Call for Trainers

Practical guidebook on enhancing youth participation through the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes

Description

Background:

The proposals of the European Commission for the legal base of the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes for the 2021-2027 period include objectives and specific actions related to enhancing youth participation in democratic life.

The Erasmus+ programme regulation stipulates that it “should encourage youth participation in Europe's democratic life, including by supporting participation projects for young people to engage and learn to participate in civic society, raising awareness about European common values including fundamental rights, bringing together young people and decision makers at local, national and Union level, as well as contributing to the European integration process.” The promotion of active participation is included in the specific objectives of the programme. It’s further explained that “the Programme will address the Europe-wide trends of limited participation in democratic life and the low levels of knowledge and awareness about European matters that have an impact on the lives of all European citizens.”

The European Solidarity Corps regulation defines the programme as a means to help strengthen cohesion, solidarity and democracy in Europe and abroad and to address societal and humanitarian challenges on the ground, with a particular focus on promoting social inclusion. One of the specific objectives is to provide young people, including those with fewer opportunities, with easily accessible opportunities for engagement in solidarity activities in Europe and abroad. 

The new generation of funding programmes puts emphasis on youth participation not only at the level of objectives but also at action level, with a range of formats designed to provide more opportunities to encourage youth participation. The European Solidarity Corps programme holds a strong potential to encourage youth participation both through the solidarity projects, volunteering as well as through stimulating active citizenship of Solidarity Corps alumni.

To bring Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps as close as possible to citizens and make sure it works well across Europe, the EU works with National Agencies that manage the two programmes (from now on “EU youth programmes”). SALTO PI is an integral part in the implementation of the National Agencies and supports them in the fields of youth participation, information and critical thinking as well as promotion and outreach.

The need:

Currently SALTO PI manages the development process of a Youth Participation Strategy for enhancing youth participation in democratic life through the EU youth programmes which will be published in 2020. During this process, the need for a practical guidebook was identified that complements this  strategy. This should enable effective support for programme applicants and beneficiaries to develop and implement youth projects with a quality youth participation dimension. The target group for this guidebook are primarily youth workers, trainers or young people involved in developing or implementing projects in the framework of the EU youth programmes. 

The practical guidebook should…

• take into account each and all action formats of Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps in the programme period beginning with 2021 and give specific guidance for each project format on how to approach youth participation in each phase (preparation, implementation, follow-up).
• include illustrative real practice examples from the current EU youth programmes generation or other relatable project formats.
• Illustrate on practical examples what youth participation in democratic life is in a project - and what it is not.
• Include practical tools like checklists or lists of quality criteria on “youth participation in democratic life” for projects
• Link well to relevant existing resources - rather than doubling content that is already available, e.g. with commented lists of other useful resources etc. SALTO PI’s Participation Resource Pool should practically be integrated and linked to the guidebook.
• Demonstrate how projects can have an impact regarding youth participation in democratic life on both an individual level (e.g. improving the citizenship competence of participants - see youthpass) as well as on a community or societal level 
• Build on the European policy context (Youth Goals and EU Youth Strategy as well as the EU Youth Dialogue process) and demonstrate how to make use of that context for practical project planning/implementation/follow-up at different levels (e.g. how youth workers are using the Youth Goals on a local level in their work on youth participation)
• Include advice on how to make maximal use and disseminate the practical guidebook

The format of the practical guidebook should…

• Be available for online and offline publication
• Be in clear, easily understandable English language
• Work well for translated versions that SALTO PI will commission at a later stage (e.g. the design and structure needs to work with different text lengths)
• Central parts of the content should be illustrated by a graphic designer (to be engaged separately by SALTO PI at a later developmental stage)
• Not exceed ~60 pages, rather less

The practical guidebook should integrate well with other resources already available or in development, while not duplicating the content of those resources:

Currently under development by SALTO PI:

• Youth Participation Strategy 
• Compendium of good practice projects
• Participation Resource Pool

In addition:

• Quality Mobility App (qualitymobility.app) that provides resources for Learning Mobility Projects
• Democracy Reloading Toolkit (focuses on involving young people in decision making at municipal level)
• CoE-publication “Have your say! - Manual on the revised European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life” (2015):  https://rm.coe.int/16807023e0
• Good practices: http://www.nuorisotutkimusseura.fi/images/julkaisuja/youthparticipation_goodpractices.pdf 
• The European Youth Goals (www.youthgoals.eu) and the EU Youth Strategy
• Guidelines for implementing the EU Youth Dialogue, such as Structured Dialogue Learning Map (http://www.strukturierter-dialog.at/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/LearningMapStructuredDialogue.pdf) or Structured Dialogue success factors (available in German only: https://mitwirkung.dbjr.de/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Handbuch_Strukturierter_Dialog.pdf) 
• SALTO PI publications on youth participation, as well as some relevant other SALTOs specific resources, like the ones related to youthpass and inclusion (https://www.salto-youth.net/)

Tasks to do:

For this, SALTO PI is recruiting a Youth Participation Expert for:
(1) CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT:

• Develop a detailed concept for the practical guidebook (chapter outline, online and offline integration, format and working approach etc.)
• identifying and describing needs for further services in relation with the practical guidebook, such as graphic design services, etc.
• Present the concept in a virtual call with stakeholders (coordinated by SALTO PI) and revise the concept based on the feedback.

(2) CONTENT DEVELOPMENT:

• Manage the content development process including gathering feedback and input from relevant stakeholders (conduct at least two meetings with stakeholders and potential users of the practical guidebook to include their feedback and input)
• Writing and editing the content

(3) PRODUCTION:

• Collaboration with the graphic illustrator, proofreading service and finalisation of the practical guidebook for offline and online publication.

Timeline:
All services should be concluded by the end of 2020 at the latest.

(0) APPLICATION and SELECTION 

• April 30th: Application deadline
• May 14th (latest): Information on expert selection

(1) CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT

• Mid-May:  briefing and kick-off call with SALTO PI
• End May: submission of a detailed concept for the practical guidebook (chapter outline, online and offline integration, format and working approach etc.) 
• Early June: stakeholder call with feedback and input to the concept
• Mid-June: submission of revised or concept based on feedback and input

(2) CONTENT DEVELOPMENT & (3) PRODUCTION

• Milestones and timeline to be agreed upon mutually after proposal by the expert.

Requested trainer profile

• Competencies and previous demonstrated experience related to educational materials and tools development;
• Extensive experience with the Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps programmes;
• Hands-on expertise as well as conceptual/theoretical knowledge in the field of youth participation (in democratic life);
• Cooperative and proactive mind-set, fluent in English;
• Experience with efficiently involving stakeholders during the development process;
• Beneficial: Previous experience in working with complex international services/networks or organisations.

Working conditions

• Please indicate a total sum as well as sums for each part of the offer (concept development, content development, production). SALTO PI might contract parts one by one and reserves the right to discontinue the cooperation after each part.
• Do not include any production costs in the offer (graphic illustrator, proofreading service, printing).
• All usage and copyrights of publication will be with SALTO PI, while naming the author of the publication.
• Please indicate whether VAT is included in your offer or not. 
• Note: SALTO PI is bound to a transparent public procurement process and needs to base the procurement decision on the total price you indicate in the bid - offerings of potential later price reductions cannot be taken into account. 
• As a rough indication, the concept development should not exceed 5 working days, the content development should not exceed 20 working days and the production support service should not exceed 10 working days.

Team composition

n/a

Application & selection procedure

Apply no later than: 30.04.2020, 12:00 CET
How to apply:

• Send your application to SALTO PI (participation@salto-youth.net) and use the subject line “Guidebook Youth Participation”.
• Please send your CV, including some examples of published content. 
• Please also submit a short text (max. half page) describing what you find most important when developing such a guidebook. Alternatively you can submit a 1 to 5 minute video (file or link) answering the same question.
• Please make sure you emphasize how you meet all the requirements. SALTO PI will base the decision on the provided portfolio and expertise (70%) and price (30%).

Downloads

• Call for YP-Handbook 2020.pdf

For more information

Georg Feiner, Youth Participation Coordinator
Phone: +3725164420
Email: