TIC TAC Training Course

Common mistakes in applications

Hamar, Norway, Friday the 9th of February 2007

Gilles Baccala, Training and cooperation officer,

French national agency of Youth in action programme

Common mistakes in applications

First of all : even if youth work is not an industry, an application form is not an handicraft product : please, don’t send Remington-typed or

hand written applications (even by a senior primary school teacher). Use a computer !!

Thanks for officer’s eyes !!

Common mistakes in applications

• Second mistake : not to respect the deadline for the submission (proof by post office stamp).

• The best application of the galaxy, if late… will wait for the next selection deadline.

• That means of course COMPLETE application, on a paper version with all relevant original signatures (no electronic or fax version admitted), all relevant fields fulfilled, all relevant boxes ticked.

• Avoid any annex or joint document(s) except to explain the provisional budget : every relevant information must be in the application form !

Common mistakes in applications

• Third mistake : to write a novel or a thesis for your next PH-D :

• Your 4.3 officer receives more than 20 applications for certain rounds of selection and, in a very short time, has to study and assess fairly each !!

• So KISS your application : Keep It Short and Simple - a third S could be for Sexy …

• Use simple vocabulary and short sentences (what is well minded is clearly said - French proverb)

Common mistakes in applications

• Fourth mistake : to not respect any formal criteria of the type of support measure

• In this matter, devil is in the details !!• All the formal criteria’s are important :

– Eligibility of countries– Number of Member states among the countries– Number of partners by country– Number of representative(s) by partner (minimum and maximum)– Delay between deadline and the beginning of the first granted

activity, and the beginning of the main activity– Duration– Detailed and balanced programme and timetable

Common mistakes in applications

• Common mistakes about the general approach :– Aims and/or objectives unclear or not enough precise– Subject or thematic unclear or not enough precise– No precision about methodology, pedagogy, particularly

using active and participative methods, and non formal and informal learning

– Lack or weakness of the European dimension• In the thematic• In the treatment of the thematic (national approach)• In the partnership (doubt about sustainability or viability of the

partnership)

Common mistakes in applications

• Common mistakes about the programme :– Not enough detailed, balanced– Unrealistic : too many activities in a too short time– Or the inverse : not enough activities, “tourist

programme”– Lack of coherence with the objectives– Lack of coherence with the nature of activity :

• Too many field visits during a training course• Main part of the programme in the same place for a study visit• Confusion between job shadowing and in-service-training • Only one kind of activity for a networking (ex. a participative

website)

Common mistakes in applications

• Common mistakes about the budget and costs :– Unrealistic budget or lack of coherence with the

objectives : not enough, or too much money !!– Exceptional costs unjustified– No element to explain or justify certain costs (proforma

invoice)– No indication and proof of other financial partners

(sponsors, national or local authorities)

Common mistakes in applications

• Common mistakes about the follow-up :– No mention or weakness of expected impact and how to

measure it– No mention or weakness of evaluation methods and

meetings– No mention, among the objectives, to develop any

activity in the field of Youth in action programme, or other educative Community programme (Leonardo, Grundvig …), or in another bi or multilateral programme

– No measure(s) for visibility of the project– No measure(s) for the valorisation, and for the

dissemination of the results

Common mistakes in applications

• Common mistakes about the follow-up :

– In the future : lack or weakness of measures for the recognition of non-formal learning (presentation and explanations of key competences and how to use it, inclusion in the programme of individual and/or self-assessment periods and dialogue process with the team, capacity to edit Youthpass certificate - when adopted - if requested by the participants)

And now …Good luck !

from your TIC TAC team