ECAS Establishing of Career Advice Services at Croatian Universities Project Management Summary

1. European Project Center (EPC) ECASEstablishing of Career Advice Services at Croatian UniversitiesProject Management Summary Christian Gerhardts Final Project Conference – Dubrovnik, 2nd December 2009

2. Overview • Basics • The Consortium • Project Activities • General Project Management Responsibilities • Partner Change • EU-Recommendations and adjustments to the Project • Project Results • Outlook / Dissemination and Sustainability • „Special Features“ of the ECAS Project Christian Gerhardts – ECAS Project Management Summary

3. 1 TEMPUS III (2006) Project JEP-41104-2006 - Basics • Follow-up Project to TEMPUS SCM „Career“ (2005/06) • Joint European Project (JEP) involving 3 EU institutions and 4 Croatian partner institutions • Application submitted 12/2006 – project approved 09/2007 • Eligibility period: 1st Sept. 2007 – 31st Aug. 2009 • Extension of eligibility period until 31st Dec. 2009 approved 06/2009 • Total Budget: € 306,410.00 / Maximum Grant: € 290,910.00 • Project Title: „Establishing of Career Advice Services at Croatian universities“ • Project Aim: to enable 3 Croation Universities to fully participate in the academic community and job market by establishing Career Advice Services and training administrative staff of the newly established Career Offices. • Project Website: http://ecas.unidu.hr/ Christian Gerhardts – ECAS Project Management Summary

4. 2 ECAS: The Consortium • CROATIA • University of Dubrovnik Project Coordinator • University of Rijeka • Josip Juray Strossmayer University of Osijek • Institute for the Development of Education Zagreb (IDE) • EU • TU Dresden (GER)Grantholder, Management • ERASMUS Universiteit Rotterdam (NL)Staff Training • Krakow University of Technology (PL) (resigned) • Stanislav Staszic School of Public Administration Bialystok (PL)Staff Training Christian Gerhardts – ECAS Project Management Summary

5. 3 ECAS Management: Project Activities and Outcomes Christian Gerhardts – ECAS Project Management Summary

6. 4 ECAS Management: General Tasks • Communication • internal • external • Time schedule / workplan • progress of project • identify problems quickly • evaluate activity results • Reporting • Coordination of reports for the EC • Controlling • internal distribution of money • collection and registration of documents • budget adjustments when necessary • Other • changes of workplan • guidance for all administrative issues Christian Gerhardts – ECAS Project Management Summary

7. 5 Partner Change • Krakow University resigned shortly after the project‘s start • Several universities and institutions were taken into consideration • An institution from the same country (PL) was chosen • SPA Bialystok joined the consortium in early 2008 • Effects: Meeting/Training in Rotterdam in March 2008 was also used as „2nd Kick-Off-Meeting“ Delay in project progress Change of activity schedules • Due to changes and delays, an extension of the eligibility period by 4 months was requested and approved – new project end date: 31st December 2009 Christian Gerhardts – ECAS Project Management Summary

8. 6 EU-Recommendations • Recommendations by EU (3 Recommendation Letters) • Specification needed on how administrative staff will be trained. • Number of workshops should be increased to produce better results • Specification needed on how the equipment will be used and who will have access to it. • More dissemination activities recommended. • More information requested on how career offices will be established and if one institution will be a „prototype“ or model. Christian Gerhardts – ECAS Project Management Summary

9. 6 Results of EU-Recommendations • Recommendations by EC   internal reorganisation • 2 coordination meetings held (Dubrovnik July 3008 and Dresden December 2008) to discuss and determine changes • The Dubrovnik Career Service Opening in October 2008 had been used as a model or „prototype“ for the openings in Osijek and Rijeka in early 2009. • 2 additional trainings were implemented (Osijek in September 2008 and Dresden in October 2009) to train the Croatian University staff. The training in Poland was pushed back until March 2009 due to the partner change and internal reorgainsation. • An extension of the eligibility period by 4 months had been kept as an option and was finally requested and approved in May 2009 Christian Gerhardts – ECAS Project Management Summary

10. 7 Project Results and Outcomes • Trainings and Language Courses • During all trainings, 2-3 staff members from each university attended, who were chosen by their institutions to work in the field of Career Advice Services • Language Courses (English) for the staff of each of the 3 Croatian Universities were conducted. • Site visits to Career Offices in Rotterdam, Leiden, Amsterdam, Bialystok and Dresden were organised for the Croation partner institutions • Experienced trainers conducted all trainings and experience from 3rd parties was used, i.e. involving other techniques, human resources etc Christian Gerhardts – ECAS Project Management Summary

11. 7 Project Results and Outcomes • Equipment, Publications and Translation Services • Each university was equipped with a PC pool for both, the Career Service staff, and to provide students with computers for seminars and job research. In addition, laptops and projectors for presentations, pinters and other devices were supplied • Material from the EU partners was translated and adjusted for the Croatian Career Advice Service Offices • A Website was established and will be enhanced as a network after the project‘s end • Information material was produced and a guide for CAS in Croatia will be available Christian Gerhardts – ECAS Project Management Summary

12. 8 Outlook (Sustainability and Dissemination) • ECAS has built the basis for future developments: • The 3 participating Croatian Universities have a network and invite the other universities to participate • With the experience of Osijek, Rijeka and Dubrovnik the other 4 universities in Croatia can also establish or enhance their own CAS • The relation to and cooperation with the labor market will be strengthened in order to fulfil the different needs of each region in Croatia • A Website was established and will be enhanced as a network after the project‘s end. The goal is a website than will be used by the universities, the students and companies Christian Gerhardts – ECAS Project Management Summary

13. 8 Special Features of the ECAS Project • Team building process was supported by memorable experiences such as... • ...changing personalities by thinking of what animal the team members can be • ...riding horses without any experience • ...dancing with gypsies in Osijek • ...drowing the jumper of the project manager in red and white wine within record breaking 15 seconds • ...“workshopping“ in places no-one else will ever see (probably) • ...extended shopping tours in Dresden (you may guess the majority of the team is female – you are right ) • ...the operation: „stop the train“ in Warsaw Christian Gerhardts – ECAS Project Management Summary

14. THANK YOU! • Technische Universität Dresden • Christian Gerhardts • Project Manager • European Project Center (EPC) • D-01062 Dresden • Tel.: 0049 + 351-463 42189 • Fax: 0049 + 351-463 39742 • Email: christian.gerhardts@tu-dresden.de • web: www.epc-dresden.de Christian Gerhardts – ECAS Project Management Summary