"“In most countries there is a consensus that quality assurance systems should be developed for the adult learning sector, and especially for the non-formal sector. Most countries are currently developing or revising their legislative framework for adult learning, putting more focus on quality assurance mechanisms. In the last few years, most countries produced white papers, communications, policy proposals and lifelong learning strategies in which they emphasise the importance of quality assurance. Nevertheless, the main challenge is to implement these strategies. Experience shows that it takes a long time to build consensus on the idea and content of quality systems”. Moving from this idea, PRALINE partners have set up a double action strategy that whilst rises the awareness of the importance of investing in Quality by initiating AL providers through a “Warming-up Strategy for developing a Quality Culture"", calls for a different mind-set offering an engaging tool, based on a bottom-up approach, friendly, able to ensure a focus on learning outcomes and aware of the different/flexible needs of adult learners: Peer Review. It combines self-evaluation and external evaluation carried out by ""persons of equal standing"" with the persons whose performance is reviewed: Peers. Already implemented successfully in iVET and cVET in previous EU projects by some of the partners it has proven easy to be used and coherent with the primarily informal approaches that characterise AL at large.PRALINE has worked to develop innovative and sustainable initiatives to support Adult Learning providers, specifically those of the non-formal domain, in approaching Quality Assurance in their organization and training provision. After three years of project implementation partners and the many organizations involved in the activities are more and more convinced of the importance of a strong Quality culture, intended as aware focus on learning outcomes, sector professionals' training, resources, models of management, organizational patterns, as a way to ensure the ""possibilities for adults to access high-quality learning opportunities, regardless of gender and their personal and family circumstances"". PRALINE multi-actor Consortium from IT, LT, AT, PT, MT, HU and FR has contributed to turn quality in Formal and Non-formal AL providers into practice by:• Designing the “Warming-up strategy for developing a quality culture”, based on a in-depth desk analysis of needs and challenges of the Adult Learning Sector, also integrated by the results of two level need analysis and implemented awareness-raising activities as part of the national Executive Plans• Adapting the European Peer Review Methodology for the AL sectors, developing ad-hoc Quality Areas (Criteria, indicators and sources of evidences)• Training 17 professionals during the Transnational training for trainers• training over 80 professionals during the Training for Peers at national level • Piloting the Adapted Peer Review methodology in 15 Formal & Non formal AL providers in IT, PT, LT, MT and FR• monitoring and assessing the results of the piloting through qualitative analysis and with the involvement of AL providers, learners, stakeholder and policy makers• Producing Recommendations for developing a quality culture and implementing peer review in formal and non-formal adult learning sector, based on existing policy documents and taking into account the most recent developments at EU level• Disseminating the results to over 10.000 people.The following Intellectual Outputs have been produced:O1 Warming-up Strategy for QualityO2 Tool-Box of the European Peer Review methodologyO3 Manual of the European Peer Review methodologyO4 Qualitative Analysis on the piloting of PR in ALO5 RecommendationsThe process of transferring and adaptation of the PR methodology, by producing Quality Areas and indicators adequate to AL sector, represents an innovative contribution to the European discussion on quality in adult learning and on the possibility of developing a common overarching framework for quality in education. To this regard, PRALINE has already assessed the coherency of the developed Quality Areas with the EQAVET+ indicators. In addition, the following long-term impacts are expected:- adoption of the methodology by CPIAs in IT and other organizations in partners’ countries;- insertion of the methodology among those recognised by the newly reformed QA system in France;- insertion of PRALINE approach and adapted methodology among the good practices by the Qualification and EVT Centre in LT;- continuing of reciprocal PRs among the piloting organizations in PT and LT;- new editions of Training for Peers already scheduled, also targeting professionals from countries external to the partnership.Follow us on www.praline-project.eu and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pralineproject/!"

“Learning and education do not begin with compulsory schooling – they start from birth. The early years from birth to compulsory school age are the most formative in children's lives and set the foundations for children’s lifelong development and patterns for their lives. In this context, high quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) is an essential foundation for all children’s successful lifelong learning, social integration, personal development and later employability” (as states the Report of the Working Groups on ECCE under the auspices of the European Commission, Proposal for key principles of a Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care”, October 2014). The SEQUENCES project aimed at responding to the need to improve the quality of ECEC private and public services with adequate tools for the self and external evaluation of quality, by directly involving providers and relevant stakeholders as quality development partners. To be effective at providers’ level Quality Assurance systems must be implemented through a bottom-up approach rather than a top-down imposed set of requirements. The specific objectives pursued were:1. to promote a culture of quality and quality assurance approaches at ECEC settings level2. to develop ready-to-use tools for the self and external evaluation of quality, with transnational validity, based on the 5 quality areas (access, workforce, curriculum, monitoring & evaluation, governance & funding) as identified by the European Commission with the Proposal for key principles3. to come up with guidelines and recommendations for the key stakeholders, in order to support their acquisition of quality management mindset.The project brought together 8 partners from 7 countries - Italy, Romania, Ireland, Malta, Lithuania, Hungary and Belgium, namely: private and public ECEC providers - respectively Cooperativa SEM (IT) and Grădiniţa cu P.P Zâna Zorilor (RO), national-level education trade unions - Lithuanian Education Trade Union (LT) and Malta Union of Teachers (MT); a VET provider delivering continuous training to ECEC professionals, with professional expertise in Quality Assurance - FORMA.Azione srl (IT), academia with the Observatory Centre for Educational Development (HU) of the Corvinus University of Budapest; national policy-level non-profit organisations - Early Childhood Ireland (IE), EU networks of relevant stakeholders - European Parents’ Association (BE).3 Intellectual Outputs were developed:IO1 – SEQUENCES Toolkit for the Self and External Evaluation of Early Childhood Education and Care Provision with 34 tools distributed on the 5 quality areas and an additional Common Area, focused on quality management instrumentsIO2 – Training Curriculum and Related Didactic Materials for Quality Management in ECEC – including 34 learning activities, as well as team-building, needs assessment and evaluation activities and toolsIO3 – Multistakeholders Guidelines for the implementation of the Toolkit with tailored recommendations to the needs of different target groups.The main activities carried out can be summed up as follows:- distribution of a questionnaire on the quality in the settings and good practices that reached out around 800 respondents- 1 study visit in Dublin (IE) to identify and share good practices and to compare quality systems for ECEC services in various European countries - 1 training of trainers in Budapest (HU) aimed to learn and reflect on the SEQUENCES Toolkit in order to assure smooth piloting and test the training curriculum together with the didactic materials- 6 training sessions in IT, IE, LT, MT, RO and RS that involved a total of 108 ECEC professionals from 31 settings that served as preparation for the piloting activity- piloting of the Toolkit in the 6 countries, that involved a total of 112 professionals, 28 settings and indirectly 1673 children and their parents and families- 5 transnational project meetings in Perugia (IT), Vilnius (LT), Hamrun (MT), Cluj-Napoca (RO) - the visiting of ECEC structures in IE, LT, HU, MT, RO- 6 multiplier events and a round table to disseminate the Intellectual Outputs produced among 437 attendees- translation of the outputs in Italian, Romanian, Hungarian, Lithuanian and Serbian- communication and dissemination towards over 4.000 people.In terms of results, it is worth highlighting:- partners’ organisational improvements of their quality assurance systems and among their members in terms of developed competencies - raised awareness at local, national and European level on the importance of having efficient, effective and tested tools for the self and external evaluation of quality for ECEC provision and the importance of having a wide variety of stakeholders in the entire process- opportunity to learn from mobility activities for ECEC professionals who usually are less involved in this kind of actions.For more details, please visit: https://sequences-project.eu/