The questionnaire below was shared with all countries in the sample to collect information on both the development and implementation process of skills strategies based on the analytical framework (see Annex A). The questionnaire was sent to policy experts with direct knowledge of the skills strategies.
Insights from Skills Strategies in the European Union
Lessons Learnt for Developing and Implementing Effective Skills Policies
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OECD Skills Studies
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Annex B. Questionnaire on National Skills Strategies
Copy link to Annex B. Questionnaire on National Skills StrategiesDeveloping skills strategies – Context
Copy link to Developing skills strategies – Context1. Is ___ the leading strategic document driving skills policy in your country (heretofore referred to as “skills strategy”)?
For the purposes of the project, the “skills strategy” refers to the leading strategic document driving skills policy, whether this is an officially approved government strategy, a report from an external consultancy, a white paper, etc.
a. Yes
b. No
If no, what is? Please include a link to a version of the document (ideally in English), if possible: ___________________
2. What are 3-5 key contextual factors that motivated ___country name___ to establish a skills strategy (e.g. political crisis, change in government, the impact of megatrends on skills systems, specific skills challenges)?
Feel free to elaborate: ___________________
3. Which of the following characterises the policy context in which the skills strategy was developed? Please check all that apply.
a. The current skills strategy was preceded by a previous national skills strategy/lifelong learning strategy document.
b. The skills strategy was inspired by/modelled after a European-level strategy document.
c. The skills strategy is linked to other national strategic documents (e.g. a long-term vision)
Please elaborate on your answers above: _________________________
4. How was the development of the skills strategy funded? Please choose all that apply.
a. State/national budget
b. Funding by the European Commission (EC)
c. Other
Please expand on your answer and indicate any other relevant sources: ___________________
Developing skills strategies – Process
Copy link to Developing skills strategies – Process5. How long was the process of developing the skills strategy (e.g. from the first meeting of a dedicated working group until the public release of the skills strategy)?
a. < 1 year
b. 1-2 years
c. 2-3 years
d. > 3 years
6. Please confirm whether the entities leading the development of the skills strategy outlined below are correct.
National entity(ies) leading skills strategy process: ____
External organisations involved in skills strategy process: ____
Is this correct?
a. Yes
b. No
Please elaborate if necessary: _________________
7. Please check all of the following mechanisms for whole-of-government engagement that were used in the development of the skills strategy.
a. Interministerial project team at the ministerial level
b. Interministerial project teams/working groups at the professional/technical level
c. Multiple government entities officially designated as “strategy partners”
d. Skills strategy officially approved by parliament
e. Engagement events/workshops/roundtables, including government stakeholders
f. Survey(s) and/or other written inputs by government stakeholders
g. Other (please specify): ___________
8. Please check all of the following government entities that were actively involved in the development of the skills strategy (through mechanisms as described in Question 8):
a. Ministry/Department/Secretary of Education
b. Ministry/Department/Secretary of Employment/Labour
c. Ministry/Department/Secretary of Economy
d. Ministry/Department/Secretary of Finance
e. Ministry of Interior
f. Ministry/Department/Secretary of Innovation / Technology / Science (or similar)
g. Regional/local government officials
h. Other (please list as many as are relevant, including relevant government agencies): ______________
9. Please check all of the mechanisms to engage non-government stakeholders that were used in the development of the skills strategy.
a. Project team or working groups/committees with non-government stakeholders
b. Non-government stakeholders officially designated as “strategy partners”
c. Engagement events/workshops/roundtables including non-government stakeholders
d. Survey(s) and/or other written inputs by non-government stakeholders
e. Awareness raising around strategy among non-government stakeholders
f. Other (please specify): ___________________
10. Please check all of the following non-government entities that were actively involved in the development of the skills strategy (through mechanisms as described in Question 10):
a. Employers/employers’ associations
b. Trade unions
c. Primary and secondary schools
d. Vocational education and training (VET) providers
e. Higher education institutions
f. Adult education and training providers
g. Research institutions
h. Civil society organisations
i. Learners and/or their families
j. Other (please list as many as are relevant): ___________________
11. How many individual government officials and non-government stakeholders were engaged throughout the process of developing the skills strategy (through the mechanisms outlined in Questions 8 and 10)?
a. 0-49
b. 50-99
c. 100-199
d. 200-499
e. 500 or more
Developing skills strategies – Output
Copy link to Developing skills strategies – Output12. Which of the following topics about developing skills are covered in the skills strategy? Please check all that apply:
a. Early childhood education and care (ECEC) (ISCED Level 0)
b. Initial education in schools (ISCED Levels 1-3)
c. Vocational education and training (VET) (ISCED Levels 3-5)
d. Higher education (HE) (ISCED Levels 6-8)
e. Adult education and training (AET)
f. Developing skills of the elderly (65+)
g. Other (please specify): ___________________
13. Which of the following topics about using skills are covered in the skills strategy? Please check all that apply:
a. Adoption of high-performance workplace practices (HPWP) (these include both organisational practices [i.e. teamwork, autonomy, and work flexibility] and management practices [i.e. employee participation and incentive pay] that have a strong impact on how skills are used in the workplace)
b. Skills of management and leadership
c. Skills for innovation and/or entrepreneurship
d. Active labour market policies (ALMP)
e. Migration policies
f. Other (please specify): ___________________
14. Which of the following topics about strengthening the governance of skills systems are covered in the skills strategy? Please check all that apply:
a. Co-ordination, co-operation and collaboration across the whole of government
b. Engagement with non-government stakeholders
c. Skills information systems (e.g. skills assessment and anticipation, integrating data sources, etc.)
d. Financing arrangements for skills policy (e.g. distribution of funding across skills policy, long-term sustainable skills funding arrangements, diversifying funding between the public, individuals, and enterprises, etc.)
e. Other (please specify): ___________________
15. Which of the following aspects of learning provision are covered in the skills strategy? Please check all that apply:
a. Delivery of learning provision (virtual, hybrid, in-person)
b. Curriculum design
c. Teacher/trainer quality and competencies
d. Career guidance
e. Quality assurance mechanisms
f. Recognition of prior learning (RPL)
g. Labour-market-relevant learning
h. Other (please specify): ___________
16. Which of the following types of skills are covered in the skills strategy? Please check all that apply:
a. Cognitive and meta-cognitive skills (e.g. literacy, numeracy, critical-thinking skills, learning-to-learn skills)
b. Digital skills (e.g. digital literacy, ability to use digital tools, ability to use digital technologies for problem solving)
c. Technical-professional skills (e.g. the skills required to be a mechanic or cook, a retail manager or a nurse, an engineer or a computer programmer)
d. Social and emotional skills (e.g. perseverance, self-regulation, self-organisation, empathy, sociability and self-esteem)
e. Other (please specify):_____________
17. Which of the following types of learning settings are covered in the skills strategy? Please check all that apply:
a. Formal (e.g. learning provided in schools, colleges, universities or other educational institutions that leads to a recognised certification)
b. Non-formal (e.g. learning that does not necessarily lead to a formal qualification, such as seminars or workshops, private lessons, etc.)
c. Informal (e.g. unstructured, often unintentional, learning that does not lead to certification and often occurs more or less automatically in the workplace)
d. Other (please specify): _________
18. Why and how was the scope of the skills strategy selected? ___________________
19. What are the biggest successes and challenges related to the development of the skills strategy for your country? ___________________
a. Successes: __________________
b. Challenges: _________________
Implementing skills strategies
Copy link to Implementing skills strategiesImplementation approach
20. What best characterises the approach for implementing the skills strategy (multiple answers are possible)?
a. The strategy informed policy making indirectly (e.g. by building momentum for reform).
b. The strategy resulted in the implementation of some specific skills policies (e.g. a learning incentive, a new skills body).
c. The strategy itself includes a plan for implementing all recommendations/measures.
d. The strategy informed a specific implementation/action plan (or a series of plans) building on its recommendations.
e. The strategy is used by groups or committees that will further design and oversee implementation.
f. Other (please specify): _____________
21. If applicable, please provide links to all implementation/action plan(s) related to the skills strategy: ___________________
Implementation process
22. Please specify where the following implementation characteristics are presented:
|
In the skills strategy document itself |
In separate implementation/action plan(s) |
N/A or not presented |
Other |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Responsibilities for implementation |
||||
|
Funding (sources and/or amounts) for implementation |
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Timelines for implementation |
If possible, please expand on your answers: ___________________
Implementation and evaluation
23. Which of the following methods are used to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the skills strategy? Please check all that apply.
a. Regular reporting requirements
b. Defined key performance indicators (KPIs)
c. Qualitative benchmarks and/or targets
d. Assessment reports (internal)
e. Assessment reports (external)
f. None
g. Other
h. Please expand on your answer and/or share the links to all impact assessments of the strategy and of implementation/action documents associated with the strategy of which you are aware: ___________________
24. What are the biggest successes and challenges of the implementation of the skills strategy for your country?
a. Successes: ____________
b. Challenges: ____________
25. Please rate the following on a scale from 1-5 (1 being the lowest, 5 the highest):
a. How successful was the development of the skills strategy in your country?
b. How effective has implementation of the skills strategy in your country been?
c. How significant has the skills strategy been in improving skills policy in your country?