1. Governance and Effective Vocational
Education and Training policies: the
role of evidence
Luljeta Shala
Kosovo Pedagogical Institute
Turin on 23-24 November 2011
Kosovo Team

2. Content
1.
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7.
VET system in Kosovo
Kosovo Education Strategic Plan (KESP) 2011
-2016
Improvement in VET; according to KESP
Policy making in VET: problems and issues
Kosovo Torino Process : its added value
Kosovo Torino Process 2012: the way ahead
Conclusions

3. VET system
• 57 vocational schools in 26 main towns in
Kosovo and 2 centers of competence( planned
7)
• 57% of secondary education enrolled students
are in VET schools (2008/09); 38.3% are
females
• Very few pass VET Matura exam- public
discussions have started
• MEST: VET Department with 4 staff- VET
Agency to be established in 2013

4. Kosovo Education Strategic Plan
2011 -2016
• Ambitious goals for reforms in education and training
• Special attention on the VET sector, because VET
system an important player in education system
the sector educates youngsters to become the
professionals crucial to the Kosovo labour market
enhanced quality of VET provision will help
transition from school to work
which in turn will effect employment and generate
economic growth

5. Improvement in VET, according
to KESP
School based developments:
• Self evaluation in all VET schools was completed in 2011(for the
first time)
• VET schools have elected coordinator/responsible for the quality
assurance and external evaluation is conducted by Kosovo National
Qualification Authority in 10 school based on its accreditation criteria
are developed.
• Draft Administrative for Centers of Competence is finalized and is
expected to be signed, criteria are being developed to convert
existing vocational schools in the competence centers (the ones that
will meet criteria)
• Professional standards are designed for 30 profiles in different fields
and are approved by Kosovo National Qualification Authority- 17 of
them are being approved by MEST.

6. Improvement in VET, according
to KESP
System developments:
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•
•
Structures in MEST for the management and supervision of KESP:
Steering Committee, Task Force (ETF is part of it) and a Secretariatessential structures for a fully functioning sector-wide approach
(SWAp) to education in Kosovo. IPA funding is crucial to all the
processes.
For the first time in 2011:MEST, Municipalities and other education
institutions have drafted the budget plan for 2012, as an input to the
Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).
Revised national curriculum framework, teacher professional
development, capacities of the local education authorities and school
principals, textbooks, and the school infrastructure have been the
focus of joint donor and government support-donor pooled fund

7. Improvement in VET, according
to KESP
•
•
•
Work has started to address the recommendations for training and
capacity needs of the municipal and school levels of education
management
Discussions on a Pooled Fund are well underway as one of the
innovative modalities of the sector approach
MEST is finalising the Performance Assessment Framework (PAF)
with a number of indicators for each sub-sector as a basis for annual
education sector reviews.
• The first annual education sector review is
planned for the first half of 2012- ETF
conducted Torino Process Report will be used
as the baseline for the review of the VET subsector .

8. Policy making in VET: issues
• Lack of review of the impact of VET policies and lack
of analysis to understand: (whether VET policies
achieved their set objectives and if not why)
• Lack of systematic labor market skills analyses and
school to work transition surveys
• Lack of skills’ need analyses
• Lack of data makes it difficult to assess how VET
system is addressing economic, employment and
social challenges i.e. internal, external efficiency and
combating social exclusion

9. Torino Process- added value for Kosovo
•
•
•
•
•
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•
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Focus on evidence;
Better understanding of policy formulation and impact;
Enhanced design of policy options;
Support capacity development with the view to promote
self-assessment;
Tool for decision making for government institutions and
donors;
Focus on the coordination between VET education and
economy;
Clear definition of indicators to measure progress and
Focus on multi and inter institutional cooperation.

10. Torino Process- added value for Kosovo
•
•
•
•
Torino process/its reporting used by Kosovo
institutions and its development partners as the
feasibility study for the Kosovo Education Strategic
Plan 2011-2016 (VET sub sector);
Kosovo Torino Reporting/Reviews 2010-2012 agreed
to be used as baseline studies for the Kosovo
education system annual progress review-sector wide
approach (SWAp);
ETF has been charged by Kosovo Government and
Donors to work on the VET sector indicators (ETF
Statistical colleagues);
It has helped in increasing the IPA and other donor
prioritised financial support.

11. Torino process: one step ahead in
capacity development
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•
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ETF provided expertise know how, support and
coaching to Kosovo Pedagogical Institute in 2010-2011;
ETF provided on the job training to Kosovo
Pedagogical Institute (KPI) research team during the
pilot survey on VET schools drop out rates,2010-2011;
As result there is a well developed and sustainable
mechanism for survey, analysis and evaluation of
access, drop-outs and assessment of VET students in
Kosovo ;
Kosovo MEST has entrusted Kosovo Pedagogical
Institute to conduct the survey every two years;
Kosovo Pedagogical Institute is being asked by MEST
and donors for more research/evidence for policy
making.

12. Kosovo Torino Process
2012
Aim:
• to review and assess the VET system progress by identifying key trends
and gaps
• to support Kosovo’s evidence-based policy making by fostering multi
level and inter-institutional partnership in VET policy making and
implementation
Who:
• Kosovo MEST-Policy Planning, European Integration and Donor
Coordination Department jointly with Council of VET (CVET) which is a
tripartite body and VET Sub-Sector Working Group-ETF guides, coaches
and supports analytical capacities until the final draft Torino Report
How:
• a series of consultation events and focus groups: VET school principals,
teachers, students (youth NGOs’ representatives), academics,
employers, civil society, donors etc
• analysis of quantitative and qualitative evidence
• ETF concludes final report

13. Conclusions
1. We should strive to develop Torino Process Analytical
Framework into a more critical communicative
methodology in order to enhance key stakeholders'
capacities for VET policies, research and their unavoidable
contradictions;
2. TPR should be focused also on VET as an object of
research in a given context and not only as an object of
review/assessment;
3. Torino Process Analytical Framework design should
involve the end users and stakeholders from its design to
the implementation of the results of the process.

14. Thank you for your attention!