Fundacja FUNDUSZ WSPÓŁPRACY

Community of Practice on Innovation and Mainstreaming

Community of Practice on Innovation and Mainstreaming (CoP) enables sharing knowledge of tools and methods used to support innovation and developed in various EU Member States within the EQUAL Community Initiative. The Community was inspired by the representatives of the Portuguese government. The project is financed from the European Commission grant. Polish institutions involved in the European Social Fund implementation have an opportunity to join the discussion at both the national and EU levels by networking and information exchange. They can also learn about the outcomes of the EQUAL Community Initiative Programme and access expert opinions and other materials about the Programme.

Priorities of the Community of Practice on Innovation and Mainstreaming:

• to identify methods, tools and solutions related to innovation and mainstreaming processes within CIP EQUAL;
• to share good management practices to enable innovation in the European Social Fund projects;
• to discuss and improve management systems, methods and tools;
• to involve people who implement projects in specific countries in innovation and mainstreaming activities of the European Social Fund;
• to support project managers in using new management tools and practices.

Polish institutions involved in the ESF implementation have an opportunity to join the discussion at both the national and EU levels by networking and information exchange as well as through their access to resources such as materials, expert opinions and knowledge base that have been developed within CIP EQUAL. The Polish Discussion Group that operates within the Community is of an open character (every entity or person involved in the ESF implementation process will be able to join it) and aims at discussing issues related to innovative projects, selection of topics, tasks for National Thematic Networks, validation and mainstreaming process as well as coordinating actions. In the discussion context, it is highly important that the Community of Practice involves members of Intermediate Bodies, Monitoring Committees, Working Groups as well as experts and social partners. The Community of Practice on Innovation and Mainstreaming will continue to operate after the EQUAL Programme ends.

Community of Practice (CoP) on Innovation and Mainstreaming has developed its website
(http://innovation.esflive.eu).