Thematic Networking Groups
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Thematic Networking Group membership
Thematic Networking Groups have been established for each Equal theme and include relevant policy representatives from the Department for Education and Skills or other government departments, the Scottish Executive, the National Assembly for Wales, representatives of the equality commissions (Commission for Racial Equality, Disability Rights Commission, and Equal Opportunities Commission), social partners and the Development Partnerships. Government Offices and Regional Development Agencies could usefully be involved in these groups to help take forward the direct lessons for mainstream ESF and to specify regional priorities. A representative of the managing authorities chairs each thematic group.
Activities
The precise role of the Thematic Networking Groups (TNGs) will be agreed with the GB Monitoring Committee and includes:
1. Strategic focus
To ensure that Equal continues to focus on the priority areas, and takes account of emerging findings and changes in policy and/or the labour market. Each network reports to the Equal GB Monitoring Committee.
2. Recommend Development Partnerships for approval by Monitoring Committee
TNGs within each pillar/theme consider all the applications within their thematic area and recommend the English and GB-wide projects which best fit the strategic focus. In order to consider the GB perspective they will be provided with details of projects that only operate in Scotland or Wales (rather than GB-wide). These have already been endorsed by their respective management committees. Members of the TNGs have to declare any interest in the work of any proposals from Development Partnership—and will not participate in the consideration of these proposals.
3. Dissemination strategy and thematic networking
The GB, Scottish and Welsh national support structures will work with the networking groups to develop and agree a dissemination strategy with the Equal GB Monitoring Committee. Dissemination strategies will include lessons learned as well as good practice. All DPs are expected to participate in GB thematic networking activity.
The TNGs ensure that mainstreaming takes place at both the horizontal level and the vertical level—as they encompass the representatives of regional and national policy. The TNGs also feed into the UK ESF Evaluation Standing Group, which has been established to develop a more coherent way of transferring good practice within Structural Fund programmes. The networks will also identify and assess the factors leading to good practice and benchmark their performance and disseminate good practice from the end of Action 1.
Thematic Networking Groups will participate in dissemination and evaluation at the European level, as will the DPs.
