2. The Project Subject, Goals and Objectives

The subject of this project is a study of vocational education institutions capacity to revise their management at institutional level via improvement of its information and analytical provision and identification of prospects in education services modern indicators application. The proposed self-evaluation methodology is directed at accumulation of experience to overcome contradiction between vocational education institution need in qualitative information about its positive and negative practice and deficiency in affordable, effective and cost-efficient means to obtain such information.

In line with this the experts of the Working Group identifying the Projects goals and objectives took into account the following:

· Critical importance of self-evaluation in theoretical, methodological and practical aspects;

· Current practice of vocational education institutions attestation and self-attestation, their positive and negative aspects;

· Modern experience of Russia, Latvia, Australia, Great Britain and USA in information and analytical provision of vocational education management;

· Needs and capacities of primary vocational education institutions in revision of internal evaluation activity taking into account the new social and economy situation in the country;

· Insufficient study of this problem and its coverage by scientific and methodology research;

· A possibility of the proposed methodology application as an auxiliary instrument to improve efficiency of primary vocational education not contradicting established requirements of external attestation.

The long-term goal of the project is assistance to reforms of vocational education management to meet new labor market requirements taking into account best domestic and international experience.

The short-term goal of the project is development of education and methodology package for training trainers in vocational education institutions self-evaluation issues of content, technology and procedure.

The Projects Objectives:

1. To design methodology basics of primary vocational education institutions self-evaluation;

2. To study the following:

· Vocational education sector management guidelines and conceptual documents adopted in Kazakhstan during 1998-2001 taking into account modern trends prevailing in this sector;

· Some vocational education curricula and syllabuses to identify possibilities for revision of education content and evaluation methods in cooperation with employers and other interested organizations.

3. To develop structure and content of the methodology package in terms of self-evaluation of vocational education institutions management quality.

4. To conduct training workshop at primary vocational education institutions of Kazakhstan to train a group of trainers in this field.

5. To conduct a round table for the project results presentation.

6. To prepare the final report on the project’s components implementation.

Expected Results of the Project Implementation:

1. Vocational education sector analytical review conduction and its materials preparation to publication taking into account modern international trends in this area.

2. Identification of methodology, main achievements and problems in Kazakhstan vocational education quality evaluation.

3. Preparation of information-analytical paper on basis of selective study of vocational education curricula and syllabuses reflecting capacity and ways of employers and other interested organizations attraction to education content revision.

4. Testing of self-evaluation methodology in 5 vocational education institutions.

5. Development of education and methodology package on content and technology of vocational education institutions management quality self-evaluation for the trainers training.

6. Conduction of 3 workshops to train trainers in technology of vocational education institutions management quality self-evaluation.

7. Revision of the education methodology package based on the workshops results synthesis.

8. Conduction of the round table for presentation and discussion of the Projects’ implementation results.

9. Preparation and submission of the Final Report to UNESCO Cluster Office/Almaty. The Final Report should contain the Finance Report, the Information and Analytical Paper (see Annex 3) and the Education and Methodology Package.

Besides the projects component implementation will enable the following:

At Education Institutions Level:

· To find out their advantages and imperfections, threats and potential required for the development;

· To identify new professional services in demand at the labor market;

· To promote introduction of new curricula and syllabuses;

· To motivate use of new education technologies;

· To expand introduction of new approaches to vocational education institutions management;

· To strengthen links between education institutions and industrial enterprises.

At Management Bodies Level:

· To provide purposeful support to those efficient primary education institutions which have clear development plans and programs, goals, objectives and their implementation strategies;

· To supplement indicators of primary vocational education institutions attestation with qualitative indicators list of their activity meeting students needs and the labor market demand;

· To find out and share positive experience of primary vocational education institutions at regional and national levels.

At Employers Level:

· To identify areas of mutual interest with primary vocational education institutions in terms of vocational education and training content revision and technology improvement;

· To extend possibilities for human resources training and retraining at best vocational education institutions;

· To formulate own needs in vocational education institutions graduates quality and their learning achievements evaluation.