1. PARES
Local and regional partnerships –
Recommendations to employment
services
OECD LEED Forum on Partnerships and
Local Development
Stockholm, 2014-04-24
2. PARES – Partnership between
Employment Services
• Initiative to encourage an EU-level strategic
dialogue between Employment Services on policy
implementation and delivery issues
• Aims to improve cooperation between the
different employment services (public, private
and non-profit) in EU member countries and
• define fields where they can deliver
complementary services.
3. Local and regional partnerships -
Observations
• No one organisation has the full range of
competencies
• Freedom to operate according to local situation
required
• Partnerships are founded on clear objectives and
targets, full commitment and trust
• All relevant actors should be included
• Shared leadership does not work
4. Local and regional partnerships -
Observations
• Engage employers as much as possible
• Simply building a partnership is no guarantee for
better service delivery; must focus on goals and
outcome – constantly question value of partnership
5. No one organisation has the full
range of competencies
- Recommendations
• Undertake self-examination to diagnose
weaknesses in service delivery
• Identify others servicing the same clients
• Review benefits to clients from coordinated
delivery
• Initiate dialogue
6. Freedom to operate according to
local situation required
- Recommendations
• National level bodies with local operational units
should review their policy of local autonomy for
partnerships
• Review should recognise the potential value of
local partnerships, encourage local units to
consider if, and how, to enter into partnerships, and
provide a framework within which local units
have the freedom to initiate and develop
partnerships
7. Organisation of partnership -
Recommendations
• Preparation phase is vital – do not rush through it
• Involve all partners in dialogue
• Viability of partnership should be seriously questioned if
key actors are reluctant
• Ensure mutual understanding of objectives, approach and
individual roles
• Formalise the agreement
• Objectives should be SMART
• Leadership should be assumed by partner carrying most of
the risk
8. Monitor and evaluation -
Recommendations
• Mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation should
be part of the agreement
• Minimum annual review
• External evaluation recommended to avoid self-
perpetuating
• Ensure outcomes can be traced back to activities
• Partnerships that have achieved their goals or
does not add value should be dissolved
9. Final comment
• The question is not why, but how!
• Thank you for your attention!
Editor's Notes
What does PARES consist of?PARES strategic dialogue – forum where employment services can share and develop good practice in cooperation and complementary service provision.It took form of stakeholder conferences on 28-29 September 2011, 2-3 October 2012 and 24-25 October 2013, and dialogue events on: Evaluation of partnerships (14 May 2013)Drafting a Memorandum of Understanding on a national level (26 April 2013)Fields and forms of cooperation (13 March 2012)Working in partnership at the local and regional Level (29 March 2012)PARES call for proposals – for projects by employment services that showcase the mixed provision of employment services for vulnerable groups.WEESP: Web-tool for Evaluated Employment Services Practices – including organisational practices, tools and active labour market policies related to service delivery for jobseekers and employers.