FEAD 2018 Catalogue of case studies

For more information regarding the project, contact Kertu Põial, Chief Specialist at the Ministry of Social Affairs: E-Mail: kertu.poial@sm.ee WHO? The IT system is co-managed by the ESO and the Estonian ESF/FEAD Managing Authority. As the ESF and FEAD funds are managed by the same Authority, there is constant communication between the two fund leaders, promoters and beneficiaries. The accompanying measures are managed by local governments, partner organisations, the Estonian unemployment insurance fund and the Ministry of Social Affairs. HOW? All relevant data is securely collected and stored by the ESO from different and already existing databases, such as employment registers, unemployment insurance fund registers, education information systems and registers for social services and benefits. The ESO analyses the available data and communicates it to the Managing Authority, which in turn monitors participation rates to identify issues and intervene if necessary. The Managing Authority only receives aggregate statistical data rather than individual information about the target group to ensure data privacy is respected. The Managing Authority in turn shares this information with the organisations implementing accompanying measures. This system has significantly increased the amount and quality of information available to the Ministry of Social Affairs and the recipients. Participation is the highest in work-related accompanying measures that offer services for long-term unemployed, citizens with special needs and other at-risk groups. Programmes that treat alcohol addiction or help ex-prisoners to successfully reintegrate into society are equally popular. Better knowledge of the profile of FEAD recipients as well as participation rates in the accompanying measures have enabled the Ministry of Social Affairs to improve their offer and adapt it to the needs of the participants . For those activities that record low participation rates, the ‘Abiline’ magazine is used to raise awareness of the importance of the issue at stake. As an example, the 2019 issue of the magazine will focus on the ‘back to school’ (Jätka õpinguid koos teiste täiskasvanutega!) measure that the Ministry of Education and Research implements to support individuals in returning to education or entering vocational training, a measure that has not proven very popular among FEAD target groups thus far. 23 Diverse approaches to supporting Europe’s most deprived: FEAD case studies 2018