Two minute Tuesday #4 - the context, objectives, needs and target groups to be addressed

Please explain the context and the objectives of your project as well as the needs and target groups to be addressed. Why should this project be carried out transnationally?

In this article we will analyse in detail what is required to be included in the first section of the application form for a Strategic Partnership Erasmus+ project: Please explain the context and the objectives of your project as well as the needs and target groups to be addressed. Why should this project be carried out transnationally?

We have extensive European experience, as coordinators and partners in different Erasmus+ projects. During this time, we learned a lot and understood how to write a successful project proposal.  

Now, we will be sharing with you all we know in order to give you inputs and suggestions to better prepare your application.

It’s time to capitalise the work previously done for finding the project idea.

You may already have collected enough information and materials related to your project idea (problem tree, objectives tree, what is the problem and how to solve it, what is your target group, etc…) and now you need to organise your information according to your application form requests.

It is important to understand that the following process is not intended as a tool for collecting the needed information, but as a framework for organising information you already have.

Below you can find the logical structure we use to complete this section of the Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership application form:

• • Huston, we have a problem (context + final beneficiaries + needs of final beneficiaries)
  • We know how to help you (objectives)
  • We are sending you the right persons (primary target group)
  • We are giving them the right instructions (needs)
  • We are contacting the base stations around you to give support (transnational dimension)

It is just a joke and all will become clear in the next paragraphs.

When you describe the context your goal should be to create a framework for orienting the evaluator. The evaluator can be a non-expert in that particular technology or methodology and needs to understand what is the main problem your project is addressing. The problem should be described by defining qualitative and quantitative key elements, the people or organisations affected by the problem (final beneficiaries), and their needs. The evaluator will evaluate if the problem you want to address is actual and relevant for the specific field you want to apply for.

Are we talking about youth unemployment, creativity for primary schools, ICT tools for the VET system, entrepreneurship, inclusion, etc…?

By this point, you have described the context of your project (What is the problem you want to solve? Why is it so relevant?). The next step is to describe the project’s objectives. You must describe what you want to achieve by implementing the project.

To develop objectives you should start from the identified problems and turn them into positive action. 

If, for example, the main problem is that the company management doesn’t have up-to-date knowledge on new technologies, the project objective may be to increase management competencies on new technologies.

This broad and wide objective must be made more specific and clear:

The project objectives should be:

• clearly defined 
• specific – they must be described in detail and refer to specific problems
• measurable – they must be measured and translated into results
• realistic – they can be achieved by taking into account the nature and experience of the partnership and within the implementation of the project
• relevant to the participating organisations and target groups
• linked with the priorities 

Example: To increase e-leadership skills in companies in order to benefit from the use of new technologies.

The more precisely the goals are set, the easier it is to choose the right tools to achieve them.

After having defined the specific objective of your project it’s time to describe what is your target group and its needs. Project target groups include people or organisations directly addressed by the project outcomes. If you are creating educational materials for VET trainers your target group will be that one. 

Do not mistake the target group with final project beneficiaries. In some cases, the target group and the final beneficiaries are the same. In other cases, they can be different. 

Example: if you are working on the production of educational materials for improving VET trainers’ competencies in delivering a training course for e-leaders, VET trainers will be your target group, and managers and companies on which that training will impact will be the project’s final beneficiaries.

You must describe the target group’s needs related to the specific objective you want to focus on. If you consider our example, you must prove that VET trainers need educational materials and specific training for delivering training courses on e-leadership.

You must base your needs’ description on solid analysis, drawing on existing knowledge, know-how, and your direct experience. The needs analysis must be very well established.

Be sure that the needs identified are relevant for the field under which the proposal is intended and are clearly linked to those priorities that the project intends to meet.

Can your project be implemented in only one country obtaining the same results? If yes, it does not make sense to apply for an Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership project.

The proposal must bring added value at the EU level through results that would not be attained by activities carried out in a single country.

You must describe how and why the transnational dimension clearly adds value in terms of project outcomes and why the participating organisations will be able to achieve results that would not be reached by organisations from a single country.