PROJECT TITLE:

EU Scholarship Scheme

OVERALL OBJECTIVE:

To support the Government of Kosovo to meet the challenges of EU integration process through building of a professional, accountable and apolitical Civil Service at all levels.

LOCATION:

Kosovo

SECTOR:

Education

BENEFICIARIES:

Kosovo Public Administration

DURATION:

25/Jul/2011 - 24/Jul/2015

VALUE:

3,000,000.00 EUR

IMPLEMENTING AGENCY:

The British Council

PURPOSE:

To support the Kosovo public administration through the scholarship programme that aims at improving the professional capacity of civil service to meet the obligations arising from EU integration process

TARGET AREA:

Both civil servant currently working in public service institutions (at local and national level) and graduated students taking on contractual commitment to join the civil service, after the completion of the respective scholarship

STRATEGY

The Consultant has devised an effective and realistic implementation strategy that will deliver the expected results to the stakeholders, the strategy relies on the two following principles and elements: a) Cooperation with MEI and EUO towards the institutionalisation of the scheme 1 Both the project’s beneficiary and, to a different extent, EUO will be associated in the management of the scholarship programme at every step of the selection process as well as in the management of the scheme. Every action will be discussed and agreed beforehand in terms of promotion of the scholarship, selection of the grantees, grantees’ Masters application process, management of the grants, and support to the graduates in finding and serving an internship prior to their departure and, if so decided, at the end of their Master courses. 2 Furthermore, designated MEI staff will be associated to the project staff in the managerial and organizational processes related to the YCS in order to further ensure the ownership and capacity to institutionalise the scheme within MEI, in order to build. 3 The association of the beneficiary and EUO will happen formally, through the Project Steering Committee, and informally, through regular contact between the TL, MEI General Secretary and other senior staff of the Ministry and the task manager at the EUO. The MEI staff association will be substantial in every aspect of the project to ensure that further steps are taken by the MEI towards the institutionalisation of the scheme within the Ministry. b) A YCS Selection procedure based on transparency, fairness and non-discrimination There are three well-established and fundamental principles that have characterised the YCS Scholarships in the past Rounds, raising the reputation of the selections and its grantees above the doubts of politicised appointments that were shaded in the past. The three funding principles of the YCS Selections, transparency, fairness and non-discrimination, have been fully incorporated in the revised Rules of Procedures for Round IX and Round IX_A, and the essential elements that support the application of each of the three principles have been maintained during the selections.

ACTIVITIES

Take over of the management of Round VII and VIII - Readjusting the scheme’s structure and organising and fully managing Round IX - Take over and fully functioning of alumni association - Readjusting the scheme’s structure and organising and fully managing the scholarship for the Serb majority municipalities.

RESULTS

- Organise internships pre-departures and placement and supervision of Round VIII students at EU universities - 40 students of Round VIII have completed post-graduate degrees in EU universities in related technical skills - Assist in employment of scholars within the Kosovo public administration - The project selected students for Round IX of the scholarship programme - Measures to institutionalise the Young Cell Scheme within the MEI are further pursued - EU scholarship alumni is fully functional - Organise internships pre-departures and placement and supervision of Round IX students at EU universities - At least 24 students of Round IX have completed post-graduate degrees in EU universities in related technical skills - Organise region wide campaign to promote the project and select the candidates for the scholarship - Organise possible internships pre-departure and placement and supervision of Round IXA students from the Serb community at EU universities - At least 6 students of Round IXA have been selected for post-graduate degrees in EU universities in related technical skills (3 students withdraw) - Organise Alumni joint activities with the newly selected students.