Presentation of the results of the project „Identification, assessment and recognition of informally
acquired competences“
(142367-2008-LLP-AT-Grundtvig-GMP)
The project „Identification, assessment and recognition of informally acquired competences“ started in
December 2008. The project is funded by EU Lifelong Learning Programme and is implemented by partners
from Austria, France, Germany, Lithuania, Netherlands, Slovakia and Switzerland. Duration of the project is
24 months.
Project goal
Project aims to stimulate adult education institutions, their management staff and teaching professionals to
develop the ideas of lifelong learning, to foster specific methodical competencies by applying in practice
already tried and trusted methods.
Target group
Ault education professionals and organisations (institutions, associations, institutes, etc.) from different
fields: vocational education and training, other areas of improving of qualifications where institutions are
involved in identification, assessment and recognition of competencies. Specific target group of the project
is publishing houses of training resources.
Results of the project
The project partners analyzed the documents regulating identification, assessment and recognition of
informally acquired competences collected the data for the database on methods used for identification,
assessment and recognition of informally acquired competences, and completed The Virtual Portfolio of
Instruments or Virtual Toolbox which
Regional and national "methods workshops" were first organized in each country. Representatives of
adult education institutions and social partners discussed the situation and prospects of identification,
assessment and recognition of informally acquired competences.
Each partner country organized a national seminar in 2010.
The series of national and regional events was brought to a close by a two-day International “methods
workshop” in Bratislava (Slovakia). Participants of this forum discussed the practice and experience in
identification, assessment and recognition of informally acquired competences, compared the effectiveness
of methods used in different countries, obtained ideas for improving or developing new methods. The
practitioners of adult education have discussed country-specific future tendencies reflecting the guidelines
of lifelong learning and developed recommendations for improvement of methodologies.
Each partner edited the Compendium of national methods used for identification, assessment and
recognition of informally acquired competences. Examples of German and Lithuanian compendiums:
The last product of the project is the international compendium of methods of identification, assessment
and recognition of informally acquired competences.
This compendium is addressed to professionals and organizations (institutions, associations, institutes, etc.)
working in the field of lifelong learning in the European Union. It was developed by the partners of the IBAK
European project.
The intention is to present as fully as possible:
• activities carried out in each of the partner countries in terms of identification, assessment and
recognition of informally acquired competences.
• the practice and experience in France (VAE), the Netherlands (EVC) and Switzerland.
Cover of the International compendium
Project partners
• HeurekaNet e.V. (Germany) – project coordinator)
• Burgenlaendische Volkshochschulen (Austria)
• Bildungswerk der KAB (Germany)
• ROC van Twente (the Netherlands)
• GIP FCIP Alsace (France)
• Lithuanian Association of Adult Education (Lithuania)
• Akademia vzdelavania (Slovakia)
• Swiss Association forAdult Education (SVEB, Switzerland) – “the silent” partner
More information: http:// www.competences.info