Artan Loxha, project expert, has been working intensively with the Department for European Integration, Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, and the Steering Group for the Implementation of the MLSW Sector Strategy, and Inter-ministerial Steering Group for the Implementation and Monitoring of the Youth Employment Action Plan, to undertake a review of the implementation of the Employment and Social Welfare Strategy – Sector Strategy (2018-2020), and Action Plan for Increasing Youth Employment, during 2018. Two workshops were held to support the review process, on the 29^th March 2019 and 26^th July 2019. As a result of the review process two Monitoring reports have been developed and are in the process of being finalised and translated into English for wider circulation.

The findings of the review process will be used to identify priority projects to be developed for future implementation by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and the Employment Agency. To support this process the project team has developed a number of project pipeline tools: Project Pipeline Identification Form; Joint Project Pipeline and Strategy Implementation Monitoring Database; and Prioritisation criteria for the section of priority projects.

Currently 1 in 4 new enterprises set-up every year in the European Union is a social enterprise (1 in 3 in France, Belgium and Finland).  The Social Business Initiative of the European Commission.

One of the main focuses of the project is the development of the Social Enterprise legal framework. In November 2018 the Law on Social Enterprise 06/L-022, was adopted by the parliament and published in the Kosovo Official Gazette on 26 November 2018 (Reference Number 2018/20). In order to further support the legislation process the project appointed two experts Qerkin Berisha and Muhamet Brahimi, to support two Working Groups established by decision of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare to develop four Administrative Instructions supporting implementation of the new law. The four Administrative Instructions were subsequently drafted by the Working Groups, in close cooperation with the Ministry of Public Administration (Department for Registration of NGOs), and the Ministry of Trade and Industry. The Administrative Instructions were subsequently put out to public consultation.

The four Administrative Instructions are as follows:

• AI 1: Procedures for the registration of Social Enterprises (Article 9, Law No 06/L-022 on Social Enterprise); and
• AI 2: Reporting procedures for achieving social objectives and financial reports (Article 19, Law No 06/L-022 on Social Enterprise).
• AI 3 Procedures and necessary documentation to grant, reject, or withdrawal the status of a Social Enterprise and the composition of the respective ministry commission (Article 11, Law No 06/L-022 on Social Enterprise); and
• AI 4: Deadline for the payment of fines, procedures and appeals (Article 29, Law No 06/L-022 on Social Enterprise).

In order to undertake this work the broader relevant legal framework was analysed, including the:  Law on Social Enterprise; Law on Freedom of Association of NGOs (Law no. 03/L-134); Law on Business organisations (Law 06/L-016); Legislation on Financial Accounting and Audit, Tax Legislation, and supporting secondary legislation in place, as well as relevant policy papers and documents.

In addition to supporting the drafting of the Administrative Instructions, the project team is also working with the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare to: (i) develop the mandate, roles and responsibilities of a new Social Enterprise Unit which will be established within the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare; (ii) develop a detailed Manual to support the new Social Enterprise Unit, the commissions anticipated to be established through the Administrative Instructions, as well as those organisations in Kosovo who wish to register and operate as Social Enterprises; and (iii) assess the training/capacity building needs of the proposed new Social Enterprise Unit staff; the relevant bodies and commissions; and the other ministries and authorities with a responsibility under the new legislation, namely the Ministry of Public Administration, Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Tax Administration.

Based on the conclusions of a Training Needs Assessment, 3 days participative training was designed, and subsequently delivered, by project expert Mladen Vojkovic, to the Employment Agency (central office, Vocational Training Centres, and Employment Offices); Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare; Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport; municipalities; Youth Councils; Youth Centres; Centres for Social Work; and Non-government organisations.

Module 1 of the training covers policy development and implementation themes – including strategic management for policy development, project design, and implementation.  The delivery of the training was a mix of presentations, discussion and working groups, with working groups working on real-life examples which they shaped and designed in detail using the knowledge and skills they received during the training. To date four Module 1 training events have been delivered in Pristina, Peja, Prizren and Mitorvica, with training delivered to 78 participants. It should be noted that training attendance was significant and the level of interest, approach, and working ethics of the participants commendable. The final Module 1 training will be delivered during the period 18^th – 20^th September 2019 in Pristina.

Based on the results of Module 1 training, a follow up Module 2 will be designed and delivered, for a smaller group of participants, who have more advanced level of knowledge and/or project ideas that they would like to further develop. For this training programme the project team will provide more individualised and intensive support in project design and delivery.

Work is nearing completion on the development of the new module on monitoring and evaluation of grant schemes, which is being incorporated into the Employment Agency Employment Management Information System (EMIS). This work is being carried out by project expert Zana Tabaku. In the EMIS database, tables and stored procedures have been developed for each grant, agreement/contract to be registered in the EMIS. The algorithm of automatic proposal under profiling module was updated so beneficiaries of grant schemes can be taken directly from the waiting list as unemployed with high risk of long-term unemployment. In addition to this, special target for the category of social assistance and other vulnerable groups was established.

The required developments to the system were broken down into 2 Phases. Phase 1:  Development of the Employment Agency EMIS system, to incorporate information and processes related to grant a scheme, was completed in April – May 2019, and Phase 2: Monitoring and Reporting was successfully completed in August 2019.

During April and May 2019, Ms. Meri Lorencic an expert from Slovenia joined the project team to work with the Employment Agency, Vocational Training Centre Department. Through a series of meetings, at the central level, and site visits to Peje, Prishtina and Mitrovica Vocational Training Centres, Employment Offices, and local employers, Ms. Lorencic worked with the Vocational Training Department to refine the existing model for combined training. This model combines theoretical training, delivered in the Vocational Training Centers, with more practical training delivered in the premises of employers.

Ms Lorencic has worked extensively in the employment sector for 38 years, including as an Adviser to the General Director of the Employment Service of Slovenia, and for the ETF (European Training Foundation)

During April and May 2019, Ms Lorencic also worked with the Employment Agency, Vocational Training Centre Department to develop a manual for how the Employment Agency could more effectively contract out accredited vocational training to external training providers. As well as extensive discussions with the Employment Agency the consultant also met with a number of accredited training providers, the Ministry of Education and Science, and the National Qualticiations Agency.