Mainstreaming activities in Italy

1. National mainstreaming strategy

The key elements of the National mainstreaming strategy

In the context of the Italian mainstreaming strategy, DPs and the key Programme stakeholders are engaged in dissemination and transfer activities in two different ways under Action 2 and Action 3, in keeping with the EQUAL "pull and push mechanism" logic.

Action 2 mainstreaming is conceived and managed as a genuinely bottom-up process; hence, it is informed by the supply of promising and good practices being tested on the ground by DPs (push mechanism). Practices are identified via monitoring and thematic networking on specific issues (namely, ex-offenders and asylum seekers), which are conducted by the National Support Structure.

By contrast, Action 3 mainstreaming adopts a "blended" approach (that is, a "pull and push mechanism" dynamic) aimed at broadening the scope and sustainability of successfully tested Action 2 solutions. The process is demand-driven and explicitly informed by the policy priorities expressed at regional and national level on the one hand; it is fed by the good practices provided by formally established groupings of DPs, on the other hand.

The mandates, members and activities of national thematic groups

Two National Thematic Groups (NTGs) operate under Action 2, namely "Ex-offenders" and "Asylum seekers"; they work in synergy alongside the relevant European platforms with a view to fostering mutual learning among DPs and valorising good practices. The NTGs, among other, will contribute to the following European events in the upcoming months:

Exchange Seminar on asylum seekers (Crete, June 2006)
Exchange event on ex-offenders (Lisbon, October 2006)
Policy Forum on asylum seekers (Malmo, November 2006)
Policy Forum on ex-offenders (Manchester, February 2007)

The NTGs, made up by DPs and supported by the NSS, address specific issues, such as networking, comprehensive customized pathways to inclusion, information and awareness-raising measures for reintegration of ex-offenders, and skill audit and communication strategies for inclusion of asylum seekers.

Mainstreaming activities funded under Action 3 are mainly Pillar-based. Accordingly, five National Thematic Networks (NTNs) will operate as of June 2006, each led by a Steering Group (SG) made up of designated MA and Intermediate Bodies representatives. The Equal NSS sits in each SG in the capacity of advisory member.

Overall, the NTNs address ten thematic areas which are explored by formally established groupings of DPs. (Under the terms of the Italian call for proposal issued on 05.05.06 DPs are required to apply for funding as groupings of DPs within the same Pillar).

Employability (Themes 1A, 1B) *	Social and institutional networks First and second generation immigrants Matching demand and supply by employment services
Entrepreneurship (Theme 2D)	Business creation Developing the social economy
Adaptability (Theme 3E)	Lifelong learning Local development
Equal Opportunities (Theme 4H)	Family-friendly services Increasing the quality of women's work
Asylum seekers (Theme I) **	Pathways to inclusion of asylum seekers
() The Employability NTNs will also include an ad hoc Working Group on ex-offenders, which elaborates upon the results yielded by the relevant Action 2 NTG. (*) The Asylum seekers NTN will take forward the relevant Action 2 Thematic NTG's activities.

The Action 3 NTNs aim is two-fold:

contributing to modernising mainstream policies, by informing the next Programming Period of the Structural Funds (2007-2013) and;
innovating current practices in relevant fields, by highlighting the success factors tested by Action 3-funded groupings of DPs.

The methodology used for demonstrating what works and how, and what does not

The Portuguese methodology for validating good practices will be adopted in the context of the Action 2 National Thematic Group on ex-offenders. (This will also be adopted in the afore-mentioned Lisbon Exchange Event).

As for Action 3, the methodology for validating good practices will be defined by each Steering Group. In this connection, Project Cycle Management (PCM) is a recommended standard for monitoring and evaluation purposes.

How good practice is communicated and transferred to policy makers and stakeholders

Each Steering Group will define the most appropriate ways of communicating to the relevant stakeholders, on the basis of the make up of the groupings of DPs and their expected deliverables (data will be available in September 2006). In order to ensure common quality standards, some minimum outputs, however, are required of all NTNs, as follows:

publication(s) featuring the good practice and new solutions tested by projects on relevant issues/themes;
policy brief(s) including strategic lessons and;
a final visibility event involving all relevant stakeholders.

In order to maximise dissemination both within and beyond Equal, the Round 1 DPs products database (www.sns-equal.it/catalogo/public/index_en.php ) will be updated and made available on the Equal national website. Likewise, an Action 3 database of products will be implemented in the course of 2007.

2. National mainstreaming activities

Mainstreaming and networking activities currently organised

National Thematic Groups under Action 2 began their activity 2005 via meetings with all Italian DPs working on such themes (14 DPs on ex-offenders and six DPs on asylum seekers).

In order to maximise mainstreaming at all levels, national results are regularly fed into the European Platform on Ex-offenders. (For further information: http://www.sns-equal.it/mainstreaming_eu/integrazione_detenuti/).

On May 18-19 2006 the Asylum seekers Thematic Group held a participative workshop with all the relevant stakeholders to plan a transition strategy to Action 3, using PCM.

National Thematic Networks under Action 3 will be launched in June 2006 via Pillar-based kick-off events organised by the NSS. The events objective is two-fold:

identifying the work programme for each NTN and
facilitating DPs matching in order to create DPs groupings (applications will be accepted until mid-September 2006).

Mainstreaming events 2006/2007

At national level, a Final Visibility Event of the Technical Working Group on Good practices operating in Round 1 took place on May 15 2006 in Rome. In addition to presenting a video featuring the successful experiences of Equal beneficiaries, the Seminar gave Equal and non-Equal actors an opportunity to socialise the main achievements, with special attention to their sustainability and mainstreaming effect. A Final Report on Round 1 Good Practices was distributed during the Event.

At EU level Italy is giving its contribution to ensuring the transfer of Equal results into the new Programming Period of the ESF (2007 to 2013) and in the relevant employment, social and equal opportunities policies.

To this end Italy is involved - either as Lead Member State or participating Member State - in the following European Communication and Learning platforms.

Lead Member States	Theme of platform	Type of platform indicated
Poland France Italy Finland Germany	Social economy	Exchange event Community of Practice Learning seminar Learning seminar Policy Forum
Greece Sweden	Asylum seekers Asylum seekers	Exchange event Policy Forum
Germany UK-Great Britain	Re-integration of ex-offenders Re-integration of ex-offenders	Exchange event Policy Forum and Network

Commitment also continues within the Capacity Building Group (CBG), with a view to supporting sound management of the new ESF programmes. To this end, in the second semester of 2006 Italy will launch an ad hoc Community of Practice for programme managers designed to promote mutual learning and knowledge creation on Project Cycle Management, in co-operation with other CBG members (http://oss.formez.it/pcm/).

Hyperlinks to national website explaining the mainstreaming activities and outcomes

The Equal national website (www.equalitalia.it) includes links to mainstreaming activities carried out under Action 2 and Action 3 (www.equalitalia.it/RT_Naz.htm).

The products delivered by the Italian Development Partnerships (DPs) can be easily consulted on the EQUAL Products Data Base (http://www.sns-equal.it/catalogo/public/index_en.php).

The Data Base is specifically meant to provide useful information and practical tools to policy makers, project beneficiaries, and DPs. It will also be a helpful source of information for the "non-EQUAL" world: experts and practitioners in the fields of education, training and employment policies.

Last update : May 2006

Ministero del Lavoro e delle Politiche Sociali Direzione Generale per le Politiche l'Orientamento e la Formazione Via Fornovo, 8 I - 00192 Roma Phone: +39 06 3675-4328, 3675-4349 Fax: +39 06 3675-5025 diriv@lavoro.gov.it	Vera Marincioni segreteriagen@lavoro.gov.it Lucia Scarpitti lscarpitti@lavoro.gov.it
ISFOL Via G.B. Morgagni 30/E I-00161 Roma Phone: +39 06 44 59 01 - 06 44 59 0876 Fax: +39 06 44 59 0875 equal@isfol.it	Antonella Attanasio a.attanasio@isfol.it
CONSEDIN Via Francesco Gentile, 135 00173 Roma Phone: +39 06 72 65 439 Fax: +39 06 72 65 43 229 assistenza@equalitalia.it www.equalitalia.it	Giovanni Verna giovanni.verna@consedin.it

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