WRITTEN QUESTION E-2975/96 by Thomas Mann (PPE) to the Commission (8 November 1996)

Subject: Call for tenders for a knowledge accreditation system in accordance with the first objective of the White Paper 'Teaching and Learning: Towards the Learning Society'

In accordance with the intentions announced in the White Paper 'Teaching and Learning: Towards the Learning Society', the Commission has taken the first steps towards introducing an electronic system of accreditation of knowledge and skills (objective 1 of the White Paper). To this end the Commission has launched a call for tenders to find an adviser to assist it in designing and implementing such an accreditation system (DG 22/16/96). This gives rise to the following questions:

1. What is DG 22's exact aim in launching the call for tenders? Does it intend to carry out a study, or to take the first steps in developing an electronic system of accreditation of knowledge and skills?

2. What is the cost of an advisory contract of this kind, and which budgetary resources are to be used to pay for it?

3. Which budgetary resources are to be used to fund the plan to develop a system of accreditation of knowledge and skills envisaged by the Commission?

Answer given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission (19 December 1996)

1. On 27 November 1995, the Commission adopted its White Paper on education and training, entitled 'Teaching and learning: towards the learning society' ((Doc. COM (95) 590 final. )). For each of the five general objectives identified, a proposal is put forward for a meaningful, experimental project which could be launched as a pilot and demonstration initiative at Community level.

The purpose of the experimental project designated as 'opening up new avenues for validating skills' is to look into the possibility of developing a flexible, permanent system for accreditation of knowledge and skills.

Implementation of this experimental project entails various activities which must be conducted coherently. To this end, the Commission has decided to engage the services of an external consultant to assist it in designing and developing the project, and to help to direct and coordinate initiatives taken under the appropriate Community instruments. The contract to be awarded is not concerned with the carrying out of a study. The chosen consultant will be required to assist the Commission in the performance of various tasks, including fine-tuning of the project, identification of the relevant fields and methods of experimentation, and coordination of the different activities involved.

2. The procedure for awarding the contract is based on competitive tendering, with the successful tenderer being the one submitting the economically most advantageous bid on the basis of specific criteria, one of which is the price. The cost of the contract concluded with the successful bidder cannot therefore be known until the award procedure is completed. Since the work takes the form of a consultancy service, the cost of the contract will be charged to the Commission's administrative appropriations (part A of the budget).

3. As the European skills accreditation project is experimental, the validity and feasibility of the proposed approach will be tested within the framework of existing Community programmes and instruments.

The Commission has accordingly distributed a great deal of information on the content of the project and is encouraging interested parties to put forward proposals which might in some way contribute towards its implementation, under the appropriate programmes (Leonardo da Vinci, Socrates, etc.), without prejudice to the procedures and priorities applying to each programme. Assistance may therefore be given for pilot schemes for the accreditation of skills, subject to their suitability and quality, from the overall budgets allocated to the respective programmes.