27.06.2016 projects, validation, VNFIL

The European Peer Training on VNFIL in Vienna

The Peer Review Transnational Peer Review for Quality Assurance in Validation of Non-Formal and Informal Learning (VNFIL) Extended is a project that aims to increase the transparency, market relevance, consistency and transferability of VNFIL across Europe. It supports both Member State VNFIL systems by providing a common framework and tools, as well as transnational use of VNFIL by increasing mutual trust at the European level. The second week of June saw five days of intense work for the consortium.

The project partners met in Vienna to participate in a European Peer Training, which was a practical way to prepare for the upcoming peer visits. The training was followed by a meeting of partners, during which they reflected upon the workshops and planned the steps ahead. Most importantly, it was an occasion to agree on the specifics of the peer visits, which are to start later this year and continue until mid-2017.

Why peer reviews?

Peer visits remain a central activity of the project. Peers – both national and transnational – will come to the VNFIL provider to engage in a concise data collection and analysis and to subsequently provide personalized feedback. The findings will be summarized in comprehensive Peer Review Reports, one for each provider, using a common European format. The aim is to showcase best practices and pinpoint the areas that still call for improvement.

As such, the peer review procedure can be used on a wider scale, representing a credible instrument of quality assurance and development in the validation of non-formal and informal learning. Some members of the consortium have already experimented with Peer Review within the framework of the earlier Europeerguid RVC project; Peer Review VNFIL Extended is an opportunity to build on the previous outcomes and extend Peer Review practices on European level as well as set up a sustainable European Peer Review network for VNFIL.

Find out more about the project from the EAEA website.

Text: Aleksandra KozyraPhotos: Aleksandra Kozyra

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