Explore the PES Network’s updated ‘Benchlearning Manual’ for all you need to know about the innovative methodology used by the network to help Public Employment Services (PES) improve their performance. This second iteration reflects important adjustments made to ensure benchlearning remains relevant in today’s rapidly evolving labour market.

The second edition of the PES Benchlearning Manual sets out and explains the innovative ‘benchlearning’ process used by the PES Network to support improvements in PES performance across Europe. It also explains the added value of the methodology for PES and outlines key enablers for improving PES performance.

Benchlearning is the systematic process used by the PES Network to support improvements by each Public Employment Service (PES). The organisational arrangements and performance of each PES are reviewed through both self- and external assessment (benchmarking) and the most promising drivers of improved performance identified and leveraged through exchange with other PES (mutual learning).

The manual explains how qualitative and quantitative benchmarking support PES to improve their performance by comparing themselves with peers and learning from them. This happens mainly via a yearly data collection and qualitative peer assessments. Benchmarking is based on the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) and a definition of PES excellence across mandatory indicators.

This second edition takes the original PES Benchlearning Manual published in 2017 and updates it to reflect important modifications made in response to the challenges of recent years. The updated manual maintains the overall conceptual and methodological approach to benchlearning, but now includes a section on crisis management, a comparison of on-site versus online external assessments and a reflection on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on all core enablers.