Objectives
The EVE project envisages the creation of a multilingual user-friendly web-based tool intended to increase the visibility and to ensure better dissemination and exploitation of the products, the innovative contents and the interesting practices resulting from the programmes and initiatives of the Directorate General for Education and Culture (EAC) in the fields of education, training, culture, youth, citizenship, sport and multilingualism.
In the context of European educational and cultural programmes, the term "results" comprises:
- education and training manuals
- course curricula and software
- surveys and analyses
- cooperation processes and methodologies
- managerial lessons learned
- know-how and good practices
- new forms of cultural expression and intercultural dialogue
- new transnational partnerships and cooperative ventures.
The tool is addressed to the various actors involved in Education & Culture programmes, namely:
- educational and training bodies
- trainers and teachers
- enterprises, youth and cultural organisations
- national, regional and local authorities
- decision makers
- professionals and professional organisations
- students and trainees
- NGOs
- European citizens
- managers of European programmes
The platform will be a reference point for any potential user interested in accessing results from various EAC programmes. It will be built upon existing results data bases and other information sources (such as portals, websites etc) and it will allow horizontal searches among them, offering a possible solution to the current fragmentation. Transversal searching and browsing through data from different existing (or future) databases/systems will thus be possible. The potential user interested in knowing what kind of projects and results EAC has supported in a certain field or on a specific topic, will therefore be able to have access to information via a single entry point and to download a copy of the result where this is available in digital format. Information of projects and results will be reproduced by the tool in a different manner, according to the typology of the projects. Other kind of information sources (reports, websites, portals…) will also be linked and/or searchable by the electronic platform engines.
In parallel, the tool can help to identify specific needs in Europe as regards EAC fields of activity. Questions raised by the users, statistical data on the searches effectuated, etc. will serve as a valuable source of information about what stakeholders are looking for from EAC programmes in terms of results.
The general information provided by the EVE system will be available in all official languages. More detailed information on the projects and the results will be found in a reduced number of languages.
The platform will be completed by a help desk facility. If requested by the user, the help desk will direct the specific demand towards the most appropriate source of information and provide advice concerning the results found in the platform and the way they could be further exploited and transferred (guidelines on exploitation of results, examples on how results can be further transferred and exploited, information on IPR and commercialization issues, etc.)
Furthermore, two sections are envisaged to support the users of the EVE system:
- theoretical/policy support: recommendations on issues like dissemination and exploitation of results; it will present methodologies and good practices for the dissemination and exploitation of results.
- technical support: instructions on ‘how to use’ the results, the constraints to their use, such as the respect of the intellectual property rights, the marketing clauses, etc.
Technical Functionalities & Approach
The project implementation has been planned in two phases between February 2007 and December 2008.
The architecture and the technical functionalities have been defined based on the results of a feasibility study completed in July 2006.
Phase 1 - prototype:
A first version of the EVE system has been produced in December 2007 and the following core functionalities have been completed:
- provision of a centrally-based repository of data concerning programmes, projects and results;
- import of data on existing programmes, projects and results (a careful selection of external data sources took place so that a set of information from all main EAC programmes was available);
- searching of data on programmes, projects and results via keywords and full-text search;
- browsing of data on programmes, projects and results contained in the system;
- provision to the users of a set of common templates defining the shared data;
- possibility of entering new items directly into the system (new data on projects and results can be entered via a dedicated interface);
- provision of a basic administration interface to manage users and access control;
- possibility of submitting questions to a helpdesk;
- provision of an interface for the users in three languages (English, French and German);
- development of a basic taxonomy linked to controlled vocabulary and use of the Dublin Core Metadata Element Set;
- provision of an interactive interface with the users for sharing comments and feedback concerning the items posted on the platform.
Phase 2 - implementation:
Some improvements to EVE application have been carried out during the first months of 2008 and at present around 6000 projects and results have been imported.
EVE will be put into production in May 2008; then a certain number of tests with users from a selection of programmes will take place.
EVE platform will be fully fledged and completely operational from early 2009. The official launching event will take place in March 2009.
Phase 2 of the project will comprise:
- an evaluation of the users feedback on the system content and its functionalities;
- the improvement of the system based on the findings of this evaluation;
- the addition of further functionalities, like a helpdesk support (content and technical support to the users), discussion forums, the save of search criteria, change alerter, guidelines and practical tools for the users concerning the exploitation of results, further useful links etc.), collection of statistical data on the users’ behaviour, etc.;
- the set up of the data export mechanism for other data sources (included interface development with Symmetry and LLP-link);
- the addition of further languages in the system (translation of EVE interfaces into the other official languages);
- hosting of the full system at Commission's Data Center;
- an extensive communication campaign as well as the launching event at European level;
- the definition of the system maintenance past the completion of phase 2.
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Potential Beneficiaries
- Benefits for the sector
Increased visibility of existing results in the fields of education, training, culture, youth, citizenship and multilingualism; better accessibility to these results and increased transfer and circulation in Europe of innovative contents in the concerned fields of activity.
- Benefits for national Member States administrations
Benefits for Member States administrations (educational, labour and cultural ministries but in particular schools, training institutes, universities; in general, all major actors in the fields of education and culture at national and regional levels).
Increased visibility of EU funded results; better information, easier and quicker access to results and possibility to further exploit results developed elsewhere in Europe (increased visibility and easier exchange of information on existing results and practices).
- Benefits for citizens / enterprises
Citizens and enterprises will benefit from this tool because they will have the possibility to make quick transversal searches on what has already been developed with EU funds on a specific topic, in a specific sector. They will have easier, quicker access to these results. An innovative aspect of the project is that, when available in electronic format, results will be directly downloadable from EVE.
Another aspect is multilingualism: a short generic description of the result/product, together with information on "how to get it" will be made available in (possibly) all official languages.
Key Data
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Project start date
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2006
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Project completion date
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2008
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Project status
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ongoing
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IDABC budget
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€ 800 000
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Service in charge
Associated Service
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Directorate-General for Education & Culture, unit C3
Directorate-General for Education & Culture, unit R5
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Responsible action manager
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DEGIAMPIETRO Elisabetta
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Contact
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Countries involved
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All EU Member States and other countries participating into EAC programmes (eg EFTA countries which are members of EEA, some third countries)
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Public websites
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http:// ec.europa.eu/eve (from May 2008)
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Documentation:
- IDABC Decision 2004/387/EC of 21 April 2004
- Council Decision No 1999/382/EC of 26 April 1999
- Council Decision No 1999/311/EC of 29 April 1999
- Council Decision No 2004/100/EC of 26 January 2004
- Decision No 253/2000/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 January 2000
- Decision No 791/2004/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004
- Decision No 2317/2003/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 December 2003
- Decision No 1031/2000/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 April 2000
- Decision No 2318/2003/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 December 2003
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