and Executive Agencies have to seek a maximum of transparency in granting exceptional costs and ensure equal treatment of all applicants who are in the same situation.

The step-by-step approach, which encourages subsequent participation in projects in different Actions or which creates a link from short-term to long-term EVS for instance, is strongly recommended.

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Work organisation

National and Executive Agencies shall continue dedicating sufficient human and financial resources for support, advice and training of inclusion projects.

National and Executive Agencies shall appoint one staff member in charge of inclusion as a horizontal priority across Actions, who is the contact person for inclusion projects and Commission/SALTO communications regarding inclusion, etc. Nevertheless, the Inclusion Strategy should be well known and implemented by all Agencies staff members.

They shall establish networks of experts and resource people, which expertise they can benefit from.

National and Executive Agencies are requested to make the best possible use of the SALTO Inclusion Resource Centre publications, resources and training courses on setting up projects with young people with fewer opportunities: www.salto-youth.net/inclusion/ and promote them to relevant organisations and youth workers. National and Executive Agencies can contribute to the inclusion resources online (add inclusion and youth work methods in the toolbox, enter training courses in the training calendar, etc.).

Special orientation and guidance for informal youth groups involving young people with fewer opportunities should be organised on a regular basis by National and Executive Agencies and/or their partners.

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Training and Cooperation Plan of National Agencies

Training for organisations/projects on how to establish adapted educational content and which methods to use when doing activities with young people with fewer opportunities should be organised by the National Agencies within the context of the Training and Cooperation Plans.

Complementarity

Bridges to other European and national programmes and policies related to social inclusion should be established wherever possible. It is particularly recommended that national authorities explore possibilities to complement activities supported under the European Social Funds (ESF) through activities supported under the Youth in Action programme. These synergies could then be described in the national strategic documents for the ESF. Employment agencies, competence centres and other private and public bodies providing advice and orientation to young people could inform about the Youth in Action programme. They would also conceive different formal and non-formal learning opportunities in a holistic way targeted to the individual needs of young people with fewer opportunities. Best practice in this regard should be documented and disseminated.

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