del. 4 - ll2ii€¦ · 9 professional roles of integration agent integration agent operates within...

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Del. 4

Training curriculum

for professionals

Del. 5

Trainers´ package

2015

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CONTENTS

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 8

Professional roles of Integration Agent ..................................................................................................... 9

Criteria of the examination project .......................................................................................................... 12

Content of training curriculum and trainers´ package .............................................................................. 14

Module 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 16

Training objectives ......................................................................................................................... 16

Subjects .......................................................................................................................................... 16

Example way training session (6 hours) .......................................................................................... 16

Homework for module 1 ................................................................................................................ 17

Supporting materials ....................................................................................................................... 18

Module 2: Counselling and making individual choices in integration process ...................................... 20


Subjects .......................................................................................................................................... 20

Example training session (6 hours) ................................................................................................. 20


Suggested literature in English ........................................................................................................ 22


Module 3: Coaching and different types of dialogue with individuals .................................................. 24


Subjects .......................................................................................................................................... 24





Module 4: Social orientation: Active citizenship .................................................................................. 28


Subjects .......................................................................................................................................... 28




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Module 5: Key competences for the working life ................................................................................ 32


Subjects .......................................................................................................................................... 32





Module 6: Intercultural Communication ............................................................................................. 36

Training Objectives ........................................................................................................................ 36

Subjects .......................................................................................................................................... 36





Module 7: Individual action planning and regional cooperation. ICT-tool for cooperation .................. 40


Subjects .......................................................................................................................................... 40





Module 8: Presentation of examination project ................................................................................... 44


Trainers´ package.................................................................................................................................... 45

Module 1 ............................................................................................................................................ 46

1.1. Summary of Integration Agent Profile ................................................................................ 47

1.4. General theories of Career Guidance .................................................................................. 50

1.5. SWOT analysis ................................................................................................................... 52

1.6. Vision of gradual progression in career counselling ............................................................. 53

Module 2 ............................................................................................................................................ 56

2.1. Process description on how igma is introduced in general .................................................... 57

2.2. Feedback template on main elements of IA approach .......................................................... 59

2.3. Four stages of career choice, career counseling, long-term and short-term objectives ........... 60

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2.4. Self-awareness exercises ........................................................................................................ 62

Module 3 ............................................................................................................................................ 63

3.1 Career dialogue .................................................................................................................. 64

3.2. Types of Clients .................................................................................................................. 65

3.3. Client profiling.................................................................................................................... 67

3.4. Collecting client information ............................................................................................... 71

3.5. Example client profiles ....................................................................................................... 72

Module 4 ............................................................................................................................................ 73

4.1. Example of progression ladder ........................................................................................... 74

4.2. Active citizenship scale ....................................................................................................... 80

4.3. Motivational interviewing ................................................................................................... 84

Module 5 ............................................................................................................................................ 86

5.1. Lulea portfolio .................................................................................................................... 87

5.2. Example of work procedure for building a portfolio ........................................................... 89

Module 6 ............................................................................................................................................ 90

6.1. H-model ............................................................................................................................. 91

6.2. Exercise on H-model .......................................................................................................... 93

6.3. Hoffman’s TOPOI model .................................................................................................. 94

6.4. Exercise on TOPOI ........................................................................................................... 98

6.5. Intercultural dimensions ................................................................................................... 100

6.6. Exercise on intercultural dimensions ..................................................................................... 103

Module 7 .......................................................................................................................................... 104

7.1. SMART action planning ................................................................................................... 105

7.2. Network communication and sharing information ............................................................ 110

7.3. Summary sheet of 7 Habits ............................................................................................... 112

7.4. Igma ICT demo tool (trainers instruction) ........................................................................ 116

Module 8 .......................................................................................................................................... 118

8.1. Assessment sheet .............................................................................................................. 119

List of literature in English ............................................................................................................... 120

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INTRODUCTION

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Introduction

Integration Agent is a new profession which focuses on integration of long-term unemployed

and individuals with long distance to labour market through effective cooperation of local or

regional provision networks. Provision networks include different stakeholders responsible for

different steps of the integration path such as municipalities, local or regional authorities, public

employment offices, educational providers, employers, adult education providers, VET providers,

and other organisations.

This training is for professionals who already work in the field of labour market integration in the

above-mentioned organisations but need knowledge and skills for cooperating with others in

order to give better counselling and support to individuals based on their needs. An important

part of the education is the practical implementation of different training aspects directly after

each training session, followed by a presentation and analysis during the next session. This

ensures further step-by-step development of the individual professionals as well as the

development of the regional networks as a whole.

The training course consists of eight modules and is provided at distance with one classroom

session each month where the participants (representatives of different stakeholder organisations)

meet the trainer and each other. The duration of each classroom session is between four and

eight hours depending on the group. The last module is a presentation of the examination project

by the participants.

The course is aimed at the development of six professional roles which are considered to be the

core of professionals who work in the area of gradual progression in career development and

active citizenship issues. The work context of professionals, counselling long-term unemployed

and individuals with long distance to labour market, is also explicitly included in the training. The

appointed tasks at the end of each module, the feedback discussions during the classroom

sessions as well as examination project are intended to contribute to the development of these

roles.

This manual is a guideline for a trainer, which is divided into two parts - training curriculum and

trainers´ package. The curriculum describes each module in terms of learning objectives, main

subjects and guidelines for carrying out exercises and collecting feedback. The list of literature is

indicative and might be replaced by the trainer by the relevant literature in the native language of

the participants. It is important though to make sure the literature covers subjects, indicated in

the curricula, and supports training objectives of the course.

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Professional roles of Integration Agent

Integration Agent operates within or on behalf of local/regional integration support structures

and is able to make use of the available services in the most efficient way.

The main professional aspects of the work of Integration Agent therefore are:

Organising and running outreach activities to contact individuals and commit them to

enter the services;

Problem analysis and intake;

Mapping of services available in the regional provision network as well as at the labour

market;

Mapping of possibilities and hindrances of individuals (client-centred working);

Assuring agreement on objectives and actions with individuals and the provision network;

Arranging and implementing the agreed actions;

Guarding the ongoing arrangements and actions;

Securing the process in case of disturbances;

Evaluating outcome as well as quality of the process;

Repeating the process when necessary (gradual progression);

Reporting in a transparent way;

Follow-up individuals after the official program or action is finished;

Contributing to policy and management of own organisation (learning organisation);

Contributing to policy and arrangements of network partners (learning network);

Contributing to own professional development (learning as a professional).

To achieve the above objectives in the context of his/her work the Integration Agent needs to be

competent in the following six professional roles:

Career educator;

Career information and assessment expert;

Program and service manager;

Intervener and developer of social systems;

Career counsellor;

Reflective professional.

Career educator

In the role of career educator the Integration Agent supports individuals in

attaining and developing the career management competences for managing own

education and training as well as career development (including voluntary work).

This strengthens individual capacities of “Learning to Learn” and makes them

more self-managing as well as independent of service systems.

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Career information and assessment expert

In the role of career information and assessment expert the Integration Agent

supports individuals in assessing the personal characteristics and needs,

connecting them with information on opportunities and requirements in the

regional labour market and education systems.

Program and service manager

In the role of program and service manager the Integration Agent ensures that

provision of career guidance and counselling is delivered in close collaboration

with relevant provision networks. He/she ensures that quality and relevance of

the services provided are in accordance to individual needs and career objectives

(gradual progression perspective).

Intervener and developer of social systems

In the role of intervener and developer of social systems the Integration Agent

supports the individuals both in preventing failure but also in times of crisis.

Furthermore he/she improves education- and work-related environments

through networking, consultation and advocacy. Last but not least, he/she

contributes to the effectiveness of the services provided by the regional provision

network.

Career counsellor

As a career counsellor the Integration Agent supports individuals in helping

them understand their situation, to reflecting and to find solutions. The main

goal is to increase individuals´ self-management regarding education and work.

Reflective professional

The Integration agent is a reflective professional who regulates the relations

between clients, themselves and other stakeholders (e.g. labour office, local

authority, policy-makers, etc.). In doing so, the professional builds and maintains

constructive relationships, which also involves finding the balance between

his/her role and other peoples’ interests in order to deal with potential role

conflicts. To ensure his/her professionalism, the professional engages in reflective practice,

employs critical thinking, adopts professional values and adheres to ethical standards.

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The above roles require the development of knowledge and skills from three different

viewpoints:

The individual professional;

The organization in which the professional is working;

The regional provision network with responsibilities to promote integration to the labour

market, education and society.

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Criteria of the examination project

The examination project is a joint end product of a group with at least four participants from at

least two different organisations. The examination project is a coherent paper describing the

improvement plan for creating a more efficient network in participants´ own region for guidance

and activation of long-term unemployed and individuals with long distance to the labour market.

The project is aimed at development of a common cooperation strategy describing

responsibilities of provision organisations and individual professionals.

The following quality criteria should be met by the project paper. It should:

Be based on a critical analysis of the current situation in the region;

Refer to relevant literature of the training course;

Be based on Integration Agent vision and address all levels (individual professional,

organisation and network);

Be based on clear strategy, improvements and actions (incorporating tools and

instruments presented in the course);

Be based on clear strategy, improvements and actions (incorporate experiences on

guidance, action planning, intercultural communication, labour market knowledge, gained

during the training);

The strategy shall be based on commitment of managers of participants´ organisations

(internal promotion of strategy).

Each group prepares one Power Point presentation to demonstrate their strategy and plan at

the final training session. Each group prepares one joint report of minimum 15 and

maximum 25 pages.

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TRAINING CURRICULUM

FOR PROFESSIONALS

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Content of training curriculum and trainers´ package

All modules of the training curriculum have a similar structure:

Training objectives based on professional roles;

List of subjects which are required to be covered in the module and examples of how

these subjects shall be dealt with including relevant exercises and feedback as well as

assignment description and a list of supporting materials;

Discussion and feedback assignments.

The duration of each classroom session is between four and eight hours depending on

the group.

Trainers´ package includes:

Supporting documents, exercises and methodological tools recommended for each

module.

OBS! Integration Agent is abbreviated as IA in the curriculum and trainers´ package.

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MODULE 1:

INTRODUCTION

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Module 1: Introduction

Training objectives:

Training objectives

Relating to professional roles of IA

Understanding of own competences in relation to IA profile


Understanding of general principles of gradual progression

Career educator Career information and assessment expert

General understanding of cooperation methodology at individual, organisational

and regional levels

Career counsellor Program and service manager


Subjects

o Introduction o Presentation of IA profile and reflection o Introduction of popular career guidance theories o Introduction on 3-level methodological framework of IA o Reflection on the methodological framework and own experiences o Explanation of examination project o Assignment and closure

Example way training session (6 hours)

Introduction of the trainer (10´).

Introduction of the training course with focus on labour market needs of this kind of

professional and career opportunities for the participants (30´).

Introduction of participants with focus on their professional background, current work

context as well as tasks and responsibilities in relation to labour market integration (40´).

Presentation of Integration Agent profile including 6 professional roles and main

professional areas. Discussion with participants on the different professional roles

described and finding the similarities with the current roles of the participants in their

organisations, and needs for having them (30´).

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Task 1: Participants discuss in small groups their preferred development areas based on

the 6 different roles in relation to their current work (30`).

Participants present those areas in their groups and trainer writes them down as a list

which is later matched with IA professional areas (20`)

General Introduction on some main theories on Career Counselling (20`).

IA methodology: Explanation of the specific vision on the career counselling and

guidance with focus on Distance to Labour Market of each individual. Presentation of

two best practices regarding introduction of IA methodology for more efficient

integration in Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain. The results and

consequences of such approach for the individual counsellors/coaches (40`).

Task 2: Participants discuss how their organisations can benefit from this kind of

counselling and cooperation approach. Participants discuss how they, as professionals

responsible for integration, can benefit from cooperating with each other. Participants

reflect on the effects of improved guidance competences in their own context (30`).

Feedback and repetition: Explanation of the intended impact of joint measures for

integration at three levels: a) strengthening network and ideas of co-makership, b) effectiveness and

efficiency of the organisations, scope and impact of guidance and counselling, c) introduction of more

outcome and client centred attitude and approaches. Reflection on the role of IA professional in this

context as a gate keeper and change agent (30´).

Explanation of the examination project at the end of the training course (20´).

Homework for module 1:

1. Prepare a short and sharp (individual) report with the description of your own

organisation and your own role in regards to integration.

The presentation shall give the overview of:

Current task and responsibility of participant´s organization.

Current approach and service.

SWOT regarding tasks and responsibilities as well as services (Participants need to explain

different SWOT areas from the own perspective as well as their managers´ perspective.

Participants shall describe own tasks and responsibilities as well as own ambition).

Description of the in-, through- and outflow of clients in participant´s organisation and

areas for improvement.

The report shall comprise app. 5-7 pages.

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2. Prepare the Power Point about the report for max 10 minutes per presentation.

3. Read literature for module 1.

Suggested literature in English

1. “Profile of the European Integration Agent” // IGMA 2 project, 2014 2. Hooley, T., Matheson, J., Watts, A.G., “Advancing Ambitions: The role of Career

Guidance in supporting Social Mobility”; University of Derby, United Kingdom, 2014

3. Zikic, J., Franklin, M., “Enriching careers and lives: introducing a positive, holistic and

narrative career counselling method that bridges theory and practice.” Journal of

Employment Counselling 47 (2010): 180-190.

4. Patton, W., McMahon, M., “the Systems theory framework of career development and

counselling: connecting theory and practice.” International Journal for the Advancement of

Counselling 28 (2006): 153-166.

5. Hand-out “Igma methodology for career counselling”, igma project, 2011

Supporting materials:

1.1. Summary of Integration Agent Profile

1.2. PPT Lulea case

1.3. PPT igma methodological framework

1.4. General theories of Career Guidance

1.5. SWOT analysis

1.6. Vision of gradual progression in career counselling

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MODULE 2:

COUNSELLING AND MAKING

INDIVIDUAL CHOICES

IN INTEGRATION PROCESS

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Module 2: Counselling and making individual choices in

integration process

Training objectives

Training objectives


Knowledge and insight in function and nature of gradual progression and how this

influences counselling

Career educator Career counsellor

Knowledge and insight in the process of making individual choice


Knowledge and insight in methods to increase self-insight

Career information and assessment expert Career educator

Subjects

o Introduction

o Presentation of homework

o Collection and feedback on some common findings

o Brainstorming on what regional network needs to improve impact

o Introduction of client-centered approach and the role of gradual

progression

o Introduction of career counseling and guidance process

o Gradual progression and choice making

o Raising self-awareness and self –insight (exercises)

o Assignment and closure

Example training session (6 hours)

Discussion and feedback on homework for module 1

Presentations of Power Points by the participants. Discussion of findings of the

homework with focus on: a) process of an individual client through organisations and

through the network; b) what part of the process is functioning well; c) what part of the

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process can benefit from improvements; d) how clients “judge” the efficiency of services;

e) common problems of all the organisations. (60´)

Feedback and repetition: Focus on general elements in individual client´s process of

entering labour market and developing active citizenship. Feedback on process

description of some participants. Pointing out the common trends in the participants´

presentations. (20`)

The process of counselling and making choices

Explanation of method of gradual progression and the progression ladder, step-by-step

process of a client toward a certain individual goal. Short presentation of “Lulea case” as

an illustration of the best practice. (50´)

Task 1: Participants discuss the required change in their organizations in order to start

cooperating according to a progression ladder. (30´)

Feedback and repetition (issues to reflect on as part of conceptual framework of IA):

o All organisations of the network need to have one and the same vision on problems and solutions. Even within organisations the professionals need to have the same vision.

o The IA needs to think about individual client´s needs and goals which need be concrete and achievable.

o The IA needs to understand the road of individual client´s integration in a step-by-

step description.

o The IA needs to take into account the development challenges of each client,

developing their self-esteem, self-management for employment and active citizenship.

o The IA needs to take responsibility for organization and resources.

o The IA needs to promote (and be a promotor of) good collaboration with other

stakeholders in the region working with integration into labour market. (30´)

Description of the career counseling and guidance processes: a) general stages of the process; b) requirements for the four stages of the process; c) additional requirements for an effective entrance to adult education and the labour market; d) essential elements of a choice process. (60´)

Feedback and repetition: clients at least encounter two different types of making choice – short-term and long-term. Long term is the final goal at the progression ladder while the short choice relates to each step of the ladder (the choice of the next step in the integration process). The trainer presents the example of a progression ladder and how it is used in “Lulea case”. (20´)

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Task 2: Participants exercise to stimulate clients to get a better understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses as well as of own perception in terms of ambitions and dreams (Hand-out 2.4). The task of the professional IA is to change the individual way of perceiving things, to raise a sense of reality and to develop own strengths. (30´)

Homework for module 2

1. In a group of minimum 4-5 participants representing at least 2 different organisations

prepare a progression ladder of the institutes their organisations are collaborating with.

Visualise the type of relationship which exists (active or passive collaboration, the process

of sharing individual information, the process of sending of individuals from one

organisation to the other, specific issues etc.). Describe for which steps of the ladder the

partners in your network contribute to and where they ideally could contribute to. Check

your group suggestions with your managers and incorporate their findings in your group

presentation.

2. Describe as a group how you could make use of the other organisations in your region to

support / facilitate the process of orientation and making choices.

3. Prepare a Power Point presentation covering the above two tasks for app. 10 minutes.



1. Law, B., “Career learning thinking for contemporary working life”, The Career Learning

Café, London, 2010.

2. Law, B., “Career Learning space: New DOTS: Career learning for the Contemporary

world”, British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 27(1999): 35-54.

3. Watts, A. G. Career Development Learning and Employability. Heslington: Higher

Education Academy, 2006.

Supporting materials

2.1 Process description on how to introduce igma 2.2 Feedback template on main elements of IA approach 2.3 Four stages of a career choice, career counseling, long-term and short-term objectives 2.4 Self-awareness exercises

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MODULE 3:

COACHING AND

DIFFERENT TYPES OF DIALOGUE

WITH INDIVIDUALS

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Module 3: Coaching and different types of dialogue with

individuals

Training objectives

Training objectives


Knowledge and insight in opportunities to support the process of making choices

Career counsellor Career information and assessment expert

Insight in opportunities of regional network in the process of making choices

Program and service manager Intervener and developer of social systems

Knowledge and insight in different types of dialogue with individuals


Subjects

o Introduction o Presentation of homework and feedback o Coaching and conversation styles o Exercises: working with different forms of conversation o Types of clients: dealing with shy, dominant and pleasing clients o Brainstorm on conditions for information exchange o Assignment and closure


Discussion and feedback on task of module 2

Presentations of homework by the participants. Discussion of findings of the homework

with focus on: a) what is striking participants´ attention? What is already strongly

developed and what is rather weak in the current network? What steps are missing? What

additional measures / activities are required for each step to make the integration process

smoother? How this can be achieved? How the IA professionals make more use of the

opportunities the progression ladder is offering for supporting the individual clients?

(60´)

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Coaching and the different types of dialogue with individuals talking with clients instead

of to clients

Group discussion on sort of conversation we have with our clients. (20´)

Task 1: Role-play on how participants currently are dealing with clients: a client who

comes in for information; a client who comes in with a problem. Role-play and group

observation follow by feedback by the group and the trainer. (40´)

Introduction of different types of conversation and their main characteristics with focus

on the following topics: a) dialogue for identifying problems; b) active listening including

such techniques as summarizing, paraphrasing, reflection of feelings, empathy; d)

interview techniques; e) tasks and responsibilities of IA professional in handling these

kind of conversations and dialogues; f) different roles of IA professional. (60´)

Task 2: Focus on career dialogue encountering a crossroad in the career path.

Participants organize a role-play where some participants play clients submitting job

applications and fail. Some participants play coaches using 6 elements of career dialogue

(use hand out 3.1). Role-play and group observation follow by feedback by the group and

the trainer. (40´)

Group discussion on the topic “How do we assure that we talk with clients instead of to

clients?” (20´)

Summarising some important conditions which relate to dialogue for identifying

problems as well as giving advice:

* Process of making choices Do clients know what they want / what they can?

* On the process and aspects of profiling Do IA professionals know enough about their

clients to be able to guide and to motivate them, to explore own strengths and weaknesses, to explore

opportunities and use all this to make a choice? What do we actually know and how do we use that

knowledge? (30´)

Discussion on strategies and advice on how to deal with shy clients, dominant clients,

pleasing clients. What are important conditions to be able to learn more about the

individual clients? How could IA professional ensure those conditions? (15´)

Feedback and repetition on the topics of: respect, transparency, communication, realism

in individual choices, achievable goals, well-appointed and shared responsibilities in the

provision network. (15´)

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design a common progression ladder for the clients they work within their organisations.

Place each one of your individual clients at a concrete step of the ladder. Give an

evidence of why the specific step is chosen. Then describe the challenge in taking the

next step on the ladder for each of the clients and explain why. Describe what

information is officially collected by your organizations according to the general current

procedures.

2. Prepare a short presentation on the above issues. Describe in A4 page your joint

suggestions to improve the current situation in order to support clients in a better way.

Collect feedback from your managers and incorporate their ideas/remarks in your group

report/presentation. Presentation shall take maximum 10 minutes per group.



1. Kuijpers, M., Meijers, F., “Career Learning. Research and practice in Education”; Euroguidance, ‘sHertogenbosch, Netherlands, 2009. Chapters 1, 3, 10, 11


3.1 Career dialogue

3.2 Types of clients

3.3 Client profiling

3.4 Collecting client information

3.5 Example client profiles (for exercises)

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MODULE 4

SOCIAL ORIENTATION:

ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP

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Module 4: Social orientation: Active citizenship

Training objectives

Training objectives


Knowledge and insight in the Active Citizenship Scale (ACS) as indicator and

policy instrument

Program and service manager Career educator

Able to use different tools for social orientation

Career counsellor Career information and assessment expert

Knowledge of motivational interviewing Career educator

Career counsellor

Subjects

o Introduction o Presentation of homework and feedback o Presentation of example progress ladder and its definition’s o Introduction on Active Citizenship Scale o Motivational interviewing o Exercises on motivational interviewing o Assignment and closure


Discussion and feedback on the task of module 3


with focus on: a) the description of each organization at the ladder including specific

services and responsibilities; b) discussion on challenges for the individual client and the

role and responsibility of the IA professional; c) reflection if the ladder covers the whole

process or there are steps which are missing; d) presentation about positioning of clients

on the ladder and identification of the next achievable step for each individual client; e)

discussion on the “proofs” that the next step of the client is realistic and based on

individual needs; f) discussion of the current resources of which organisation and what

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resources are missing; g) reflection if the IA professional “really knows” each individual

client. (60´ + 60´)

Active Citizenship and motivation

Introduction on Active Citizenship Scale (ACS): explanation and usage of the scale,

website and motivational toolkit. Discussion of practical examples for implementation of

ACS for counselling and guidance. Individual clients which low score on this scale require

a lot of investment (time, programs, and personal resources) to go to the next step of the

ACS, meaning one step closer to social inclusion and integration. Those individuals who

are at the first step of ACS and have no/a few social contacts require a lot of focus on

finding and strengthening their motivation. Motivational conversation is one of the

methods to help clients in finding their motivational forces themselves. (60´)

Discussion of hand out on Motivational Interviewing: structure and example questions.

(60´)

Task 1: Role-plays in small groups preparing the motivation interview with focus on:

individual ambition, challenge and fears as well as finding out a way to cope with them.

Exercise is video-taped and later on discussed and commented by all. This exercise is

followed by the discussion on roles of the IA professional. (60´)



choose three of your current clients and describe their position on the ACS. What do you

want to achieve as ultimate goal? What is their main challenge? Which exercise(s) /

activities could you use to support the process they are going through?

2. Describe two or three realistic actions with focus on your actions as the IA professional

and the needs of the individual client. Describe how your organisations could benefit

from this scale in terms of company policy / choice and focus of services. Are you

missing services? What improvement suggestions can you come up with? What is

required to be able to actually improve?

3. Prepare the Power Point presentation for maximum 10 minutes.


30


1. Arthur, N., and M. McMahon. "Multicultural Career Counselling: Theoretical

Applications of the Systems Theory Framework." The Career Development Quarterly 53

(2005): 208-22.

2. Rollnick, Stephen, William R. Miller, and Christopher Butler. Motivational Interviewing in

Health Care: Helping Patients Change Behavior. New York: Guilford, 2008.


4.1 Example of progression ladder

4.2 Active Citizenship Scale and concept

4.3 Motivational interviewing

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MODULE 5:

KEY COMPETENCES

FOR THE WORKING LIFE

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Module 5: Key competences for the working life

Training objectives

Training objectives


Insight in the importance of key competences for participation in labour

through adult education Career educator

Knowledge of ways to recognize and reward key competences


Insight in the possibilities of the regional network for the development of key

competences

Program and service manager Intervener and developer of social systems

Subjects

o Introduction o Presentation of homework and feedback o Brainstorm on key competences for employers o Introduction on European Key Competences for Life Long Learning o Using the concept of key competences (assessment, attainment) o Key competences and the three levels of the methodological framework o Key competences and the role of the coach o Assignment and closure


Discussion and feedback on task of module 4


with focus on the position of the clients on specific steps on ACS and the required next

actions / suggestions for improvement. (60´)

Joint discussion on the options the IA professional has in the region to organise such

actions for the individual clients. Is the action realistic, achievable for the client? Is it

indeed the most logical next step? Are there enough resources (client level, own

organisation, network)? What is (ideally) desirable / what is realistic? (40´)

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Discussion and brainstorm on regional policy and the function and possibilities of

looking at people through ACS. “Lulea case” is presented as example of how regional

services need to expand to be able to reach ACS 1 clients. (40´)

Key competences for labour market and adult education

Introduction on the 8 European Key Competences (ERF) for Life Long Learning and

active citizenship. Definition of each competence and usage of them for more efficient

counselling and guidance of individuals.

Alternative: trainer collects job vacancies and hand them out: in groups participants

discuss what competences all these vacancies have in common. (40´)

Discussion in small groups following by a common discussion with focus on the

following questions: a) Are these indeed the key competences which people need to have

to enter labour market / adult education? What competences are important from the

view of an employer, for getting a job? Discussion on the overlap between ERF and what

employers will are looking for. (20´)

Task 1: Participants make inventory on most relevant key competences from the

perspective of employers and voluntary work. How can IA professionals check whether

they are indeed the most relevant ones? How do / can we deal with level of attainment?

(40´)

Hand out “Portfolio of Key Competences” identified by the employers in Lulea case.

Discussion on what the attainment level means for the position of the client on the

progress ladder in terms of his/her resources? What does this mean for the role of the

IA professional? How can IA demonstrate to their clients what minimum requirements

are? Consequences for policy at regional level? (60´)


1. Each group of minimum 4-5 participants representing at least 2 different organisations

does research in the own region to establish the possibilities for the development of key

competences (from the perspective of regular services, employer perspective as well as

for voluntary work).

2. Each group chooses two or three clients to describe the current attainment level of their

competences. How can they demonstrate proof of the attainment? What needs to be the

prioritized? How can the IA professional use the current regional network for the clients´

development? What is required to put this into action?

3. Discuss the above issues with managers of the different organisations and prepare Power

Point presentation for maximum 10 minutes.

4. Read the literature for module 5.

34


1. "Key Competences for Lifelong Learning — a European Reference Framework." Official Journal of the European Union (2006): n. pag. 30 Dec. 2006. Web. 20 Mar. 2015.

2. Practical Methodology for Acquiring Key Competences of EU Reference Framework through Continuous VET (PR-ERF). Department for International Cooperation, Folkuniversitetet Uppsala, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2015. <www.prerf.eu>.


5.1 Lulea portfolio

5.2 Example of work procedure for building a portfolio

35

MODULE 6:

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

36

Module 6: Intercultural Communication

Training Objectives

Training objectives


Knowledge of aspects which influence effective communication

Career counsellor Career educator

Knowledge of intercultural aspects in communication


Knowledge and insight in dealing with intercultural aspects in communication


Subjects

o Introduction o Presentation of homework and feedback o H-model o Working with TOPOI o Cultural dimensions and the implication for guidance and coaching o Assignment and closure


Feedback on homework for module 5

Presentations of homework by the participants with focus on individual clients they

selected and the relevant key competences needed for their integration. The participants

explain what the required attainment level is as well as what they are going to develop.

Suggestions on how (available resources, required resources and how to organise). (60´)

Feedback and discussion in the group on how the participants will use their regional

network to guide individual clients towards key competences required by employers.

Presentations with suggestions for improvement of the current services. (30´)

37

Intercultural communication and coaching

Explanation of the H-model for coaching. H-model is used for the inventory of the

current situation of a client: the ambition, the resources as well as the barriers. This helps

to make decisions on the next relevant and achievable action. (30´)

Task 1: Participants discuss in groups one of their clients (preferably the one presented in

the homework presentation for this unit). They need to discuss barriers and how to solve

them using the H-model. The important aspect is to brainstorm on the role of the IA

professional in this process. What is IA required to do? (30´)

Short feedback and repetition: the H-model helps the coach to systematically analyse the

position and options of the client: what the client wants, what he/she needs, what the

client already is capable of and what should therefore be the next development step. (20´)

Introduction of Hoffman’s TOPOI model: discerning different aspects in

communication. (20´)

Task 2: In small groups the participants study 5 areas of communication and apply those

areas for the client. What area can they foresee potential misunderstanding? How can

they deal with this situation as professionals? (20´)

Task 3: Participants make inventory of the different findings in a big group and

summarise. (20´)

Introduction of 5 cultural dimensions of the Hofstede model. (20´)

Task 4: In small groups participants map main cultural differences between one or two

individual clients coming from another country and the host country. (20´)

Task 5: Participants discuss in a big group if they recognize the described dimensions

from their own experiences. (15´)

Feedback and repetition: the Hofstede model does not offer the truth in every situation.

IA professionals deal with individuals with different cultural background. The model

demonstrates that sometimes we are not aware of influence of our own cultural heritage

on our behavior and communication. Therefore it helps to look at people from a

different perspective offering support and explanations when needed. (15´)

38


1. Each group of minimum 4-5 participants representing at least 2 different organisations

apply the Hofstede model for analysing cultural differences of 3 individual clients with

focus on the following issues: a) describe your experience with the clients; b) what went

well and how the communication could be improved; c) does the model offer you a new

view on your client and expectations (your clients’ as well as your own)?

2. Prepare presentation for maximum 10 minute describing the findings.



1. Jacobs, A. Cross-cultural Communication. Groningen: Noordhoff, 2012.

2. Nunez, C., Nunnez-Mahdi, R., Popma, L., “Intercultural Sensitivity”, Royal van Gorcum,

Assen, Netherland, 2008.


6.1 H-model

6.2 Exercise on H-model

6.3 Hoffman’s TOPOI-model

6.4 Exercise on TOPOI

6.5 Intercultural dimensions

6.6 Exercise on intercultural dimensions

39

MODULE 7:

INDIVIDUAL ACTION PLANNING

AND REGIONAL COOPERATION.

ICT-TOOL FOR COOPERATION

40

Module 7: Individual action planning and regional cooperation.

ICT-tool for cooperation

Training objectives

Training objectives


Knowledge and insight in result-focused action planning

Career counsellor

Knowledge and insight in coaching of individual clients based on their action plan


Knowledge and experience in approaches to increase clients’ self-management


Knowledge and insight in use of progress ladder in ICT

Career counsellor

Subjects

o Introduction o Presentation of homework and feedback o SMART action planning o Group work on action planning o Discussion on 7 habit of Highly Effective people and professionalism o Introduction of ICT tool and practical work o Discussion on usage for the 3 levels of the methodological framework o Assignment and Closure


Feedback on homework for module 6

Presentations of homework by the participants with focus on their experiences in dealing

with clients with different cultural backgrounds. (50´)

General discussion on the following topics: a) what are the perceived differences

according to the Hofstede model? How could one deal with those differences? How does

41

this knowledge help to be a better IA professional and support individual clients in a

more efficient way? (10´)

Action Planning and Coaching

Introduction of action planning, working SMART and their connection to the progress

ladder. The individual action plan is the list of actions as well as mutual responsibility

between the IA professional and individual client. Focus on the following aspects of

action planning: a) what criteria an action plan needs to comply to? b) What SMART

means and how it helps focusing on the required actions of an action plan? c) How this

relates to the progress ladder? (30´)

Task 1: In small groups the participants make a short action plan (planning the next

action) for one of their clients. For the chosen cases the group discusses: a) the position

of this client on the progress ladder; b) barriers which they find by using the H-model

systematically for describing discrepancies between wishes and achievable goal; c) current

situation (thinking, doing, feeling); d) competences of the client; e) the potential cultural

differences according to the Hofstede model and how to deal with them; f) combine all

the above elements and develop the next achievable step; g) describe this action in a

SMART way, dividing the required responsibilities for the client and coach. (50´)

Task 2: The groups shortly present their experiences of this exercise: what went well,

what was difficult, how could they improve themselves? (10´)

Task 3: Participants discuss whether responsibilities are clear and are divided in a way

that they indeed stimulate self-management. The other topic of discussion is how to

communicate in the provision network about the clients (needs/ services) (feedback:

hand-out 7.2) (20´)

Introduction on Self-management and personal effectiveness based on main points of S.

Covey “7 Habits of Highly effective people”. (40´)

Task 4: Participants reflect on their own habits: a) how do they deal with those 7 habits?

b) What can they learn from this? c) How do the individual clients, discussed in a

homework part, they score on these 7 habits? d) What does this mean for the IA

professional in their work relation with clients? e) What are the main development points

for each participant? (20´)

ICT tool for cooperation in the network

Presentation of igma2 software with 3 main aspects: a) the client input aspect; b) the monitoring aspects; c) the reporting aspects. Short explanation of the 3 different levels on how outcome statistics can be used. (20´)

42

Discussion on effects and benefits of a common ICT platform for the network. (30´)

Discussion of how such an instrument can contribute to individual, organisational and regional development of services and expertise. How the cooperation between different organisation could be improved and why? (20´)


1. Prepare the examination project in a group of 3 or 4 participants.



1. Covey, Stephen R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. London: Simon & Schuster, 2005.

2. Igma2 online information management system

URL: http://xlab.bee.gr/igma User name: dimitra Password: Dimitra


7.1 SMART action planning

7.2 Network communication and sharing information

7.3 Summary sheet of 7 Habits

7.4 igma ICT tool

http://xlab.bee.gr/igma

43

MODULE 8:

PRESENTATION OF

EXAMINATION PROJECT

44

Module 8: Presentation of examination project

Training objectives

Training objectives


Demonstration of knowledge and skills on cooperation methodology for more

efficient integration of individuals into the labour market

All 6 professional roles

Demonstration of knowledge and skills of applying the cooperation methodology at

individual, organisational and network levels

All 6 professional roles

Main bullets of the training session:

Presentation of the examination projects in groups

Evaluation and feedback by the participants

45

TRAINERS´ PACKAGE

46

Module 1


1.2. PPT Lulea case

1.3. PPT igma methodological framework


1.5. SWOT analysis


47


Igma methodology

In order for provision networks to cooperate in the efficient and meaningful way the

professionalization of the involved stakeholder representatives is needed. The goal of igma

training is to make the cooperation between different organisations in the region to be more

systematic and sustainable. The efficient cooperation according to igma methodology is a

continuous routine with clear quality procedures rather than random process depending on

individual professionals.

The course is based on the development of 5 professional roles which are considered to be the

core of professionals who work in the area of career guidance and counselling, so called

Integration Agents. The profile is adapted to incorporate vision and methodology of the gradual

progression and active citizenship issues. The work context of professionals counselling low-

skilled into labour through adult education is also explicitly included in the profile.

Integration Agent operates within or on behalf of regional or local social welfare and support

structures, and is able to make use of the services available in the most efficient way and is able to

create alternatives when needed.

The main areas of responsibilities of Integration Agent therefore are:

1. Organising and running outreach activities to contact individuals and commit them to

enter the services.

2. Problem analysis and intake.

3. Mapping of services available in the regional provision network as well as in labour.

4. Mapping of possibilities and hindrances of individuals (client-cantered working).

5. Agreement on objective and first required actions with individual and provision network.

6. Arranging and implementing the agreed actions.

7. Guarding the ongoing arrangements and actions.

8. Securing the process in case of disturbances.

9. Evaluating outcome as well as quality of the process.

10. Repeating the process when necessary (gradual progression).

11. Reporting in a transparent way.

12. Follow-up the individual after the official program or action is finished.

13. Contributing to development of own organisation (learning organisation).

14. Contributing to development of network partners (learning network).

15. Contributing to own professional development (learning as a professional).

To achieve the above objectives in a professional way the Integration Agent needs to be

competent in the following roles:

48

Career educator

In the role of career educator the Integration Agent supports individuals in

attaining and developing the career management competences for managing own

education and training as well as career development (including voluntary work).

This strengthens individual capacities of “Learning to Learn” and makes them

more self-managing as well as independent of service systems.


In the role of career information and assessment expert the Integration Agent

supports individuals in assessing the personal characteristics and needs, connecting

them with information on opportunities and requirements in the regional labour

market and education systems.

Program and service manager

In the role of program and service manager the Integration Agent ensures that

provision of career guidance and counselling is delivered in close collaboration

with relevant provision networks. He/she ensures that quality and relevance of

the services provided are in accordance to individual needs and career objectives

(gradual progression perspective).


In the role of intervener and developer of social systems the Integration Agent

supports the individuals both in preventing failure but also in times of crisis.

Furthermore he/she improves education- and work-related environments through

networking, consultation and advocacy. Last but not least, he/she contributes to

the effectiveness of the services provided by the regional provision network.

Career counsellor

As a career counsellor the Integration Agent supports individuals in helping them

understand their situation, to reflecting and to find solutions. The main goal is to

increase individuals´ self-management regarding education and work.


The Integration agent is a reflective professional who regulates the relations

between clients, themselves and other stakeholders (e.g. labour office, local

authority, policy-makers, etc.). In doing so, the professional builds and maintains

49

constructive relationships, which also involves finding the balance between his/her role and

other peoples’ interests in order to deal with potential role conflicts. To ensure his/her

professionalism, the professional engages in reflective practice, employs critical thinking, adopts

professional values and adheres to ethical standards.

The above roles require the development of knowledge and skills from three different

viewpoints:

The individual professional;

The organization in which the professional is working;

The regional provision network with responsibilities to promote integration to the labour

market, education and society.

50


Origins of career guidance go back to the early 20th century. This profession is influenced by

approaches from therapeutic counselling, organizational psychology, sociology and management

studies. Roughly we can differentiate between two general orientations.

Diagnosis Recipe approaches Process-oriented approaches

Characteristics: Characteristics:

Focus on assessment / psychometric tradition Focus on investigation / the question behind

the question

Focus on answering questions Focus on dialogue

Focus on quick intervention Focus on growth (insight, self- management)

Relative low in costs Relative high in costs

One moment in time picture Development process

Area:

- School assessments, first rough career

choices / school choices

- Clients with very clear career question

- Rough matching issues

- Large scale

Area:

- Career education and advice

- Lifelong Learning

- Clients with no clear or realistic career

ambitions

- Highly individual

The Diagnosis Recipe approaches have in common a strong focus on assessing and testing, using

calibrated test to generate clients´ answers. They are strongly influenced by more behavioral and

psychometric approaches of psychology. Large scale usage is often promoted at governmental

level as a way to generate universal answers on, for example, willingness of students regarding

entrance to certain school levels.

In the process-oriented approaches the differentiations in different theoretical perspectives are

influenced by what aspects key moments of life are perceived as relevant according to the

judgment of the counselor.

51

Person Environment Fit Theories People seek occupations which are in line with

preferences for particular work activities

(Weak evidence, focus on jobs, abilities and

dispositions)

Rational process

Development Theories (based on

developmental psychology)

Managing careers is a continuous process

going on through one’s life; 4 major stages.

Use of developmental concepts

Form comprehensive picture of clients career

development, self-awareness, decision making.

Much energy on the first stage (young people);

less on others.

Focus on discussion about “maturity” and how

to measure it.

Narrative approaches (late 90’s) Storytelling; non rational process.

Action Theory Focus on behavior, cognitions and social

meaning (own as well as others) of goal

directed actions of individuals in career

development

It asks attention for social meaning and

context; non-rational process

Therapeutic counselling theories

Person centred

Psychodynamic

Focus on: fulfillment of personal identity by

understanding how individual constructs the

world;

Focus on early experiences; individual may not

be aware of own motives. Counsellor – client

relationship

Non-rational process

52

1.5. SWOT analysis

53


Igma methodology

The igma methodology is about working client-centred and goal-oriented, addressing individual

needs when relevant and using the network capacity in a more optimal way. Working client-

centred means: getting to know your client. Some clients require more time and some require

less. The counsellor needs to find a way to become more effective and result-oriented.

The Igma methodology starts with a vision on career counselling since that is the basis on which

we work with clients. In the second paragraph the progress concept will be introduced and

explained. In the third paragraph the concept and the vision are combined together to form the

igma framework. Finally, it will be explained how the igma framework relates to the work process

of the organizations in the network and the way this framework challenges its development.

Vision on career counselling and guidance

Some view careers and the work of guidance counsellors and case managers as simply following a

straightforward path that leads people from A to B. One can distinguish a clear starting point and

end of the career path. According to this vision we know where the individual stands and where

we want the individual to go to. The followed counselling path seems fairly organized as well as

the instruments that are used during the counselling. We bring in standard products and standard

services that will do the job. Often we do not ask whether they are of help or not. Although

sometimes we use other products according to the sponsor`s vision on career development. It

might be local / national authority or other fund-giver. This view might be summarized as a

product type approach. It might be compared with going to a doctor to get a prescription.

There is another vision on careers choices. Career choice is developed as a result of one’s

surrounding, family, friends, circumstances, personal believes, motivation etc. All these factors

are elements that influence a career path. Therefore a career is seldom a straight line. Goals

seeming clear at the beginning appear to be ambiguous and new ones constantly develop. Again

and again an individual has to make choices. The labour market forces people in this position

more than before. Lifetime employment is no longer usual. This requires a different approach to

career counselling and guidance.

We expect people to manage their careers themselves. Most of the employers share this view.

Therefore, from this point of view, career counselling and case management has to be directed at

enabling individuals to become self-managing. This implies that career counselling and case

management has to be viewed as a process in which people learn how to manage their own

career, an attitude that they need to have through life.

This latter approach has consequences for the role of career counsellors and case managers. In

this case a counsellor does not offer specific instruments or ready solutions for individual career

goals. Instead counselling implies preparing, guiding and supporting individual in such a way that

he/she can find his/her own way independently, learning to overcome obstructions and to find

54

solutions on the way. Thus counselling is directed at teaching the individual to cope with career

problems and to learn from previous experiences. The counsellor teaches the individual to

manage his/her talents and to get a grip on the future. This can only be done successfully if a

counsellor/case manager is able to build a trusting relationship with a client. A counsellor/ case

manager has different roles and responsibilities while interacting with a client. This vision might

be summarized as a process approach.

Gradual progress

For some people finding a job seems to be a fairly simple task even under the most severe labour

market circumstances. They are able to promote their personal skills, competences and capacities

in such a way that labour market requirements are almost fully coherent with their professional

and personal qualities. There is no mismatch, no “distance” between qualities and requirements.

For other people finding a job is not that easy, although their personal qualities may seem fit. The

longer it takes the harder it gets. The labour market is not the only one to blame in this case.

Where do these differences come from and how do we work with them? It could be explained by

using an example. Traditionally in guidance a heavy input is placed on delivering labour market

information to help people to find a job or a training programme. According to the igma

approach delivering labour market information is of no use if the person is not able to use it in a

proper way. Moreover, an individual might need a specific kind of information depending on a

specific deviation between personal qualities and labour market requirements. This deviation

could have several dimensions, for example, vocational or field specific qualifications, social

qualifications, psychological profile or the capacity to promote own capabilities. These

dimensions together determine whether a person’s qualities can be matched with labour market

requirements or not. In case of a match an individual needs to make only a small progress. A

mismatch requires a longer progression with a lot of input at each step.

If there is a big distance to the labour market the individual image on the opportunities on the

labour market are rather dim. In a process approach this challenge is taken into account. During

the process the picture of own position gradually becomes clearer as well as the goal a person is

aiming at (is able to aim at), and the requirements. The process approach takes care of this fine-

tuning by putting a client in the centre, by asking the right questions, by having a clear

understanding of the progress made and the mismatch that needs to be solved, by using the

instruments that are available at the right time, and by keeping an eye on the final goal and

achievements on the way.

If we look at the dimensions that cause the greatest distance to the labour market the

psychological dimension will score highest. One can have all required qualifications but if there is

psychological barrier or wrong attitudes it is much more difficult to find a job. This psychological

dimension is not only about motivation but also about the way an individual perceives his/her

changes and the way he/she is able to influence own success. In the counselling process these

kind of aspects need to be taken into account too.

Using igma as a framework

55

So far the story seems fairly clear and may not even be new. However, the main challenge is that

counselling an individual in a process type of approach does not mean that the network the

counsellor operates in shares these same principles. A counsellor might work client-centred and

give the client all the attention h/she needs, but a manager might have a different point of view.

Experiences have shown that such an intensive approach can be successful only under the

condition that there is a commitment in the own organisation to work in this way. At least three

areas need to be involved in the same way:

At the interaction level between a counsellor and a client

At the level of a counsellor and management

At the level of the provision network as a whole

The Igma approach addresses these three areas. The core element that links these three levels is

introduced by the concept of gradual progression, represented in a form of a ladder. This ladder

translates the guidance process into small discrete steps a typical client might need to take in

order to enter the labour market through adult / vocational education. Each step represents a

potential chronological interaction a client might need while working towards a certain goal.

This progression model is linked with the process of action planning and with report- and

feedback mechanisms. The ladder is based on a typical progression of the most difficult clients

within the target group the counsellor / case manager is working with.

56

Module 2

2.1. Process description on how to introduce igma

2.2. Feedback template on main elements of IA

approach

2.3. Four stages of a career choice, career counseling,

long-term and short-term objectives

2.4. Self-awareness exercises

57

2.1. Process description on how igma is introduced in general

As for implementation strategy, igma is implemented in the following way: 1. Initial Commitment Management of one or more responsible institutes in the network

of the region have taken the initiative to prepare for the

introduction of igma. Depending on the amount of knowledge of

igma a project manager could be appointed to make the necessary

arrangements.

This step consists of further orientation on igma and the input that

is needed from the region (target group, current process,

responsible organisations, relevant network).

2. Fine tuning of igma The model is examined and partly adapted to the requirements and

experiences of the region. This is done in close collaboration

between some representatives of the regional network and an igma

expert, also as part of a process of growing commitment and

communication.

This step consists of:

a. Gathering regional information (written as well as on site);

b. Preparations in a small workgroup, consisting of managers and

practitioners of the most relevant parties of the network;

c. Commitment: is this our new work process which we are going

to try and implement?

3. Broadening In the region the management of all the responsible institutes are

Commitment informed about the igma methodology, the way it has been

adapted and the type of support they need to give. This step

consists of:

a. Informing the management;

b. Concluding commitment;

c. Communication about that commitment to the whole network.

4. Training the network Jointly the stakeholder organisations of the network are trained in

working with the model. The training focuses on the ideas behind

igma, roles and responsibilities of coaches and case managers,

measuring progression, network communication and on finding

new solutions for old problems. The communication process is an

essential element during the whole training session. At the end of

the training trainees are able to use the model, indicate their own

58

developments needs and the support/ conditions they need within

their own organisation.

5. Informing Management Shortly after the last training session the outcomes of the training

are presented to the managers of all the organisations involved.

Management feedbacks as well as training outcomes are reported

back to all involved. Improvement suggestions are translated into

actions

6. Follow up Having worked with the model for a considerate period of time (6

months) evaluation of the achieved results are discussed. Such an

evaluation can be used to further implement the methodology in

line with the regional needs, to motivate all involved and to keep

direction.

59

2.2. Feedback template on main elements of IA approach

Summary of starting points:

Client centered; looking for the drives of client; looking for needs of the client; Development of self-management skills and competences; Breakdown of integration process in small clearly defined stages; Change of perspective: from “Recipe” to “Process”; Clear (new) roles and responsibilities of all involved; Clarifying case management (who, what); Creation of commitment at different levels; Framework positioning existing services, processes and tools of all involved; Look for what is needed instead of what is available; Optimizing the network by clarifying responsibilities and creating feedback mechanisms; Promotion of joint responsibilities on behalf of target group.

60

2.3. Four stages of career choice, career counseling, long-term and short-term

objectives

The process of making career steps can be reflected in the learning cycle of Kolb.

Knowing: Not only hard, factual knowledge but also our experiences, our feelings,

hopes, dreams, ambitions, the input from others;

Exploring: Exploring in the widest sense; exploring changes in regards to changes of

options and preferences, when an option becomes more or less preferred;

Develop: Not only skills, but also feelings, attitudes, competences etc.;

Action: Each step which brings individual closer to the preferred option; each step

is also a part of reflection to enable a client to learn from it and start a new

cycle.

Career guidance is about making choices as part of our life in work and in education. Self-insight

and self-confidence are important to contributing to the competence of self-management. The

guidance counselor is responsible for organizing the support to enable clients to move through

each stage of the learning circle (as often as needed). One circle covers a short-term objective.

Several circles lead to the career goal or a long-term objective.

Career dialogue

61

Making better choices is a process one can learn. It is a counselor´s task to guide this choice

process and assist the client in learning from this process. In order to have an effective career

dialogue the interaction needs to encompass the following five elements:

- Affective component: building a good relationship built on trust; the response to an

action, situation, or prior to an action.

- Informative component: providing correct and relevant information to offer several

alternatives.

- Reflective component: construction of meaning; creating new awareness, probing

whether it is a characteristic of a person (motive, quality) or something else.

- Activating component: instigating to take action.

- Networking component: opening doors to expand network; building and maintaining

contacts.

Ideally these five elements are a part of all career dialogues and conversations between a

counselor and a client in which the development of the client´s career path is the focus.

62

2.4. Self-awareness exercises

Group work is recommended in groups of 3 to 4 persons from at least two different

organisations.

One person in each group describes his/her dream job: the job he/she was dreaming of as a

child or currently is dreaming of. The objective of the exercise is to discover what is realistic/not

realistic in this dream job and give advice to progress taking into consideration individual´s self-

awareness and self-insight.

Explore the situation by asking the following questions:

- The affective component and perception: past feelings and current feelings on that

dream job. Where do they come from? Stereotype?

- Informative component: on what reality is the dream job based? What are required skills

and competences? What personal strengths is the dream job based upon?

- Reflective component: What issues of this dream job has the individual reflected on?

What is the conclusion based on reflection upon own skills and competences?

- Activing component: what actions have been taken to substantiate chances and

opportunities?

- Networking: what other sources have been used to test the option, to develop steps

toward realizing that dream?

Summarise your group findings: what advice for the next step can you give to the individual?

Time: 30 minutes.

63

Module 3

3.1 Career dialogue

3.2 Types of clients

3.3 Client profiling

3.4 Collecting client information

3.5 Example client profiles (for exercises)

64

3.1 Career dialogue

Basic Conversation skills on career dialogue

Basic conversation skills

1. Opening Yes No

1.1 Counsellor welcomes client, shakes hands, introduces himself/herself

1.2 Counsellor creates positive atmosphere – ice-breaker

1.3 Counsellor indicates amount of time reserved

1.4 Counsellor indicates purpose of conversation

1.5 Counsellor checks purpose with client

2. Listen Yes No

2.1 Counsellor makes sure there are necessary silence moments for giving client opportunity to think and reflect upon a certain question

2.2 Counsellor has open attitude towards client (style of non-verbal communication)

2.3 Counsellor shows non-verbal listening reinforcing behaviour

2.4 Counsellor demonstrates real interest

3. Summarize Yes No

3.1 Counsellor demonstrates active listening by giving periodically a summary

3.2 Counsellor repeats what has been said as a clarification

4. Ask Yes No

4.1 Counsellor uses open questions

4.2 Counsellor uses closed unbiased questions for a clear purpose

5. Closure Yes No

5.1 Counsellor summarises the conversation

5.2 Counsellor makes appointments and assigns responsibilities

5.3 Counsellor checks clients understanding

5.4 Counsellor checks whether purpose of conversation is met

6. Career dialogue as a development process Yes No

* 6.1 Value success, strengths, validate experience (into a personal life rule)

* 6.2 Confront in case of discrepancies

* 6.3 Analyse the experience (thoughts, feelings, competences)

* 6.4 Career reflection on qualities, experiences

* 6.5 Inform, provide relevant objective information

* 6.6 Invite to explore (values, thoughts, perceptions)

* 6.7 Expand network (knowledge, experience, rewarding)

7. Career dialogue deals with Yes No

7.1 A concrete situation at the moment

7.2 Exploration of client values

7.3 Linking of client values to career path

7.4 Next action to be taken

7.5 Strengthening of self-awareness and self-confidence

65

3.2. Types of Clients

Communication: three common client profiles to deal with

Three typical client profiles (verbally and nonverbally) and the way we normally should respond

to them as a counsellor / case manager

Shy and low responsive client

Typical behaviour: Strategy of coach:

Appears insecure

Keeping distance

Low on initiative

Silent in a group

Does not make eye contact

Says yes, but does no

Non-realistic self-image

Create safety

One subject at a time

Feeling of client is starting point

Small steps for building trust

Short time horizon

Role of “mentor”: open, inviting and always

supporting

Summarize, check

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Authoritarian, dominant client

Typical behaviour

Strategy of coach

Busy

Very confident

Always knows best

Difficult to engage

Disruptive

Does not accept advice

Accepts “humble” support

Dominant, directive

Slightly more Authoritarian

Clear tasks, responsibility, time

Clear rules

Role of “Salesman”

Cooperative client

Typical behaviour

Strategy of coach

Friendly

Looking for contact, approval

Agrees, pleases

Does his/her best

Always understands

Meats appointments, but not always in a

good way

Stimulate reflection

Let client summarize

Clear arrangements

Clear timetable

Keep some distance

Friendly but in control

Role of Coach, Director

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3.3. Client profiling

In this chapter you will find a description of igma principles of client profiling, the process and

some tools used to gather and combine information. In the first two paragraphs there is an

explanation of the reasons for client profiling. Thereafter it is explained what kind of angles can

be used to find out more about a client’s drive, the needs and ways to address needs and to

overcome specific difficulties. Each of these angles will be explained in detail and example

questions which relate to that angle will be given. This chapter ends with a short list of issues that

are relevant in relation to client profiling, and a description of how the profiling information can

be used.

The Principles

All clients are unique and have different histories, environments, values, cultures, ambitions,

wishes and demands. Therefore, we must not assume that the client population is similar because

of them belonging to one and the same target group. Likewise we cannot assume that one

strategy of guidance and one type of career path can be useful for all clients. We have to work

client-centred, meaning defining services in relation to specific needs and client’s possibilities. To

work in this way we really need to gain understanding of our clients. This often means that we

need to collect that much information so we make action planning and to have good confidence

in the usefulness of the interventions we plan. Gathering this information, a client profile, for

each client is essential that our intervention is effective. It is part of the task of the case manager

but additional information might arise during each step of the igma process.

The Process

Client profiling is a core process within igma approach as it is impossible to work client-centred

without relevant client information. The needs of a client can only be determined effectively if

the information is comprehensive, clear and concise. The client profiling process is on-going; it

grows and changes as the relationship with a client develops. Gathering information is the most

complex process. Keep in mind that it is not essential to collect all available information all the time!

Information is needed in cases when it is difficult to formulate an action because of a lack of

insight into client´s skills, competences and motives.

Different ways of looking at client´s skills competences and needs

Different ways of looking at a client provide diverse information resulting in a much clearer

picture of his/her skills, competences, needs and motivation. Not all presented viewpoints need

to be collected at once. Some information is not needed at all. Moreover, it is not only one case

manager who is responsible for collecting all the information. Information might be collected

constantly while interacting with clients at different occasions. Thus the whole provision network

is actually responsible for collecting different parts of client information. However, the main

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responsible of putting different pieces of information into one whole picture is case manager /

counsellor.

In order to be constantly aware of the potential relevance of client´s information, the case

manager / counsellor shall keep in mind two fundamental questions:

Do I understand what moves my client?

Why do I plan this next action and is it realistic, achievable?

Areas presented below can help the counsellor to answer these questions and draw a realistic

picture of a client in case information is missing:

1. Generic or standard information collected by Public Employment Services or

similar organisation

2. Employment goals and aspirations

3. Education, training and employment history

4. Relevant skills, competencies and key qualities

5. Literacy and numeracy

6. Leisure and community activities

7. Commitments to others

8. Influences and perceptions

9. Health

10. Self-care

11. Self-Image

The above areas can provide additional information that will help realistic goal orientation,

progress and action planning. Each area is presented in details below.

1. Employment goal and aspirations

An indication of the future employment goal is essential to determine the training inputs and

work/training placements required to reach the employment goal of the client. It is essential for

unrealistic career aspirations to be addressed through re-orientation with extensive careers advice

and guidance. Those issues could be addressed through a group work, a mentorship program or

presentation of a role model. It is advisable to keep in mind that an employment goal and

aspiration will not be stable but are under constant development as intrinsic part of the process.

The employment goal in many cases is long-term. Therefore it is essential that short-term goals

are clearly defined in the action plan, which gradually contributes to the long-term employment

goal.

2. Education, training and employment history

Some clients might have prior experience of education, training and employment. Others have

few or no prior experiences. It is important that information is gathered on the positive aspects

of their experiences as well as the negative ones to avoid repetition and further disillusionment.

The drives of the client can sometimes be determined from positive work experiences and could

be a motivator if an appropriate work placement could be organised to help the client to develop

certain skills and increase self-confidence.

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3. Relevant skills, competencies and key qualities

Every client possesses skills, competencies and key qualities. Identification and further

development of skills, competencies and qualities for future employment aspirations can be

motivating for the client.

Examples of essential key qualities for entering employment are the following

Mobility

Time-keeping

Responsibility

Accepting hierarchy

Independency

Communication (oral & written)

Motivation

Representation

Cooperation

Handling criticism

Willingness to learn

Developing the above employability skills in ‘real’ and meaningful environments increases the

self-esteem of the client. Moreover, these competence and other qualities could be used in a

client portfolio. These key qualities can be used, developed and assessed in a work-based

learning and practice.

4. Literacy and numeracy

Literacy and numeracy are essential skills for almost all employment opportunities. Therefore the

client’s competences in these two areas shall be assessed to determine the level of support

required to enter adult education and function in the labour market later on. Keep in mind that

client’s motivation is essential. Analyse client capacities in relation to the next step of the action plan. Are

capacities hindering him/her to make that next step or is the amount of literacy and numeric

capacities enough to make the next step successful? Are additional interventions on literacy and

numeracy possible when the client has obtained a higher level of motivation/ goal orientation?

5. Leisure and community activities

Identifying key qualities, skills and competencies of a client through the way he/she participates

in leisure or community activities can be very motivating for clients and support further

development. What information is to be distracted from client’s leisure activities in terms of

learning style? Group work with a group of clients could be a format to discuss and disclose

these.

6. Commitments to others

Family-caring commitments are another factor, which may limit or determine learning and

employment opportunities. Therefore consideration must be given to client’s personal

circumstances. But even more important in being committed to others a client may demonstrate

skills and competences that can be beneficial to own long-term goal. Therefore pointing out

these qualities is very relevant for motivation.

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7. Influences and perceptions

Relatives, partners, peers and other people may influence a client. Therefore it is necessary to

explore the level of influence to ensure the action plan does not fail due to external factors. It is

always useful to determine how others perceive the client too as reputations can often hinder

progress.

8. Health

Health and safety issues of a client are often a statutory obligation to take care of. Therefore this

area should be at the forefront at all times during planning actions as well as addressing future

goals.

9. Self-care

The general welfare of a client shall be explored to determine the level of self-management in

case a specialist support might be required. Issues such as personal hygiene, personal budgeting,

substance misuse etc. should be explored, assessed and addressed if the client is to move on and

sustain in learning or employment.

10. Self-image

Does a client have a positive or negative self-image? Does the client blame the environment for

the current position? What is the activation level? Does the client really want something? Critical

questions to determine the level of self-esteem and confidence of the client are a part of all action

planning. The recommended actions are a group work, storytelling etc.

Using the client profile

One might conclude that for each client a large dossier is necessary before a complete picture of

the client appears. This is not the idea behind profiling. Working with individual clients is not an

easy job. Apart from a career dilemma the target group also may suffer from issues related to

their background, their environment and the maybe even the involuntary participation at some

the services. To make an action plan work and to indicate and achieve goals means that a case

manager and the provision network really know the client´s drives.

Essentially profiling is meant to help the case manager / coach / counsellor to find client drives

for promoting progress. If there is doubt on issues like: “What action next? Why didn’t this

work? Why did he/she fail?”, the counsellor might consider is he/she knows the client and

whether action plan is built on proper client knowledge. The above checklist is meant as help to

indicate areas of relevance. For some clients a selection of areas is relevant to know what is going

on and to plan actions more efficiently. For other clients more information is needed.

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3.4. Collecting client information

Advice for gathering information

1. Make sure that the client always understands what is being done and gives his/her agreement.

2. Plan time carefully. Agree on time to meet the relevant people and decide upon the duration of each meeting.

3. Have a clear purpose in mind for each meeting, and explain this in a straightforward way which is easily understood.

4. Check whether everything is understood. 5. Decide on a suitable method of recording information at the meeting with agreement

of the client. 6. Be friendly, open and transparent. 7. Ask clear questions. How the question is phrased determines the quality of the

information given. Poor information leads to a weak profile and weak actions. 8. Accept all information; the role of the coach / case manager is one of listening, not

debating. 9. Avoid generalisations. 10. The profile is intended to reflect the client, therefore be careful not to impose your

own ideas and values. 11. Give feedback. At the end of the meeting, summarise the main points to check that

the information recorded is accurate. 12. Give the client some indication of when and how this information will be used.

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3.5. Example client profiles

For training purposes some of your client profiles can be used in the exercises of module 3.

Client profile 1

Shoriful, who is in her early 50s, was born in Bangladesh. She studied until she was 15 and left

school with some qualifications. She came to Stockholm with her husband in 1975. She has five

children with ages ranging from early 20s to late 30s. One of her children has learning disabilities

and needs constant care. She has spent her time raising her children and caring for her son. The

care of the children took all time of Shoriful and she did not have time to study in Sweden. She

took the occasional works from time to time as a cleaner, baby sitter and personal assistant but all

the jobs were acquired in the local community through the contacts. Shoriful has participated in

language classes but not consistently and has some problems with the Swedish language. She is

active in local women organizations and works as volunteer for newly arrived immigrants at her

local community. Through municipality and different projects Shoriful has developed her

Swedish language skills, computer skills and gained some work experience through volunteering.

Now she has decided to get a profession and dreams about getting a job certificate and in order

to achieve her goal of finding employment

Client profile 2

Zahra was born in Somalia and left the country due to the war for 4 years ago. When she arrived

to the Netherlands in the age of 18 she married a guy from Somalia and got her first child directly

after arrival. When the first child was 1,5 years old she got her second child. Zahra have never

studied in the Netherlands due to maternity leave and her language knowledge is limited to some

phrases she uses when she goes to the supermarket.

In her home country she only finished 5 years of the secondary school and has never officially

worked in her life. However, at home she is a very good cook and very good at child care. Zahra

does not have a lot of contacts outside her family and local community. She does not have a

contact with the authorities either as her husband takes care of everything.

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Module 4

4.1 Example of progression ladder

4.2 Active Citizenship Scale and concept

4.3 Motivational interviewing

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4.1. Example of progression ladder

This example ladder describes the process towards integration at the labour market for

individuals with immigrant background and low education. This ladder is developed within the

project igma1 and was implemented in Lulea in Northern Sweden. The ladder is based on:

Interviews with Public Employment Services in Kristianstad and Stockholm (in 2011);

Trainings and implementation together with provision network in Lulea, including

Folkuniversitetet Lulea, Public Employment Services (PES), municipality, non-

governmental organisations and other stakeholders.

Those steps are chosen because of the action a PES officer might need to arrange or to address

successfully to facilitate the development, growth of self-awareness and the possibilities of their

clients. Not every step might be required. Some steps might be covered at the same time in one

action. But for target groups which do have a great divergence to the labour market each of these

small steps might be needed. Each higher step gives feedback on the lower ones.

Intake

•Registration at PES

•Initial interview

•Initial assessment

•General goal orientation and preparation for transfer

•First commitment

•Transfer / transition

Indication

•Introduction and global activity plan

•Assessment of personal situation

•Ice-breaking activities (self-awareness and motivation)

•Assessment of hard and soft skills

•Reassess original goal orientation

•Second commitment

•Assessment of specific needs

•Arranging specific support

Orientation

•Personal and social skills

•Orientation

•Preparing for tasters, short periods of work

•Tasters

•Second orientation

•Action plan

•Third commitment

Learning

• Basic skills for entering education

• Preparing transfer to education

• Entering education

• Education

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The first 6 steps require special attention. They are arranged by PES as part of their responsibility

and the first registration of clients within the Establishment Reform for newly-arrived 2011.

However, most of the individuals in this target group already have a history in the welfare system

or voluntary work system. This means that there is already some knowledge available about their

social situation, dreams, hard and soft skills. It is a waste of time and resources for a PES officer

if all the prior knowledge is not used and he/she needs to start from the beginning. This is also

demotivating for a client. Therefore, a warm transfer of a target group to PES is recommended

together with information already available.

After the first steps PES refers a client to other organizations of its network to continue working

towards the desired outcome. Now it is a turn of PES to communicate to these organizations the

relevant client information. After reaching their goals these organizations again need to refer the

client to the next step towards integration, which requires exchange of the proper information on

progression.

Below there is a description of each step of Lulea progression ladder in detail:

1. Registration

An individual arrives to PES for the first time to get registered. A PES officer needs to be

aware that it might be unclear for him/her why he/she should register. Communication

might turn out to be a problem. At the end of this first contact it should be clear why the

individual is required to come back to the PES office. This is the challenge for the PES

officer. Money and compensation might be a motivator but not always motivating

enough for individual to do a real progress.

2. Initial interview

Initial interview is important for drawing a big picture of the client including information

about living, leisure activities, home situation, expectations, wishes, barriers, etc.

Information available from past experiences in welfare and voluntary sector is important

for both creating the whole picture and also for avoiding repetitions. The main focus of

this interview is on building a relationship with the client so it is not a one-sided

collecting of facts. The whole picture is required to be able to establish a general goal and

to arrange proper support. The client needs to fully understand why this interview is

important.

3. Initial assessment

In this step a first inventory of hard and soft skills is made. Again the counsellor needs to

use already available information. However, in many cases it is not possible to make a

complete and final picture during 2 meetings. For the PES officer this step is important

because those clients who have a short distance to the labour market may enter labour

market after validating soft and hard skills. This is a quick win. Individuals with long

distance to the labour market require more sophisticated actions, guidance and support to

be able to draw the first picture of achievable steps. Additional actions might be needed

to validate prior diploma and certificates. In this step the challenge is to make clear for

the client why further information is required and how it will be collected.

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4. General goal orientation and preparation for transfer

Once the PES officer has collected the initial information it is possible to make a rough

suggestion of the individual general goal. For some clients this goal is concrete while for

other it might be pretty vague and abstract. Goals should be formulated in a SMART

way, meaning that they are achievable, stimulating and logical in the current situation. Part

of this goal orientation is defining of the next step and preparation of the client for the

transfer. It is important to give clear answer to question about what clients can expect,

how they shall prepare in the best way possible and why this step is important for them.

5. First commitment

In the whole process towards goal achievement it is vital that the clients understands the

direction, their roles and responsibilities and agrees with arrangements. Client

commitment needs to be checked regularly and especially when goals and actions are re-

phrased. At each new step and goal the client commitment is required. This is the main

challenge of this step. In some cases the counsellor may sign agreements with clients.

6. Transfer / transition

At this step the PES officer arranges all necessary paper work and guidance that might be

required for warm transfer to the next organisation. The PES officer also makes sure that

the client transition has been successful. The challenge is to deal with transfer from the

perspective of the client as well as the receiving organization.

Now the client is transferred to the next organization in the provision network. Information that

has been collected should be made available to that particular organization to prevent repetitions

and overlapping. Therefore the provision network requires understanding of the general

objectives of the client as well as meaning of the each specific step in relation to those objectives.

The network shall continue to collect data in a similar way as PES. Mutual feedback and

transparency are important in a transition process.

7. Introduction and global activity plan

This step is done by a (new) coach/counsellor. It is of crucial importance to build a trust

relation with the client through exchange of expectations, understanding of roles and

responsibilities and general view on the next activities and their purpose in relation to the

general objective of the client.

8. Assessment of personal situation

The coach needs to pay a special attention to personal problems, perceived by the

individual, since they influence willingness and effectiveness of his/her participation in

development activities. It is important to discover potential and perceived barriers for

participation as soon as possible. These barriers can include various issues like family

structures, child-care, low self-esteem, lack of motives, transport, the way the client

organizes daily activities, time, health, trauma etc. The coach needs to decide what actions

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are most effective in the current situation. It might be additional interview, different

forms of ice breaking or group work.

Be aware that new barriers might arise during the whole integration process. The trustful

relationship between the client and the counsellor is of high importance for disclosing

those perceived and real barriers. Some of these barriers demand special care; others can

be tackled during ice-breaking activities, storytelling, etc.

9. Ice-breaking activities (self-awareness and motivation)

These activities focus at the development of self-awareness, motivation, self-esteem and

self-management capacities. Personal motives are discovered and disclosed. In the group

activities it is important to stimulate a group feeling and group obligation self-support

within a group.

10. Assessment of hard and soft skills

In this stage specific attention is paid to mapping soft and hard skills and competences of

the client. During ice-breaking activities the clients reveal their motivations, prior

experiences and dreams. By addressing prior experiences in different areas the clients get

a better picture of themselves and of what they are already competent in. Their

motivation and self-esteem rise. Relevant areas might be for example school, work,

voluntary sector, hobbies, family role, and daily routine. This stage can be a part of ice-

breaking.

11. Reassess original goal orientation

Once the client has a better understanding of his/her own competence level from the

perspective of motivation the coach addresses again the goal they both are working

towards. Dreams, hopes, wishes can be used as well as the client´s current understanding

of certain education and labour market options. It is essential for the client to understand

what he/she is aiming at and why. At this stage the original main objective might shift or

change.

12. Second Commitment

Since the igma project in Lulea is focused on a shift away from voluntariness towards

paid employment, the counsellor / case manager shall ensure the client commitment for

the established new goal and the related roles and responsibilities. This new commitment

shall be written down in agreement with the client.

13. Assessment of specific needs

Since the client and the counsellor have a new agreement on goal, roles and

responsibilities it is important to assess what might be hindering progress toward this goal

and what barriers need to be taken care of. The counsellor and the client have hopefully

known for a longer period now and thus there is a better understanding of real and

perceived barriers.

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14. Arranging specific support

In this stage the counsellor arranges support or training for specific needs. This might

integrated in ice-breaking activities and group work.

15. Personal and social skills

Learning and personal development gradually becomes a focus of all activities. In this

stage all sorts of informal learning and group learning are used to make the client more

competent in self-management and planning. At this stage, job tasters, participation in

adult and vocational education, job practice and focus groups can be used.

16. Orientation

At this step the client feels competent to participate in a structured program (in terms of

time and effort). The client is able to make a choice in a specific area. It is the

responsibility of the coach to offer available options (practice, work-based learning,

voluntary sector or training) and to support the client to make the choice, to stimulate

his/her motivation for development. Tasters, short periods of “work experience” are an

ideal instrument at this step.

17. Preparing for tasters, short periods of work

When required the coach supports the client during preparation for practice or a short

period of work, so-called taster. They establish the purpose of the taster; discuss different

working codes and rules or make other preparations for a successful start. Preparation

also means informing the place where the taster is offered about the client and purpose of

the taster.

18. Tasters

Participation in several different tasters might be required before the client is able to

make a motivated choice with self-confidence and commitment. The coach follows this

orientation process and support confidence growth. Group work can be used for

strengthening focus, self-awareness and exchange of experiences.

19. Second orientation

Group work, tasters and the like in combination with labour market information are used

by the coach to make sure the client is in the right direction towards the final goal.

20. Action plan

The coach and the client develop an action plan for entering more formal adult /

vocational education and labour market. Since the coach knows the client quite well it is

easier to develop a realistic action plan. Roles and responsibilities shall again be specified.

Some client might opt for work instead of entering formal education.

21. Third commitment

At this step the client officially re-commits to goal and action plan.

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22. Basic skills for entering education

Activities addressing the development of the basic requirements for entering education

program (informal learning, intensive language training, training for acquirement of basic

requirements as mathematics)

23. Preparing transfer to education

Coach arranges activities for the client and takes the contact with the educational

institution responsible for the client education in order to facilitate the entry.

24. Entering education

The successful start of the client in the adult or vocational education.

25. Education

At this stage the client stays in the formal program with further graduation.

The next task of the counselor is to monitor whether the client is able to make a transition

toward labour market since the final objective is not education but employment. The final 5 steps

could provide that information.

1. Goal and labour market orientation

2. Training job search skills

3. Mediation (to labour market)

4. Mediated in labour market

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4.2. Active citizenship scale

Active citizenship scale1 (ACS) is a tool that offers support to counsellors who are responsible for

a better integration and social participation of immigrant women with low education. In most of

the European countries the integration policy and supporting measures focus on helping people

to acquire a paid and sustainable job, and thus become independent of the social welfare system.

The research shows that having a (paid) job contributes to a feeling of self-confidence and self-

competence and integration in the society. ACS is used in the context of development of people

towards that goal.

However, the notion of active citizenship itself has a much broader context. People can lead a

satisfactory and meaningful life and can contribute to society in a valuable and sustainable way

without having a paid job. In this case ACS can be used for empowerment of immigrant women

in order to ensure their meaningful participation in the host society. This focus might be of

increased value since the national (economical) context of different EU countries has

considerable impact on the work of coaches and to what is actually achievable in terms of active

citizenship.

The active citizenship scale consists of six stages. In each one of these stages the notion of active

citizenship is explained in behavioural examples that express outcome. Example actions as well as

tools and methods are mentioned to help set up activities for immigrant women as well as to give

motivational guidelines for the coaches.

Apart from the six stages the model also offers an interactive environment in which coaches can

exchange information and experiences with each other, as well as post questions to each other

regarding their work with immigrant women.

For more information on the scale, its use and the some supporting tools:

www.socialempowerment.eu (in EN, SE, GR, ES, PL)

1 The original form of the active citizenship scale has been developed by S.R. Arnstein (1969). From this original several different scales have been derived, one of them being the “Participatieladder” initiated by VNG in the Netherlands (Association of Dutch Municipalities) as well as the EM Kit stages.

http://www.socialempowerment.eu/

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Stages of the ACS-Scale

The definitions of each of the six stages can be used to assess at what stage of active citizenship a

participant currently is. Using six stages does not imply that there is a fixed development route

for everybody towards full active citizenship, requiring fixed amount of time or measures. The

measurement scale simply describes different stages of activeness and involvement. The scale can

be used in two different ways.

1. Planning of new actions to increase the level of active citizenship

Since each stage also gives example actions and behavioural indicators for the assessment of the

level of active citizenship, the description of each stage provides information and direction for

the planning of activities. Furthermore, each of the six stages offers in detail methods and tools

to help to address the main challenges of each stage.

2. Monitoring of progress

By establishing the level of active citizenship at a certain moment in time the effects of one’s

actions as a coach can be measured easily by assessing again the acquired stage after a certain

period of time. Thus the scale offers the coach a simple report mechanism.

Definition of the six stages

Living Isolated: This stage of the active citizenship scale refers to people

who hardly have any contacts outside their living quarters.

To people whose contacts with society are restricted to

pure functional contacts. For example, contacts for health

and welfare. In many cases for these kinds of contacts a

formal or informal interpreter is required to assist.

People do not participate in any form of training or

development (also not through usage of ICT).

Going outside: This stage of the active citizenship scale refers to

individuals who have rather rare social contacts outside

their living quarters. The contacts they have, however, are

Living isolated

Going outside

Joining in Voluntary

work / practice

Working on professional

qualifications

Active citizenship

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not related to work or their personal development, getting

a job or entering education. These social contacts and

activities consist of visiting friends, taking up some

individual sports, visiting the church or mosque, taking part

in some organized activities or taking care of relatives

outside their house.

Joining in: This stage of the active citizenship scale refers to

individuals who are already socially active in their living

quarters. However, their activities are not yet linked to a

future orientation and such the individual ambitions are

not yet developed. So at this stage the measures aiming at

activating the individuals have a higher frequency and

focus on future orientation as well as the training of

elementary knowledge, skills and competences that relate

to work.

Voluntary work / practice: This stage of the active citizenship scale refers to those

individuals who have become more active in their working

lives but still are within the welfare system. They could also

be involved in some vocational education programs for at

least once a week or follow some education or citizenship

courses with a short period of work experience in it. One

more feature of this stage is being active in voluntary work.

In this stage the individuals have regulated activities with a

higher frequency. The activities are also more targeted to

either acquiring work experience or to work-related

training.

Working on professional Qualifications This stage of the active citizenship scale refers to those

individuals who are participating in vocational education in

combination with a training which leads to basic

qualification; to individuals who have (part-time) work in

combination with welfare benefits or to individuals who

work in combination with some kind of subvention

programme, or are supported by job coaches and the like.

Individuals who receive support in their route to self-

employment are as well related to this level.

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At this stage the accent is on either a qualification route or

on work both preparing for more independency of the

individuals (stage 6) for a considerable amount of time per

week (> 24 hours).

Active citizenship: This stage of the active citizenship scale refers to

individuals who are: having a paid job with a contract, self-

employed or entrepreneurs without any additional support;

to individuals who are following professional education as

their major activity; also those individuals who are capable

of making active usage of a variety of offers the society has.

The focus of this stage is on having a regular job or on

further professional development without experiencing any

major shortcomings related to language, lack of knowledge

of society.

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4.3. Motivational interviewing

The basic principles of motivational interviewing (MI) are:

1. Express empathy

One element of empathy is seeing the world through the client's eyes, thinking about things as

the client thinks, feeling things as the client feels, sharing the client's experiences. Expression of

empathy is critical for the MI approach. When the client feels that they are understood, they are

more able to share their experiences with others. This allows the coach to assess when and

where the client needs support, and what potential pitfalls are on the way. When the client

perceives empathy on a counsellor’s part, they become more open to gentle challenges by the

counsellor about lifestyle issues, beliefs and perceptions. The client becomes more comfortable

with examining their ambivalence about change. In short, the counsellor’s accurate understanding

of the client's experience facilitates the change.

2. Support self-efficacy

As noted above, client's belief that change is possible is an important motivator to succeeding in

making a change. As clients are held responsible for choosing and carrying out actions to change

according to the MI approach, the counsellor focus his/her efforts on helping the clients stay

motivated by supporting clients' sense of self-efficacy. There is no "one right way" to change. If a

given plan for change does not work, the clients shall not be limited in their creativity process

and try other plans.

The client can be helped to develop a belief that he or she can make a change. For example, the

counsellor might inquire about other changes the client has made in his/her life, highlighting

skills and success experiences the client already has. Sharing brief examples of other clients

focusing on successes stories is also helpful. In a group setting, the power of having other people

who have changed a variety of behaviours, perceptions and beliefs during their lifetime proves

that change is possible.

3. Roll with resistance

According to MI approach the counsellor does not fight client resistance but "rolls with it."

Statements demonstrating resistance are not challenged. Instead the counsellor uses the client's

"momentum" to further explore the client's views. Using this approach, resistance tends to be

decreased rather than increased, as clients are not reinforced for becoming argumentative and

playing "devil's advocate" to the counsellor’s suggestions. MI encourages clients to develop their

own solutions to the problems. Thus, there is no real hierarchy in the client-counsellor

relationship for the client to fight against. Through exploring the client´s concerns the counsellor

may invite the client to examine new perspectives without imposing new ways of thinking.

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4. Develop discrepancy

"Motivation for change occurs when people perceive a discrepancy between where they are and

where they want to be" (Miller, Zweben, DiClemente, & Rychtarik, 1992, p. 8). MI counsellors

work to develop this situation through helping clients examine the discrepancies between their

current behaviour and future goals. When clients perceive that their current behaviours are not

leading towards important future goals, they become more motivated to make necessary life

changes. Of course counsellors do not develop discrepancy at the expense of other MI

principles, but gently and gradually help clients to see how some of their current ways of being

may lead them away from, rather than towards, their goals.

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Module 5

5.1 Lulea portfolio

5.2 Example of work procedure for building a portfolio

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5.1. Lulea portfolio

This example template is meant to offer the items relevant for collecting prior work experience

(voluntary as well as paid) in a systematic way. Ideally in case a client has this kind of work

experience it is recommended that the client himself asks for some certificate as “evidence” of

the work or tasks done. By systematically collecting this kind of evidence the client is building a

portfolio at the same time.

Organisation (business, voluntary including housekeeping, cleaning, etc.):

………………………………………………

Type of activity/task Hours/days Period

1. 2. 3.

Reference:

Certificate:

Other proof:

Organisation: ………………………………………………

Type of activity/task Hours/days Period

1.

2.

3.

Reference:

Certificate:

Other proof:

Etc.

Summary of demonstrated competences or skills is useful for reaching the client´s goal

Summarize the kind of skills and competences the client has demonstrated for each activity. Then

summarize the main points and relate them to the main goals of your client. Similar strategy for

portfolio building can be done for leisure activities, activities for family-care, child-care, etc.

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List of key qualities used in the Lulea portfolio

In Lulea pilot the following set of key qualities has been used as assessment elements as well as

progression indicators essential for entering the labour market or adult education:

- Mobility

- Time scheduling / time keeping

- Responsibility

- Able to cooperate

- Able to deal with criticism

- Verbalising important matters

- Accreting hierarchy

- Independency

- Showing interest

- Motivated

- Representative

- Willingness to learn

At the start of the project as well as at the end the coaches assesses these qualities and used them

in their report to the case manager as input for further development.

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5.2. Example of work procedure for building a portfolio

Building-up evidence is possible by collecting information through answering to the following

questions:

UNIT: (work experience / voluntary sector, leisure etc.)

Element:

Situation:

(Describe the exact situation in which you were working/acting)

Task:

(Describe your tasks, role and responsibilities)

Activity:

(Describe the activities that were part of the task and responsibilities)

Result:

(What were the results of your contribution?)

Reflection:

(What did you like most and which part was most successful?)

Moving ahead:

Can you think of similar types of situations in which you can develop this element further?

The above method is called STARR. It can be used in communication with the client to collect

necessary information. STARR can be also used to generate information about the learning

strategy of a client and about new situations that can be introduced and where learning can take

place.

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Module 6

6.1. H-model

6.2. Exercise on H-model

6.3. Hoffman’s TOPOI-model

6.4. Exercise on TOPOI

6.5. Intercultural dimensions

6.6. Exercise on intercultural dimensions

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6.1. H-model

Highest outcome:

What does client want to achieve?

Motivation!

Resources:

What skills and competences

does client have?

Current situation:

Thinking, feeling and acting in concrete

situations

Achievable goal:

Short-term plan

Obstacles:

What hindrances does client

perceive in trying to achieve the

goal?

Attention areas:

Course of life

(Voluntary) work

Education/training history

Finances

Leisure - relations

Commitment to others

Health

Self-care and self-image

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The H-model is a way of structuring an interaction to discuss goals. The counsellor can start

from the current situation or with the highest outcome. Addressing each of the legs of H figure is

a way to probe what is available, what is hindering and what needs to be solved. If it is not

possible to get more detail in one leg, try the other one first or go back to the last one you

discussed. The conversation is finalised once you have formulated an achievable goal. Keep in

mind that both general goals as well as achievable goals are directly related to the stage of the progression ladder

your client is at.

By making short notes regarding each of the legs the counsellor automatically collects the input

for a short report.

Some of the questions related to working with H-model

What is the highest outcome for the client (based on the current situation)

What is the highest outcome from the perspective of the counsellor (based on available

information)

Are these outcomes similar? What are the differences?

What are the hindrances for achieving this outcome (from both points of views)?

What are relevant actions to support the client?

What does the client do well at this moment for trying to achieve the highest goal?

How can we trace more resources/competences for the client to help him/her?

Does the client need tailor made support from the provision network?

Do the client and the counsellor succeed in formulating an achievable goal? What is the

difference compared to the highest outcome (based on the current situation)?

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6.2. Exercise on H-model

Group work: for 4 persons max

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Plenary presentation of findings and feedback

Instruction:

- Read the above description on the H-model carefully.

- Read the client case of one of the participants in your group and give a general sketch.

- Analyse jointly all 5 areas of the H model: where are the barriers?

- Summarize: What is the most difficult barrier to overcome based on this analysis?

Example case (also to be used in ACS-exercise, module 4)

Shoriful, who is in her early 50s, was born in Bangladesh. She studied until she was 15 and left school with some

qualifications. She came to Stockholm with her husband in 1975. She has five children with ages ranging from

early 20s to late 30s. One of her children has learning disabilities and needs constant care. She has spent her time

raising the children and caring for her son. The care of the children took all of the time of Shoriful and she did not

have time to study in Sweden. She took the occasional work opportunities from time to time as a cleaner, baby

sitter, and personal assistant. All the jobs were acquired in the local community through the contacts. Shoriful has

participated in language classes but not consistently and has some problems with the Swedish language. She is

active in local women organizations and works as a volunteer for newly arrived immigrants at her local community.

Through municipality and different projects Shoriful has developed her Swedish language skills, computer skills

and gain some work experience through volunteering.

Now she has decided to get a profession and dreams about getting a job certificate in order to achieve her goal of

finding employment.

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6.3. Hoffman’s TOPOI model

TOPOI-model is developed by Edwin Hoffman and is based on the work of the Interaction

Academy in Antwerp, which works with the axioms for communication developed by

Watzlawick. The model discerns 5 areas to trace misunderstandings in communication.

T

ongue

People influence verbally and non-verbally

O

rder

Perception of reality, the relativity of truth

P

erson

Relational level and social aspects

O

rganization

Communication influenced by the context of an organization

I

ntentions and influence

Aim of communication and the actual effect of it

In this sequence, the areas form the word TOPOI. Topoi is a Greek word meaning ‘places’

(topography). It is important to realize that these five areas cannot be separated in the practice of

communication. They are closely linked together. The areas are only separated for clarity’s sake.

In real communication people have to deal with all these areas at the same time.

TOPOI-model is an instrument to analyse the communication. It also is a model for

interventions.

Assumptions of the TOPOI model

The TOPOI-model is based on some assumptions:

1. Communication is universal

2. Focus is on the quality of interaction not the culture

3. Communication is a circular process

4. Intercultural communication requires an open and reflective attitude

5. Be pessimistic about communication, be optimistic about people

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Everywhere in the world people communicate. People give meaning to their environment and to

their experience. Despite differences people have a lot in common. A Swedish youngster has

more in common with a German youngster than with a Swedish middle-aged man. The model

does not focus on culture. The issue is the communication. In this way it presents a way of

looking at your communication to analyse and improve it.

In the training we have already focussed on cultural differences. It can be supportive to know

something about the way people interact when you work with clients coming from a different

culture. However, if one focuses solely on culture it may become an obstacle in communication.

People are not the carriers of a culture in one and the same way. Each person is a unique

personality and it is this personality you meet, not his/her culture. People are individuals and not

only the representatives of a certain culture.

The most important aspect of TOPOI for intercultural communication is becoming aware and

after that knowing one’s own assumptions, especially those one does not recognize as an

assumption but sees it as reality.

Therefore, this model focuses on communication.

In TOPOI communication is perceived as a circular process. Both persons are influencing each

other at the same time. To make it more complex: both are also involved in all kinds of

influencing processes with a broader context, namely the social systems in which the partners

participate.

Looking to communication as a circular process makes clear that each partner can try to change

the communication pattern.

If we see communication as a circular process we can ask ourselves:

What am I doing to make the other person act in this way?

What is the other doing to make me act in this way?

What is the influence of my broader context: the others?

By asking these questions we might find ways to improve our communication.

Communication with someone with a different cultural background demands an open and

reflective attitude. One must be ready and willing to listen and to look at different views, habits,

values and standards. A reflective attitude means that one is aware of his/her own frame of

reference. A reflective attitude means that during a conversation one is able to take the position

of the observer, looking from a distance what is really happening. Looking from a distance to

one's own role and possibilities, and as a counsellor - the responsibilities.

Misunderstandings in communication may occur between anyone, even with ones best friend.

Accepting this possibility as a normal issue keeps the communication open. The point is not to

blame oneself or the other but accept that misunderstanding can occur and can be solved. An

optimistic view on mankind is important for professional work with people.

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Five areas of TOPOI-model

1. Tongue

Each culture has its own code. These codes can be verbal as well as non-verbal.

Misunderstandings may occur by misinterpretation or not knowing the codes. Despite all codes,

language itself can cause a lot of misunderstanding. In fact it is the only tool we have to express

our feeling and thoughts. Everyone knows how difficult it is even in one’s own language.

Some people may be perceived as impolite, or even worse, as rude. Their ‘rudeness’, however,

might be caused by a simple reason of not mastering the native language of a country. Sometimes

people overreact by simplifying their own use of language, like talking to a little child.

2. Order

'Order' is how people look at reality. It’s the pair of glasses they wear when they look at the

world. Everyone has his/her own way of structuring reality. Nobody can grasp the total reality.

People structure reality in different ways because they have a different frame of reference,

recognize different loyalties or take a different position. Therefore we can never see more than

some aspects of reality. We can only take a subjective, limited and relative view with regards to

reality. What is true for me is not necessary true for someone else. Order is also the way you

define a certain problem as a counsellor.

3. Person

This area of the model tries to make the counsellor aware of two different types of influence in

his/her communication:

Personal perspectives

Social perspectives

Personal perspectives are well known. It is a level of relationships in communication. The social

perspectives are the influences of all the messages we get on a certain subject, the dialogue in the

culture. One example: everyone receives 'messages' on 'otherness'. Everybody knows at least

some jokes of people with another cultural background. The jokes are mostly ethnocentric. The

'we' in the joke are the good guys and the 'they' in the joke are usually bad or stupid guys. In

every language there are sayings on 'otherness' like:

On n'aime que ce qu'on connait (French).

Unbekannt, unbeliebt. Unbekannt, ungenannt (German).

Unknown, unloved (English).

Onbekend maakt onbemind (Dutch).

We receive a lot of social perspectives through the media. Politics is sometimes known for using

them. Are we aware of using them in our communication (non-verbal as well as verbal)?

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4. Organization

Organizational matters can also cause misunderstandings in intercultural communication. If the

client does not know what to expect from the counsellor of a specific institute, if the client does

not know the rules in the organization, this can lead to a lot of misunderstanding.

5. Intentions and influence

This 5th area intends to raise awareness on two aspects of communication. By intentions we mean

the aims we want to achieve in our communication. By influence we mean the effect we have on

the client in the conversation. It is important to realize that the effect of one’s communication

may differ from ones intentions. It is always the others who determine the effect of our

communication.

Recognition by the other of one’s good intention is a fundamental need for people. As a coach it

is important to see the intentions of the other.

Some specific points this model put emphasis on when to communicate:

Judgements and prejudices are unavoidable

Have an eye for your own ‘cultural glasses’

Watch the effect, do not “complain” about your (good) intentions

Be prepared for misunderstandings

Sometimes the shortest way is the roundabout way

Look for the common interest

Play an active role

Be alert to prejudices which colour your perceptions

My truth is not the truth

Be sceptic about communication but optimistic about people

It is normal that there are misunderstandings in the communication

One doesn't have to avoid the discrimination issue

TOPOI analyses the mistakes and shows ways to solve them and make people more self-

confident of their own communication skills.

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6.4. Exercise on TOPOI

Group work: 4 persons per group


Plenary presentation of findings: a five minutes presentation of the group outcome, followed by a

general discussion.

Instruction:

- Read the hand out on TOPOI

- Read the presented case of one of your participants (preparatory case description)

- Discuss as a group the 5 areas of TOPOI with focus on what are the weak areas in the

communication

- Formulate advice for this particular case to prevent blind spots and prejudice

- Summarize findings

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Feedback TOPOI Model of Hoffman: Intervention options

Area:

What to do?

Tongue (Language)

Pay attention to ALL signals Investigate meaning (verbal as well as non-verbal) Explain, clarify meanings Give feedback, ask for feedback Investigate meaning also in respect of context of the person

Order (How one perceives things, the logic)

Ask for perceptions, logic Imagine yourself as your client, vice versa Put what is in common first Clarify differences but leave them the way they are Investigate the influence of environment on somebody’s perception

Person (Identity and relationship)

Investigate what different roles and related expectancies the client is talking Active listening Imagine yourself as your client, vice versa From what roles and expectancies are you talking? Investigate how both see the relationship Investigate role of environment on each other’s perceptions and images

Organization (Rules and power relations)

Be aware of power relations Explain own organization Rearrange aspects of own organization Investigate the way the client perceives your organisation Investigate the influence of rules and power relating to environment of your client

Intention, Influences (motives and drives)

Investigate the motives of your client Recognize underlying motives Investigate when client does his/her utmost best Show that you see client is doing his/her best Investigate what sort of recognition your client is looking for Ask how it is better to give recognition to your client Investigate what environment of client means by “doing your best” Explain when you do your best and how Demonstrate the effect of doing your best Clarify intentions and effects

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6.5. Intercultural dimensions

Source: Michael Harris Bond, as published in the 2nd edition of "Cultures and Organizations, Software of

the Mind"(2005)

Analysis of 5-D model on the example of Sweden

If we explore the Swedish culture through the lens of 5-D Model we can get a good overview of

the deep drivers of Swedish culture relative to other world cultures.

First dimension: power distance

This dimension deals with the fact that all individuals in societies are not equal – it expresses the

attitude of the culture towards these inequalities amongst us.

Power distance is defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organisations

within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally.

Sweden scores low on this dimension (score of 31) which means that the following characterises

the Swedish style: being independent, hierarchy for convenience only, equal rights, superiors

accessible, coaching leader, management facilitates and empowers. Power is decentralized and

managers count on the experience of their team members. Employees expect to be consulted.

Control is disliked and attitude towards managers are informal and on first name basis.

Communication is direct and participative.

Second dimension: individualism

The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of interdependence a society maintains

among its members. It has to do with whether people´s self-image is defined in terms of “I” or

“We”. In individualist societies people are supposed to look after themselves and their direct

family only. In collectivist societies people belong to ‘groups’ that take care of them in exchange

for loyalty.

Sweden, with a score of 71 is an Individualistic society. This means that there is a high preference

for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of themselves

and their immediate families only. In individualistic societies offence causes guilt and a loss of

self-esteem. The employer - employee relationship is a contract based on mutual advantage.

Hiring and promotion decisions are supposed to be based on merits only. Management is the

management of individuals.

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Third dimension: masculinity vs. femininity

A high score (masculine) on this dimension indicates that the society is driven by competition,

achievement and success, with success being defined by the winner / best in a field – a value

system that starts in school and continues throughout organisational behaviour.

A low score (feminine) on the dimension means that the dominant values in society are caring for

others and quality of life. A feminine society is one where quality of life is the sign of success and

standing out from the crowd is not admirable. The fundamental issue here is what motivates people,

wanting to be the best (masculine) or liking what you do (feminine).

Sweden scores 5 on this dimension and is therefore a feminine society. In feminine countries it is

important to keep the life - work balance and to make sure that all are included. An effective

manager is supportive to his/her people and decision-making is achieved through involvement.

Managers strive for consensus and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their working

lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation and Swedes are known for their long

discussions until consensus has been reached. Incentives such as free time and flexible work

hours and place are favoured. The whole culture is based around 'lagom', which means something

like not too much, not too little, not too noticeable, everything in moderation. Lagom ensures

that everybody has enough and nobody goes without. Lagom is enforced in society by “Jante

Law” which should keep people “in place” at all times. It is a fictional law and a Scandinavian

concept counselling people not to boast or try to lift themselves above others.

Fourth dimension: uncertainty avoidance

The dimension uncertainty avoidance has to do with the way a society deals with the fact that the

future can never be known. Should we try to control the future or just let it happen? This

ambiguity brings in anxiety and different cultures have learnt to deal with this anxiety in different

ways. The extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and have

created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these is reflected in the UAI score.

Sweden scores 29 on this dimension and thus has a low preference for avoiding uncertainty. Low

UAI societies maintain a more relaxed attitude in which practice counts more than principles and

deviance from the norm is more easily tolerated. In societies exhibiting low UAI, people believe

there should be no more rules than are necessary and if they are ambiguous or do not work they

should be abandoned or changed. Schedules are flexible, hard work is undertaken when necessary

but not for its own sake, precision and punctuality do not come naturally, innovation is not seen

as threatening.

Fifth dimension: long-term orientation

The long-term orientation dimension is closely related to the teachings of Confucius and can be

interpreted as dealing with society’s search for virtue, the extent to which a society shows a pragmatic

future-oriented perspective rather than a conventional historical short-term point of view.

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The Swedes score 20, making it a short-term orientation culture. Societies with a short-term

orientation generally exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save,

strong social pressure to “keep up with the Joneses”, impatience for achieving quick results, and a

strong concern with establishing the truth. Western societies are typically found at the short-term

end of this dimension as are the countries of the Middle East.

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6.6. Exercise on intercultural dimensions

Group work: 4 persons per group


Plenary presentation of findings followed by discussion

Instruction:

- Read the case description

- Go to the website http://www.geert-hofstede.com/hofstde_dimensions.php

- Analyse the cultural differences between one of your clients and your country

- What are the main differences?

- Regarding coaching do you think a specific role is more relevant for the kind of cultural

background? Why? Why not?

- Summarize how you would communicate an initiative your client might benefit from.

http://www.geert-hofstede.com/hofstde_dimensions.php

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Module 7

7.1. SMART action planning

7.2. Network communication and sharing information

7.3. Summary sheet of 7 Habits

7.4. igma ICT tool

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7.1. SMART action planning

This chapter describes how client profile information is used in action planning and how the

impact of the results of the action plans is measured at several different levels.

Introduction: action planning and goal setting

Sometimes action planning is conceived as being a one-time thing: once a client has been

“assessed” this information becomes a never changing basis of a detailed action plan leading to

the goal outlined at the beginning. This vision is not how action planning (and assessment) is

perceived in igma. There are dedicated assessment tools that may be used to determine the level

of competences, skills and needs. However, other techniques such as motivational interviewing

and observation may be more appropriate or could be combined. Moreover getting to know

client´s needs and possibilities (goal) is something which relates to the stage a client is in and the

trust relationship that has been established. As a consequence action planning within igma is

intended to learn more about needs and options as well as organize required activities: action

planning itself is essential for every interaction with clients. Only one stage of the progress ladder has a title

called action planning: the stage in which the client has reached such a confidence, motivational

and competence level that he/she is able to formulate himself/herself realistic goals and enter

training program or work. Therefore the action planning in this stage is substantially different

compared to the ongoing planning during client interaction.

In order to work client-centred action plans are based on the following fundamental questions:

What are the long-term goals and short-term targets for the client? (Part of the short-

term targets emerge by answering the next questions)

What skills and competencies does the client already have which can be further

developed?

What is the current priority need of the client? (Short-term)

What barriers may prevent progress?

What are the solutions?

What options are available to the client?

How will actions be achieved?

Who will deliver?

What support is required?

Why?

And for all issues: by when?

Action planning is a continuous process meaning that an action plan should be the end result of

each session the counsellor has with a client. The above questions should be reviewed and

addressed time and again. This process is necessary to ensure result-oriented intervention.

However, the counsellor needs to remember to help the client to manage the tasks efficiently by

breaking down the actions into smaller targets which are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic

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and time bound or SMART. The clients must learn to walk before they can run and need to be

guided through this process until they become more self-competent and confident.

Although carefully planned an action might miss reaching its target. If the ‘why’ question (Why

was it failing?) cannot be answered new action planning will not be effective, and probably

requires further need analysis. Use the checklist regarding profiling to identify gaps in

information. See the description of H-model for tracing potential hindrances in the appendix.

The information gathered through the client profiling and assessment processes provides an

indication of the actions required to develop the skills and competencies of each client to

progress towards the labour market through formal adult and vocational education. Each action

should always contribute to achieving the pre-determined targets and therefore action plans are

developed in a logical sequence.

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Example template for making an action plan according to igma

One of the essences of igma approach is that it focuses on forging an effective chain between all

involved partners in the provision network. The same actions shall not be done over and over

again. Issues that are suited to each specific organization the client is working with / visiting are

addressed as a division of responsibility.

Usually it is one organisation that acts as the responsible case manager organisation. Part of the

activities that are required for clarifying goals and work towards an achievable goal can be

outsourced to specialized training and other provider organisations in the region. This happens

at stage 7 of the igma progress ladder.

The template below is presented as an example sheet for the case manager to plan and monitor

on-going activities (at other organisations) with each client and their outcomes. The template also

offers room to enter information regarding specific hindrances of each of the client. This is

essential because hindrances also give an evidence-based indication regarding the amount of work

that is required to work with specific clients.

Client Start

date

igma

stage

Target Activity End of

Activity

Result External

contact

Disadvantage

code

Exit

code

For a SMART action plan minimally the next headings are relevant:

Client: an action plan / action file for each one of the clients;

Start date: the date the case manager starts to work with that client within a certain

stage of the ladder; when a client progresses a new start date is being

entered;

igma stage: the stage on the ladder that signifies the core issue of the client the action

plan tries to develop or address;

Goal: highest goal (as perceived at this moment);

Target: the short-term achievable target one is working towards (H-model);

Activity: the activity(ies) needed to achieve that target, review of them included;

End of activity: when finished?

Result: what is the result of these activities? Progress to what step?

External Contact: amendatory if external network is involved in the planned activities;

Disadvantage codes: additional issues that need to be solved (housing, debt, family circumstances, etc.), originating in “getting to know your client”;

Exit codes: describing the reason for finishing the program, dropping out of the

program for a temporary stop.

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About formulating (achievable) goals

An achievable goal needs to comply with the next form descriptions:

o Under the control of the client (it is about attitude and behaviour of the client and not of

the environment;

o Formulated in a positive way;

o It is evident when it is achieved (behaviour, exact result, etc.);

o Context is clear;

o Ecology: meaning the client perceives goal as being very positive for the whole person on

the short-term as well as long-term).

Check for SMART formulations.

For some clients actions need to be planned covering only short periods of time. This means that

an achievable outcome should be something the client is able to achieve in, for example, one

week’s period.

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Working SMART

Smart means:

S: Specific

M: Measurable

A Achievable

R Resourced

T Time-bound

When planning for activities together with the clients it is helpful to consider if actions are:

Specific enough, being clear regarding the directions.

Have clear and recognisable (measurable) results.

A realistic goal taking into account current hindrances.

Clear in what is required and is actually available.

Having a clear moment, date when result should be achieved.

SMART actions pose clear requests to the network thus helping focussing on the professionalism

involved as well as the evaluation of implemented task.

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7.2. Network communication and sharing information

Summary Communication Sheet of Development Needs

Period: Version:

Lulea My Turn project Name of client: ………………………………………………… Date of Birth: ………………………………………………… Name of Personal Adviser: ………………………………………………… General employment goal and/or preferred learning route in adult/vocational education: Short-term action plan:

Summary of relevant skills, competences, or qualities in support of the short-term action plan and the general employment goal:

Training needs:

Additional support:

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Do’s and don’ts (meaning a kind of “user’s manual”)

Other relevant information:

Signed Client: Personal adviser: Provider:

(Nota bene: additional information could be presented on f.e. the competence level of clients regarding different key

qualities)

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7.3. Summary sheet of 7 Habits

Habit 1: Be proactive

Take action and take responsibility. This is the basis of all further habits and a cornerstone of

success. You will influence your life more than anyone else. You have the opportunity to use

your free will and hard work to change yourself and your circumstances. You are only a victim if

you allow yourself to be; if you are reactive rather than proactive. The emphasis of this habit is to

do whatever is in your power to improve your situation. You are the creator, the actor and the

doer in your life; get started and "just do it". Since, in a situation, the thing that you can influence

and change the most is your response to it - choose your response to any situation and you will

find yourself in control. No one can "make" you angry if you decide you don't want to get angry.

Don't let life set you up to be in a bad situation. Have confidence in yourself and believe that you

can succeed at anything in life.

In your internal dialogue, replace language such as "I must do X" with "I choose to do X", "I

have to" with "I want to", "If only..." with "Let's see about..." etc.

I choose to not be angry in my work environment

I choose to spend only planned expenses in my personal

I want to be more present and involved in my family's happiness

Habit 2: Begin with the end in mind

Visualize where you want to go. Before you start something sit down and plan it out. A little

planning will usually save you a lot of actual work later. Use your creative forces to create images

and plans in your head first, then carry out your plan. The plan is called the first creation; the

second creation is formed when you carry out the plan, and its success depends on a well thought

out first creation.

It's extremely easy to get caught up in an activity trap, in the business of life, the thick of

thin things.

I want to be family physician

I want to have a full registration with HPSCA

I want to become a useful consultant

I want to be a good husband, to be a good father

I want to be respected

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Habit 3: Put first things first

Set priorities. Decide which of your roles and goals are most important, then determine what

steps will best achieve those goals. Basically it means doing life with your values in hand. It means

defining your idea of success in life from the image you would like to leave in the roles that you

assume like (spouse, grandparent, voter, activist, student, employee, manager). The idea is to have

these clearly defined and on a piece of paper.

We need to schedule our priorities. We can use the time management matrix to determine where

to spend our time.

There are four quadrants where we spend our time:

1. Important and Urgent

2. Important but not Urgent

3. Urgent but not Important

4. Not Urgent or Important

To be effective we need to take care of everything in quadrant 1 and then spend as much of our

remaining time as possible in quadrant 2. We need to live in quadrants 1 and 2.

Quadrant 1 activities are the things that are important and urgent: emergencies, deadline-driven

projects, crises, some meetings, some phone calls. These are the things we cannot and should not

ignore. They demand our immediate attention.

Quadrant 2 activities include: all work in each of the 7 habits, maintenance, recreation, self-care,

learning, reading, and relationship building. These are the things we don't do because they're

never urgent. They're important, but once we finish dealing with the Urgent and Important

crises, we often don't want to work in quadrant 2. We get distracted by Urgent things that are not

important—quadrant 3 activities—such as phone calls, text messages or interruptions from

others. We might want to retreat to the gratifying but wasteful activities of quadrant 4 because we

feel like we deserve a break. We don't realize that we are setting ourselves up for more crises in

quadrant 1 by ignoring the important activities of quadrant 2.

Habit 4: Think Win- Win

Many people grow up with a competitive mindset ("I win, you lose"), a beaten-down mindset ("I

give up, do what you want to me"), or a mix of these and other mindsets. Each of these has its

place. However, for your most valuable family and business interactions, the most mature and

effective goal is usually to seek situations which benefit everyone involved.

When you negotiate you should seek to make deals that help everyone. In cases where this is not

possible, it is best to have the mindset from the outset that you will walk away from the deal

("win-win or no-deal").

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Habit 5: Seek first to understand, then to be understood

To influence and help others, you must first actively listen to them and understand their situation

and concerns. For example, imagine a doctor who gives a prescription over the telephone

without knowing all the necessary information about the patient and their condition. This could

be a serious or even fatal error if the patient takes the wrong medicine. In the same way, when

giving someone advice we should be quite careful to understand their circumstances well. Even

excellent advice can be useless and wasted if it does not apply to the situation of the person

receiving it.

It is most effective to listen actively with empathy, consciously trying to understand and to see

the world from the other person's perspective. It is also beneficial to listen without judging.

Avoid "hearing" through a filter formed by your own worldview, and do not impose your

preconceived ideas on what you hear, because doing so will inhibit your efforts to put yourself in

the other person's shoes.

Once you have clearly understood the point of view of another person, it is equally important to

be understood by them. You need to build the courage to respond to what you've heard and

present your own view that takes what the other person has said into account.

Habit 6: Synergize This habit deals with teamwork and opening yourself emotionally to work with other people.

Optimistic, emotionally-charged individuals who are living out the previous habits can work

together in amazing ways and see new paths none of them would have found alone. To synergize

means to value differences or disagreements within a group. Instead of looking at the difference

negatively, one can view this as beneficial and seek to understand why the difference exists. In

coming to understand the difference or disagreement, and thinking with a win/win attitude, a

"third alternative" may appear. A "third alternative" is one which neither party could have come

up with alone but instead is generated out of understanding differences and seeking to reach a

win/win solution. This synergy is a bit chaotic but is also fun and stimulating. When you use

synergy you are also improving your spiritual, emotional and social side of your life.

Habit 7: Renewal, Sharpen the saw

Take time to rejuvenate yourself and help prepare yourself to work better in the future. This

often means relaxing, enjoying nature, meditating and praying (Steven Covey was a devout

Mormon, as he explains in the book's introduction), reading Scripture or great literature, listening

to classical music, and spending time with high-quality relationships.

The purpose of this habit is to regularly exercise the four components which many believe make

up the human being: body, mind, heart and spirit.

Body: Exercise for a sense of well-being.

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Mind: Exercise to sharpen the intellectual abilities.

Spirit: Exercise with meditations and inner reflections.

Heart: Exercise care for important relationships.

The fourth category is not an exercise like the others, but rather a commitment to use habits 4, 5

and 6 in everyday life.

Keep positive enthusiasm.

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7.4. igma ICT demo information management system (trainers instruction)

The context of staff working on (re-)integration of low skilled unemployed has been rapidly

changing. The labour market as well as the economic situation has created circumstances in

which more and more attention is put on methodologies that enable staff to handle much bigger

numbers of clients, and use the available means and time as effectively as possible. At the same

time less money is available to support the client’s needs.

At the same time also the involved stakeholders as well as their organisations are changing too,

requiring doing more and tailored made work with less staff.

Collaboration between organisations to save money and time becomes more and more

important. This actually is one of the key elements of the igma methodology: as a regional

network shares one and the same vison on the guidance and integration processes. A part of that

vision is also working together more closely, communicating and therefore exchanging

information to make the interventions more effective and to prevent doing the same things all

over again (intake, related training efforts, advices etc.). This requires a lot of attention on

effective communication between the different professionals/departments as well as between

institutes at regional and local levels.

Objectives of igma Information Management System

To support coaches as well as the stakeholder networks a demo of Information Management

System (IMS) has been developed. This demo offers applications for:

- Managing caseloads of individual coaches; signalling attention when work is due for

particular clients thus focussing coaches´ attention on those clients who require support;

- Giving indication on clients’ progression towards agreed goals; providing evidence for

good governance and helping to run reports on the caseloads;

- Sharing of essential information between organisations to improve collaboration for

better services and to become more effective.

Objective of demo within the igma curriculum

The demo version offers options of how the tool could look like (input as well as output).

Therefore the demo is not a final web system but rather an example which needs to be further-

developed and adapted to the legislation and rules in each country. Main objective of the demo

therefore is:

- Additional training tool to develop awareness of coaches about three levels of the

methodology and how the demo can assist the work of a case manager and a coach at all

three levels.

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- Input on usability of the demo in the real work environment of coaches: collecting

feedback on purpose and presented features as well as on the issue of sharing client

information.

- Development of concrete ideas of the coaches themselves on how they could progress on

the issue of information sharing within their current context.

Trainer explains the objectives with the igma IMS. Brainstorming and discussions of igma IMS is

recommended through the following steps:

- Discussion /group work on current situation of information sharing: Look for where it

currently went wrong and why? Lessons for the future - how to deal with this? How

Demo could be of use for coaches?

- Discussion on the current way case management is organized in the region: In our

regional situation do we have number of coaches in which each one has own

responsibilities? Is there somebody responsible for the work of all these different coaches

/ some organization benefitting from the individual efforts of all these different coaches?

Discussion on who should know what kind of information and when. Discussion on

whether such a process can be facilitated through ICT. Discussion on what demo has to

offer. Dealing with issues on information exchange.

- Discussion or group work on describing most ideal situations of shared responsibility on

clients and related information sharing. What could we do to make a step forward to that

situation? How could the features of the demo be of support in this? What is still

missing?

- Discussion on how demo facilitates the three levels of the methodology.

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Module 8

8.1. Assessment sheet

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8.1. Assessment sheet

Examination assessment sheet for participants

Name of participant:

Group meetings:

Homework:

Attendance (80%)

Level of Participation

Attention for homework

Quality of completion

Module 1 Module 2 Module 3 Module 4 Module 5 Module 6 Module 7 50% of end result:

Project for examination:

Attention of project:

Group presentation

Integration of IA input and literature

Feasibility of strategy and plan

50% of end result: Combined average

Examination result

Scores on scale 1 to 5: 1 is very poor, 2 below average, 3 average, 4 good; 5: excellent Examination results: Failed: mean scores just below average Passed: mean scores of average or higher (with content, excellent)

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List of literature in English

Arthur, N., and M. McMahon. "Multicultural Career Counselling: Theoretical

Applications of the Systems Theory Framework." The Career Development Quarterly 53

(2005): 208-22.

Covey, Stephen R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. London: Simon & Schuster, 2005.

Hooley, T., Matheson, J., Watts, A.G., “Advancing Ambitions: The role of Career

Guidance in supporting Social Mobility”; University of Derby, United Kingdom, 2014

Jacobs, A. Cross-cultural Communication. Groningen: Noordhoff, 2012.

Kuijpers, M., Meijers, F., “Career Learning. Research and practice in Education”;

Euroguidance, ‘sHertogenbosch, Netherlands, 2009.

Law, B., “Career learning thinking for contemporary working life”, The Career Learning

Café, London, 2010.

Law, B., “Career Learning space: New DOTS: Career learning for the Contemporary

world”, British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 27(1999): 35-54.

Nunez, C., Nunnez-Mahdi, R., Popma, L., “Intercultural Sensitivity”, Royal van Gorcum,

Assen, Netherland, 2008.

Patton, W., McMahon, M., “the Systems theory framework of career development and

counselling: connecting theory and practice.” International Journal for the Advancement of

Counselling 28 (2006): 153-166.

Rollnick, Stephen, William R. Miller, and Christopher Butler. Motivational Interviewing in

Health Care: Helping Patients Change Behavior. New York: Guilford, 2008.

Watts, A. G. Career Development Learning and Employability. Heslington: Higher

Education Academy, 2006.

Zikic, J., Franklin, M., “Enriching careers and lives: introducing a positive, holistic and

narrative career counselling method that bridges theory and practice.” Journal of

Employment Counselling 47 (2010): 180-190.

Suggested literature is part of the preparation for some of the modules the literature relates to. Please prepare the

related literature well before the start of each particular module. Trainers are free to choose parallel literature in

official partner language, depending on competence level of English of the participants.

del. 4 - ll2ii€¦ · 9 professional roles of integration agent integration agent operates within...

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