EQUABENCH

EQUABENCH

Benchmarking European Excellence

In October 2008, the EQUABENCH project brought together eight vocational, education and training (VET) organisations with a proven track record in innovation and continuous improvement. Partner organisations from Italy, Slovenia, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Portugal and the Netherlands will follow a two year work programme to share expertise and best business practice at workshops, benchmarking activities and dissemination events. EQUABENCH is supported by the European Leonardo da Vinci Transfer of Innovation programme via the UK’s National Agency Ecotec.

Aim

By establishing a network of European VET organisations EQUABENCH aims to facilitate the import and export of best business practice in order to improve the quality of training for people who have a disability or other form of disadvantage.

Outputs

EQUABENCH will identify and adapt the innovative quality practice of network members and will use this to produce six Innovative Practice Guides structured around the EFQM fundamental concepts of Excellence. The Guides will be freely available to all VET organisations across Europe.

In addition, each network member will import and apply at least one innovative aspect of best practice with in their organisation.

The work undertaken by EQUABENCH will pave the way for any European VET organisation to address quality assurance issues in a business focused, results orientated manner and will provide a vital resource for any organisation seeking to pursue an internationally recognised quality standard.

Innovative Practice Guide

Leadership and Constancy of Purpose

Management by Processes and Facts

People Development and Involvement

Customer Focus

Result Orientation

Continuous Learning, Innovation and Improvement

Project Meetings

EQUABENCH Final Conference: Benchmarking European Excellence

Presentations from previous meetings and workshops

Project evaluation

Mid-term evaluation