2nd external evaluation report of seecel activities
TRANSCRIPT
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Final Report for External Evaluation Comprehensive external evaluation of the SEECEL activities under Grant Contracts 2013/316-
501 and 2013/334-013 conducted at the SEE level (in SEECEL member states).
25 May, 2016
prepared by CARDET
www.cardet.org
Dr. Charalambos Vrasidas, Demetris Hadjisofoclis,
Višnja Novosel & Sotiris Themistokleous
July 2016
This project is funded by the European Union and co-funded by the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and
Crafts of the Republic of Croatia
This publication has been funded with support from the European Commission and he Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Crafts of the Republic of Croatia (MINPO). The content of this publication reflect the views only of the author, and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Commission and MINPO.
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Contents Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 4
Overall Recognition .................................................................................................................... 4
Successes..................................................................................................................................... 5
Challenges ................................................................................................................................... 6
Recommendations ....................................................................................................................... 7
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 9
Entrepreneurial Learning in Europe.............................................................................................. 10
The EU Context ........................................................................................................................ 10
Entrepreneurship Education ...................................................................................................... 11
School Curriculum .................................................................................................................... 13
Teacher Training and Support .................................................................................................. 13
Project Overview .......................................................................................................................... 14
Organizational Structure ........................................................................................................... 14
Mission, Values and Strategic Goals ........................................................................................ 15
SEECEL Achievements ............................................................................................................ 16
Project Contracts under External Evaluation ............................................................................ 17
Evaluation Method ........................................................................................................................ 19
Aims .......................................................................................................................................... 19
Data Collection and Analysis.................................................................................................... 20
Overview ............................................................................................................................... 20
Qualitative Data: Interviews, Focus Groups, and Document Review .................................. 20
Quantitative Data: Online Survey Design............................................................................. 20
Data Analysis ........................................................................................................................ 21
Findings from the Educational Institutions Survey ...................................................................... 22
Findings from the Steering Committee and Stakeholders Survey ................................................ 36
Findings from Study Visits, Interviews, and Focus groups .......................................................... 47
Successes................................................................................................................................... 47
Recognition ........................................................................................................................... 47
Meeting its Objectives and Strategic Goals .......................................................................... 48
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Policy and Regional Cooperation ......................................................................................... 49
Governance ........................................................................................................................... 50
Schools .................................................................................................................................. 50
ISCED 3 ................................................................................................................................ 51
SBA and TNA ....................................................................................................................... 52
Challenges ................................................................................................................................. 53
Funding ................................................................................................................................. 53
Policy - Governance .............................................................................................................. 54
Schools and Teacher Training .............................................................................................. 55
Recommendations ......................................................................................................................... 57
Strategic Objectives & Policy ................................................................................................... 57
Communication ......................................................................................................................... 57
Governance ............................................................................................................................... 58
Program Implementation .......................................................................................................... 58
School Related .......................................................................................................................... 59
Community of Practice ............................................................................................................. 59
Teacher and Stakeholder Training ............................................................................................ 60
Monitoring and Evaluation ....................................................................................................... 60
References ..................................................................................................................................... 61
Annexes......................................................................................................................................... 63
List of Interviews ...................................................................................................................... 64
Tables from Educational Institutions Survey Results ............................................................... 67
Tables from Steering Committee and Stakeholder Survey Results .......................................... 72
Executive Summary for Grant Contract 2013/316-501 ................................................................ 77
Executive Summary for Grant Contract 2013/334-013 ................................................................ 82
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Executive Summary This report presents the findings and recommendations regarding the external evaluation of the
SEECEL activities under Grant Contracts 2013/316-501 and 2013/334-013 conducted at the SEE
level (in SEECEL member states). The aims of the evaluation were:
To document SEECEL’s progress against SEECEL’s mission and vision, its key policies
and the strategic targets set out in the 2013-2016 strategic plan.
To review and assess the relevance and appropriateness of the 2013-2016 strategic plan to
SEECEL’s mission, and the specific objectives of the current project.
To recommend changes of strategy and emphasis that should be incorporated into the
SEECEL’s 2017-2020 strategic plan.
Data were collected and analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. In summary,
the data collected were from the following sources:
Review of the literature, documents, policies, reports, past evaluations, and EU documents.
Study visits in 4 countries (e.g. Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and the
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) and interviews with local stakeholders and
implementing institutions.
Skype interviews, phone interviews and/or questionnaires from, Albania, Serbia, and other
relevant stakeholders.
Two online surveys distributed to education institutions, Steering Committee members and
other stakeholders.
Interviews and focus group discussions with SEECEL team
Overall Recognition
SEECEL’s work is aligned with a number of European policy documents, strategies, and
initiatives. The EU2020 strategy places big emphasis on developing the Human Capital of Europe.
Recognizing that the large majority of enterprises in Europe are SMEs, building their capacity and
promoting entrepreneurship is of paramount importance. In 2006, the European Commission had
identified the ‘sense of initiative and entrepreneurship’ as one of the eight key competences for
lifelong learning. The 2008 Small Business Act (SBA) for Europe, the 2012 Communication on
Rethinking Education, the Entrepreneurship Action Plan 2020, the New Skills Agenda for Europe,
and the very recent EntreComp: The Entrepreneurship Competence Framework 2016, all place
entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial learning at the center of the debate for improving
competitiveness, combating unemployment and supporting growth and sustainable development.
Furthermore, entrepreneurship is a key driver in the European Commission’s Investment Plan for
Europe (Juncker Plan) and is also integrated in the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development.
After detailed data collection and analysis, it became apparent that SEECEL has achieved its
objectives and that its strategic goals. In some occasions success exceeded the expectations. Data
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analysis identified some issues that when addressed will constitute SEECEL as one of the most
respected, effective, and professional regional organizations in the field of Entrepreneurial
Learning. Below a summary of the most important findings are presented. For the full findings
and recommendations, please refer to the full report.
Successes
Detailed data collection and analysis demonstrated that SEECEL is successful in creating
the foundation for a developed entrepreneurship culture across the region. Already there is
expression of interest from countries beyond the region and the EU to participate and
collaborate with SEECEL. Furthermore, SEECEL fosters alignment with the EU policies,
strategies and actions in the field of entrepreneurial learning.
SEECEL has been extremely successful. As a result, the European Commission has
recognized SEECEL as a good practice in strategic regional cooperation, good practice for
conceptual solutions in the field of entrepreneurial learning as a key competence and good
practice in line with the first principle of the Small Business Act for Europe. SEECEL has
become a reference point both for EU Member States and the pre-accession countries and
was awarded with the following awards:
o Creators for Centuries reward and recognition for the year 2014 for contribution
to the development of entrepreneurship in South East Europe, awarded to SEECEL
by an independent international committee during the Regional summit of
entrepreneurs of the South East Europe the best 300;
o European Enterprise Promotion Award (EEPA) as National Winners in 2014
for Promoting the Entrepreneurial Spirit, awarded to SEECEL by the European
Commission;
o The Champion of Regional Cooperation of 2013, awarded to SEECEL by the
Regional Cooperation Council for its active and dynamic approach to regional
cooperation and contribution to the SEE 2020 preparation process;
o The European Projects Awards IPA 2013 - for the project entitled ''Developing
the Entrepreneurial Society in Western Balkans and Turkey'', in the category
“ongoing” projects and best actors in Regional and Local Development (2013);
o The Knowledge Economy Network (KEN), an international Best Practice Award
for "original and successful practice in any domain of knowledge society and
economy development" and especially for "good practice in successful regional
cooperation in training and education”.
The work of SEECEL is based on a successful model. Implementing the policy and
providing the field training and school implementations, is what makes SEECEL different
from other similar projects.
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SEECEL strongly supports and encourages networking and regional cooperation. SEECEL
had a big impact in member states at the policy level. Without SEECEL some of these
countries could not be at the same level when it comes to entrepreneurship learning.
Since 2009, SEECEL has developed in-depth knowledge and core expertise in the area of
entrepreneurship learning. As a result, SEECEL is a member of many expert groups at the
European Commission level working in the area of entrepreneurial learning.
All stakeholders are very satisfied with the staff and management team of SEECEL. The
staff and management were very supportive to countries in implementing programs and
reaching their targets.
Teachers, principals, and school staff interviewed, seemed to be very satisfied with the
program and the benefits of entrepreneurial learning. Teachers clearly indicated that their
greatest motivation and reward in participating in the program was the impact the program
had on learners.
SEECEL contributed substantially to the progress towards the Small Business Act for
Europe which SEECEL member states demonstrate. Particularly, with the human capital
dimensions (1&8) which are the focus of SEECEL.
As it was clearly stated in the OECD report “SME Policy Index: Western Balkans and
Turkey 2016”, SEECEL member states have made substantial progress towards the
implementation of the SBA, which is a good indication of the hard and dedicated work of
SEECEL and its team.
The Training Needs Assessment (TNA) is an important tool that contributes substantially
towards the evidence-based policy making. TNA supports SEECEL member states in
developing the training and support mechanisms their SMEs need to succeed and grow.
SEECEL participates in several EC expert and advisory groups such as the groups for
Transversal skills (DG EaC), Indicators (DG EaC), EnreComp (DG JRC), and WEGATE
– EU WE platform (DG GROW).
Challenges
Given the fact that SEECEL has already made substantial contribution in the region and
beyond, the European Commission should provide long-term support to SEECEL to
continue this very important work.
One of the challenges is due to the absence of a mandate to the Steering Committee
Members from some SEECEL member states. National governments need to provide such
a mandate because that will be the vehicle that will facilitate getting SEECEL related
activities, budgets, and other resources into the national budgets and that can support
SEECEL and member states strategic objectives.
The evidence-based model, tools and resources on Entrepreneurial Learning developed by
SEECEL, can only be implemented successfully with the support of teacher training
institutes in SEECEL member states.
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All activities and communication is conducted in English. As the project expands it needs
to have a plan for allowing local stakeholders to operate in their local language.
During program implementation, it is important to include local experts from the countries
in which the program is implemented.
None of the schools had prior experience with entrepreneurial learning and how to
implement it in their teaching practices. Schools would have been more efficient and
effective if more training was provided in advance of implementation activities.
Participating in teacher training is not required for schools that join the program which
leads to discrepancies in program implementation. The training offered is insufficient and
the actual implementation of the training (delivering to the teachers) needs to be improved.
In order to increase its reach and represent multiple stakeholders, and have more impact on
the local, national, and regional level the Steering Committee needs to include active
representatives and perhaps mentors from the business community.
The history of the region and the political complexities related to this history, present
certain challenges, particularly when there is a need to get stakeholders from various
countries to collaborate.
Recommendations
Since 2009, SEECEL has developed in-depth knowledge and capacity in the area of
entrepreneurship learning. SEECEL makes an important contribution towards
entrepreneurial learning, and it is important to continue and expand its work. Furthermore,
SEECEL could also play a more active role in the Mediterranean region and Eastern
Partnership Countries (EaP) since there was already strong expression of interest from
other non-EU countries to participate in SEECEL activities.
SEECEL has strong potential and the capacity to become part of the infrastructure solution
for EU, and it has developed an evidence-based model, tools and processes to implement
SME and entrepreneurship policies and practices.
The communication strategy of SEECEL needs to be adjusted so that it improves the
awareness and branding for SEECEL’s vision and role.
Many resources are already available on the SEECEL website and the Community of
Practice. As the project grows, it is important to build mechanisms to allow for more users
to engage with the online tools and benefit from SEECEL activities and interaction with
the SEECEL community. Also, the TASK BOX on the Community of Practice can be
further developed to allow for teachers to receive prompt feedback on their work.
Examples of integrating entrepreneurial learning in SEECEL member states and good case
studies and success stories need to be better documented and shared. Good success stories
have the potential to increase awareness among teachers, parents, policy-makers and the
general public about the many benefits of Entrepreneurial Learning.
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Business representatives, chambers of commerce, and SMEs, should be given a more active
role. Some actions that will strengthen the cooperation between the business sector, the
education sector and the broader community need to be designed and implemented.
Education plays an important role in the entrepreneurship learning ecosystem. As SEECEL
member states progress towards integrating entrepreneurial learning in their schools, they
need to begin drafting solid plans on how to scale up from a few schools to the whole
education system.
As the program grows, SEECEL should use elearning technologies to develop the training
of teachers, mentors and stakeholders to allow for flexibility of delivery and possibility to
reach out to as many countries as possible.
It is extremely important that teacher training is required for all schools that decide to join
the program. Teacher training needs to be well structured, and offered at school level in
parallel with ongoing teacher support.
SEECEL member states and their respective ministries of education and teacher training
authorities can develop a certification system which will certify teachers who complete the
training and implement the program and also act as a reward system for teachers and
schools.
In order to properly monitor the long term impact of entrepreneurial learning, it is important
to establish a benchmarking process including metrics and other tools to collect long term
data.
The full implementation of the Small Business Act for Europe should be continued. The
very important work of the Training Needs Assessment should be expanded and the
findings from the assessment need to be used by education authorities to develop custom
programs that will target each country’s specific needs.
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Introduction This document presents the methods, findings and recommendations from the external evaluation
of the SEECEL activities under Grant Contracts 2013/316-501 and 2013/334-013 conducted at the
SEE level (in SEECEL member states). The evaluation was conducted by the International
Research Center CARDET. The overall objectives of SEECEL are:
To create the foundation that could foster further development of the entrepreneurship
culture across the region and foster alignment with the EU in the field of entrepreneurial
learning.
To further work on systematic approach for the development of entrepreneurially literate
societies across the region and to support alignment of national policies with EU
recommendations and policy essentials related to lifelong entrepreneurial learning.
The specific objective was to build on existing activities and results from the 2009 – 2012
implementation period and developments achieved, to further develop the lifelong entrepreneurial
learning system through identified set of strategic goals in line with Human Capital Dimension
of the Small Business Act (SBA) for Europe, with special focus on ISCED 3 level general part
of secondary education.
The aims of the evaluation were:
1) To document SEECEL’s progress against SEECEL’s mission and vision, its key policies
and the strategic targets set out in the 2013-2016 strategic plan.
2) To review and assess the relevance and appropriateness of the 2013-2016 strategic plan to
SEECEL’s mission, and the specific objectives of the current project.
3) To recommend changes of strategy and emphasis that should be incorporated into the
SEECEL’s 2017-2020 strategic plan.
The evaluation was assigned to the International center CARDET (www.cardet.org). The
evaluation team consisted of the following:
Dr. Charalambos Vrasidas. Team Leader. More than 20 years of global expertise in
evaluation, education reform, project development.
Višnja Novosel, Local Expert. More than 10 years of professional experience.
Demetris Hadjisofoclis, Entrepreneurship Global Expert with more than 25 years of
professional experience.
Sotiris Themistokleous. Evaluation Expert with more than 10 years of professional
experience.
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Entrepreneurial Learning in Europe
The EU Context
The framework for developing the entrepreneurship capacity in Europe, is provided by several key
documents and policies which relate to employment, competitiveness, education and sustainable
development. The assumption is that entrepreneurial skills can be learned and therefore there is a
strong interest in integrating such skills and competencies in formal and informal learning
environments and curricula. In 2006, the European Commission had identified the ‘sense of
initiative and entrepreneurship’ as one of the eight key competences for lifelong learning.
One of the key policy documents that relates to the building of the human capital of SMES, is the
2008 Small Business Act (SBA) for Europe. The SBA is the policy framework for SMEs for EU
member states and pre-accession countries. As part of the accession process, pre-accession
countries are implementing the SBA and reporting on their progress to the European Commission.
The SBA consists of ten principles with specific indicators. Principle 1 focuses on entrepreneurial
learning and women entrepreneurs and principle 8 focuses on enterprise skills and innovation, with
one objective the better planning and fit between supply and demand for training of SMEs.
Conducting systematically Training Needs Analysis (TNA), is one of the key activities of
SEECEL within the framework of SBA. Recently, the OECD report “SE Policy Index: Western
Balkans and Turkey 2016” was released which focused on assessing the implementation of the
SBA for Europe. SEECEL member states have made substantial progress towards the
implementation of the SBA, which is a good indication of the hard and dedicated work that
SEECEL is doing in the region.
The EU2020 strategy places big emphasis on developing the Human Capital of Europe.
Recognizing that the large majority of enterprises in Europe are SMEs, building their capacity and
promoting entrepreneurship is of paramount importance. The 2008 Small Business Act for Europe
described earlier, the 2012 Communication on Rethinking Education, the 2013 Entrepreneurship
Action Plan 20201, the New Skills Agenda for Europe, and the very recent EntreComp: The
Entrepreneurship Competence Framework 2016, all place entrepreneurship education and
entrepreneurial learning at the center of the debate for improving competitiveness, combating
unemployment and supporting growth and sustainable development.
Within the “New skills agenda for Europe”, one of the key focuses is the development of key
competences and higher, more complex skills. As stated in the report, “Special attention will be
paid to promoting entrepreneurial and innovation-oriented mindsets, including encouraging
practical entrepreneurial experiences (EC 2016, A New Skills Agenda for Europe, p. 4-5)2.
1 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A52012DC0795 2 http://ec.europa.eu/education/news/2016/0610-education-skills-factsheet_en.htm
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Furthermore, entrepreneurship is a key driver in the European Commission’s Investment Plan for
Europe (Juncker Plan)t3 and is also integrated in the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development. Specifically, In the United Nations Agenda 20304 article 4.4 states that one of the
aims is that “by 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant
skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and
entrepreneurship.”
The development and promotion of entrepreneurial learning in schools constitutes a main objective
of policy makers across the European Union for several years (Eurydice, 2016). More people
constantly become aware of the young people’s ability to set up and develop a business, therefore
they create innovations in the region where they work. Entrepreneurship education is pivotal in
order to cultivate a relevant culture and mind-set, providing all the necessary attitudes, skills and
knowledge to young people in order to become creative, active citizens and successful in their
entrepreneurial endeavours (Martinez et al., 2008).
Entrepreneurship Education
One of the eight most important competences for lifelong learning was identified as “a sense of
initiative and entrepreneurship” (European Union, 2006). Entrepreneurship education has been
further studied and is perceived as a main competence by the “European Commission Thematic
Working Group on Entrepreneurship Education”, which formed the following definition:
“Entrepreneurship education is about learners developing the skills and mind-set to be able
to turn creative ideas into entrepreneurial action. This is a key competence for all learners,
supporting personal development, active citizenship, social inclusion and employability. It
is relevant across the lifelong learning process, in all disciplines of learning and to all forms
of education and training (formal, non-formal and informal) which contribute to an
entrepreneurial spirit or behaviour, with or without a commercial objective” (Thematic
Working Group on Entrepreneurship Education, 2014, p.9).
Research on entrepreneurial learning within the school context indicates that the implementation
practices in a national and European context may vary significantly. This resulted in developing a
diverse understanding and perceptions of entrepreneurship education across Europe (McCoshan,
2010). Following this, there is an imperative need to understand the definitions of entrepreneurship
education in all the different European countries, which will reflect on the future learning
outcomes. Notably, approximately half of the European countries use the abovementioned
definition, while around one third of them employ their own developed definition of
entrepreneurship education. Another noteworthy fact is that almost ten (10) European countries
have no common definition agreed in their national context for entrepreneurship education
(Eurydice, 2016). The Eurydice Report 2016 indicated that the majority of the national definitions
3 http://ec.europa.eu/priorities/jobs-growth-and-investment/investment-plan_en 4 http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/development-agenda/
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for entrepreneurship educations share the perspective of the European definition that
entrepreneurship also reflects on the individual’s life.
The Eurobarometer survey published in 2012 (Entrepreneurship in the EU and beyond) revealed
that a 23% of the respondents across the EU participated in a school activity related to
entrepreneurial learning. Younger participants of the survey were almost 50% more likely to have
participated in a course relating to entrepreneurship (Eurobarometer, 2012). However, students
age 15 do not possess significant skills, such as problem-solving, which are important
entrepreneurial skills. The problem-solving skills are proved to be enhanced by the teachers and
the school curriculum (PISA, 2012).
In terms of strategies, the Eurydice Report 2016 sustained that specific strategies regarding
entrepreneurship education are more “coherent” and offer a comprehensive approach. A greater
range of actions will derive related to entrepreneurship education. In addition, countries that have
chosen to develop specific strategies are now moving towards incorporating these in innovation
strategies, which are broader. The OECD (2010) sustained that broader strategies related to
innovation could significantly contribute in coordinating education policies to increase innovation
of students. Interestingly, countries of northern Europe and West Balkans implement more narrow
and specific education strategies as far as entrepreneurship is concerned. This could be a factor
leading Denmark, Sweden and Finland to the top ranking of the European Innovation Scorecard
2015 (European Commission, 2015) and on the top ten (10) places worldwide according to the
Global Innovation Index (Johnson Cornell University, 2015).
The establishment of learning outcomes does not seem to constitute an important action for
strategies related to entrepreneurship education in Europe. One part of SEECEL’s success is that
three out of eight countries (Estonia, Poland, Denmark, Austria, Wales, Montenegro, the
former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina) which have developed
a strategic action regarding learning outcomes, are SEECEL member states (Eurydice Report,
2016). The lack of specific learning outcomes in relation to the entrepreneurship education may
be characterised as a main obstacle towards the development of a good quality and working
entrepreneurship education. It is important to note that SEECEL’s innovative approach in the
development of learning outcomes includes financial literacy and environment friendly insights
and suggestions. Furthermore, solely Estonia and Denmark have introduced the entrepreneurial
learning outcomes in the evaluation procedure, which is thought to be a main feature of an effective
entrepreneurship education. The development of Entrepreneurial Learning outcomes, led by
SEECEL is one main contribution to the field. The Eurydice Report (2016) also highlighted the
need of developing a solid monitoring framework across EU countries, as far as entrepreneurial
education is concerned. Only a few countries monitor the effectiveness of a strategy, while some
other broader strategies are not directly linked to learning outcomes or the impact they might have
on entrepreneurship education.
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School Curriculum
The “sense of initiative and entrepreneurship” has been identified as one of the eight most
important key competences for lifelong learning. Entrepreneurship education is mostly seen as an
objective of a cross-curricular form in the primary level of education across the EU.
Entrepreneurship education is more dominant during later stages of education, such as the
secondary level. It could take the form of a separate course or be a part of another subject, most
common of them being the economics, business studies and social sciences. It is also taught as a
part of an optional subject. Moreover, there is a lack of teaching guidelines, since guidelines are
most commonly provided to upper secondary schools, rather than lower education levels.
SEECEL’s work and the recent JRC “EntreComp: The Entrepreneurship Competence Framework”
report provide a good basis for countries to adopt and integrate entrepreneurial learning in their
school curricula. It is important to note that SEECEL’s work places a big emphasis on the whole
entrepreneurial eco system and this is based on the belief that schools can be the agents of change
which can contribute towards the development of entrepreneurial literate societies. In this sense
schools can be the key factors which contribute into developing and expanding the entrepreneurial
eco system.
Teacher Training and Support
Given the great importance of entrepreneurship education, there is a strong need to prepare pre-
service and in-service teachers to be able to integrate entrepreneurial competences in their
teaching. According to Eurydice (2016) thirteen (13) countries have already stated that there is a
need to train teachers in order to gain the necessary skills to teach entrepreneurship lessons.
Interestingly, “continuing professional development” courses related to entrepreneurship
education are provided to some teachers in twenty-eight (28) countries. Teachers are mainly
supported by the relevant authorities with the allocation of funding or with the development of
materials to guide their lessons. Only twelve (12) countries across the EU are provided with
guidelines for entrepreneurial learning, developed by the central authorities of the countries. No
country in Europe has been found so far to have fully incorporated entrepreneurship education in
the education system (Eurydice, 2016).
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Project Overview
Organizational Structure
According to the Strategic Plan 2013 – 2016, the South East European Centre for Entrepreneurial
Learning (SEECEL) is the first expertise centre and think tank that arose from South East European
countries’ interest to establish structured strategic cooperation in development of life-long
entrepreneurial learning (LLEL), in line with EU policies. SEECEL was established in 2009 in
Zagreb on the initiative and support of the Government of the Republic of Croatia with two co-
founders: Ministry of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship (nowadays Ministry of
Entrepreneurship and Crafts) and the Croatian Chamber of Economy. SEECEL also received full
written support from all its member states and the European Commission. SEECEL member states
are as follows: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo*, the former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey.
All SEECEL member states share ownership of the process and equally participate in the
governance of SEECEL, in content development and implementation. As an institution, SEECEL
is governed by an international steering committee composed of two representative members of
each SEECEL member state – one from the Ministry of Education and one from the ministry in
charge for the Small Business Act for Europe (SBA). This ensures the policy dialogue between
the world of education and economy.
A Management Support Team (MST) provides advice and support to the SEECEL Director on
management and technical issues. The MST is composed of 3 national co-ordinators of the Small
Business Act for Europe (the Croatian co-ordinator as permanent MST member and two other on
a six-month rotation applying the "EU troika" rotation principle ). Current state members of the
MST are as follows (since April2016): Kosovo*, Montenegro and Croatia.
SEECEL has an international governing board composed of appointed representatives from eight
SEECEL member states (one from the ministry of education and one from the ministry responsible
for the implementation of the Small Business Act for Europe) and representatives of the European
Commission's DG NEAR and DG GROW, European Training Foundation (ETF), Croatian
Chamber of Economy (CCE), Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Because of the core expertise developed,
SEECEL participates in several EC expert and advisory groups such as the groups for Transversal
skills (DG EaC), Indicators (DG EaC), EnreComp (DG JRC), and WEGATE – EU WE platform
(DG GROW).
From its establishment SEECEL operates in the regional environment by involving the national
authorities and experts in its activities. From 2013, SEECEL is also applying the principle of
secondment and based on this experience further encourages the equal opportunities of
employment of experts coming from the region. SEECEL is also an active member in various
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working groups and thematic forums established under the EU and different macro-regional
strategies, such as Transversal Skills, Danube Strategy, Adriatic – Ionian Strategy and South East
European 2020 Strategy, as well as reference point for various EU bodies and their expert working
groups. SEECEL, with the full support of all participating countries, is the sole approved regional
infrastructure project for social infrastructure, through the Western Balkans Investment
Framework (WBIF).
Mission, Values and Strategic Goals
According to SEECEL’s Strategic Plan 2013 – 2016 SEECEL’s mission is to work on systematic
development of lifelong entrepreneurial learning as a key competence and on alignment of policies
and practice with those of the European Union by strengthening the structured regional
cooperation. SEECEL’s vision is to strengthen entrepreneur-friendly environments and mind-sets
for building entrepreneurial literate societies that lead to sustainable economic growth and
development.
According to the Strategic Plan 2013 – 2016, since 2009 SEECEL has undertaken an intensive
work programme in line with a defined strategy and SEECEL member states’ recommendations.
The first years were dedicated to establishing links with relevant institutions across the region and
raising awareness of upcoming SEECEL activities to be further followed by direct and concrete
activities in each of the participating countries. SEECEL’s work and decision-making is fully
based on EU Open Method of Coordination (OMC), which continually supports and strengthens
cooperation and collective decision-making in the field of education and entrepreneurship – all
with the goal of fostering competitiveness and supporting sustainable growth.
According to the Strategic Plan 2013 – 2016, SEECEL’s strategic goals are the following:
1. To continue to support participating countries in their efforts to accommodate EU
recommendations for promotion of entrepreneurship as a key competence by specifically
addressing entrepreneurship in early education (ISCED 1 and ISCED 2 level).
2. To support participating countries in their efforts to accommodate EU recommendations
for promotion of entrepreneurship as a key competence by specifically addressing
entrepreneurship at general part of secondary education (ISCED 3 level).
3. To continue to enhance the contribution of third-level education to the competitiveness
drive by way of increased awareness and understanding among higher education
establishments of entrepreneurial learning particularly in non-business disciplines (ISCED
5&6).
4. To continue to reinforce more sustainable development of enterprise- driven training needs
analysis frameworks in participating countries, both general ones (Training Needs
Assessment) and those focused on women (WETNAS).
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5. To support participating countries in SBA assessment by establishing a peer-learning
methodology for SBA assessment (for principles 1 and 8) and by running the first regional
SBA peer-learning exercise.
6. To actively involve national teacher training authorities in development of lifelong
entrepreneurial learning as a key competence and its introduction to the educational
systems at national levels.
7. To support development of policies and to promote best policy practices in women
entrepreneurship in line with the Small Business Act for Europe and capacity building of
national and regional women entrepreneur’s networks & associations.
8. To further work on development and improvement of Information Gateway, called
Community of Practice (CoP) that proved to be a relevant tool for exchange of information
and good practices, as well as a useful platform for expert work.
SEECEL Achievements
SEECEL has successfully implemented the Grant Contract signed with the European Commission
from IPA Multi-beneficiary program (85% EC funds, 15% Croatian government) in total value of
2 million euro. Area of action: 8 countries. Implementation period: 2009 – 2013. In addition,
SEECEL successfully implemented the Grant Contract for the project “Women Entrepreneurship
– a job creation engine for South East Europe” signed with RCC funded by SIDA (100% financing)
in total value of 1 million euro. Area of action: 9 countries (with addition of Moldova).
Implementation period: 2011 – 2015.
In 2012, Croatia hosted the "Entrepreneurship-Education Regional Summit” where the respected
Ministers (or their appointed envoys) from the fields of economy and education from eight (8)
SEECEL Member States signed "A Charter for Entrepreneurial Learning: the Keystone for Growth
and Jobs" thus reconfirming their strong commitment to support the regional cooperation in the
field of entrepreneurial learning and human capital development. The summit was organized
jointly by the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Crafts of the Republic of Croatia and SEECEL,
with the support of the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports of the Republic of Croatia and
the European Commission.
The European Commission has recognized SEECEL as best practice in strategic regional
cooperation, best practice for good conceptual solutions in the field of entrepreneurial
learning as a key competence and best practice in line with the first principle of the Small
Business Act for Europe.
Confidential 17
Project Contracts under External Evaluation
Currently SEECEL is implementing two Grant Contracts signed with the European Commission
from IPA Multi-beneficiary program (the same ratio 85%-15% of financing) in total value of 4
million euro. Area of action: 8 countries. Implementation period: 2013 – 2016. These two contracts
are the focus of this evaluation.
Grant Contract 2013/316-501: Developing the entrepreneurial society in Western Balkans
and Turkey - support to the South East European Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning
(SEECEL)
The overall objective of the project is to further work on systematic approach to develop
entrepreneurially literate societies across the region and to support alignment of national policies
with EU recommendations and policy essentials related to lifelong entrepreneurial learning. The
specific objective of the project is to further develop the lifelong entrepreneurial learning system
through identified set of strategic goals in line with Human Capital Dimension of the SBA for
Europe. The estimated results are:
1) Existing entrepreneurial learning instrument further developed, strategically piloted and
disseminated for ISCED 1, 2 and 5/6 level institutions (focusing on curriculum through learning
outcomes, teacher training and school management).
2) In-service teacher training modules further developed, strategically piloted and disseminated to
agencies and institutions for teacher training.
3) Second generation of the Training Needs Assessment (TNA) questionnaire deployed at regional
level; first set of criteria for quality assurance system for training, according to TNA results defined
at regional level – both actions which support development of a Training Needs Analysis System.
4) Countries actively participate in the SBA assessment using peer learning/peer review
methodology and show progress in relation to implementation of Principles 1 and 8.
5) Knowledge sharing platform (Community of Practice) expanded and developed as a reference
source for all entrepreneurial learning developments for increased participation of experts and
institutions.
Grant Contract 2013/334-013: Developing the entrepreneurial society in Western Balkans
and Turkey at ISCED 3 level general part of secondary education - support to the South East
European Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (SEECEL)
The specific objective of the project is, Building on existing activities and results from the 2009 –
2012 implementation period and developments achieved, to further develop the lifelong
entrepreneurial learning system with special focus on ISCED 3 level general part of secondary
education through identified set of strategic goals in line with Human Capital Dimension of the
SBA for Europe. The estimated results are:
Confidential 18
1) Based on the existing entrepreneurial learning instrument, further developed, strategically
piloted and disseminated Entrepreneurial Learning (EL) instrument for ISCED 3 level general part
of secondary education focusing on curriculum through development of learning outcomes and
development of entrepreneurial school with special focus on teacher and school management
training.
2) The developed entrepreneurial learning instrument for ISCED 3 level general part of secondary
education strategically piloted in 8 participating countries.
3) In collaboration with SEECEL, peer visits/peer learning exercises by representatives of
SEECEL entrepreneurial schools.
4) Knowledge sharing platform (Community of Practice) further improved and recognized as a
reference source for all entrepreneurial learning developments for increased participation of
experts and institutions, with special focus on introducing the CoP to the ISCED 3 level.
Confidential 19
Evaluation Method
Aims
The aims of the evaluation, as presented in the Terms of Reference (ToR) and as discussed during
the kickoff meeting in Zagreb on May 9, 2016, are:
To document SEECEL’s progress against SEECEL’s mission and vision, its key policies
and the strategic targets set out in the 2013-2016 strategic plan.
To review and assess the relevance and appropriateness of the 2013-2016 strategic plan to
SEECEL’s mission, and the specific objectives of the current project.
To recommend changes of strategy and emphasis that should be incorporated into the
SEECEL’s 2017-2020 strategic plan.
For the purpose of assessing the above aims, we developed some key questions to guide the process
of data collection and analysis:
To what extent are the strategic goals and approaches in the 2013-2016 plan and key
policies, relevant to the mission of SEECEL?
To what extent are the SEECEL activities relevant to its goals?
To what extent have the approaches identified in key policies, the 2013-2016 strategic plan
and SEECEL’s rolling work plan addressed the conditions, needs and interests of key
stakeholders and enabled SEECEL to pursue its mission?
Were the “approaches” and the targets set out in the strategic plan relevant and realistic?
How effective were the different approaches in the key policies, the 2013-2016 strategic
plan and SEECEL’s rolling work plan in pursuing the mission and vision of SEECEL?
Did SEECEL have the necessary resources and capacity to undertake the activities
required to achieve its strategic goals?
Are SEECEL’s key stakeholders satisfied with the approaches and activities used to date
in achieving its mission?
Confidential 20
Data Collection and Analysis
Overview
Data were collected and analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. First, the
evaluation team reviewed carefully the ToR and the project proposals for the two contracts under
evaluation, the SEECEL website, the Community of Practice (CoP) and key documents relating to
SEECEL. Based on this first stage review, an interview and a focus group guide were developed
and used during the kick off visit of the evaluation team in Zagreb.
Qualitative Data: Interviews, Focus Groups, and Document Review
Data were collected from the following sources:
1. Study visits in 4 countries (e.g. Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, the former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) and interview with local stakeholders and implementing
institutions. Details on the interviews conducted during study visits are presented in the
ANNEX.
2. One focus group per country was conducted in each of the four countries visited (Croatia,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia).
Participants were school staff and key stakeholders and the aim was to examine the
successes and challenges of SEECEL.
3. A face-to-face focus group discussion was facilitated with the SEECEL team to better
understand the project, its successes and challenges.
4. Skype Interviews and/or questionnaires from, Albania, Serbia, and other relevant
stakeholders (It was not possible to get any response for an interview from Turkey and
Kosovo*, despite several attempts from the evaluation team).
5. Skype and phone interviews with key Steering Committee (SC) members and stakeholders
(full list is presented in ANNEX).
Additional qualitative data came from the sources below:
Minutes from meetings and researcher memos
Policy and other EU documents
School documents (action plans, lesson plans, peer learning and piloting reports)
SEECEL proposals and deliverables from each contract
Quantitative Data: Online Survey Design
In order to develop the two survey instruments used in this evaluation, the evaluation team first
conducted in-depth qualitative research and a study visit in Croatia during which they interviewed
several key stakeholders, including Ministry of Education and Ministry of Entrepreneurship and
Crafts representatives, Chamber of Commerce representatives, school staff, and members of the
SEECEL team. Based on the findings of the interviews, along with a detailed review of key
documents, the two survey instruments were developed.
Confidential 21
Two survey instruments were prepared and distributed: one for SC members and key stakeholders
and one for education institutions. The evaluation team analyzed in detail the qualitative data (e.g.
interviews and observations) and identified the main categories regarding the aspects of the
program to evaluate. Then, items for the questionnaires were designed to collect data for each of
the key categories (e.g. project features, communication, frequency of resource use, etc.).
In order to validate the tools, a first version of the instruments was distributed to research design
experts, members of the SEECEL team, and independent reviewers with expertise in EL, with the
aim to pilot the instruments and make the necessary revisions. Once finalized, the tools were
developed into an online format using the online tool Survey Monkey. They were tested again, and
once finalized they were distributed to the list of key stakeholders and education institutions which
participated in SEECEL activities.
Data Analysis
Once data were collected, they were analyzed by following both the deductive and inductive stages
(Stake, 2011). The survey data were analyzed by calculating descriptive statistics. Concept maps,
tables and data displays were prepared to better understand the success and challenges of the
program. Reading the data multiple times, allowed the evaluation team to gradually identify key
themes and assertions trying to address the evaluation questions posed for the study. Data were
examined and carefully sorted “according to topics, themes, and issues important to the study”
(Stake, 2011, p. 151). In order to triangulate the findings presented in this report and strengthen
the validity of findings claims, evidence is used from both the qualitative and quantitative sources.
Each finding was reviewed and audited by two members of the evaluation team to ensure the
validity of findings. For each of the scales on the surveys the Cronbach alpha was calculated,
which indicated high internal validity of the tools used.
Confidential 22
Findings from the Educational Institutions Survey The number of respondents who answered the survey varied among certain survey questions. The
initial questions were answered by 78 respondents. Below we present some of the key findings.
Detailed tables regarding Median scores and Standard Deviations are presented in the ANNEX.
SEECEL Features
The respondents from educational institutions were asked to indicate their level of
satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the 18 distinct project features, on the five point Likert scale (1-
very dissatisfied – 5 very satisfied). The Cronbach's alpha for the 18-item scale was 0.940,
indicating the excellent scale reliability. According to the findings presented in Figure 1, the
respondents were the most satisfied with the: Opportunity to implement lesson plans in teaching
(44.90% very satisfied; 46.40% satisfied); Opportunity to implement certain activities from lesson
plans in teaching (56.50% very satisfied; 33.30% satisfied); Experiences from piloting the action
plan (58.00 % very satisfied; 31.90% satisfied); Experiences from peer learning activities
(73.90% very satisfied; 15.00% satisfied); Communication and cooperation with other people in
your school involved in the project (49.30% very satisfied; 37.70% satisfied); Student
participation in activities (75.40% very satisfied; 15.90% satisfied); Overall benefits for students
(65.20% very satisfied; 26.10% satisfied); and Overall benefits for the local community (39.10%
very satisfied; 37.70% satisfied).
It is important to emphasize that 75.4% of respondents were very satisfied with the SEECEL’s
response to problems that came up during implementation. It is apparent that the respondents were
satisfied with program features which were directly linked to the school and student involvement
and SEECEL’s role in the programme. The respondents were the least satisfied with the: Feedback
we received on lesson plans; Orientation program for school management; and Overall benefits
for the local community. Nevertheless, even in these categories more than 60% of the respondents
were satisfied or very satisfied with the above mentioned project feature.
Confidential 23
Figure 1 Level of the respondents’ satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the distinct project features.
Participation in SEECEL Activities
The respondents were asked to indicate their level of agreement/disagreement with the 8
statements describing the impact of their participation in SEECEL activities, on the five point
Likert scale (1- strongly disagree – 5 strongly agree). The Cronbach's alpha for the 8-item scale
was 0.887, indicating the good scale reliability. According to the findings presented in Figure 2,
the respondents recognized the positive impact of the activities on all listed aspect of school work
and organizational culture. The large majority of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that
the project had positive impact on the: Improvement of creativity among students (60.87% strongly
agreed; 34.78% agreed); Improvement of the entrepreneurship culture in their school/organization
42,00
37,70
26,10
44,90
56,50
36,20
50,70
58,00
73,90
75,40
49,30
52,20
75,40
46,40
65,20
39,10
68,10
66,70
43,50
49,30
36,20
46,40
33,30
39,10
36,20
31,90
15,90
13,00
37,70
24,60
15,90
39,10
26,10
37,70
23,20
26,10
5,8
05
,80
15
,90
2,9
04
,30
14
,50
7,2
02
,90
4,3
04
,30
4,3
01
5,9
0
4,3
07
,20
2,9
0
14
,50
4,3
02
,90
1,4
04
,30
17
,40
2,9
02
,90
7,2
02
,90
2,9
02
,90
4,3
04
,30
2,9
01
,40
2,9
02
,90
5,8
01
,40
1,4
07
,20
2,9
04
,30
2,9
02
,90
2,9
02
,90
4,3
02
,90
2,9
04
,30
4,3
02
,90
4,3
02
,90
2,9
02
,90
2,9
0
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. The training I received from SEECEL and its partners
2. Quality of the lesson plans developed as part ofinvolvement in SEECEL activities
3. Feedback we received on lesson plans
4. Opportunity to implement lesson plans in teaching
5. Opportunity to implement certain activities fromlesson plans in teaching
6. The orientation program for school management
7. Experience from developing your organization’s action plans
8. Experiences from piloting the action plan
9. Experiences from peer learning activities
10. SEECEL’s response to problems that came up during implementation
11. Communication and cooperation with other peoplein your school involved in the project
12. Collaboration with Mentor Schools
13. Student participation in activities
14. Overall benefits for teachers
15. Overall benefits for students
16. Overall benefits for the local community
17. The program’s contribution to the school’s entrepreneurial culture
18. Overall participation in SEECEL activities
Very Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied
Confidential 24
(46.38% strongly agreed; 49.28% agreed); Improvement of school management team (52.17%
strongly agreed; 36.23% agreed); and Engagement of students in the classroom (43.48% strongly
agreed; 47.83% agreed).
The respondents recognized the overall positive impact of the participation in SEECEL activities,
and listed some additional benefits of their participation in SEECEL activities such as: new
contacts, improved cooperation between teachers and with parents, new tools and new school
curriculum, benefits for students (preparation for lifelong learning, work opportunities with local
businesses, improved motivation and initiative).
Figure 2 Level of the respondents’ agreement with the statements on positive impact of the
participation in SEECEL activities.
CoP Platform
The Community of Practice Task Box is divided into 5 main sections. The first four sections, are
divided in accordance to the ISCED levels and allow educational institutions to submit project
documentation. The fifth section provides for teacher training authorities (TTA) project
documentation submission. The documents under Task Box were visible just to the SEECEL
experts and institutions/authorities who authored/submitted the documents. As part of the project,
the educational institutions were required to submit 18 different documents, while TTA’s were
required to submit 14 different documents.
46,38
20,29
27,54
60,87
52,17
37,68
43,48
43,48
49,28
65,22
57,97
34,78
36,23
50,72
47,83
44,93
2,9
0
11,59
13,04
2,9
0
8,70
8,70
5,80
8,702,
901,
451,
452,
901,
451,
451
,45
1,4
51,
451,
451
,45
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. The entrepreneurship culture in myschool/organization has improved
2. Teaching has improved
3. Learning has improved
4. Creativity among students has improved
5. School management team has improved
6. Creativity among teachers has improved
7. Students are more engaged in the classroom
8. The overall entrepreneurship eco-system culturehas improved (Classroom, school, and local community
culture)
Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
Confidential 25
The survey respondents evaluated the frequency and purpose of the CoP platform use through 6
statements, on the five point Likert scale (1-never, 2- 1 to 2 times per semester, 3- 1 to 2 times per
month, 4- 1 to 2 times a week, 5 – daily). The Cronbach's alpha for the 6-item scale was 0.829,
indicating the good scale reliability. The findings are presented in Table 1 and Figure 3, were it is
visible that the respondents on average used the CoP platform up to 2 times per month and that
they recognize it as a tool for Learning and Downloading resources. According to the respondents’
answers, the frequency of the CoP platform use differed in various stages of the project. The
respondents are rarely using the platform for Discussion with other stakeholders, but they
emphasised that besides CoP platform, they used popular social networks (e.g. Facebook,
WhatsApp, regular email) to discuss and share project ideas which helped them in many school
activities.
Table 1 Frequency and purpose of CoP platform use.
Daily 1-2 times a
week
1-2 times
per month
1-2 times per
semester
Never
1. Sharing resources and ideas
16 27 17 1
2. Learning 2 15 30 14
3. Downloading resources 4 12 26 17 2
4. Viewing other school’s lesson plans 1 14 15 29 2
5. Discussions with other teachers 5 8 17 22 9
6. Discussion with other stakeholders 1 6 14 31 9
Confidential 26
Figure 3 Frequency and purpose of CoP platform use.
The respondents who did not use the CoP platform were asked to specify reasons for not using it.
Their answers included reasons like the use of other means of communication (emails, social
networks, and phone conversations), lack of understanding on how to use platform and what to
talk about under the CoP discussion forums, lack of computers and internet at school, the setup of
the CoP platform which is not aligned to teachers’ needs. As one respondent wrote: ‘The CoP
might have been more and better utilized if there had been spaces for subject teachers (not just the
PI's managers and coordinators) to collaborate, revise Lesson Plans and other activities, and
exchange best practices’.
The main advantage of the available document submission structure are straightforward guidelines
on type of required documents and clear deadlines for document submission. Also, it seems like
the project participants appreciate the possibility to communicate with the SEECEL’s experts
under the different sections of the site (which are directly linked to the particular type of
document). The document templates are clearly visible. Also, after receiving feedback on the
initial submission from the SEECL’s expert team, the participants have the opportunity to resubmit
the documentation. One of the challenges, based on the reviewed documents, is the fact that all
participating educational institutions did not have sufficient human resources to deal with the
preparation and write-up of project documentation in English language. Hence, some of the
documents that required more complex descriptions and reflections on project implementation,
were written in poor English and/or did not include well elaborated answers. While the deadlines
for document submission are clearly stated, the participants frequently commented that the
document exchange should occur more frequently. This comment could be linked with the
participants’ need for more frequent feedback on the project materials and implementation. The
1,5
4,6
7,7
3,1
9,2
3,1
24,6
23,1
18,5
21,5
12,3
9,2
41,5
46,2
40,0
23,1
26,2
21,5
26,2
21,5
26,2
44,6
33,8
47,7
6,2
4,6
7,7
7,7
18,5
18,5
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. Sharing resources and ideas
2. Learning
3. Downloading resources
4. Viewing other school’s lesson plans
5. Discussions with other teachers
6. Discussion with other stakeholders
Daily 1-2 times a week 1-2 times per month 1-2 times per semester Never
Confidential 27
main challenge with the TTA section of the task box are poor responses from at least two national
teacher training authorities. While the cooperation with TTA’s is crucial for the project success, in
order to have insight into the work of national TTA’s, the alternative ways of document collection
and communication should be considered.
According to the lesson plan evaluation data, it is possible to conclude that the reviewed lesson
plans focus on EL objectives in the large number of different subject areas. Another positive
element, linked to the lesson plans is that once lesson plans are approved by the SEECEL editorial
board, they are published under the Teacher knowledge base (TKB) and can be freely reached by
interested parties. The final report structure is clear and the project teams attempted to answer all
the required sections of the report. Nevertheless, the analysis of the final reports indicate large
variations in the challenges or problems which project teams were facing during the project
implementation. In conclusion, the final reports differ by the quality which commonly resembles
the quality of the project implementation.
The respondents were asked to evaluate the CoP’s ease of use through 6 statements, on the five
point Likert scale (1- strongly disagree – 5 strongly agree). The Cronbach's alpha for the 6-item
Level of the respondents’ agreement with the statements on CoP’s ease of use scale was 0.892,
indicating the good scale reliability. According to the findings presented in Figure 4, the
respondents appreciate the User friendly features (49.92% strongly agree; 43.1% agree) and Ease
of use (43.1% strongly agree; 49.2% agree).
Figure 4 Level of the respondents’ agreement with the statements on CoP’s ease of use.
SEECEL Website
The survey respondents evaluated the frequency and purpose of the SEECEL Website use through
3 statements, on the five point Likert scale (1-never, 2- 1 to 2 times per semester, 3- 1 to 2 times
43,1
40,0
41,5
49,2
40,0
35,4
49,2
50,8
46,2
43,1
50,8
41,5
3,1
3,1
6,2
3,1
4,6
9,2
3,1
4,6
4,6
1,5
3,1
10,
8
1,5
1,5
1,5
3,1
1,5
3,1
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. It is easy to use
2. It is easy to understand
3. It is fast
4. It is user friendly
5. It is flexible
6. I can use it without instructions
Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
Confidential 28
per month, 4- 1 to 2 times a week, 5 – daily). The Cronbach's alpha for the 3-item scale was 0.884,
indicating the good scale reliability. The findings are presented in Table 2 and Figure 5, were it is
visible that the respondents on average, used the SEECEL Website up to 2 times per month, and
primarily recognized SEECEL Website as a tool for Learning. In addition, the respondents
emphasized that they would benefit from the website in their native language, because ‘many
teachers do not have sufficient English language skills’.
Table 2 Frequency and purpose of SEECEL Website use.
Daily
1-2 times a
week
1-2 times per
month
1-2 times per
semester Never
1. Sharing resources and ideas 1 9 22 27 1
2. Learning 2 12 26 20 0
3. Downloading resources 2 7 25 24 2
Figure 5 Frequency and purpose of SEECEL Website use.
Respondents were asked to evaluate the SEECEL website ease of use through 6 statements, on the
five point Likert scale (1- strongly disagree – 5 strongly agree). The Cronbach's alpha for the 6-
item scale was 0.903, indicating the excellent scale reliability. According to the findings presented
in Figure 6, the respondents appreciate the User friendly features (50% strongly agree; 42.2%
agree) and Flexibility (42.2% strongly agree; 50% agree) of the SEECEL website.
1,6
3,1
3,1
14,1
18,8
12,5
34,4
40,6
39,1
43,8
34,4
39,1
6,3
3,1
6,3
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. Sharing resources and ideas
2. Learning
3. Downloading resources
Daily 1-2 times a week 1-2 times per month 1-2 times per semester Never
Confidential 29
Figure 6 Level of the respondents’ agreement with the statements on SEECEL website ease of
use.
Organization, Collaboration and Support
On the five point Likert scale (1- very dissatisfied – 5 very satisfied), the respondents were asked
to indicate their level of satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the program related communication and
collaboration through 4 statements. The Cronbach's alpha for the 6-item Level of the respondents’
satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the program related collaboration scale was 0.727, indicating the
acceptable scale reliability. According to the findings presented in Figure 7, the respondents were
very satisfied with collaboration with SEECEL staff (71.4% very satisfied; 19% satisfied).
Figure 7 Level of the respondents’ satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the program related
collaboration.
43,8
43,8
45,3
50,0
42,2
34,4
45,3
46,9
40,6
42,2
50,0
50,0
4,7
3,1
6,3
1,6
3,1
6,3
3,1
4,7
6,3
3,1
3,1
4,7
3,1
1,6
1,6
3,1
1,6
4,7
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. It is easy to use
2. It is easy to understand
3. It is fast
4. It is user friendly
5. It is flexible
6. I can use it without instructions
Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
71,4
36,5
44,4
19,0
39,7
36,5
3,2
12
,71
2,7
0,0
3,2
1,6
6,3
7,9
4,8
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. Collaboration with SEECEL staff
2. Collaboration with the teacher training agency
3. Collaboration with other schools involved in theproject
Very Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied
Confidential 30
On the five point Likert scale (1 - never, 5-very often), the respondents were asked to indicate the
extent to which they received support from different stakeholders through 3 statements. The
Cronbach's alpha for the 3 item scale was 0.578, indicating the questionable scale reliability.
Nevertheless, the measures of correlation indicate high correlation among the scale items (the
correlation is significant on the 0.01 level). According to the findings presented in Table 3 and
Figure 8, the respondents were most frequently supported by SEECEL staff. It is surprising that
they received least support from the Teacher training agency in their country. As reported by the
respondents, the schools received support from: governmental and local educational institutions,
entrepreneurship associations, mentor schools, non-profit organisations, local authorities and
parents.
Table 3 Extent to which the respondents received support from different stakeholders.
Very Often Often Sometimes Rarely Never
1. SEECEL staff 26 30 3 0 0
2. Teacher training agency in your country 11 16 17 9 6
3. Other schools involved in the project 12 21 19 3 4
Figure 8 Extent to which the respondents received support from different stakeholders.
When asked about mentoring approach which is an important feature of the project, as shown in
Figure 9, almost 30% of respondents answered that they did not use mentoring approach as a part
of this programme, while the respondents who used the mentoring approach were satisfied
(39.7%) or very satisfied (28.6%) with it.
41,3
17,5
19,0
47,6
25,4
33,3
6,3
28,6
31,7
3,2
17,5
7,9
1,6
11,1
7,9
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. SEECEL staff
2. Teacher training agency in your country
3. Other schools involved in the project
Very Often Often Sometimes Rarely Never
Confidential 31
Figure 9 Respondents satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the mentoring approach.
On the five point Likert scale (1-never, 2- 1 to 2 times per semester, 3- 1 to 2 times per month, 4-
1 to 2 times a week, 5 – daily), the survey respondents evaluated the frequency of different types
of support they received from SEECEL staff, teacher training agency, and other schools. Three
scales with total of 10 items dealing with the different types of support received through the project
have Cronbach's alpha 0.897, indicating a good reliability of the scales. The findings for each of
the three scales are expected as they are aligned with the incidence of actual administrative
deadlines. The findings for support received from SEECEL staff are presented in Table 4 and
Figure 10, were it is visible that the largest percentage of respondents received a support from the
SEECEL staff up to 2 times per month and that they most commonly received Guidance about
administrative issues.
Table 4 Frequency of different types of support from SEECEL staff.
Daily
1-2 times
a week
1-2 times
per month
1-2 times
per
semester
Never
1. Guidance about administrative issues 3 7 28 20 0
2. Guidance about the education aspect of the
program
2 6 25 22 3
3. Workshops on how to integrate
entrepreneurship in the classroom
1 5 14 26 12
4. Additional resources 2 9 17 20 10
28,6
39,7
28,6
1,6 1,6
Very Satisfied Satisfied I have not used this approach Very Dissatisfied Dissatisfied
Confidential 32
Figure 10 Frequency of different types of support from SEECEL staff.
Furthermore, the survey respondents evaluated the frequency of different types of support from
teacher training agencies. The findings are presented in Table 5 and Figure 11, were it is visible
that the largest percentage of respondents (approximately 50% in each category) received support
from the teacher training agency up to 2 times per semester. In additional comments, one of the
respondents mentioned that teacher training agency in one of the participating countries organized
only one workshop during the year.
Table 5 Frequency of different types of support from teacher training agency.
Daily 1-2 times
a week 1-2 times
per month
1-2 times per
semester
Never
1. Guidance about the education aspect of program 1 2 11 34 11
2. Workshops on how to integrate entrepreneurship in the
classroom
1 1 11 34 12
3. Additional resources 0 2 10 31 16
Figure 11 Frequency of different types of support from teacher training agency.
4,9
3,3
1,6
3,3
11,5
9,8
8,2
14,8
45,9
41,0
23,0
27,9
32,8
36,1
42,6
32,8
3,3
8,2
23,0
19,7
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. Guidance about administrative issues
2. Guidance about the education aspect of theprogram
3. Workshops on how to integrate entrepreneurshipin the classroom
4. Additional resources
Daily 1-3 Times a Week 1-2 times per Month 1-2 times per Semester Never
1,6
1,6
0,0
3,3
1,6
3,3
18,0
18,0
16,4
55,7
55,7
50,8
21,3
23,0
29,5
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. Guidance about the education aspect of program
2. Workshops on how to integrate entrepreneurshipin the classroom
3. Additional resources
Daily 1-3 Times a Week 1-2 times per Month 1-2 times per Semester Never
Confidential 33
Also, the survey respondents evaluated the frequency of different types of support from other
schools. The findings are presented in Table 6 and Figure 12, were it is visible that the largest
percentage of respondents (approximately 50% in each category) received support from other
schools up to 2 times per semester. The respondents’ additionally commented on help and benefits
gained through cooperation with mentor schools.
Table 6 Frequency of different types of support from other schools.
Daily 1-2 times a week
1-2 times per
month
1-2 times per
semester
Never
1. Guidance about the education aspect of program 0 5 12 30 11
2. Workshops on how to integrate entrepreneurship in the
classroom
0 3 13 32 11
3. Additional resources 0 3 11 31 14
Figure 12 Frequency of different types of support from other schools.
The respondents were asked to indicate their level of agreement/disagreement with the 6
statements describing different types of additional support for project participation. The
Cronbach's alpha for the 6-item Level of respondents’ agreement/disagreement on need for
different types of support in this project scale was 0.700, indicating the acceptable scale reliability.
According to the findings presented in Figure 13, the respondents recognized need for support in
a variety of areas. In addition, these findings are showing a need for future work of SEECEL. The
most commonly recognized areas that require support are: Peer learning (50% strongly agree;
38.3% agree) and Training (48.4% strongly agree; 40.3% agree). Educational institutions received
additional support for the project participation through teacher training, exchange of good practices
face-to-face and through social networks, teachers' manuals for lesson plans delivered by school
subject counsellors. Furthermore, the respondents commented that they would benefit from the
online EL teacher training course under the CoP platform.
1,6
1,6
1,6
8,1
4,8
4,8
19,4
20,6
17,5
48,4
50,8
49,2
22,6
22,2
27,0
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. Guidance about the education aspect of program
2. Workshops on how to integrate entrepreneurshipin the classroom
3. Additional resources
Daily 1-3 Times a Week 1-2 times per Month 1-2 times per Semester Never
Confidential 34
Figure 13 Level of respondents’ agreement/disagreement on need for different types of support
in this project.
Finally, the respondents were asked to indicate their level of agreement/disagreement with the 5
statements dealing with project challenges. The Cronbach's alpha for the 5-item Level of the
respondents’ agreement with the listed project challenges scale was 0.817, indicating the good
scale reliability. According to the findings presented in Figure 16, most of the respondents did not
perceive listed challenges as problematic. Still, the respondents believed that Lack of funding for
project activities (12.9% strongly disagree; 41.9% disagree); Lack of funding for student and
teacher participation in peer learning activities (12.9% strongly disagree; 30.6% disagree) and
Lack of time for teachers to integrate entrepreneurship learning in the classroom (16.4% strongly
disagree; 31.1% disagree) may be somewhat more problematic than other listed challenges. Also,
the respondents mentioned that participation was difficult due to everyday obligations which they
have in the classroom and some other administrative issues which they are facing in their schools.
One of the complaints focused on the amount of administrative work involved with the project
participation.
31,1
48,4
33,9
53,2
45,9
50,0
59,0
40,3
46,8
30,6
36,1
38,3
4,9
3,2
1,6
6,5
6,6
5,0
3,3
4,8
12,9
4,8
9,8
5,0
1,6
3,2
4,8
4,8
1,6
1,7
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. Resources
2. Training
3. Support
4. Funding
5. Time
6. Peer learning
Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
Confidential 35
Figure 14 Level of the respondents’ agreement with the listed project challenges.
When asked to provide concrete recommendations for improving the implementation of SEECEL
activities, in an open ended question, the majority of the respondents mentioned the following:
more teacher training/workshops and assistance for teachers through the year;
more peer visits and sharing of experiences with other schools (school partnerships);
additional funding for peer visits;
transparent calendar with task deadlines and peer visits;
detailed and timely instructions on the materials that need to be submitted;
certificates and prizes for teachers and students involved with the project; and
Improved cooperation and collaboration with teacher training institutions, local
government and business sector.
Finally, the project participants from the educational institutions were asked to name additional
roles/services which SEECEL should be offering. The respondents suggested the following:
educational services
o provision of online training/workshops;
o facilitation of peer visits for the teachers in European schools and organizations;
o better cooperation with educational bodies (agencies, ministries);
o more involvement in coordinators’, advisors’, teacher trainers’ training and work.
organizational services
o organization of annual conferences and competitions among schools;
o organisation of students' international training in entrepreneurship;
o provision of larger school network;
o provision of funds and funding opportunities for a variety of projects.
14,5
29
,0
12
,9
12,9
16,4
43,5
48,4
41,9
30,6
31,1
8,1
6,5
6,5
12,9
4,9
24,2
14,5
37,1
37,1
37,7
9,7
1,6
1,6
6,5
9,8
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. The project is not aligned with the schoolcurriculum
2. We did not receive adequate support
3. Lack of funding for project activities
4. Lack of funding for student and teacherparticipation in peer learning activities
5. Lack of time for teachers to integrateentrepreneurship learning in the classroom
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
Confidential 36
Findings from the Steering Committee and Stakeholders Survey A total of 21 respondents from the key stakeholders and steering committee answered the survey.
There were 15 survey respondents that are steering committee members: Albania (Institute for
Education Development; Ministry of Economic Development, Tourism, Trade and
Entrepreneurship); Bosnia and Herzegovina (Ministry of Civil Affairs; Ministry of Foreign Trade
and Economic Relation; Regional Cooperation Council - RCC); Croatia (Ministry of
Entrepreneurship and Crafts); the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Bureau for
Development of the Education); Montenegro (Directorate for SMEs Development); Serbia
(Ministry of Education; Ministry of Economy); and Turkey (Board of Education). Finally, two
respondents were from EU agencies (OECD and ETF). The stakeholders (6 survey respondents)
were mainly from education related institutions: Croatia (Education and Teacher Training
Agency); the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Foundation for Management and Industrial
Research; Ministry of Economy Ministry of Education and Science); and Montenegro (Bureau for
Education Services).
The survey respondents were asked to indicate how strongly they agree or disagree with the 7
statements related to SEECEL, on the five point Likert scale (1- strongly disagree – 5 strongly
agree). The Cronbach's alpha for the 7-item Level of the steering committee members’ agreement
with the statements related to SEECEL scale was 0.890, indicating the good scale reliability.
According to the findings presented in Figure 15 and Figure 16, the respondents in average agreed
or strongly agreed with all of the statements. They most strongly agreed with the statements that
SEECEL’s activities are contributing to the development of entrepreneurship culture in the region
and that SEECEL supports the alignment of national policies with EU recommendations and
policies related to entrepreneurial learning.
Figure 15 Level of the Steering Committee members’ agreement with the statements related to
SEECEL.
70
80
80
60
60
40
40
30
20
20
40
40
60
50 10
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. The results which have been achieved by SEECELin the period 2013-2016 are satisfactory
2. SEECEL’s activities are contributing to the development of entrepreneurship culture in the region
3. SEECEL supports the alignment of national policieswith EU recommendations and policies related to…
4. The strategic goals and approaches in SEECEL’s 2013-2016 strategic plan and key policies are relevant …
5. The SEECEL activities are relevant to its goals
6. The approaches identified in SEECEL’s 2013-2016 strategic plan, addressed the conditions, needs and …
7. The approaches identified in SEECEL’s rolling/ongoing work plan addressed the conditions, …
Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
Confidential 37
Figure 16 Level of the stakeholders’ agreement with the statements related to SEECEL.
Furthermore, on the five point Likert scale (1- strongly disagree – 5 strongly agree) the respondents
were asked to indicate how strongly they agree or disagree with the 20 statements about
appropriateness, effectiveness, and relevance of SEECEL. The Cronbach's alpha for the 20-item
Level of the steering committee members’ and stakeholders’ agreement with the statements about
appropriateness, effectiveness, and relevance of SEECEL scale was 0.934, indicating the excellent
scale reliability. According to the findings presented in Figure 17 and Figure 18, the respondents
in average agreed or strongly agreed with all of the statements. They most strongly agreed with
the statements that SEECEL’s work supports structured regional cooperation and that SEECEL’s
work is in line with EU policies. Although the participation in SEECEL activities was high, the
respondents indicate that in the future they would benefits from more participation in SEECEL
activities.
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
40
40
40
20
20
40
40
20
20
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. The results which have been achieved by SEECELin the period 2013-2016 are satisfactory
2. SEECEL’s activities are contributing to the development of entrepreneurship culture in the region
3. SEECEL supports the alignment of national policieswith EU recommendations and policies related to
entrepreneurial learning
4. The strategic goals and approaches in SEECEL’s 2013-2016 strategic plan and key policies are relevant to
the mission of SEECEL
5. The SEECEL activities are relevant to its goals
6. The approaches identified in SEECEL’s 2013-2016 strategic plan, addressed the conditions, needs and
interests of key stakeholders
7. The approaches identified in SEECEL’s rolling/ongoing work plan addressed the conditions,
needs and interests of key stakeholders
Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
Confidential 38
Figure 17 Level of the Steering Committee members’ agreement with the statements about
appropriateness, effectiveness, and relevance of SEECEL.
60
60
60
60
70
60
40
20
30
90
60
30
50
80
80
70
80
50
40
50
40
40
40
30
20
10
60
70
70
10
40
60
50
20
20
30
20
30
20
10
10
20
30
30
10
10
20
10
10
10
10
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. The SEECEL activities in the 2013-2016 strategicplan were effective in pursuing its mission.
2. SEECEL’s rolling work plan was effective in pursuing its mission.
3. The peer-learning activities were implemented ata satisfactory level.
4. The peer-learning activities contributed to thedevelopment of a culture of entrepreneurship
5. SEECEL activities facilitated the exchange of goodpractice among stakeholders
6. SEECEL had the necessary resources and capacityto undertake the activities required to achieve its…
7. SEECEL’s key stakeholders were satisfied with the approaches and activities used to achieve its mission.
8. There was a fair participation among stakeholdersin SEECEL activities
9. The targets and measures of success set out in thestrategic plan were realistic.
10. SEECEL’s work is in line with EU policies.
11. SEECEL’s work is of benefit to my country’s national development.
12. SEECEL’s work is of benefit to my organization’s development.
13. SEECEL’s work is of benefit to regional development.
14. SEECEL’s work supports structured regional cooperation.
15. The structured regional cooperation run by SEECELpromotes exchange of knowledge and good practices…
16. SEECEL’s work contributes substantially to the development of Human Capital in the region (SBA)
17. SEECEL supports the institutionalization of regionaldialogue and cooperation in the area of lifelong…
18. The Training Needs Analysis (TNA) is an importanttool for understanding the needs of SMEs in the region
19. The Training Needs Analysis (TNA) supportsnational developments in the area of entrepreneurship
20. The Training Needs Analysis (TNA) contributes tothe development of entrepreneurship in the region
Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
Confidential 39
Figure 18 Level of the stakeholders’ agreement with the statements about appropriateness,
effectiveness, and relevance of SEECEL.
80
80
60
60
40
40
40
40
20
60
60
40
60
80
60
60
60
20
40
40
20
20
40
40
60
40
60
20
80
40
40
40
40
20
40
40
40
80
60
40
20
20
20
20
20
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. The SEECEL activities in the 2013-2016 strategicplan were effective in pursuing its mission.
2. SEECEL’s rolling work plan was effective in pursuing its mission.
3. The peer-learning activities were implemented ata satisfactory level.
4. The peer-learning activities contributed to thedevelopment of a culture of entrepreneurship
5. SEECEL activities facilitated the exchange of goodpractice among stakeholders
6. SEECEL had the necessary resources and capacityto undertake the activities required to achieve its…
7. SEECEL’s key stakeholders were satisfied with the approaches and activities used to achieve its mission.
8. There was a fair participation among stakeholdersin SEECEL activities
9. The targets and measures of success set out in thestrategic plan were realistic.
10. SEECEL’s work is in line with EU policies.
11. SEECEL’s work is of benefit to my country’s national development.
12. SEECEL’s work is of benefit to my organization’s development.
13. SEECEL’s work is of benefit to regional development.
14. SEECEL’s work supports structured regional cooperation.
15. The structured regional cooperation run by SEECELpromotes exchange of knowledge and good practices…
16. SEECEL’s work contributes substantially to the development of Human Capital in the region (SBA)
17. SEECEL supports the institutionalization of regionaldialogue and cooperation in the area of lifelong…
18. The Training Needs Analysis (TNA) is an importanttool for understanding the needs of SMEs in the region
19. The Training Needs Analysis (TNA) supportsnational developments in the area of entrepreneurship
20. The Training Needs Analysis (TNA) contributes tothe development of entrepreneurship in the region
Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
Confidential 40
The respondents were asked to indicate level of satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the 6 distinct
features related to SEECEL work, on the five point Likert scale (1- very dissatisfied – 5 very
satisfied). The Cronbach's alpha for the 6-item Level of the steering committee members’ and
stakeholders’ satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the listed features scale was 0.754, indicating the
acceptable scale reliability. According to the findings presented in Figure 19 and Figure 20, the
respondents in average were satisfied or very satisfied with all of the statements. The respondents
were the most satisfied with the Collaboration with SEECEL management team and Collaboration
with SEECEL staff.
Figure 19 Level of the Steering Committee members’ satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the listed
features.
70
70
60
40
50
50
30
30
40
40
40
40
20
10
10
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. Collaboration with SEECEL management team
2. Collaboration with SEECEL staff
3. Collaboration with SEECEL Steering CommitteeMembers
4. Collaboration with other stakeholders in thecountry and region within the framework of SEECEL
activities
5. SEECEL adopted feedback from SteeringCommittee members and integrated it in its activities
6. The Steering Committee meetings were engagingand productive
Very Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied
Confidential 41
Figure 20 Level of the stakeholders’ satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the listed features.
The respondents were asked to indicate how strongly they agree or disagree with the 5 statements
related to challenges that SEECEL faces, on the five point Likert scale (1- strongly disagree – 5
strongly agree). The Cronbach's alpha for the 5-item Level of the steering committee members’
and stakeholders’ agreement with the statements about challenges that SEECEL faces scale was
0.704, indicating the acceptable scale reliability. According to the findings presented in Figure 21
and Figure 22, the respondents on average were neutral or agreed that SEECEL lacks sufficient
funding and disagreed that the project is not aligned with the national life-long learning strategy
of their country. In addition, the respondents listed some additional challenges that SEECEL is
facing. The listed challenges are: need for increase of the pilot institutions network, need for more
concrete results (e.g. SEECEL should develop model of entrepreneurial education), more
promotion activities in partner countries.
80
60
40
20
20
20
20
40
20
80
40
20
40
40
60
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. Collaboration with SEECEL management team
2. Collaboration with SEECEL staff
3. Collaboration with SEECEL Steering CommitteeMembers
4. Collaboration with other stakeholders in thecountry and region within the framework of SEECEL
activities
5. SEECEL adopted feedback from SteeringCommittee members and integrated it in its activities
6. The Steering Committee meetings were engagingand productive
Very Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied
Confidential 42
Figure 21 Level of the steering committee members’ agreement with the statements about
challenges that SEECEL faces.
10
10
20
40
50
40
20
30
10
30
20
50
50
70
30
10
10
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. Lack of sufficient funding
2. The project is not aligned with the nationalentrepreneurial learning strategy in my country
3. The project is not aligned with the national life-long learning strategy of my country
4. Lack of sufficient communication amongstakeholders
5. Lack of adequate support
Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
Confidential 43
Figure 22 Level of the stakeholders’ agreement with the statements about challenges that
SEECEL faces.
The survey respondents were asked to indicate how strongly they agree or disagree with the 7
statements related to changes that are needed in order to achieve better results, on the five point
Likert scale (1- strongly disagree – 5 strongly agree). According to the findings presented in
Figures 23 and Figure 24, the respondents recognized that following changes are needed: Training
for all stakeholders and need for Additional resources for SEECEL activities. The respondents
disagreed that there is a need for Changes in organization and functionality of SEECEL’S
management and governance. In addition, the respondents commented that it would be necessary
to establish coordination body in each partner country and assure that steering committee activities
are more transparent to all stakeholders.
20
40
20
60
40
40 20
80
40
20
20
20
40
20
20
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. Lack of sufficient funding
2. The project is not aligned with the nationalentrepreneurial learning strategy in my country
3. The project is not aligned with the national life-long learning strategy of my country
4. Lack of sufficient communication amongstakeholders
5. Lack of adequate support
Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
Confidential 44
Figure 23 Level of the steering committee members’ agreement with the statements about
changes that are needed in order to achieve better results.
Figure 24 Level of the stakeholders’ agreement with the statements about changes that are
needed in order to achieve better results.
10
10
50
50
30
20
20
30
40
50
50
50
30
10
10
10
10
20
50
40
10
30
30
20
10
10
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. Changes in organization and functionality of SEECEL’S management and governance
2. Change in the role of the Steering committee
3. Additional resources for SEECEL activities
4. Training for all stakeholders
5. Additional funding
6. Better communication
7. More time for implementing activities
Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
20
40
60
60
20
40
20
20
40
40
40
40
40
60
40
20
20
20
20
20
20
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. Changes in organization and functionality of SEECEL’S management and governance
2. Change in the role of the Steering committee
3. Additional resources for SEECEL activities
4. Training for all stakeholders
5. Additional funding
6. Better communication
7. More time for implementing activities
Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
Confidential 45
Respondents were asked to indicate how strongly they agree or disagree with the 3 statements
related to SEECEL’s future, on the five point Likert scale (1- strongly disagree – 5 strongly agree).
According to the findings presented in Figure 25 and Figure 26, the respondents on average
strongly agree that SEECEL should become the European centre and/or agency for
entrepreneurial learning.
Figure 25 Level of the steering committee members’ agreement with the statements about
SEECEL’s future.
Figure 26 Level of the stakeholders’ agreement with the statements about SEECEL’s future.
50
30
40
40
40
40
10
30
10 10
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. SEECEL should become the European centreand/or agency for entrepreneurial learning
2. SEECEL should focus more on the strategic level ofentrepreneurial learning
3. SEECEL should work closely with training institutesfor implementing the program in schools and the
education system in general
Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
40
40
20
20
20
40
20
20
20
20
20
20
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1. SEECEL should become the European centreand/or agency for entrepreneurial learning
2. SEECEL should focus more on the strategic level ofentrepreneurial learning
3. SEECEL should work closely with training institutesfor implementing the program in schools and the
education system in general
Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
Confidential 46
The survey respondents were asked to provide 3 concrete recommendations for improving
SEECEL and its impact. It is possible to group the responses in the following general
recommendations:
increase funding (both to SEECEL and pilot institutions);
extend network of schools and higher education institutions to build their capacities for
entrepreneurial learning as a key competence;
improve stakeholder mapping and interaction;
more peer learning activities between countries;
on-line course/training for youth.
Finally, respondents were asked to name 3 roles or services SEECEL should be performing in the
future. According to the survey responses SEECEL should
become central point for entrepreneurial learning activities for neighbouring regions in
Europe and beyond. In particular, in the future SEECEL should focus on: EL curriculum
model development;
assure better coordination for pilot institutions on the country level;
advocate EL on the policy level;
support linkages between business and higher education institutions;
organize regional trainings for SBA experts;
assure provision of more interactive activities between countries of the region.
Confidential 47
Findings from Study Visits, Interviews, and Focus groups After detailed data collection and analysis, it became apparent that overall SEECEL has achieved
its objectives and that its strategic goals were met. In some occasions success exceeded the
expectations. Below we present the main findings from the qualitative data divided in two main
categories: Successes of the program and the challenges faced by SEECEL and its stakeholders.
In some of the occasions, we integrate some of the findings from the quantitative section to
highlight the strong success of the program. Building on the successes, and in an effort to address
the challenges, we present recommendations in the last section of this report.
Successes
Recognition
The European Commission has recognized SEECEL as a good practice in strategic regional
cooperation, good practice for conceptual solutions in the field of entrepreneurial learning as a
key competence and good practice in line with the first principle of the Small Business Act for
Europe. SEECEL has become a reference point both for EU Member States and the pre-
accession countries and was awarded with the following awards:
- "Creators for Centuries" reward and recognition for the year 2014 for contribution to the
development of entrepreneurship in South East Europe, awarded to SEECEL by an
independent international committee during the Regional summit of entrepreneurs of the
South East Europe the best 300;
- European Enterprise Promotion Award (EEPA) as National Winners in 2014 for
Promoting the Entrepreneurial Spirit, awarded to SEECEL by the European Commission;
- The Champion of Regional Cooperation of 2013, awarded to SEECEL by the Regional
Cooperation Council for its active and dynamic approach to regional cooperation and
contribution to the SEE 2020 preparation process;
- The European Projects Awards IPA 2013 - for the project entitled ''Developing the
Entrepreneurial Society in Western Balkans and Turkey'', in the category “ongoing”
projects and best actors in Regional and Local Development (2013);
- The Knowledge Economy Network (KEN), an international Best Practice Award for
"original and successful practice in any domain of knowledge society and economy
development" and especially for "good practice in successful regional cooperation in
training and education”.
The enthusiasm, efforts and dedication of all SEECEL member states and in conjunction with EU
support have resulted in a robust exchange of experience and knowledge, bearing fruit to a tested
model for implementation of entrepreneurial learning as a key competence in various levels of
education and society. These achievements represent, not only the vision of individual countries,
but also a regional vision to fully engage resources and efforts in the promotion of knowledge-
based economies that will fully support entrepreneurship and innovation. This regional
Confidential 48
cooperation and consensus is an achievement, given not only the complexity of the subject matter,
but also the great variety of perspectives from the region as a whole. SEECEL also offers a very
unique solution to structured strategic cooperation between education and the business world
across local, national, regional and international levels.
SEECEL has a strong potential to continue with these developments, to spread the acceptance and
acquisition of developed tools on national levels and to continue to build momentum across all
levels of society and governments. As one of the key stakeholders stated: “The region as a whole
has a wealth of untapped human capital potential that can serve as a competitive advantage in
promoting the sustainable, smart, inclusive and integrated growth and development”.
Meeting its Objectives and Strategic Goals
From all the data collected, it was evident that SEECEL is successful in creating the foundation
for a developed entrepreneurship culture across the region with a spillover effect beyond the
SEE. Already there is expression of interest from countries beyond the region and the EU.
Furthermore, because of its inclusive approach, SEECEL fosters alignment with the EU in
the field of entrepreneurial learning.
Visiting schools, discussing with teachers, and reviewing lesson plans and reports, it is evident
that SEECEL contributes, through a systematic approach, to the development of
entrepreneurially literate societies across the region and it supports alignment of national
policies with EU recommendations and policy essentials related to lifelong entrepreneurial
learning. However, as stated by one of the key stakeholders, “Cultural change is something
that takes a long time.” SEECEL is only one part of a chain support instrument. SEECEL
cannot change all education systems in the pre-accessing region. As one key stakeholder
indicated during the interview, “SEECEL can provide the social infrastructure to facilitate
people’s thinking and mindset towards entrepreneurship learning in the region and Europe”.
The SEECEL model has proven successful so far and it is one of its most important strengths.
This double dimension, implementing the policies and providing the field training, is what
makes SEECEL different from other similar and like-minded projects. Most of the countries
interviewed reported that SEECEL provided a framework and a model for them to work on
integrating EL. Stakeholders understand that the impact will be visible within the next 5 to 10.
SEECEL has demonstrated that when practitioners work together, and policy makers are
setting the agenda in the region, it makes things move forward.
For the majority of the stakeholders, funds allocated to SEECEL, are European money well
spent. SEECEL is doing something meaningful that makes a significant difference in the
countries where they are involved. SEECEL goals and objectives are aligned with the
European Commission objectives. Entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurship in
general are EU’s political priorities. The premise is that focusing on entrepreneurship
education will help improve competitiveness and long-term employment for young people.
Confidential 49
Policy and Regional Cooperation
One of the core strengths of SEECEL is the support for networking and regional cooperation.
SEECEL made a big difference in member countries at the policy level. Without SEECEL
some of the member countries could not be at the same level when it comes to Entrepreneurship
Learning. There is a general trend in all the SEECEL Member countries to develop faster in
entrepreneurship education/learning. Through the combined efforts of SEECEL and the
European Training foundation the region is developing faster than the rest of Europe in the
area of Entrepreneurial Learning.
One of the biggest success stories is that countries come together as a club, understanding that
the future development of economy of this region has to be with the rest of the Europe, and
that they need to become more competitive in this region. They begin to understand how
education can build up a more entrepreneurial generation. Different countries work together,
and in terms of the policy linkages which happen in the Small Business Act, policy tracking,
and policy assessments, SEECEL provides the link with the policy and implementation.
The success of SEECEL in the region, led some stakeholders to advocate that SEECEL can
play a role in the broader region not excluding Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
Compatibility between the national members is not an issue because everyone agrees that
entrepreneurial education/learning is important and there is a comprehensive agreement on the
overall SEECEL policies that promote this issue. The National Policies can be and are
independent but they include the core competencies promoted through SEECEL’s work. To
emphasize the importance of this, in Bosnia, that is considered to be the most challenging area
due to their overall administrative structure that makes it difficult to have national cohesion on
decision making and policy setting, Entrepreneurial Learning policy is one of the few common
strategies that they have for the whole country.
The SEECEL’s Steering Committee comprises of representatives from the Ministries of
Economy, the Ministries of Education and other relevant organizations. As a result of the
structure of SEECEL activities, there is evidence that various member state ministries (e.g.
Ministry of Education, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Entrepreneurship, etc.) begin to
cooperate and collaborate, not just about EL and SEECEL activities, but also about other issues
facing their countries. The fact that these stakeholders align their actions with a common
vision, it is a success of its own. In Serbia they are including EL in their strategic documents
and there is a coalition between the Ministries.
Last year during the Turkish presidency of G20, as a result of SEECEL activities, supporting
women entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial education were recognized as essential for
sustainable development.
One of the major roles and impact of SEECEL, as indicated by one stakeholder is “re-
connecting this region. SEECEL’s approach is about connecting people, and that’s very
important.” As another stakeholder stated: “What do we do to ensure a brighter future for our
children in the region? It doesn’t matter which country’s model was, they brought all people
together for entrepreneurial learning. This is a good example of SEECEL’s success.”
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Because of the in-depth knowledge and core expertise developed in the area of
entrepreneurship learning, SEECEL is member and participates in many expert groups at the
European Commission level working in the area of entrepreneurial learning.
Governance
Several stakeholders believe that all members get the same value out of SEECEL activities.
National members attach a lot of importance on what SEECEL is doing. The interactions
among the members are professional and there were no identifiable controversial issues.
Regarding the governance, some stakeholders suggested that it might be useful to have a
rotating chair of the board. However, this issue has been addressed in SEECEL’s statues
through the Management Support Team (MST). The MST is chartered to provide advice and
support to the SEECEL Director on management and technical issues. The MST is composed
of 3 national coordinators of the Small Business Act for Europe (the Croatian coordinator as
permanent MST member and two other on a six-month rotation applying the "EU troika"
rotation principle).
The majority of stakeholders are very satisfied with the management team and the staff of
SEECEL. They demonstrated exceptional commitment and showed support and great team
work to create the environment and to facilitate countries to meet their objectives and
implement the SEECEL programs.
Schools
The most important SEECEL differentiator is their mission/objective/goal to implement their
policies and programs on the ground through the school programs, and the teacher training.
There are a lot of policy development Think Tanks but almost all of them stay at the policy
development level. SEECEL implements on the ground and that is unique.
As a result of the success of the program, some countries like Albania, have a priority to
expand the SEECEL program to as many schools as possible. Albania changed their formal
curriculum to include the SEECEL program. The SEECEL experience and learning process
will be included in the education system as a whole and that includes subjects other than
entrepreneurship education and learning.
SEECEL is a great organization, program and process that can be applied in areas beyond
entrepreneurship education/learning. This program benefited tremendously the schools that
participated. In addition to EL, as a byproduct, the program taught the schools some basic
financial management skills through the small budget management they have to cater to.
School leaders and teacher interviewed, seemed to be very satisfied with the program, and the
idea of entrepreneurial learning as a whole and they stressed that teachers are willing to
participate because they see the impact on children. One of the teachers said that pupils engage
more in school and that these project activities brought together whole schools and
municipalities to work together. In Herzegovina schools managed to involve many local
entrepreneurs not just for financial support but also for welcoming pupils in their firms to learn
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more about the real world business sector, which is an indication of the impact of SEECEL
activities on the whole entrepreneurship ecosystem.
SEECEL activities led to broader impact on the level of national development. For example, a
school from Montenegro became the best EU practice example. Montenegro started to have
the SEECEL programme as a nationally accredited official programme in their teacher training
curriculum.
SEECEL serves as a platform for the dissemination of different kind of best practices for
entrepreneurial learning and all other education fields which is necessary for the business
communities and schools.
SEECEL served as a spark for countries in the region to consider integrating entrepreneurial
learning in cross-curricular subjects and the program is compulsory at elementary level in
Montenegro. All ISCED 1, 2 and 3 teachers in Montenegro were involved in entrepreneurial
learning education (more than 50% directly) cooperation of external experts (from different
countries and from different stakeholders)
In Montenegro they succeeded to develop special learning model for teachers and almost every
teacher in Montenegro embraced this model. As indicated by a key stakeholder, at least 50%
of teachers in Montenegro participated directly, and they had the obligation to become
ambassadors and present what they have learned to their schools, so we can say that every
teacher in one way or another had some exposure in entrepreneurial learning. Entrepreneurial
learning is a cross-curricular subject, so they have to implement it in their primary subjects.
Before SEECEL, the majority of schools in the region, had no experience with international
cooperation and no experience working with projects. As part of SEECEL activities, more and
more schools are involved in other projects and making significant connections with schools
from the region and the EU. Team work in schools also improved since the teachers embraced
collaboration and this had a positive impact on teachers and schools (collective mind-set is
changing). An added value for schools is that they learned how to manage projects from the
beginning to the end including financial management.
Another success has to do with the connection of EL and employment. As an example, in a
SEECEL member state one school established a career center in an effort to gather alumni
students to work on projects and collaborate and network with the business sector in
conjunction with the students and the school. Teachers felt that this kind of community
collaboration and projects can help shift mindsets.
ISCED 3
The majority of the successes that apply to schools and discussed in the previous section, also
apply to ISCED 3 schools. In addition, a few that stick out for ISCED 3 are discussed below.
As a result of SEECEL activities, local companies opened their doors to students from ISCED
3 schools and students, having a positive impact on the entrepreneurship ecosystem: the school,
the community and SMEs. Students’ visits and interaction with local companies, facilitated
their decision making with regards to future employment, professions to choose, and studies
to follow.
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When SEECEL activities started, several schools decided to have their own fundraising
activities and that was very well received in their local communities. SEECEL funds were just
partly enough for some of the activities. Organizing fundraising, bazaars selling crafts and food
to parents and to the broader community (neighborhood) was very successful and brought the
community together. At the beginning, teachers from other schools were skeptical and they did
not like to talk about entrepreneurship as they were connecting it strictly to businesses, but
progressively more teachers expressed interest to be involved in this type of projects.
Teachers reported that, as a result of participation in SEECEL activities, and developing and
implementing EL lesson plans, students were more engaged with the subject matter, and their
innovative thinking and creativity have improved. The principle of thinking out of the box,
creativity, and risk taking, are important characteristics of a mindset that EL supports,
encourages and develops through their programs. As identified by the European key
competencies framework entrepreneurship and initiative taking are critical in creating an
entrepreneurial culture.
SBA and TNA
One of the key successes of SEECEL is the progress towards the SBA which SEECEL member
states demonstrate. Particularly, with the human capital dimensions (1&8) which are the focus
of SEECEL.
The OECD report “SE Policy Index: Western Balkans and Turkey 2016” clearly indicates that
SEECEL member states have made substantial progress towards the implementation of the
SBA, which is a good indication of the hard and dedicated work that SEECEL is doing in the
region. More specifically, the report indicates: “overall the 2016 report finds that the SEE
region is indeed making further progress towards EU SME policy standards and EU good
practices as defined in the SBA” (p. 17).
The peer reviews, through the SBA policy assessment work, is an activity that is valuable and
contributes to the building of the EL culture in the region. The model works and has added
value to the partner countries because, when engaging an expert from the former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia to do a peer review in Montenegro, this encourages critical appraisal,
and changing of the mind-set of people, organizations and communities; changing mindsets,
is what EL is about. Being constructively critical to other people’s work is easy, but being
constructively critical about one’s work and self-reflect on what you can improve is not easy.
The competency of sharing their work with other people is important. Engaging people into
multi-country peer reviews boosts confidence, and entrepreneurial confidence is one of the
ingredients missing from the region, according to an EU policy officer.
Conducting systematically Training Needs Analysis (TNA), is one of the key activities of
SEECEL within the framework of SBA. The TNA is a strong tool that links the SMEs with the
world of education. Without the TNA it is difficult to build curricula and competence
frameworks to integrate entrepreneurship learning across all levels of education.
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The TNA contributes substantially towards the evidence-based policy making and to facilitate
SEECEL member states in developing the training and support mechanisms SMEs need in
order to succeed and grow.
SEECEL had significant impact in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in supporting
and networking in order to develop entrepreneurial learning. Macedonians had access to
experts in the region and collaborated with them to develop strategies and policies. The TNA
and SBA implementation via the support of SEECEL, is a way to bring all the relevant
stakeholders together to address the national and regional needs collectively.
Montenegro is recognized as regional leader in developing entrepreneurial learning (according
also to SBA results) so this is good direction where they have to systematically work further
to improve on their successes and enjoy long term results. The Directorate for development of
SMEs developed special EL programs based on TNA findings which is obligatory for start-
ups, newcomers, and the business sector.
SEECEL ensures education for people involved not just in project implementation, but also by
involving experts with the SBA assessment. By engaging the whole entrepreneurship
ecosystem of a country the benefits are many and long term. SMEs, Chambers of Commerce,
Ministries and government agencies, schools, and universities, all can benefit from
participating in such initiatives.
Challenges
Funding
Given the fact that SEECEL has already made substantial contribution in the region and
beyond, the European Commission should provide SEECEL with the support needed to
continue its very important work.
Financing SEECEL is a challenge that needs to be addressed. States should be contributing
more and make a financial commitment. Since every SEECEL member state is satisfied and
enjoys benefits from the SEECEL program, each country should be contributing to the budget
according to its size and resources available.
Members of the SC and some of the stakeholders, although they feel that the SEECEL
operating budget is balanced and sufficient, for the sustainability of its activities and impact,
and to increase the potential for future successes even more, there is a need to increase the
resources available. It will foster further development for SEECEL and it is also necessary for
scaling up the success of SEECEL.
Schools reported that they could use additional funding if they were to implement the actions
they undertook better, broadly, more effective and more comfortable. They would also like to
be able to take some of their students to peer learning activities and visits and exchanges, since
peer learning was rated as a valuable activity by most of the schools and stakeholders
participating in the program.
All SEECEL member states are treated the same way. However, some of them pay full their
fee and some not. This, in conjunction with the fact that countries have their own regulations
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and processes for managing external funds, leads to some discrepancies with regards to the
speed and process in which funds are reaching implementing organizations.
Policy - Governance
There is an issue of mandate absence from governments to some SC Members. National
governments have different level of commitments to the project. The absence of an official
mandate precludes participants from asking for official support from their governments of any
type; money, development, policy, agenda and the like. SEECEL member states need to
provide strong support to SC Members so that they can participate and contribute more in
SEECEL activities.
Although SEECEL activities are important, there needs to be a process where the context of
countries will be accounted for and more country-specific activities can be implemented
which could address specific problems which each country has, which is clear now according
to SBA report. The SBA and TNA are contributing to this end, but project activities need to
engage the local businesses.
Given the fact that SEECEL is based in Croatia, supported by the EC and the Croatian
government, some partners feel it is a bit too Croatian focused. The balance of being physically
based in Croatia and serving the region, needs to be revisited. That will give SEECEL the
status to command funding from other governments on the network.
Stakeholders believe that SEECEL organizes and presents its work in a professional way and
the information flow from SEECEL to the Board members is sufficient and satisfactory. Some
members of the SC feel they would like to contribute more towards the management and
implementation of SEECEL. Although the agenda is set by SEECEL, when circulated to the
members, very few SC members provide feedback.
In order to increase its reach out, representation of multiple stakeholders, and impact, the
Steering Committee needs to include active representatives from the business community.
Stakeholders feel that SEECEL and its partners need to involve the business sector more. In
addition to building the mindset, improving competencies at school level, it is equally
important to make the connection with real world business sector in each country in the region.
As SEECEL grows, office space will be a challenge. With the new building under construction,
which will be able to house more than 100 staff, SEECEL will be in a position to run its
operations and scale up in more countries, provided sufficient funding is provided by the
European Commission and partner countries.
Because of the history of the region and the political complexities, it is challenging to get
stakeholders from various countries to collaborate. Collaboration requires patience and good
will, as well as the development of a common vision.
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Schools and Teacher Training
One of the biggest challenges schools faced was that they had limited to no knowledge of
entrepreneurial learning and how to implement it in their teaching practices. Teachers who
wanted to engage had to invest time in order to educate themselves and develop an action plan
and find some examples on the internet. There were several theoretical discussions about EL
in all countries, but SEECEL’s practical approach was welcomed by all.
There is a gap between developing and implementing training for the teachers. The training is
insufficient and the actual implementation of the training (delivering to the teachers) is
problematic. The only countries that implement some sort of teacher training is Montenegro
(the best practice example) and Croatia (with mixed reviews to date).
SEECEL developed an evidence-based model and package of material, but does not have the
capacity on its own to implement at the school level. SEECEL needs to develop solid
agreements with implementing organizations and agencies in each country that will ensure
teachers receive the necessary training and support for sustainable impact.
There are still weaknesses in the region, for example the education experts, curriculum experts,
teacher training experts, they need time in order to be so critical of their own work before they
become critical of someone else’s work and be able to participate effectively in peer-learning
activities. There is a need for more experts and trainers from both education and business
community. Developing and supporting the train the trainer model will facilitate future scale
up in more schools and communities.
In the beginning there was resistance at institutional level since some schools and education
institutions already had several projects going on, but at the meetings we observed, principals
and teachers were convinced to be a part of this project and they were happy with that decision.
SEECEL policies and tools such as curriculum and lesson plans are adopted by the various
schools at various levels. Some countries adopt them more than others. SEECEL should
continue to support member states to align national policies, processes, and curricula to meet
the jointly agreed vision and objectives.
Teachers expressed the need to have an interactive platform (like the CoP and maybe
something new) so they could have better networking with colleagues. As it stands now, each
school has limited access. It would be good if all teachers could have an account on the
platform. They also suggested the development of an activities calendar for all schools
involved so they can decide easier when to peer visit someone or just to see what other schools
are doing; as well as SEECEL members visiting schools.
Teachers and stakeholders suggested that what is missing is some kind of tracking of the
quality of all activities, not as monitoring, but some kind of methodology which could note the
quality level as it is difficult to see the real measurable impact of entrepreneurial learning itself.
During peer review, activity planning, and implementation it is important to include local
experts from the countries in which the program is implemented, as they know better the
situation and are more aware of the needs of the local environment. By engaging local experts,
we also build capacity at the local and national level with potential long term impact.
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The fact that all deliverable, activities, documents, and communication is conducted in English,
it becomes a challenge. Not all partners and schools in the region can communicate effectively,
develop lesson plans and prepare reports in English. As the project grows it needs to have a
plan for allowing local stakeholders to work in their local language.
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Recommendations There is a large number of recommendations stemming from the data analysis. These
recommendations are considered critical to further develop and grow SEECEL. After this
comprehensive evaluation, the partner states will expect some changes to be developed and
implemented. It is imperative that this process is done transparently and information should be
actively communicated and feedback should be solicited by the partners. The main findings from
the evaluation can be classified in the following categories
Strategic Objectives & Policy
There is ample evidence that strong capacity has been developed since 2009 within
SEECEL in the area of entrepreneurship learning. SEECEL should continue its valuable
work and expand beyond the regional dimension to include the rest of European Union
members. Furthermore, SEECEL could also play a more active role in the Mediterranean
region and Eastern Partnership Countries (EaP) since there was already strong
expression of interest from other non-EU countries to participate in SEECEL activities.
SEECEL has the strong potential to become part of the infrastructure solution for EU to
implement SME and entrepreneurship policies and practices
The SEECEL strategy should remain the same because it works well for the SEECEL
member states.
Communication
Develop a communication strategy that will improve awareness and branding for
SEECEL’s vision. It is our recommendation that a comprehensive media development
plan includes a public media campaign possible with short videos that address issues such
as Entrepreneurial Skills, Entrepreneurial Culture, Entrepreneurial Mentality, and all that
can benefit the community as a whole, the economy in areas such as unemployment, and
the individual practitioners.
Communication between the active SEECEL project participants, for example, SEECEL
Management/Team and Teachers, SC, and others close to the organization needs
improvement in bidirectional communication. It is important to have clear and concise
processes and tools to funnel recommendations, opportunities and issues back to SEECEL
for action. SEECEL should be clearer and distinct to communicate its strategies and
policies as well as provide feedback to teachers and other implementation stakeholders. It
also needs to communicate better with Ministry and other agency stakeholders.
The SEECEL website and the CoP are already in place and provide access to information
and resources. Future developments should build on the existing infrastructure to allow for
more users to engage with the online tools and benefit from SEECEL activities.
Excellent examples of building entrepreneurial learning in SEECEL member states need
to be better documented and shared. Such success stories can increase awareness among
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the general public and that will have an impact on a cultural change that will embrace
Entrepreneurial Skills Learning.
Governance
It is important to engage more SEECEL member states in developing the agenda for SC
meetings, so that it becomes more relevant to the needs of countries and stakeholders.
A more active role should be given to business representatives, chambers of commerce,
and SMEs, which can lead to more holistic approach to SEECEL strategic objectives. For
this, there is a need to develop some new activities which strengthen cooperation between
the business sector and education sector.
As the program grows and scales, it might be useful to consider to establish local
entrepreneurship coordination mechanisms in SEECEL member states to facilitate the
implementation and monitoring of SEECEL goals and achievements.
Program Implementation
Continue the dedicated work related to the SBA for Europe and use findings from the TNA
to further develop programs that target each country’s needs.
There is a need for using English as the language of communication for SEECEL activities.
However, as project activities scale and more schools engage in each member state, it will
be important to consider ways of addressing the language barrier to allow for more schools
and students to engage.
It is important to continue and expand the involvement of the local and local SMEs in
SEECEL activities. The program should also facilitate and encourage and expand
participation by parents, as we have seen in many cases and schools visited. If the kids
who are involved in the program receive encouragement by their parents, they will be more
willing to get involved and invest more time. This will also snowball to other parents who
will eventually support their children to participate and eventually the whole community
will be involved.
Program continuity is a challenge that needs to be addressed. Students participate in the
program only for one year after which time the program and infusion of knowledge ends
for them. It is a concern that the interaction of the students and the program ends when
there is an opportunity to learn more about Entrepreneurial Skills Learning. Our
recommendation is to extend the program progressively to more years until it becomes part
of the national curriculum.
A clear plan on how scaling up to more schools and probably full country implementation,
should be developed be each SEECEL member state. A toolkit and a service to partner
countries could be provided that will entail strategic planning but also training for decision
makers, policy makers, ministry officials, school principals, and teachers.
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Many teachers expressed the need to increase the interaction between schools with
student exchanges and exchange visits. In future activities the process for more
exchanges and the financing of such activities should be considered carefully to ensure
the best value for money.
School Related
Given the important role of education, as part of the entrepreneurship learning ecosystem,
SEECEL should continue to work closely with SEECEL member states, to include more
schools into the program and perhaps provide some continuity of the program to allow
students to participate in the program for more than one academic year.
Also, maybe address all levels of education to include more teachers, elementary and
high schools, and universities, and perhaps involve more countries into the program to
pass on the knowledge and experiences to other regions in the European Union.
The process of joining SEECEL and managing project implementation at school level,
requires specific skills. Offering project management training to teachers and principals
will be useful and will empower them to better implement and monitor project activities.
Teachers who were involved in one year, should be able to share their knowledge and skills
with others, in a way that will transfer their knowhow to colleagues and more schools and
communities. This knowledge and experiences should be captured and shared with all
current and future school participants. Tacit learning is one of the most effective ways to
learn from other’s experiences.
Community of Practice
A useful feature for the CoP could be a rating system for teachers to rate the lesson plans,
and also a way to show which lesson plans and activities were downloaded more often.
This can provide tips to teachers on how to choose lesson plans and also adapt them into
their teaching and context.
The TASK BOX on the CoP, should be further used and expanded to allow for teachers to
receive prompt feedback on their work. Teachers need to receive feedback on the lesson
plans they develop and also on their reports and project activities. SEECEL member states
and local teacher training institutes should collaborate to better support teachers during
project implementation.
The complete package for training of teachers, mentors and stakeholders can be developed
using eLearning technologies to allow for flexibility of delivery and possibility to reach
out to all countries.
Regarding the online learning, it would be valuable to establish a process for using learning
analytics, integrating it with the online community, and future eLearning developments, to
provide detailed data on how the resources are used, and how teachers communicate and
receive feedback.
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Teacher and Stakeholder Training
There is a need for a structured and formalized Teacher training that takes place prior to
the program being implemented at school level. Teacher training should be required for
all schools that decide to join the program.
Instead of 1-2 day workshops, it will be good to offer a whole week or even longer summer
courses, to ensure teachers get the needed knowledge and skills to implement EL in their
classroom practices.
For the future designs of teacher training, it will be important to have two types of Mentors.
The School Mentors who will support new schools coming into the program and Mentors
from the local communities and SMEs who can support the learners and the teachers during
the implementation stage of their idea development.
Special effort and support should be provided at the policy level to ensure that EL is
integrated in country school curricula. Therefore, training should be provided not only to
teachers but also to school principals, inspectors, teacher educators, academics, training
agencies, SBA experts, and ministry of education officials.
A Certification system could be developed with local ministries and teacher training
agencies, so that teachers who participate in the program can be certified and earn extra
points on their CV, something that can act as a motivation on teacher engagement.
Monitoring and Evaluation
There is a need to establish a benchmarking process to help determine how successful the
SEECEL program is. It would be useful to have a process to collect data on the long term
impact of Entrepreneurship Learning on SEECEL member states. For example, what
happens to the program graduates, how successful they are in their communities, if they
transfer the knowledge to others, and if they facilitate similar learning activities in their
communities?
Establish a process to identify success stories and give recognition at the Teacher, Student,
School or the Systemic Level. It will be useful to develop an alumni database that; a) It
keeps track of what happens to the individuals graduating from these programs, and b) It
registers these graduates contribution towards achieving the overall goals and objectives
set by SEECEL. The initial benchmarking should be done from existing data as well as
through an original data gathering research that should be undertaken by a third party to
ensure integrity of data gathering. This information could be also used to perform a
comparative analysis with similar programs run by other organizations and government
agencies.
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European Commission (2013). Communication from the commission to the European Parliament,
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on 13th June 2016)
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June 2016)
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June 2016)
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entrepreneurship monitor special report: A global perspective on entrepreneurship education and
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(2010). Towards Greater Cooperation and Coherence in Entrepreneurship Education. Online.
Confidential 62
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Annexes
Confidential 64
List of Interviews
Country Name Role Name of organization
Former
Yugoslav
Republic of
Macedonia
Valentin
Miričevski
vice-dean, professor;
EL coordinator
Faculty of Natural Sciences
and Mathematics
Former
Yugoslav
Republic of
Macedonia
Elizabeta
Jovanovska-
Radanovik
adviser, SBA team
member/coordinator
Vocational and Educational
Training Centre
Former
Yugoslav
Republic of
Macedonia
Bojan Jovanovski assistant professor,
SBA team member
Faculty of Mechanical
Engineering Ss. Cyril and
Methodius
Former
Yugoslav
Republic of
Macedonia
Nada Stoimenova adviser for primary and
secondary school, SBA
team member
Ministry of Education and
Science
Former
Yugoslav
Republic of
Macedonia
Mile Boškov adviser Business Confederation of
Macedonia
Former
Yugoslav
Republic of
Macedonia
Igor Jurukov adviser Bureau for Development of
Education
Former
Yugoslav
Republic of
Macedonia
Emilija
Hadzivasileva
teacher, EL coordinator Gymnasium Panče
Arsovski
Former
Yugoslav
Republic of
Macedonia
Zorica Zavirovska teacher Gymnasium Panče
Arsovski
Former
Yugoslav
Republic of
Macedonia
Milena Ignjatova teacher, EL coordinator Primary School Lazo
Angelovski
Former
Yugoslav
Republic of
Macedonia
Valentina Petrova teacher Primary School Lazo
Angelovski
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Bosnia and
Herzegovina
Radmila
Jakovljević
adviser Agency for Pre-primary,
Primary and Secondary
Education
Bosnia and
Herzegovina
Vesna Puratić expert officer, SBA
expert
Ministry of Civil Affairs
Bosnia and
Herzegovina
Dragan Milović Assistant Minister/SBA
coordinator
Ministry of Foreign Trade
and Economic Relations
Bosnia and
Herzegovina
Danica Vasilj adviser, SBA expert Agency for Pre-primary,
Primary and Secondary
Education
Bosnia and
Herzegovina
Lucija Mikulić head master, teacher,
EL coordinator
Primary School Ruđer
Bošković
Bosnia and
Herzegovina
Jasna Spajić teacher Primary School Ruđer
Bošković
Bosnia and
Herzegovina
Jasminka Petric teacher, EL coordinator Gymnasium fra Grga
Martić
Bosnia and
Herzegovina
Anita Lukenda professor, EL
coordinator
Faculty of Natural Science,
Mathematics and
Educational Science
Bosnia and
Herzegovina
Ivana Vasilj assistant Faculty of Natural Science,
Mathematics and
Educational Science
Montenegro Ivana Mrvaljević adviser Ministry of Education and
Sports
Montenegro Andjela Pušonjić adviser, SBA team,
TNA
Directorate for
development of SMEs
Montenegro Nevena Čabrilo senior adviser, SBA
team
Bureau for Education
Services
Montenegro Dragutin Ščekić SBA expert, EL
coordinator
Primary School Veljko
Drobnjaković
Montenegro Nenad Meštrović teacher, EL coordinator Gymnasium Kotor
Montenegro Lidija Vasić teacher, EL coordinator Primary School Njegoš
Montenegro Marija Samardžić teacher Primary School Njegoš
Croatia Dijana Bezjak former assistant
Minister of
Entrepreneurship and
crafts, board member
Ministry of Regional
Development and EU
Funds
Croatia Želimir Kramarić CCE is one of the co-
founder of SEECEL
The Croatian Chamber of
Economy
Croatia Tajana Kesić Šapić director Centre for
entrepreneurship,
innovation and
technological development
Croatia Antonija Mršić SC member Ministry of
Entrepreneurship and
Crafts
Confidential 66
Croatia Dragica Karaić SC member, Danube
strategy coordinator
Ministry of
Entrepreneurship and
Crafts
Croatia Vesna Hrvoj Šic senior adviser, SBA
expert
Ministry of Science,
Education and Sports
Croatia Jadranka Bjelica Director/Head teacher Primary School Fran Krsto
Frankopan
Croatia Majda Granić project coordinator Primary school Bartol
Kašić
Croatia Marijan Grbac head master of school Primary school Bartol
Kašić
Albania Evisi Kopliku SC member SBA coordinator
Mirela Andoni SC member Ministry of Education and Science, Institute for Educational Development - IED
Serbia Katarina Obradović
Jovanović
SC member SBA coordinator
Radovan Živković SC member Education
EU and other institutions
INSTITUTION POSITION NAME
DG GROW Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, European Commission
Policy Officer Simone Baldassarri
DG EAC Education and Culture
Policy Officer Helene Skikos
DG EMPL Head of Unit Ana Carla PEREIRA
ETF Senior Specialist - Thematic Policy Unit
Anthony Gribben
OECD Head of the OECD Investment Compact
Alan Paić & Annita Richter
Regional Cooperation Council Senior Expert for Smart Growth Vanja Ivošević
Confidential 67
Tables from Educational Institutions Survey Results
The number of respondents who answered survey varied among certain survey questions. Initial
questions were answered by 78 respondents. The respondents from educational institutions were
asked to indicate level of satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the 18 distinct project features, on the
five point Likert scale (1- very dissatisfied – 5 very satisfied). The Cronbach's alpha for the 18
item scale was 0.940, indicating the excellent scale reliability. According to the findings presented
in Table 7, the respondents were the most satisfied with the: Student participation in activities
(M=4.59, SD=0.88); Experiences from peer learning activities (M=4.55, SD=0.93); SEECEL’s
response to problems that came up during implementation (M=4.54, SD=0.97); and The
program’s contribution to the school’s entrepreneurial culture (M=4.52, SD=0.88). It is apparent
that the respondents were satisfied with program features which were directly linked to the school
and student involvement and SEECEL’s role in the programme. Nevertheless, the respondents
were the least satisfied with the: Feedback we received on lesson plans (M=3.62, SD=1.17); The
orientation program for school management (M=3.99, SD=1.03); and Overall benefits for the
local community (M=4.04, SD=1.02). The project features that were not recognized as successful
deal with support and training received from training institutions and actual impact of the project
on the local community.
Table 7. Level of the respondents’ satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the distinct project features
M SD
1. The training I received from SEECEL and its partners 4.12 1.09
2. Quality of the lesson plans developed as part of involvement in SEECEL
activities 4.14 .92
3. Feedback we received on lesson plans 3.62 1.17
4. Opportunity to implement lesson plans in teaching 4.28 .88
5. Opportunity to implement certain activities from lesson plans in teaching 4.38 .92
6. The orientation program for school management 3.99 1.03
7. Experience from developing your organization’s action plans 4.29 .94
8. Experiences from piloting the action plan 4.36 1.00
9. Experiences from peer learning activities 4.55 .93
10. SEECEL’s response to problems that came up during implementation 4.54 .97
11. Communication and cooperation with other people in your school involved in
the project 4.23 1.03
12. Collaboration with Mentor Schools 4.17 1.08
13. Student participation in activities 4.59 .88
14. Overall benefits for teachers 4.20 1.01
15. Overall benefits for students 4.48 .91
16. Overall benefits for the local community 4.04 1.02
17. The program’s contribution to the school’s entrepreneurial culture 4.52 .88
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18. Overall participation in SEECEL activities 4.52 .86
The respondents were asked to indicate level of agreement/disagreement with the 8 statements
describing impact of their participation in SEECEL activities, on the five point Likert scale (1-
strongly disagree – 5 strongly agree). The Cronbach's alpha for the 8 item scale was 0.887,
indicating the good scale reliability. According to the findings presented in Table 8, the
respondents recognized the positive impact of the activities on all listed aspect of school work and
organizational culture. The project had the strongest impact on the: Improvement of creativity
among students (M=4.55, SD=.631) and Improvement of the entrepreneurship culture in their
school/organization (M=4.39, SD=.691). The respondents believed that the project activities had
least impact on Teaching improvement in their schools (M=4.03, SD=.664). Furthermore, the
respondents listed some additional benefits of their participation in SEECEL activities such as:
new contacts, improved cooperation between teachers and with parents, new tools and new school
curriculum, benefits for students (preparation for lifelong learning, work opportunities with local
businesses, improved motivation and initiative).
Table 8 Level of the respondents’ agreement with the statements on positive impact of the
participation in SEECEL activities.
M SD
1. The entrepreneurship culture in my school/organization has improved 4.39 .691
2. Teaching has improved 4.03 .664
3. Learning has improved 4.12 .676
4. Creativity among students has improved 4.55 .631
5. School management team has improved 4.38 .769
6. Creativity among teachers has improved 4.22 .783
7. Students are more engaged in the classroom 4.30 .773
8. The overall entrepreneurship eco-system culture has improved (Classroom,
school, and local community culture) 4.28 .802
The respondents which were not using CoP platform were asked to specify reasons for not using
it. Their answers varied between use of other means of communication (emails, social networks,
and phone conversations), lack of understanding on how to use platform and what to talk about
under the CoP discussion forums, lack of computers and internet at school, to setup of the CoP
platform which is not aligned to teachers’ needs. As one respondent wrote: ‘The CoP might have
been more and better utilized if there had been spaces for subject teachers (not just the PI's
managers and coordinators) to collaborate, devise LPs and other activities, exchange best
practices’.
The respondents were asked to evaluate CoP’s ease of use through 6 statements, on the five point
Likert scale (1- strongly disagree – 5 strongly agree). The Cronbach's alpha for the 6 item scale
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was 0.892, indicating the good scale reliability. According to the findings presented in Table 9,
the respondents appreciate the User friendly features (M=4.34, SD=.871) and Ease of use
(M=4.29, SD=.805). Still, certain percentage of respondents cannot use the platform without
instructions (M=3.95, SD=1.082).
Table 9 Level of the respondents’ agreement with the statements on CoP’s ease of use
M SD
1. It is easy to use 4.29 .805
2. It is easy to understand 4.23 .844
3. It is fast 4.22 .875
4. It is user friendly 4.34 .871
5. It is flexible 4.25 .811
6. I can use it without instructions 3.95 .082
Respondents were asked to evaluate SEECEL website ease of use through 6 statements, on the
five point Likert scale (1- strongly disagree – 5 strongly agree). The Cronbach's alpha for the 6
item scale was 0.903, indicating the excellent scale reliability. According to the findings presented
in Table 10, the respondents appreciate the User friendly features (M=4.33, SD=.909) and
Flexibility (M=4.28, SD=.806) of the SEECEL website.
Table 10 Level of the respondents’ agreement with the statements on SEECEL website ease of
use
M SD
1. It is easy to use 4.23 .921
2. It is easy to understand 4.27 .859
3. It is fast 4.22 .934
4. It is user friendly 4.33 .909
5. It is flexible 4.28 .806
6. I can use it without instructions 4.05 1.015
On the five point Likert scale (1- very dissatisfied – 5 very satisfied), the respondents were asked
to indicate level of satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the program related communication and
collaboration through 4 statements. The Cronbach's alpha for the 6 item scale was 0.727,
indicating the acceptable scale reliability. According to the findings presented in Table 11, the
respondents were very satisfied with collaboration with SEECEL staff (M=4.49, SD=1.045).
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Table 11 Level of the respondents’ satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the program related
collaboration.
M SD
1. Collaboration with SEECEL staff 4.49 1.045
2. Collaboration with the teacher training agency 3.94 1.162
3. Collaboration with other schools involved in the project 4.14 1.030
The respondents were asked to indicate level of agreement/disagreement with the 6 statements
describing different types of additional support for project participation. The Cronbach's alpha for
the 6 item scale was 0.700, indicating the acceptable scale reliability. According to the findings
presented in Table 12, the respondents recognized need for support in a variety of areas. The most
commonly recognized areas that require support are: Peer learning (M=4.30, SD=.908) and
Training (M=4.26, SD=.974). Educational institutions received additional support for the project
participation through teacher training, exchange of good practices f-2-f and through social
networks, teachers' manuals for lesson plans delivered by school subject counsellors. Furthermore,
the respondents commented that they would benefit from the online EL teacher training course
under the CoP platform.
Table 12 Level of respondents’ agreement/disagreement on need for different types of support in
this project.
M SD
1. Resources 4.15 .792
2. Training 4.26 .974
3. Support 3.92 1.149
4. Funding 4.23 1.093
5. Time 4.15 1.030
6. Peer learning 4.30 .908
Finally, the respondents were asked to indicate level of agreement/disagreement with the 5
statements dealing with project challenges. The Cronbach's alpha for the 5 item scale was 0.817,
indicating the good scale reliability. According to the findings presented in Table 13, most of the
respondents did not perceive listed challenges as problematic. Still, the respondents believed that
Lack of funding for student and teacher participation in peer learning activities (M=2.94,
SD=1.213) and Lack of time for teachers to integrate entrepreneurship
learning in the classroom (M=2.93, SD=1.328) may be somewhat more problematic than other
listed challenges. Also, the respondents mentioned that participation was difficult due to everyday
obligations which they have in the classroom and some other administrative issues which they are
facing in their schools. One of the complaints focused on the amount of administrative work
involved with the project participation.
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Table 13 Level of the respondents’ agreement with the listed project challenges.
M SD
1. The project is not aligned with the school curriculum 2.71 1.260
2. We did not receive adequate support 2.11 1.042
3. Lack of funding for project activities 2.73 1.148
4. Lack of funding for student and teacher participation in peer
learning activities 2.94 1.213
5. Lack of time for teachers to integrate entrepreneurship
learning in the classroom 2.93 1.328
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Tables from Steering Committee and Stakeholder Survey Results
The survey respondents were asked to indicate how strongly they agree or disagree with the 7
statements related to SEECEL, on the five point Likert scale (1- strongly disagree – 5 strongly
agree). The Cronbach's alpha for the 7 item scale was 0.890, indicating the good scale reliability.
According to the findings presented in Table 14, the respondents in average agreed or strongly
agreed with all of the statements. They most strongly agreed with the statements that SEECEL’s
activities are contributing to the development of entrepreneurship culture in the region (M=4.80,
SD=.422; M=4.60, SD=.548) and that SEECEL supports the alignment of national policies with
EU recommendations and policies related to entrepreneurial learning (M=4.80, SD=.422;
M=4.60, SD=.548).
Table 14 Level of the respondents’ agreement with the statements related to SEECEL.
Steering Committee Stakeholders
M SD M SD
1. The results which have been achieved by SEECEL in the period
2013-2016 are satisfactory 4.70 .483 4.60 .548
2. SEECEL’s activities are contributing to the development of
entrepreneurship culture in the region 4.80 .422 4.60 .548
3. SEECEL supports the alignment of national policies with EU
recommendations and policies related to entrepreneurial
learning 4.80 .422 4.60 .548
4. The strategic goals and approaches in SEECEL’s 2013-2016
strategic plan and key policies are relevant to the mission of
SEECEL 4.60 .516 4.40 .894
5. The SEECEL activities are relevant to its goals 4.60 .516 4.40 .894
6. The approaches identified in SEECEL’s 2013-2016 strategic
plan, addressed the conditions, needs and interests of key
stakeholders 4.40 .516 4.60 .548
7. The approaches identified in SEECEL’s rolling/ongoing work
plan addressed the conditions, needs and interests of key
stakeholders 4.20 .919 4.60 .548
Furthermore, on the five point Likert scale (1- strongly disagree – 5 strongly agree) the respondents
were asked to indicate how strongly they agree or disagree with the 20 statements about
appropriateness, effectiveness, and relevance of SEECEL. The Cronbach's alpha for the 20-item
scale was 0.934, indicating the excellent scale reliability. According to the findings presented in
Table 15, the respondents in average agreed or strongly agreed with all of the statements. They
most strongly agreed with the statements that SEECEL’s work supports structured regional
cooperation (M=4.80, SD=.414) and that SEECEL’s work is in line with EU policies (M=4.80,
SD=.414). Although the participation in SEECEL activities was high, the respondents indicate
Confidential 73
that in the future they would benefits from more participation in SEECEL activities (M=4.00,
SD=.816; M=3.80, SD=1.304)
Table 15 Level of the respondents’ agreement with the statements about appropriateness,
effectiveness, and relevance of SEECEL.
Steering Committee Stakeholders
M SD M SD
1. The SEECEL activities in the 2013-2016 strategic plan were
effective in pursuing its mission. 4.60 .516 4.80 .447
2. SEECEL’s rolling work plan was effective in pursuing its
mission. 4.40 .516 4.80 .447
3. The peer-learning activities were implemented at a
satisfactory level. 4.60 .516 4.60 .548
4. The peer-learning activities contributed to the development
of a culture of entrepreneurship 4.40 .966 4.60 .548
5. SEECEL activities facilitated the exchange of good practice
among stakeholders 4.50 .972 4.40 .548
6. SEECEL had the necessary resources and capacity to
undertake the activities required to achieve its strategic
goals. 4.10 1.287 4.00 1.225
7. SEECEL’s key stakeholders were satisfied with the
approaches and activities used to achieve its mission. 4.40 .516 4.40 .548
8. There was a fair participation among stakeholders in
SEECEL activities 4.00 .816 3.80 1.304
9. The targets and measures of success set out in the strategic
plan were realistic. 4.30 .483 4.20 .447
10. SEECEL’s work is in line with EU policies. 4.90 .316 4.60 .548
11. SEECEL’s work is of benefit to my country’s national
development. 4.60 .516 4.60 .548
12. SEECEL’s work is of benefit to my organization’s
development. 4.10 .876 4.00 1.225
13. SEECEL’s work is of benefit to regional development. 4.50 .527 4.60 .548
14. SEECEL’s work supports structured regional cooperation. 4.80 .422 4.80 .447
15. The structured regional cooperation run by SEECEL
promotes exchange of knowledge and good practices across
the region 4.80 .422 4.60 .548
16. SEECEL’s work contributes substantially to the
development of Human Capital in the region (SBA) 4.70 .483 4.60 .548
17. SEECEL supports the institutionalization of regional
dialogue and cooperation in the area of lifelong
entrepreneurial learning within the Small Business Act
(SBA) under principles 1 and 8
4.80 .422 4.60 .548
18. The Training Needs Analysis (TNA) is an important tool for
understanding the needs of SMEs in the region 4.30 .823 4.20 .447
19. The Training Needs Analysis (TNA) supports national
developments in the area of entrepreneurship 3.90 1.101 4.40 .548
20. The Training Needs Analysis (TNA) contributes to the
development of entrepreneurship in the region 4.00 1.155 4.00 1.225
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The respondents from educational institutions were asked to indicate level of
satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the 6 distinct features related to SEECEL work, on the five point
Likert scale (1- very dissatisfied – 5 very satisfied). The Cronbach's alpha for the 6-item scale was
0.754, indicating the acceptable scale reliability. According to the findings presented in Table 16,
the respondents in average were satisfied or very satisfied with all of the statements. The
respondents were the most satisfied with the Collaboration with SEECEL management team
(M=4.70, SD=.483; M=4.80, SD=.447) and Collaboration with SEECEL staff (M=4.70, SD=.483;
M=4.60, SD=.548).
Table 16 Level of the respondents’ satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the listed features.
Steering Committee Stakeholders
M SD M SD
1. Collaboration with SEECEL management team 4.70 .483 4.80 .447
2. Collaboration with SEECEL staff 4.70 .483 4.60 .548
3. Collaboration with SEECEL Steering Committee Members 4.60 .516 4.00 1.000
4. Collaboration with other stakeholders in the country and
region within the framework of SEECEL activities 4.00 1.155 4.20 .447
5. SEECEL adopted feedback from Steering Committee
members and integrated it in its activities 4.30 .949 3.80 .837
6. The Steering Committee meetings were engaging and
productive 4.40 .699 3.60 .894
The respondents were asked to indicate how strongly they agree or disagree with the 5 statements
related to challenges that SEECEL faces, on the five point Likert scale (1- strongly disagree – 5
strongly agree). The Cronbach's alpha for the 5-item scale was 0.704, indicating the acceptable
scale reliability. According to the findings presented in Table 17, the respondents on average were
neutral or agreed that SEECEL lacks sufficient funding (M=3.40, SD=.966; M=3.20, SD=.837) and
disagreed that the project is not aligned with the national life-long learning strategy of their
country (M=2.10, SD=1.197; M=1.80, SD=.447). In addition, the respondents listed some
additional challenges that SEECEL is facing. The listed challenges are: need for increase of the
pilot institutions network, need for more concrete results (e.g. SEECEL should develop model of
entrepreneurial education), more promotion activities in partner countries.
Confidential 75
Table 17 Level of the respondents’ agreement with the statements about challenges that SEECEL
faces.
Steering Committee Stakeholders
M SD M SD
1. Lack of sufficient funding 3.40 .966 3.20 .837
2. The project is not aligned with the national
entrepreneurial learning strategy in my country 2.10 1.197 1.80 .447
3. The project is not aligned with the national life-long
learning strategy of my country 1.90 .738 2.00 1.225
4. Lack of sufficient communication among stakeholders 2.70 1.160 3.00 1.414
5. Lack of adequate support 2.30 .949 3.20 1.643
The survey respondents were asked to indicate how strongly they agree or disagree with the 7
statements related to changes that are needed in order to achieve better results, on the five point
Likert scale (1- strongly disagree – 5 strongly agree). According to the findings presented in Table
18, the respondents recognized that following changes are needed: Training for all stakeholders
(M=4.50, SD=.527; M=4.60, SD=.548) and need for Additional resources for SEECEL activities
(M=4.00, SD=.943; M=4.60, SD=.548). The respondents disagreed that there is a need for
Changes in organization and functionality of SEECEL’S management and governance (M=2.50,
SD=1.345; M=2.80, SD=1.095). In addition, the respondents commented that it would be
necessary to establish coordination body in each partner country and assure that steering committee
activities are more transparent to all stakeholders.
Table 18 Level of the respondents’ agreement with the statements about changes that are needed
in order to achieve better results.
Steering Committee Stakeholders
M SD M SD
1. Changes in organization and functionality of SEECEL’S
management and governance 2.50 1.354 2.80 1.095
2. Change in the role of the Steering committee 2.90 1.287 3.40 1.140
3. Additional resources for SEECEL activities 4.40 .699 4.20 .837
4. Training for all stakeholders 4.50 .527 4.60 .548
5. Additional funding 4.00 .943 4.60 .548
6. Better communication 3.00 1.155 3.40 1.517
7. More time for implementing activities 3.40 1.174 4.00 1.225
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Respondents were asked to indicate how strongly they agree or disagree with the 3 statements
related to SEECEL’s future, on the five point Likert scale (1- strongly disagree – 5 strongly agree).
According to the findings presented in Table 19, the respondents on average strongly agree that
SEECEL should become the European centre and/or agency for entrepreneurial learning
(M=4.40, SD=.699; M=3.60, SD=1.673).
Table 19 Level of the respondents’ agreement with the statements about SEECEL’s future.
Steering Committee Stakeholders
M SD M SD
1. SEECEL should become the European centre and/or
agency for entrepreneurial learning 4.40 .699 3.60 1.673
2. SEECEL should focus more on the strategic level of
entrepreneurial learning 4.00 .816 3.80 1.304
3. SEECEL should work closely with training institutes
for implementing the program in schools and the
education system in general 4.10 .994 3.60 1.140
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Executive Summary for Grant Contract 2013/316-501
This executive summary presents the findings and recommendations regarding the external
evaluation of the SEECEL activities under Grant Contracts 2013/316-501 conducted at the SEE
level (in SEECEL member states). The aims of the evaluation were:
To document SEECEL’s progress against SEECEL’s mission and vision, its key policies
and the strategic targets set out in the 2013-2016 strategic plan.
To review and assess the relevance and appropriateness of the 2013-2016 strategic plan to
SEECEL’s mission, and the specific objectives of the current project.
To recommend changes of strategy and emphasis that should be incorporated into the
SEECEL’s 2017-2020 strategic plan.
Data were collected and analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. In summary,
the data collected were from the following sources:
Review of the literature, documents, policies, reports, past evaluations, and EU documents.
Study visits in 4 countries (e.g. Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and the
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) and interviews with local stakeholders and
implementing institutions.
Skype interviews, phone interviews and/or questionnaires from, Albania, Serbia, and other
relevant stakeholders.
Two online surveys distributed to education institutions, Steering Committee members and
other stakeholders.
Interviews and focus group discussions with SEECEL team
Overall Recognition
SEECEL’s work is aligned with a number of European policy documents, strategies, and
initiatives. The EU2020 strategy places big emphasis on developing the Human Capital of Europe.
Recognizing that the large majority of enterprises in Europe are SMEs, building their capacity and
promoting entrepreneurship is of paramount importance. In 2006, the European Commission had
identified the ‘sense of initiative and entrepreneurship’ as one of the eight key competences for
lifelong learning. The 2008 Small Business Act (SBA) for Europe, the 2012 Communication on
Rethinking Education, the Entrepreneurship Action Plan 2020, the New Skills Agenda for Europe,
and the very recent EntreComp: The Entrepreneurship Competence Framework 2016, all place
entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial learning at the center of the debate for improving
competitiveness, combating unemployment and supporting growth and sustainable development.
Furthermore, entrepreneurship is a key driver in the European Commission’s Investment Plan for
Europe (Juncker Plan) and is also integrated in the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development.
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After detailed data collection and analysis, it became apparent that SEECEL has achieved its
objectives and that its strategic goals. In some occasions success exceeded the expectations. Data
analysis identified some issues that when addressed will constitute SEECEL as one of the most
respected, effective, and professional regional organizations in the field of Entrepreneurial
Learning. Below a summary of the most important findings are presented. For the full findings
and recommendations, please refer to the full report.
Successes
Detailed data collection and analysis demonstrated that SEECEL is successful in creating
the foundation for a developed entrepreneurship culture across the region. Already there is
expression of interest from countries beyond the region and the EU to participate and
collaborate with SEECEL. Furthermore, SEECEL fosters alignment with the EU policies,
strategies and actions in the field of entrepreneurial learning.
SEECEL has been extremely successful. As a result, the European Commission has
recognized SEECEL as a good practice in strategic regional cooperation, good practice for
conceptual solutions in the field of entrepreneurial learning as a key competence and good
practice in line with the first principle of the Small Business Act for Europe. SEECEL has
become a reference point both for EU Member States and the pre-accession countries and
was awarded with the following awards:
o Creators for Centuries reward and recognition for the year 2014 for contribution
to the development of entrepreneurship in South East Europe, awarded to SEECEL
by an independent international committee during the Regional summit of
entrepreneurs of the South East Europe the best 300;
o European Enterprise Promotion Award (EEPA) as National Winners in 2014
for Promoting the Entrepreneurial Spirit, awarded to SEECEL by the European
Commission;
o The Champion of Regional Cooperation of 2013, awarded to SEECEL by the
Regional Cooperation Council for its active and dynamic approach to regional
cooperation and contribution to the SEE 2020 preparation process;
o The European Projects Awards IPA 2013 - for the project entitled ''Developing
the Entrepreneurial Society in Western Balkans and Turkey'', in the category
“ongoing” projects and best actors in Regional and Local Development (2013);
o The Knowledge Economy Network (KEN), an international Best Practice Award
for "original and successful practice in any domain of knowledge society and
economy development" and especially for "good practice in successful regional
cooperation in training and education”.
The work of SEECEL is based on a successful model. Implementing the policy and
providing the field training and school implementations, is what makes SEECEL different
from other similar projects.
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SEECEL strongly supports and encourages networking and regional cooperation. SEECEL
had a big impact in member states at the policy level. Without SEECEL some of these
countries could not be at the same level when it comes to entrepreneurship learning.
Since 2009, SEECEL has developed in-depth knowledge and core expertise in the area of
entrepreneurship learning. As a result, SEECEL is a member of many expert groups at the
European Commission level working in the area of entrepreneurial learning.
All stakeholders are very satisfied with the staff and management team of SEECEL. The
staff and management were very supportive to countries in implementing programs and
reaching their targets.
Teachers, principals, and school staff interviewed, seemed to be very satisfied with the
program and the benefits of entrepreneurial learning. Teachers clearly indicated that their
greatest motivation and reward in participating in the program was the impact the program
had on learners.
SEECEL contributed substantially to the progress towards the Small Business Act for
Europe which SEECEL member states demonstrate. Particularly, with the human capital
dimensions (1&8) which are the focus of SEECEL.
As it was clearly stated in the OECD report “SME Policy Index: Western Balkans and
Turkey 2016”, SEECEL member states have made substantial progress towards the
implementation of the SBA, which is a good indication of the hard and dedicated work of
SEECEL and its team.
The Training Needs Assessment (TNA) is an important tool that contributes substantially
towards the evidence-based policy making. TNA supports SEECEL member states in
developing the training and support mechanisms their SMEs need to succeed and grow.
SEECEL participates in several EC expert and advisory groups such as the groups for
Transversal skills (DG EaC), Indicators (DG EaC), EnreComp (DG JRC), and WEGATE
– EU WE platform (DG GROW).
Challenges
Given the fact that SEECEL has already made substantial contribution in the region and
beyond, the European Commission should provide long-term support to SEECEL to
continue this very important work.
One of the challenges is due to the absence of a mandate to the Steering Committee
Members from some SEECEL member states. National governments need to provide such
a mandate because that will be the vehicle that will facilitate getting SEECEL related
activities, budgets, and other resources into the national budgets and that can support
SEECEL and member states strategic objectives.
The evidence-based model, tools and resources on Entrepreneurial Learning developed by
SEECEL, can only be implemented successfully with the support of teacher training
institutes in SEECEL member states.
All activities and communication is conducted in English. As the project expands it needs
to have a plan for allowing local stakeholders to operate in their local language.
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During program implementation, it is important to include local experts from the countries
in which the program is implemented.
None of the schools had prior experience with entrepreneurial learning and how to
implement it in their teaching practices. Schools would have been more efficient and
effective if more training was provided in advance of implementation activities.
Participating in teacher training is not required for schools that join the program which
leads to discrepancies in program implementation. The training offered is insufficient and
the actual implementation of the training (delivering to the teachers) needs to be improved.
In order to increase its reach and represent multiple stakeholders, and have more impact on
the local, national, and regional level the Steering Committee needs to include active
representatives and perhaps mentors from the business community.
The history of the region and the political complexities related to this history, present
certain challenges, particularly when there is a need to get stakeholders from various
countries to collaborate.
Recommendations
Since 2009, SEECEL has developed in-depth knowledge and capacity in the area of
entrepreneurship learning. SEECEL makes an important contribution towards
entrepreneurial learning, and it is important to continue and expand its work. Furthermore,
SEECEL could also play a more active role in the Mediterranean region and Eastern
Partnership Countries (EaP) since there was already strong expression of interest from
other non-EU countries to participate in SEECEL activities.
SEECEL has strong potential and the capacity to become part of the infrastructure solution
for EU, and it has developed an evidence-based model, tools and processes to implement
SME and entrepreneurship policies and practices.
The communication strategy of SEECEL needs to be adjusted so that it improves the
awareness and branding for SEECEL’s vision and role.
Many resources are already available on the SEECEL website and the Community of
Practice. As the project grows, it is important to build mechanisms to allow for more users
to engage with the online tools and benefit from SEECEL activities and interaction with
the SEECEL community. Also, the TASK BOX on the Community of Practice can be
further developed to allow for teachers to receive prompt feedback on their work.
Examples of integrating entrepreneurial learning in SEECEL member states and good case
studies and success stories need to be better documented and shared. Good success stories
have the potential to increase awareness among teachers, parents, policy-makers and the
general public about the many benefits of Entrepreneurial Learning.
Business representatives, chambers of commerce, and SMEs, should be given a more active
role. Some actions that will strengthen the cooperation between the business sector, the
education sector and the broader community need to be designed and implemented.
Education plays an important role in the entrepreneurship learning ecosystem. As SEECEL
member states progress towards integrating entrepreneurial learning in their schools, they
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need to begin drafting solid plans on how to scale up from a few schools to the whole
education system.
As the program grows, SEECEL should use elearning technologies to develop the training
of teachers, mentors and stakeholders to allow for flexibility of delivery and possibility to
reach out to as many countries as possible.
It is extremely important that teacher training is required for all schools that decide to join
the program. Teacher training needs to be well structured, and offered at school level in
parallel with ongoing teacher support.
SEECEL member states and their respective ministries of education and teacher training
authorities can develop a certification system which will certify teachers who complete the
training and implement the program and also act as a reward system for teachers and
schools.
In order to properly monitor the long term impact of entrepreneurial learning, it is important
to establish a benchmarking process including metrics and other tools to collect long term
data.
The full implementation of the Small Business Act for Europe should be continued. The
very important work of the Training Needs Assessment should be expanded and the
findings from the assessment need to be used by education authorities to develop custom
programs that will target each country’s specific needs.
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Executive Summary for Grant Contract 2013/334-013
This executive summary presents the findings and recommendations regarding the external
evaluation of the SEECEL activities under Grant Contract 2013/334-013 conducted at the SEE
level (in SEECEL member states). The aims of the evaluation were:
To document SEECEL’s progress against SEECEL’s mission and vision, its key policies
and the strategic targets set out in the 2013-2016 strategic plan.
To review and assess the relevance and appropriateness of the 2013-2016 strategic plan to
SEECEL’s mission, and the specific objectives of the current project.
To recommend changes of strategy and emphasis that should be incorporated into the
SEECEL’s 2017-2020 strategic plan.
Data were collected and analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. In summary,
the data collected were from the following sources:
Review of the literature, documents, policies, reports, past evaluations, and EU documents.
Study visits in 4 countries (e.g. Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and the
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) and interviews with local stakeholders and
implementing institutions.
Skype interviews, phone interviews and/or questionnaires from, Albania, Serbia, and other
relevant stakeholders.
Two online surveys distributed to education institutions, Steering Committee members and
other stakeholders.
Interviews and focus group discussions with SEECEL team
Overview
Entrepreneurship is a key priority for the European Commission. The valuable work of SEECEL
is in line with a number of European policy documents, strategies, and initiatives. The European
Commission had identified the ‘sense of initiative and entrepreneurship’ as one of the eight key
competences for lifelong learning. The 2008 Small Business Act (SBA) for Europe, the 2012
Communication on Rethinking Education, the Entrepreneurship Action Plan 2020, the New Skills
Agenda for Europe, and the very recent EntreComp: The Entrepreneurship Competence
Framework 2016, all place entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial learning at the center
of the debate for improving competitiveness, combating unemployment and supporting growth
and sustainable development.
The specific objective of the contract under evaluation was to further develop the lifelong
entrepreneurial learning system with special focus on ISCED 3 level general part of secondary
education through identified set of strategic goals in line with Human Capital Dimension of the
SBA for Europe. Although the report on this evaluation is for a separate project contract and
activities it is visible that SEECEL manage it as a part of a whole process in building
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entrepreneurially literate societies. Data collection and analysis clearly demonstrated that SEECEL
has achieved its objectives. The key successes, challenges, and recommendations, are presented
below.
Successes
This was the first pilot cycle for the general part of upper secondary schools. ISCED 3
schools have participated for the first time in SEECEL activities and implemented
entrepreneurial learning in their classrooms. Teachers participated in specially designed
training, used the entrepreneurial learning outcomes, developed and implemented lesson
plans, reflected on their learning, and adopted innovative assessment methods.
From all data collected, it is clear that the work of SEECEL contributes substantially to
promoting an entrepreneurship culture in the SEECEL member states.
Several stakeholders highlighted the fact that entrepreneurial learning pilot activities gave
students and teachers opportunities to engage with innovative teaching and learning and
real entrepreneurial experiences. These kinds of experiences are anticipated for everyone
during the educational cycle in the Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan.
ISCED 3 teachers and school staff are satisfied with the staff and management team of
SEECEL. Furthermore, they demonstrated strong interest on the project and the area of
entrepreneurial learning.
From the teachers’ point of view, the benefits for students are many and that as a result of
participation in project activities, learners were more engaged and that their creativity and
innovative thinking has improved.
As a result of SEECEL activities, local companies opened their doors to students from
ISCED 3 schools, having a positive impact on the entrepreneurship ecosystem: the school,
the community and SMEs.
Challenges
The evidence-based model, tools and resources on Entrepreneurial Learning developed and
implemented need to be further supported.
SEECEL needs to work closely with partners and teacher training institutes in SEECEL
member states to ensure that teachers receive the support they need to successfully
implement the project.
ISCED 3 schools did not have any prior experience with entrepreneurial learning and how
to design lesson plans and activities that will bring new experiences to their students. There
is a need for more systemic and systematic training and support to be provided to teachers,
before and during the implementation.
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Recommendations
SEECEL has contributed substantially to the development and implementation of
entrepreneurial learning in ISCED 3 schools and it should continue to expand its work.
The SEECEL website and the Community of Practice are very valuable tools for teachers
and schools. Access to this tools needs to be expanded to allow more teachers to use them
in their teaching practice.
Good case studies coming out from ISCED 3 schools need to be well documented and
shared, to help raise awareness on the importance and value of entrepreneurial learning.
All ISCED 3 schools that decide to join the program, need to participate in formal
systematic training for the teachers and the school leadership team.
For successfully scaling up the implementation of entrepreneurial learning in schools,
systemic education reform efforts need to be aligned with the values and principles of
entrepreneurial learning.