New Faces - New life - New society€¦ · The town of Rybnik - Rybnik Center of Vocational Education - Center of Continuing and Practical Education ul. Św. Józefa 30, 44-217 Rybnik,

Robert Geisler

New Faces - New life

- New society Is project “Inherit work” a good practice?

Rybnik, 2008

© Rybnik Center of Vocational Education - Center of Continuing and Practical Education

Published by Administration of the project Partnership for Development “Inherit work”The town of Rybnik - Rybnik Center of Vocational Education - Center of Continuing and Practical Educationul. Św. Józefa 30, 44-217 Rybnik, www.odziedziczprace.pl

Managing Authority EQUAL CIP Ministry of Regional Development

Cover design, typesetting and make-upWydawnictwo Tekst Sp. z o.o.85-307 Bydgoszcz, ul. Kossaka 72tel./fax (052) 348 62 50

Reviewer Anna Karwińska

TranslatorMarek Fabin

ProofreadingMałgorzata Waleczna

Printed by Wydawnictwo Tekst Sp. z o.o.

ISBN 978-83-926440-1-9

First Edition Circulation: 200 copies Rybnik 2008

This project has been co-funded by the European Social Fund within the Community Initiative EQUAL

Ladies and Gentelman

This publication presents the summary of the Partnership for Development “Inherit work” and gives us the opportunity to refl ect on the results of several years’ actions aiming at preventing long-term unemployment and social marginalization in Rybnik. When I was reading the publication - before it was printed, I saw before my eyes all those people we had privilege and pleasure to work with. Thank you very much for all those months and years of working together!

Recognition should fi rst of all be given to all participants of the project who, in spite of their ear-lier social rejection, found enough strength, trust and determination to go through all those uneasy stages of training and managed to fi nd regular work. This serious and costly project would not have even started, had it not been for comprehensive support provided by self-government authorities of Rybnik. We are especially indebted to Mr. Adam Fudali, the President of Rybnik, whose personal active participation, particularly in the activities of the Transnational Partnership of our initiative, contributed to increase in prestige and effectiveness of our actions. Mrs. Joanna Kryszczyszyn, the author of the project and the Vice-President of the Town of Rybnik, was the good spirit behind this undertaking and helped us with her profound knowledge, creative talent and her heart and soul.

I have always taken any opportunity to emphasize, and I am taking it now, that the achievement of planned objectives would not be possible without benevolence and actions of those who managed the institutions that were involved in the Community Initiative EQUAL.

I express my special gratitude to scientists, psychologists, teacher tutors, entrepreneurs, voluntary workers, journalists and employees of the Community Initiative EQUAL, who made the project easier for the benefi ciaries and for us who were responsible for its implementation.

Hoping that we will meet again on the occasion of next pro-social initiatives in Rybnik, I am giving you my most sincere thanks once again.

Tomasz HarszeDirector of RCEZ

Manager of the Project “Inherit Work”

Contents

Introduction ....................................................................................................................7Chapter I. Project: Partnership for Development “Inherit work” – assumptions, objectives, actions ..........................................................................................................13

1.1. Background of the project and its origin ............................................................131.2. Assumptions of the project Partnership for Development “Inherit work” ...........171.3. Objectives of the project “Inherit work” ............................................................191.4. Actions undertaken within the project Partnership for Development “Inherit work”..................................................................................................21

Chapter II. Methodological aspects of evaluation research ...............................................39Chapter III. Counteracting long-term unemployment in Rybnik and its vicinity as a result of the project “Inherit work” ..........................................................................43

3.1. Project as violence ............................................................................................453.2. Biopower ..........................................................................................................483.3 How did the project benefi ciaries change? ..........................................................49

3.3.1. The world of values of the benefi ciaries ....................................................513.3.2. Work motivation of the project benefi ciaries ............................................593.3.3. Project benefi ciaries on their families .......................................................64

Chapter IV. Creating a local civil society ..........................................................................694.1. Participation of the benefi ciaries in creating civil society ....................................694.2. Local institutions and cooperation between them within the project “Inherit work” ..734.3. Processes initiated by the project “Inherit work” ................................................79

Conclusions ...................................................................................................................89List of tables and diagrams ..............................................................................................95Bibliography ..................................................................................................................97Annexes.......................................................................................................................103

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Introduction

Local development has become one of more important issues discussed in the subject-related literature devoted to regional and local studies, sociology and political sciences and also practical issues related to town or commune development planning1. When presenting issues related to analyses of local communities in the course of previous twenty-thirty years Paweł Starosta paid attention to political context, in which the issue of local communities concerned opposition to an authoritarian country2. It should be indicated that one of the inspirations in the modern world of research on locality-related concepts is communitarism. This social and intellectual trend that has been developing since the 80s of the last century and which has been initiated by Etzioni stresses the importance of community in social life, thus the importance of community on the local level3. One cannot forget that also liberalism inspired research on locality due to the emphasis it put on freedom, subjectivity, and plural-ism of subjects or participation in social life. The period of political system transformation attracted attention to local and regional issues, which manifested itself in the second half of the 90s in relation to political discourse on the role of new regions and local communities. Since then, or to be more precise since the introduction of administrative reform in 1998, local and regional development issues have become the subject of social practice. The situ-ation looks similar in Rybnik, with implementation of various projects, including projects fi nanced by the European Union relief funds. Partnership for Development ‘Inherit work’ is one of such projects. 5.5m PLN was assigned to the project which was started on October 31, 2004 and is to be completed in May 2008. The objectives of the project that are to be accomplished during its implementation include:

1 Cf. B. Jałowiecki, M. S. Szczepański, G. Gorzelak, Rozwój lokalny i regionalny w perspektywie socjologicznej. Wydanie drugie (zmienione i poszerzone), Tychy, Śląskie Wydawnictwa Naukowe, 2007.

2 Cf. P. Starosta, O pożytkach płynących z badania społeczności lokalnych na podstawie programu „Polska Lokalna”. In: Społeczności lokalne. Teraźniejszość i przyszłość. B. Jałowiecki, W. Łukowski, Warszawa, Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar, Academica Wydawnictwo Szkoły Wyższej Psychologii Społecznej 2006, p. 83-106.

3 Cf. A. Etzioni The, Spirit of Community. The Reinvention of American Society. New York – London, A Touchstone Book Simon& Schuster 1993.

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Robert Geisler

� development of a model of counteracting unemployment inheritance� cooperation between institutions dealing with the problems of social and professional

integration� activation of local communities.

All three objectives should focus on one principal objective, which is related to develop-ment of local community (Rybnik) by means of mobilization of endogenic poten-tials (local resources). In this case development denotes not only increase in GDP or in-vestments, but also development of broadly understood resources in the form of inhabitants, quality of their lives, life style or improvement of living conditions or investments. Develop-ment is defi ned as one of key factors present in competitive local or regional communities. Endogenic potentials consist of people together with their skills, knowledge and possibilities of collective actions. In the case of the project “Inherit work” it is about the potentials of lo-cal self-government institutions, non-government and business institutions, as well as the potentials of families of the long-term unemployed.

That is why is important to evaluate standards for each of the objectives. Counteracting unemployment can be measured, for example, on the basis of the percentage of people that manage to fi nd jobs in relation to the total number of the long-term or short-term unem-ployed. The essence of this objective consisted in organizing the dual training model consist-ing of (1) training programs for the long-term unemployed (trainings in soft skills, profes-sional skills and practical classes) and (2) work with the family (trainings), which aimed at the project’s inclusion of the people from the closest environment of the long-term unem-ployed. Due to the above, the analyses will concern: (1) implementation of the project of working with the long-term unemployed, i.e. the cause-and-effect relationship between indi-vidual tasks (for example relations between identifi cation of the benefi ciaries, determination of their predispositions, i.e. the initial state of the project, development of training programs and participation in professional traineeships); and (2) direct effects in the form of a change of the situation of a benefi ciary, according to the project’s assumptions, counteracting social marginalization consisting in incorporating the long-term unemployed into the labor market (analysis through the so-called hard criteria, i.e. for example employment) and a change of their social identity with new habits and mentality.

Analyses of a new identity model of the benefi ciaries may be conducted by means of soft criteria, due to which empirical research should appeal to inter alia the concept of the role of social and cultural environment (local community of a town/village, district or family) shaping thinking habits, the way in which the world is perceived and fi nally undertaking actions. These environments constitute the basic institutions teaching people how to behave in different life situations. In the case of Rybnik, one can mention the Silesian family model and habits related to long-term unemployment affecting socially marginalized people as a result of the political system transformation. The Silesian family model was closely related to industrialization processes, which created a division of duties and tasks performed at home

New Faces - New life - New society - Is project “Inherit work” a good practice?

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in relation to performing work in the industry4. It assumed that the husband worked in heavy industry with his wife being unemployed. This model was denied along with the political system transformation, which destroyed the model of performing work in heavy industry. It was when unemployment appeared, which created a new type of mentality. The long-term unemployed started a new type of social life and new approach to interpersonal relations. In this case one can say that new habits concerning life without steady job but supported by social welfare institutions were established. In the case of the project “Inherit work” social and cultural environments will be defi ned narrowly as the benefi ciary’s family and broadly as a district, i.e. the benefi ciary’s place of residence. In scope of sociology and development an-thropology there are concept showing changes in attitude and behavior, but mainly changes in habits and mentality of people5. One of such concepts includes the model of therapeutic citizenship assuming the possibility of creating new identity forms of actors (in the case of this project - the benefi ciaries) by means of intentional actions of support groups or trainings, based on broadly understood activity, participation in social life. Michel Foucault introduced the concept of governmentality (gouvernemientalite), i.e. habits or mentalities related to self-management, being aware of one’s own skills and competences, as well as activeness in life.

In the case of evaluation of this objective one can also apply the concept of human re-sources or human capital available in local communities, which if mobilized are used to un-dertake individual actions (for example on the labor market) or collective actions (social ac-tions, social organizations).

The project “Inherit work” also assumed creation of effective methods of coordina-tion between institutions and organizations dealing with social and professional in-tegration. Thus, it is important to diagnose these types of actions as well. It also becomes important to present factors which favor or hamper construction of a network of cooperation between institutions involved in solving social problems, or to put it more broadly, institu-tions involved in creating of development processes of local communities. Achievement of the objective consisting in cooperation of institutions dealing with social and professional integration appeals to inter alia the concept of social and institutional capital, i.e. creation of a network of cooperation between various institutions located in local communities. Sub-ject-related literature in scope of political system transformation in Poland in the period of the previous seventeen years stresses lack of occurrence of such institutions or such forms of cooperation, which is perceived to be responsible for, among other things, insuffi cient num-ber of solutions to social problems6. One can consider the extent to which incorporation of this model in the project “Inherit work” resulted from community behavior models present in local communities, or whether the action itself gave rise to forms of cooperation between various types of institutions. One can also consider the occurrence of social networks (institu-

4 Cf. K. Wódz (ed.), Wokół śląskiej tożsamości. Katowice, Towarzystwo Zachęty Kultury 1995, cf. also U. Swadźba, Śląski etos pracy. Studium socjologiczne. Katowice, Uniwersytet Śląski 2001.

5 Cf. V. K. Nguyen, Antiretroviral globalism, biopolitics, and the therapeutic citizenship. In: Ong A., Collier S. J. (ed.), Global Assemblages: Technology, Politics, and Ethics as Anthropological Problems. Oxford, Blackwell Publishing Mouse 2005, pp. 124-144.

6 Cf. C. Turtkowski, S. Mandes, Kapitał społeczny w małych miastach. Warszawa, Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar 2005.

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Robert Geisler

tions) aiming at solving social problems, which incorporate the involvement of territorial self-government, entrepreneurs, non-government organizations, which is a part of the broadly understood concept of civic society. This type of objectives can be evaluated rather by means of soft criteria, i.e. case study analysis of the project “Inherit work”, which includes networks of cooperation created in the course of implementation of particular tasks (cf. fi g. 1).

Achievement of the objective 3 Development of activation methods of local com-munities concerns mainly a social change in micro scale. In other words, it is important to diagnose the issue related to the extent to which introduction of social change through in-tervention (project), i.e. change of identity of the benefi ciaries (change of their mentality and action habits), as well as their families and development of their social and professional skills results in social mobilization, i.e. undertaking rank-and-fi le social initiatives concern-ing their lives or local communities. Thus, one should conduct analysis of actions undertaken not only by the benefi ciaries, such as self-employment or undertaking social actions, but also the model of cooperation between a project institution and the benefi ciaries themselves de-veloped during implementation of the project. Such an analysis will be conducted by (1) quantitative analysis of social actions or self-employment and individual as well as social re-sults of this type of mobilization and (2) by qualitative form of organization of initiatives which appeared during implementation of the project. In this case it is important to evaluate the actions performed by leaders and their infl uence on social mobilization of other members of local community.

11

��This book is the result of research conducted by its author during evaluation of the project

Partnership for Development “Inherit work”. The book consists of three chapters: the fi rst chapter presents the assumptions of the project, its objectives and actions to be undertaken. The second chapter presents methodological assumptions of the work, i.e. the methods and research techniques which were the basis upon which this publication book was written, as well as organization of research. The III and IV chapters present the results of the proj-ect concerning all objectives that were set during its implementation. They will present the world of the benefi ciaries, i.e. the long-term unemployed, who started to change their lives and themselves as a result of participation in the project, and the chapters will also present changes resulting from the creation of local civic society - in the dimension of activation of districts and cooperation between the institutions cooperating between themselves within the project. It should be mentioned that the changes introduced in the above areas concern the entire local society - from Rybnik and its vicinity.

New Faces - New life - New society- Is project “Inherit work” a good practice ?

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Robert Geisler


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Chapter I

Project: Partnership for Development “Inherit work”

– assumptions, objectives, actions

1.1. Background of the project and its originRybnik of the beginning of 21st century has been ranked as the best-managed town

among other towns with district rights in the ranking published by the “Rzeczpospolita” daily for the year 2006. So a question arises; what were the reasons behind the recogni-tion Rybnik gained among experts analyzing development of local communities in the period of Poland’s transformation. Not so long ago, before 1989, Rybnik was a town of clearly industrial nature, established as early as in the 19th century. It was then that the “Silesia Steelworks” were build followed by a cast-iron foundry and a machine fac-tory. Discovered hard-coal deposits prompted the development of heavy industry which in the period of real socialism shaped particular nature of the region7. It was then that the Rybnik Coal-mining Region (RCR) was created, which according to the ideology of real socialism became, beside the Upper-Silesian Industrial Region (UIR), one of the fundamental sources of development of the socialist economy. This development of heavy industry shaped not only regional/local economy based on state-owned min-ing and metallurgical enterprises but also social structure dominated by employees of those enterprises, the so-called blue-collar workers. Back then, those employees were not required to have any education because labor market during the historical period of the Polish’s People’s Republic was very stable. There were jobs for everyone interested. Massive infl ow of immigrants to RCR (Rybnik Coal-mining Region) which started in the 60’s of last century and which comprised of people in search of better work and life condi-

7 The nature of the region may be termed regional habitus, i.e. traits specifi c to the region, which are refl ected in everyday behavior and activities of the region’s inhabitants.

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Robert Geisler

tions was very important from the perspective of Rybnik’s development. The state of real socialism lured and attracted those people not only by offering them salaries which were relatively bigger than in other regions of Poland, but also by offering them apartments or benefi ts from consumer market participation8. Apart from the issues related to heavy in-dustry and socialist ideology imposed on inhabitants after World War II, it should be added that the region belongs to the historical region of Upper Silesia, which has its own history with its border character in the perspective of long duration and creation of specifi c features which are characteristic of the lives of its inhabitants9. The border character consisted in constantly changing attitudes of the inhabitants to political, civilization and economic or-der, which created a characteristic mental attitude of the inhabitants. The features include the ability to self-organize, the feeling of regional identity and characteristic attitude to strangers.

This way the already-shaped identity of the region of Rybnik and its vicinity infl uenced the region’s inhabitants, who developed a characteristic condition of psychological traits, e.g. mentality, and social traits, i.e. a specifi c model of working in heavy industry plants, i.e. in diffi cult conditions, time management - synchronization of tasks, family relations based on husband/father seen as the main family provider, generally speaking behavior models related to social life. 1989 and its consequences were dramatic for the town and its inhabitants because they changed the form in which the society functions and practically resulted in bankruptcies of state-owned companies. The situation looked a bit different in case of the coal-mining sector of economy, which started its restructuring in the beginning of the 90’s of the last century. Small and medium businesses started to appear as a result of the possibility to undertake business activities which were free of the control of a state of real socialism. It is worth mentioning that there were 10 904 business entities in Rybnik, including 4 489 trade entities, 2 359 enterprises offering industrial services and 1058 construction companies. To get the full picture of economic changes one cannot forget about companies from outside the region/local community, which made their investments in the region, particularly those companies that started their activities after 1995 in the former Katowice province, renamed in 1999 to the Silesia province. Those investors contributed to creation of about 3 thousand new jobs.

These briefl y presented changes also infl uence other spheres of life in the region. First of all, one should mention one of the fundamental social problems which appeared not only in the Upper-Silesia region but also in the whole country - unemployment. It mainly affected the least educated people with the lowest qualifi cations, and used to participating in the hierarchic organizational structures of the industrial age. Fordism with the socialist ideology generated a peculiar type of mentality among people who also found their places in the Rybnik community. Alvin Toffl er wrote about industriality, i.e. philosophy of life

8 Cf. M. S. Szczepański, Pokusy nowoczesności. Polskie dylematy rozwojowe. Wydawnictwo AMP, Katowice-Tychy 1992.9 Cf. J. Chlebowczyk, Obszary pogranicza językowo-narodowościowego we wschodniej Europie Środkowej XVIII – XX wieku.

In: Zieliński W. (ed.), Z problemów integracji społeczno – politycznej na Górnym Śląsku przed II wojną światową. Katowice, Śląski Instytut Naukowy, 1980, pp. 9-34.


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of a Man from the industrial age10. It was characterized, among other things by subordination to hierarchic structures, conformism, lack of innovativeness and creativity, standardization of behavior, synchronization of tasks. It was all a part of Fordism, main principle organiz-ing everyday life and also the model of functioning of society11. For those people the period of reforms initiated in 1989 very often meant pauperization, exclusion from society which resulted in employee’s withdrawal from the performance of any social roles, roles of a con-sumer or citizen. The above social roles also shape social identity. In other words the period of changes in the political system initiated a period in which a new social identity developed in people who were termed in specialist literature as “victims of Polish transformation’12. People recognized as belonging to that category found themselves in the area of Rybnik and its vicin-ity. Restructuring of state-owned enterprises, liquidation of many companies and mentality preventing people from fi nding their place on labor market or establishing their own small and medium companies were the decisive factors behind the appearance of social problems such as poverty, social marginalization or unemployment. It should be mentioned that the registered unemployment rate in Rybnik on 31.12.2006 was 9.5% compared to 12.8% in the Silesia province and 14.9% in Poland. It shows a relatively good situation in the region in comparison to other regions. On the other hand, the registered unemployment rate reached 9.5% in 2006 as a result of a drop from 14.4% in 2004. It means that there were 5260 unem-ployed people, including 3498 women and 1762 men. What is more, 3500 of the registered unemployed had basic vocational and primary school education. The above statistical data show that unemployment affects mainly women and people with the lowest level of educa-tion. It is noteworthy that the data show the dynamics of registered unemployment in Ryb-nik. In the beginning of the period of political system transformation, i.e. in 1989, there were 2580 registered unemployed, in 1995 the number reached 4710 people and in 2000 the num-ber amounted to 7459. In 2005 the number of registered unemployed people remained at the same level - 7789 and then it dropped to 5260 at the end of 2006. The dynamics of registered unemployment clearly shows social results of changes in economy of the region.

Due to the appearance of social problems in Poland during the period of transforma-tion, full-scale programs for the unemployed and people in poverty were initiated. Dur-ing the fi rst years of political system transformation in Poland one can assume that assis-tance for the unemployed was related to fi nancial means with training programs related to education in new professions and supplementing previous skills appearing later. How-ever, there were not enough comprehensive trainings which could be linked to the needs of local labor markets and everyday lives of people excluded from their families or local com-munities13.

10 Cf. A.Toffl er, Trzecia fala. Warszawa, Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy 1997.11 Cf. A. Amin (ed.), Post-fordism. A Reader. Oxford, Blackwell Publishing, 2003.12 Cf. S. Golinowska (ed.), Bezrobocie – nowy problem społeczny w krajach dokonujących transformacji systemu gospodarczego

i restrukturyzacji gospodarki. Warszawa, Instytut Pracy i Spraw Socjalnych, 1992, cf. M. Marody (ed.), Między rynkiem a etatem. Społeczne negocjowanie polskiej rzeczywistości. Warszawa, Scholar 2000.

13 Cf. M. Rymsza, Urynkowienie państwa czy uspołecznienie rynku? Kwestia socjalna w Trzeciej Rzeczypospolitej na przykładzie ubezpieczeń społecznych. Warszawa, Uniwersytet Warszawski 1998.

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Robert Geisler

A new form of assistance for the socially marginalized, especially those who became mar-ginalized not because of their own fault, appeared the moment Poland accessed the European Union in 2004 thanks to EU-fi nanced relief programs. One of such programs is the European Strategy program for creation of new jobs the Community Initiative EQUAL which is fi nance by the European Social Fund (ESF). Programs implemented within this fund are related to development of activeness on labor market, reduction of inequalities and discrimination and fi rst and foremost to support of new institutional solutions aimed at combating unem-ployment. An important characteristic of those projects is the fact that they are implemented by groups of institutions, the so-called Partnerships for Development. Such a partnership is a new organizational form of implementation of those projects due to the fact that it involves public institutions, institutions of self-government, non-government institutions and business institutions. Its ideological origins date back to the beginning of European in-tegration after World War II and the necessity to undertake joint actions aiming at develop-ment and rebuilding of societies. This concept later became institutionalized when in the 70’s of last century the role of local and regional communities in economic growth was begin-ning to be emphasized. It was then that the dominating Ford’s paradigm based on hierarchic structures was relinquished and the possibility of using other structural forms in organization of life was debated. That is why the idea of partnership became a part of the concept of civil society and public-private partnership14.

Due to the fact that in the course of previous years Rybnik became a part of the process of broadly understood economic changes (withdrawal from heavy industry as the basic form of economy in favor of small and medium businesses and investments of transnational cor-porations) and social changes (change of social structure, i.e. decreased importance of blue collar workers) which is also indicated by the establishment of Higher Schools educating stu-dents from Rybnik and its vicinity. The campus houses out-of-town centers of the University of Economics in Katowice, the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice, and the Uni-versity of Silesia in Katowice. Educational institutions play a signifi cant role in development of the town. It opens a prospect for new initiatives aiming at changing the current situation. It should be mentioned that local development has become a key issue in Rybnik. At present this development is defi ned not only by economic or fi nancial factors but also by social fac-tors15. Perceived from the perspective of balanced growth this development is mainly related to environmental and human/social issues16. When taking into consideration the latter one can notice that local development consists in working with communities in order to provide all social groups, i.e. inhabitants, entrepreneurs and investors, with better good living condi-tions. Among important determinants of this development, attention was paid to the so-called

14 Cf. I. Pietrzyk, Polityka regionalna Unii Europejskiej i regiony w państwach członkowskich. Warszawa, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, 2000, cf. also J. Szlachta, Model polityki rozwoju regionalnego Szkocji. In: Rozwój – region – społeczeństwo. Ed. G. Gorze-lak, M. Szczepański, T. Zarycki, Warszawa-Katowice, Uniwersytet Warszawski 1999.

15 Cf. M. Keating, J. Loughlin (ed.), The Political Economy of Regionalism. London – Portland, Frank Cass 1997; cf. also C. Trigilia, Social Capital and Local Development. „European Journal of Social Theory”, 2001, no. 4 (4), pp. 427-442.

16 Cf. M. Mesarovic, Ludzkość w punkcie zwrotnym. II Raport dla Klubu Rzymskiego. Warszawa, Państwowe Wydawnictwo Ekonomiczne 1977.


17

“endogenous potentials”, i.e. internal factors that could infl uence the development. Scientifi c literature usually indicates psychosocial issues related to mentality, sense of activeness, social activeness or human, social and institutional capital17. One cannot disregard the concept of local civil society which in the broad meaning of the word determines rank-and-fi le active-ness, independent of state structures18.

These endogenous potentials emerged in Rybnik when on the initiative of local players - politicians, self-government offi cials the concept of preparing a program - “Inherit work” project - appeared. It was an element of utilization of internal potentials in the form of re-sources that local community players possessed, but it was also about utilization of poten-tials embedded inside the community, among inhabitants or other social groups, e.g. busi-ness circles. Upon the initiative of Mr. Adam Fudali, the President of Rybnik, Mrs. Joanna Kryszczyszyn - the then deputy director of the Rybnik Center of Vocational Education Cen-ter of Continuing and Practical Education in Rybnik - together with other players from job offi ces and social welfare centers started their work on the project named “Inherit work”. In the beginning it was crucial to establish a partnership, i.e. a group of institutions capable of implementing a joint undertaking and willing to do so, and to determine the subject of this project, i.e. its main objectives and assumptions.

Summarizing the above, after fi fteen years of political system transformations, Rybnik - an industrial town started to change. The change also had some negative effects which were bound to appear when one takes into account the fact that the industrial character of the community had developed for years and even centuries. That is why this local community faced new challenges related to broadly-understood local development. It is worth noticing that local political and social life players showed innovativeness related to building new struc-tural forms. By doing so those players already equipped with internal potentials started to see those potentials in other life spheres of their community. Undoubtedly Poland’s accession to the European Union followed by EU relief funds for different tasks and objectives played an important role here. Utilization of those funds was somehow incorporated in the processes of creation of local community, a community that is strong and a community that develops itself. That is why one of the projects implemented in Rybnik aiming at changing the town and its vicinity it should be shown as a case study.

1.2. Assumptions of the project Partnership for Development “Inherit work”The assumptions that appeared in connection to the project structure are related

to broadly-understood local development, which utilizes endogenic potentials in relation to changes in the town and its vicinity. These potentials concern the long-term unemployed who can (and should) fi nd their place on labor market and in broadly-understood civil so-

17 Cf. R. Boschma, Competitiveness of Regions from an Evolutionary Perspective. „Regional Studies”, 2004, Vol. 38, no. 9, pp. 1001-1014; cf. also B. Gardiner, R. Martin, P. Tyler, Competitiveness, Productivity and Economic Growth across the Euro-pean Regions. „Regional Studies”, 2004, Vol. 38, no. 9, pp. 1045-1069.

18 Cf. J. Kurczewska (ed.), Oblicza lokalności. Tradycja i współczesność. Warszawa, Wydawnictwo Instytutu Filozofi i i Soc-jologii PAN 2004.

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Robert Geisler

ciety. Secondly, these potentials concern families of people who have been marginalized, in particular next generations, who being brought up in excluded community start to ac-quire behavior models, thinking habits and action habits related to social marginalization. Thirdly, these potentials concern institutions created in everyday situations by people deal-ing with the problems of social exclusion. The potential may be utilized only by cooperation and undertaking joint initiatives and actions, which is a part of the concept of partnership of institutions and building social and institutional capital in local community.

Most often one notices the assumptions related to preventing social marginaliza-tion and exclusion, which result in decreased unemployment rate and decreased number of people dependent on social welfare services, there were however assumptions related to broadly-understood local community and changes that may take place within this com-munity in longer time perspective than one year or two years of the project duration. It is thus well-justifi ed to say that the project should aim at creating conditions for development of civil society on different levels - on the level of ordinary citizens, people that have been ex-cluded from society for a long time, and on the level of cooperation between public, private, self-government, non-government and business institutions. The only thing worth noticing is the innovative approach to the model of active civil society in case of long-term unem-ployed. Most often, specialist literature assumes that civil society is created by well-educated people and people that are employed19. In case of the project “Inherit work” it was assumed that this model may also be implemented by people with lower level of education, basic vocational or primary school education, and by the unemployed. In both cases it is possible to ascertain that people with lower level of education are also capable of undertaking joint actions related to meeting their social needs - needs which are not only related to unem-ployment issues but needs which may be related to free time management. Secondly, being unemployed and being given support from leaders may result not only in only constructive time management but also in acquiring new skills or doing something for the common good - local community.

That is why it was important to undertake actions which aimed at changing this situation. There are many examples of similar projects in specialist literature, e.g. literature in sociology and anthropology of development, when during social intervention there were attempts to change mentality of inhabitants of poor districts/towns in the United States, socially exclud-ed and marginalized immigrants in the USA and West European countries, and the mentality of peoples suffering from HIV/AIDS in Africa20. In some cases the so-called therapeutic society model was applied which aimed at changing mentality (psychosocial traits) of benefi ciaries and which consequently led to incorporating those people into broadly-understood social, political and economic life as well as making them leaders of changes in their own communi-

19 Cf. P. Gliński, B. Lewenstein, A. Siciński (ed.), Samoorganizacja społeczeństwa polskiego: III sektor i wspólnoty lokalne w jednoczącej się Europie. Warszawa, Wydawnictwo Instytutu Filozofi i i Socjologii PAN 2004.

20 Cf. Cf. T. Kowalik, Problemy społeczne Stanów Zjednoczonych. Warszawa, Instytut Pracy i Polityki Społecznej 1996, V.K. Nguyen, Antiretroviral globalism, biopolitics, and the therapeutic citizenship. In: Ong A., Collier S. J. (ed.), Global Assem-blages: Technology, Politics, and Ethics as Anthropological Problems. Oxford, Blackwell Publishing House, 2005, pp. 124-144.


19

ties assuming that they could infl uence other people in similar economic, mental and social situation.

1.3. Objectives of the project “Inherit work”Implementation of the project “Inherit work” was foreseen due to the above concepts

related to the project structure, and fi rst and foremost the needs of Rybnik and its vicinity to create a strong local community with the lowest possible number of social problems and social exclusions.

The project consisted of three actions: Action 1; Action 2 and Action 3. Action 1 was related to establishment of partnership of institutions and preparation of the project, namely preparation of its budget, strategy schedule and contract. This action aimed at preparing ac-tivities for preventing exclusion, establishing partnership of institutions and activating local communities. Implementation of these objectives was formulated in Action 2 of the project. Action 3 was also arranged, which included distribution of the project among local commu-nity players, regional and national level politicians.

The present work has been written on the basis of Action 2 of the project. The fol-lowing levels of objectives were assumed within this action: 1) preventing inheritance of unemployment in families of the Rybnik region affected by long-term unemployment; 2) creating a platform for institutions working with the unemployed and 3) activating local communities. Title of the project referred to reproduction of social inheritance by next generations of people affected by long-term marginalization21. This is how it was defi ned in the Strategy of the project: This objective (i.e. preventing inheritance of unemployment) was defi ned in relation to the social and economic situation of the Rybnik subregion. The situation was mainly characterized by unemployment that had some specifi c features: low level of educa-tion, lack of knowledge of the latest technology, lack of ability to navigate on labor market. The above social and economic situation of the unemployed resulted from political system trans-formation that had been implemented in Poland for the previous fi fteen years and which was related, especially in the Upper Silesia region, to liquidation or restructuring of heavy industry state-owned enterprises.

The assumption that objective 1 of the project is the priority was related to the model of social intervention, i.e. the model applied in other European countries and the United States where it is used in social work or pedagogy of adults. In this case the difference con-sisted in rank-and-fi le activation of not only benefi ciaries, but fi rst of all local players who create community. That is why, as indicated inter alia by anthropology of development, it was important to defi ne changes in community identities of project participants, not only benefi ciaries of the project but also other people. It is especially important in the process of implementation of traditional methods of combating poverty and unemployment carried out in Poland and the Upper Silesia region in the fi rst years of political system transforma-tion, i.e. methods that used the tools that job offi ces and social welfare centers had to offer,

21 It is worth referring to the classical book in the fi eld of reproduction of social systems P. Bourdieu, J. C. Passeron, Reproduk-cja. Elementy teorii systemu nauczania. Warszawa, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN 2006.

20

Robert Geisler

namely unemployment compensations, trainings, jobs offered to individuals without taking into account a) unchangeable mentality of people, i.e. their psychological traits, b) stay-ing in the environment of the unemployed which shaped particular behavior models and habits related to unemployment and poverty, and c) reproduction of this model among next generation, which practically created districts of inhabitants seen as belonging to the margin of society. What is more, implementation of the project became important due to insuf-fi cient social involvement, as emphasized by sociologists and political scientists, i.e. low level of civil society in Poland which impacts not only social sphere but also economic one. The project also aimed at changing social identity of those involved in the project, which was an example of learning by undertaking actions, i.e. a specifi c model of learning how to be active in different activity areas in local community. This process should result in local re development.

When taking into account objective 1, as defi ne in the Strategy, activities of the Partner-ship “Inherit work” are addressed to families of two unemployed generation or families whose parents are unemployed and growing-up children are at risk of sharing the fate of their parents. Benefi ciaries participating in the project encounter many barriers which make it diffi cult for them to fi nd job. The barriers can be classifi ed as external barriers (high requirements set by employers, considerable competitiveness on labor market) and internal barriers depending on the benefi ciaries, among other things insuffi cient qualifi cations, low activeness, lack of knowledge on where and how to search for work, fear of the past, discouragement and apathy, and a set of traits known as “learned helplessness”22. The main barrier in implementation of objective 2 of the project con-sisted in undertaking actions by various types of local institution in favor of the unemployed or the socially marginalized without any coordination or cooperation. Thus it became crucial to group institutions of this type, in particular everyone employed in the institutions for the purpose of implementing joint actions. When assuming implementation of objective 3 it was decided to diagnose degradation barrier of particular districts of Rybnik or the neighboring towns. That is why it was assumed that the benefi ciaries who were given a new social identity as a result of participation in the project will start create civil society in the rank-and-fi le man-ner, i.e. they will not only become active in different areas of society life - on labor market, but they will also start to activate their closest community which so far has been inactive and indifferent.

22 Cf. Strategy of the project “Inherit work”


21

Scheme of the project Partnership for Development “Inherit work”

1.4. Actions undertaken within the project Partnership for Development “Inherit work” The objectives of the project presented above may be implemented fi rst of all by undertak-

ing actions. In this case one can also mention a series of actions which should lead to intended results, as specifi ed before implementation of the project. In case of objective 1 of the project the main intention consisted in introducing changes in identities of long-term unemployed and their closest environment (in this case their families) by applying the so-called Dual training model, a training program prepared by Mrs. Joanna Kryszczyszyn. The model was described as the main area of actions and defi ned as a model of comprehensive training for people from long-term unemployed families with training programs. The Strategy further states that: The training is addressed to members of long-term unemployed families. It is implemented on the base of a two-way orientation. Career path is addressed to long-term unemployed excluded from labor market due to insuffi cient education, practical skills required on labor market or due to lack of specifi c social or psychological skills. The family activating path is addressed to the remaining family members. These are people whose attitude and commitment infl uence attitudes of the unemployed in the family and acquisition of behavior models by next generation - children. Orientation of the trainings on all family members enables to release internal motivation mecha-nisms which stimulate to action, i.e. work habits.

Due to the above the benefi ciaries of the project were defi ned as individuals with their families in the background. Fragmentary tasks of the project within objective 1 were mainly related to changing identity of the benefi ciaries (and their families) in relation to preventing inheritance of unemployment, social marginalization or in more general terms - social exclusion.

22

Robert Geisler

Due to the above the Dual training model consists of two levels of work with the benefi -ciaries:

a) The level of career path for long-term unemployed consisting of 6 training modules: M1 and M2 – Motivating and activating program, M3 – IT training, M4 – Vocational training, M5 – Practical training – vocational traineeship, M6 – Training in scope of labor market navigation and

b) The level of family activation addressed to family members of the unemployed (M9) (cf. table 1).

Table 1. List of modules

MODULE NUMBER OF HOURS

Module M1 - Motivating and activating program 60 hrsModule M2 - Motivating and activating program - Support Group 40 hrsModule M3 - IT training 72 hrsModule M4 - Vocational training 168 hrsModule M5 - Practical training - vocational traineeship 160 hrsModule M6 - Training in scope of labor market navigation 30 hrsModule M9 - Family activation 40 hrs

Dual training model, the most important part of objective 1 implementation, was embed-ded in the logic of other action because no work with the benefi ciaries can be started unless the benefi ciaries are selected. That is why this action was divided into particular tasks which were recognized as products of the project. These tasks included: local labor market analyses, identifi cation and selection of respondents, motivation and activation training and provid-ing the benefi ciaries with additional required skills, providing the benefi ciaries with addi-tional professional skills and qualifi cations of a future employee, practical evaluation of ac-quired knowledge on the national labor market and on the EU labor market (in case of some benefi ciaries).

1. Analysis of local labor market. This task aimed at determining situation on enter-prise market. Research on this subject was prepared by Mrs. Bogumiła Barańska and Mrs. Ewa Madej Employer’s market - opportunities and risks. In research conclusions they characterized local market as dominated by people performing traditional profes-sions not related to the latest technologies, mainly in medium and small businesses that have been present on the local market for a longer period of time (over 5 or 10 years). The research also showed tiny level of development of this market, including possibilities of employing particular individuals.

2. Identifi cation and selection of benefi ciaries. This task aimed at identifying par-ticipants of the project. As a result of Action 1, an analysis of situation of the unem-ployed in Rybnik was carried out, which showed that over half of them lived in poor and marginalized districts of the town - Paruszowiec, Boguszowice, Niedobczyce and


23

Chwałowice. The neighboring commune – Czerwionka-Leszczyny was also in diffi -cult situation due to liquidation of a coal mine located in the area in the beginning of the 90’s. Analyses that were carried out also showed that people who were socially marginalized in particular districts included mainly those with primary school educa-tion and basic vocational education (they totaled 69%), young people - 50% up to the age of 35, with majority of women - 61-63%, and most importantly long-term unemployed - 44%. This situation could have been caused by political system trans-formation which, as mentioned above, resulted in collapse of state-owned enterprises and a long-term “drop out” of some people outside the labor market. Long-term un-employment was characterized by a very important feature related to next generation of socially marginalized people. Long-term unemployed that left the labor market and the broadly-understood civil society of the beginning of the 90’s started to bring up their children in the situation of social marginalization, thus reproducing behavior models. Secondly, it was the time when areas - enclaves - of poverty started to appear in Rybnik and its vicinity, characteristic exclusion ghettos.

It was then decided that due to the above the fi nal benefi ciaries of the project “Inherit work” would include families that meet more detailed criteria derived from the above more general cri-teria:

� 2 unemployed parents and at least 1 unemployed child;� 1 unemployed parent and at least 1 unemployed child;� 2 unemployed parents and the oldest child still attending a secondary school (at risk

of becoming unemployed);� 1 unemployed parent and the oldest child still attending a secondary school (at risk

of becoming unemployed);� 2 unemployed parents and the oldest child still attending a gymnasium;� 1 unemployed parent and the oldest child still attending a gymnasium. The fi nal establishment of the number of candidates for benefi ciaries was related to their

recruitment from long-term unemployed families with the following criteria that had to be met:

� 30% of the benefi ciaries – unemployed were to be families from the area of Rybnik the Commune of Czerwionka–Leszczyny – namely 30 people, including at least 15 women;

� 70% of the benefi ciaries were to be families from Rybnik districts (70 people including at least 35 women);

� at least 50% of all benefi ciaries were to be women. Implementation of this task turned out to be more diffi cult than expected. Despite a list

of 250 people - potential benefi ciaries of the project who met the condition of participation in the planned trainings, it turned out that the long-term unemployed were reluctant to par-ticipate in the project. Those included mainly people who had been socially marginalized

24

Robert Geisler

or excluded for years, who possessed the habit of learned helplessness and did not want to change the situation they were in. The recruitment procedure was carried out by social workers and project coordinators who visited homes of potential benefi ciaries and conducted interviews with them on their participation in the project. Once a declaration was signed the people were invited to interviews with career advisers and thanks to the help of those advis-ers they decided on selecting professional trainings. Due to repeated withdrawals from the trainings by the benefi ciaries it was necessary to conduct additional recruitment. Thus, the initial criteria of recruitment failed to be implemented. Rybnik inhabitants (66%, i.e. two third of the benefi ciaries) and Czerwionka-Leszczyny inhabitants (34%) were qualifi ed for the project. If compared with the initial assumptions one can see that the proportions were slightly changed. 106 people - 72 women and 34 men participated in the project, thanks to which the 50% women participation limit was achieved. 49 benefi ciaries (34 women) came from Czerwionka-Leszczyny. The situation repeated itself with recruitment of family members. Initially it was assumed to work with all family members, namely the remaining three people, which totaled ca. 400 people. As practice showed, unemployed people suggested at least one member of their families to participate in the so-called Support groups. This way the planned results of working with the whole family were not achieved. One should take into account the fact that any family is a dynamic structure and it is very diffi cult to achieve unanimity related to for example participation in a project or any undertaking, which is caused by different personalities of family members.

The new situation, i.e. after recruitment for the activation and motivation training and recruitment of family members, evokes questions on the importance of family in sup-porting a benefi ciary. The question might have the following form: Does work with three family members produce other results (i.e. better results) than work with one family mem-ber? It would seem that in case of preventing unemployment in next generations, which could be implemented by inter alia changing identity of long-term unem-ployed and by changing their behavior models, quantitative defi nitions of family members are less important than quality changes resulting from participation in the project. Due to the above one can assume that the project aims at changing identity of the benefi ciaries, whereas family members participating in the project are to create envi-ronment for changes in their families by sharing the same views, values or social standards which reject the model of long-term unemployment as well as any reproduction of this model in next generations.

To sum it up, out of the planned 400 fi nal benefi ciaries (100 participants of the moti-vation and activation training and 300 members of their families) 106 benefi ciaries and 369 members of their families were qualifi ed to participate in the project (training participants and their family members, both adults and children).

3. Motivation and activation training in scope of self-education related to shap-ing one’s own positive role in society and family – Module 1, which took 60 hrs in the period of 20.02.2006 - 24.08.2006. 106 benefi ciaries of the project started


25

attending this training. Its main objectives, set during implementation of this task, consisted in shaping new social roles and attitudes, overcoming diffi culties and ana-lyzing awareness changes. Due to the above the training was divided into two parts. The fi rst part aimed at integrating the group of benefi ciaries, as a result of which this part - 20 hrs - was carried out in Ustroń (outgoing training), and was devoted to initial change of psychological traits of the benefi ciaries, mainly the traits as-sociated with their previous life into traits favored from the perspective of general objectives of the project (mainly preventing social marginalization). The second part of the training - 40 hrs) took two weeks before IT training and professional training began.

4. Monitoring and activation and providing the benefi ciaries with additional necessary skills – Modules 2 and 9. These modules consist in working with the benefi ciaries and their family members during vocational training. The project aimed at providing benefi ciaries and their family members with 4 hours of trainings for 10 weeks (once a week, in the morning for the benefi ciaries and in the afternoon for their family members) with the intention of channeling their stress caused by acquir-ing new social roles and thus shaping their new social identities and also with the intention of their acquiring social and psychological skills related to that new iden-tity and creation of a new social environment (these were the main tasks intended for family members of the benefi ciaries) building new social relations and a new model of social behavior. Classes in both modules lasted for half a year - from 20.02.2006 to 24.08.2006 in case of working with family members (Module 9) and to 8.09.2006 in case of working with the benefi ciaries (Module 2). During those classes the issues that were discussed included the following: education problems, assertiveness, communica-tion, increasing self-evaluation, image change, problem solving.

5. Providing benefi ciaries with additional professional skills and qualifi cations of a future employee: Module 3 – IT training, Module 4 – vocational training, Module 6 – training in scope of labor market navigation.

Module 3 included trainings in computer handling skills. The module was included in the project due to the importance of informational society. Elements of this society type started to appear in Polish local societies of the transformation period23. This all-embracing “informa-tization” of society forced employees to acquire skills necessary to operate new technologies and new media. That is why the authors of the project assumed implementation of a task which consisted in teaching benefi ciaries how to use computers and internet, mainly due to the fact that in many cases those benefi ciaries were a part of a group of people excluded from the broadly-understood informational society. It was assumed that after completing this

23 Cf. M. Castells, Galaktyka Internetu. Refl eksje nad Internetem, biznesem i społeczeństwem. Poznań, Dom Wydawniczy Rebis 2003; cf. also Społeczeństwo informacyjne w perspektywie człowieka, techniki, gospodarki. L. Zacher (ed.). Warszawa, Fundacja Transformacje 1999. Cf. also. Transformacje. Pismo interdyscyplinarne. Grudzień 2006, Warszawa, Fundacja Transformacje.

26

Robert Geisler

module, the benefi ciaries would know how to:• operate computers, • make use of the MS Offi ce package (Word, Excel, PowerPoint),• navigate in the virtual world of the internet.

Additionally, it was important to shape the following skills:• getting accustomed to accuracy of performed work,• development of manual skills,• shaping the sense of responsibility and regularity,• skill improvement,• increasing self-evaluation of the training participants.

Classes within this Module lasted from 21.02.2006 to 20.07.2007 and were attended by 101 benefi ciaries (the same number of those who started and completed the training). It was very important for the benefi ciaries to get used to computer hardware which is the natural work tool and also a tool used in searching for work in modern society.

Module 4 consisted in vocational training. All the project benefi ciaries were divided into ten training groups in nine professions: welder, tradesman, child care worker, older person’s care worker and disabled person care worker, construction worker, forklift operator, caterer, fl orist, hotel worker, water supply and sewage installation fi tter. This selection of professions was the result of 1) labor market research which showed demand for professions in Ryb-nik and its vicinity, and 2) analysis of the benefi ciaries’ needs. Classes conducted within this module lasted from 17.02.2006 to 8.09.2006. In practice, each training group started their classes every two or three weeks. Each group had 168 hours of classes. Each training group was characterized by different vocational objectives, closely related to the labor market re-quirements and specifi c professional skills. Evaluation report analyses on particular train-ing groups show high evaluation marks of the organization of those classes, high evaluation marks awarded to instructors (in most cases 80% and more of the evaluation marks were very good), their professional preparation and commitment, as well as their ability to share their knowledge in easily understandable way.

Module 6 consisted in labor market navigation training. It was very important for the project’s initiator to equip the benefi ciaries not only with knowledge and professional skills related to particular professions, but also with knowledge and skills demanded by modern civilization requirements and related among other things to use of new technologies and social skills related to job search and labor market navigation. That is why, it was assumed that after the training is completed, its participants should possess the following skills and abilities:

� ability to select job offers and apply active forms of job search,� ability to fi nd job offers in the internet,� ability to carry out a positive self-presentation based on knowledge of one’s own

resources and capabilities,


27

� ability to prepare application documents according to effective standards,� ability to prepare career development plans.

Due to the above assumptions, this 30-hour training aimed at providing its participants - the project benefi ciaries - with knowledge and skills necessary to actively search for a job, which was understood as creating active job search attitudes that should infl uence job search motivation.

6. Practical evaluation of acquired professional knowledge on Polish labor market – Module 5. This module was a direct extension of Module 4 – vocational training. The authors of the project assume that theoretical classes alone do not al-ways result in acquiring skills required to become active on the labor market. That is why it was assumed that the benefi ciaries who completed Module 4 would be sent to enterprises active on the local labor market, so that they could verify their newly acquired knowledge and skills, and fi rst and foremost learn new skills by performing professional work as well as establish contacts with potential employers. Two as-sumptions were hidden in this module; fi rstly that education is achieved by practice, i.e. action (learning by doing)24, and secondly that social networks, i.e. a network of contacts -in this case contacts with employers, constitute an important factor fa-cilitating job fi nding opportunities. Providing the benefi ciaries with opportunities of establishing direct contacts and getting to know each other - employees and em-ployers - with the assumption that the benefi ciaries will meet with each other and exchange information on the labor market, was an important element of not only their introduction to the labor market but also an element of shaping their social capital.

This module lasted from 3.05.2006 to 6.10.2006 (160 hours), and had 94 participants (92 people completed the module). Out of the initial group of 97 people who could par-ticipate in this module having completed Module 4, three people did not participate in this module due to doctor’s leaves and reluctance to participate in this type of trainings, and two people did not complete this module with a passing grade. It should be noticed that three people were offered employment contracts right after they completed the training. It also should be stressed that 33 enterprises offered their assistance in the project and made it possible for the benefi ciaries to conduct their professional traineeships and voluntary traineeships. To complete the Dual training model the benefi ciaries had to complete Module 5 fi rs, which was achieved by 94 people. Traineeship contracts (voluntary) were concluded with 59 people (32 women and 27 men), and 43 of them (25 women and 18 men) com-pleted their traineeships. On 1.03.2007, 4 people were still conducting their traineeships (1 woman and 3 men) and 34 people were offered employment contracts (16 women and 18 men).

24 Zarządzanie wiedzą w społeczeństwie uczącym się. Edukacja i umiejętności. Organizacja Współpracy Gospodarczej i Rozwoju. Warszawa 2000.

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Robert Geisler

To sum it up, the Dual training model consisted in working with the benefi ciaries and their family members and aimed at changing their mentality, thinking and action habits, creat-ing new behavior models related to playing the social part of a citizen, consumer and labor market employee. It was achieved by a set of actions (tasks) implemented within the project, from motivation training through professional trainings, to labor market navigation skills and computer handling skills. The possibility to participate in the labor market in specifi c en-terprises where the benefi ciaries could encounter real-life problems was undoubtedly a very important element of the project. It should be noticed that all those actions aimed mainly at changing social identity of the benefi ciaries by showing them their new social functions. Thanks to the Dual training model the benefi ciaries participated in, the benefi ciaries had an opportunity to participate in the model of therapeutic society, i.e. they had an opportunity to shape their own selves as citizens.

7. Practical verifi cation of acquired professional knowledge on the EU labor market – Module 7. Due to the fact that modern world is global in nature and the labor market after 1.05.2004 has increased signifi cantly and now encompasses not only Poland but also West European countries it was important to prepare the project benefi ciaries to participate in labor market seen from a bigger perspective than that of local and national character. That is why, we organized a traineeship in Sweden for a small group of benefi ciaries - 14 people. This was also an example of innovative solution consisting in an attempt to provide the benefi ciaries not only with an op-portunity to acquire practical skills, but also shaping their attitudes related to work-ing abroad and working in a group. We organized a traineeship in Swedish companies, which included mainly construction professions, in the period of 1-21.09.2006 for this small group of benefi ciaries thanks to assistance provided by our Swedish associ-ated partner Bo Nillson with Company. A year later, another group of benefi ciaries - a group of women after a training in hotel services - had an opportunity to conduct their traineeship in Italy (in June 2007).

It should be noticed that Group 11 continued their professional training in 2007, in the profession of Modern tradesman. This was possible when a group of 13 people cancelled their basic training in 2006, which made it possible to train the same number of people in the fol-lowing year. This type of training was selected as a result of analysis of labor market needs related to development of trade in Rybnik and its vicinity.

Objective 2 of the project “Inherit work” was termed Development of effective methods of coordination of actions of institutions and organizations dealing with so-cial and professional integration and aimed at building a platform of institutions and co-operation between these institutions in working with people fi nding themselves in diffi cult life and professional situations. There is no doubt that this objective aimed at creating social and institutional capital, i.e. creating a network of cooperation between institutions which


29

will be capable of implementing various future projects in local community25. According to Putnam, it is defi ned as trust, social standards and social networks of individuals and in-stitutions which can be found in a certain area26. In case of the project “Inherit work” this local social and institutional capital was related to construction of a network of cooperation between institutions dealing with social and professional integration with the purpose of preventing social marginalization. At the same time this type of capital may be converted, according to for example James Coleman, into human capital27. It means that cooperation between people employed in different institutions is refl ected in increase of their knowledge or professional skills, because they share their knowledge and build a new dimension on its basis.

This objective also aimed at creating a model of civil society understood as coopera-tion between various types of organizations. It is worth noticing, that participation of self-government institutions and non- government institutions, including business organizations, in the project “Inherit work” should contribute to shaping local civil society sensitive to social problems and responsive to social needs by solving problems of social marginalization. What is more, sources of this project objective can be found in the planned European Union model of public and private partnership, in which different public and private institutions jointly un-dertake aimed at solving different social problems in local communities. This idea is based on the assumption that the state cannot fulfi ll all of its tasks and part of the tasks is transferred to business entities. In this case, social problems are solved by developing a model of pre-venting long-term unemployment and inheritance of poverty on local scale. These examples of cooperation are applied in various European countries and regions and are related not only to working with the poor, but to all spheres of social life28.

Objective 2 of the project had its sources in comprehensive implementation of objective 1 of the project, which required cooperation of many institutions. Creation of a multilevel and multidimensional project is beyond capabilities of one institution. That is why, the project initiator and its main administrator - the Rybnik Center of Vocational Education Center of Continuing and Practical Education in Rybnik (RCEZ CKUoP), invited the following local institutions and organizations to participate in the project as partners: Rybnik Town Coun-cil, Commune and Town Council of Czerwionka-Leszczyny, National Center for Supporting Vocational and Continuing Education in Warsaw, The Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice, Karol Adamiecki University of Economics in Katowice, District Job Offi ce in Rybnik, Social Welfare Center in Rybnik, Social Welfare Center in Czerwionka-Leszczyny, Catholic Youth Education Center KANA in Gliwice, Ecologic Foundation “Ekoterm Silesia” in Rybnik, Parish Division of the Catholic Action - KPK “PRACA” in the parish under the invocation

25 Cf. G. Mohan, J. Mohan, Placing Social Capital. „Progress in Human Geography”, 2002, no. 26/2, pp. 191-210.26 Cf. R. Putnam, Demokracja w działaniu. Tradycje obywatelskie we współczesnych Włoszech. Warszawa - Kraków, Fundacja im.

S. Batorego, Wydawnictwo Znak 1995.27 Cf. J. Coleman, Social Capital in the Creation of Human Capital’. In: „American Journal of Sociology”, 1988, Vol. 94, No 94,

Supplement, pp. 95-120.28 Cf. P. Dobrowolski, M. Łata, Wielki region Saar – Lor – Lux. Przykład współpracy transgranicznej w Europie. Wrocław,

Atla 2 2001.

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Robert Geisler

of the Holiest Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Czerwionka-Leszczyny, Psychological and Pedagogical Advisory Center in Rybnik, Social Initiative Development Center in Rybnik, Guild of Crafts and Small and Medium Enterprise in Rybnik.

Fifteen institutions implemented the following actions of objective 1 of the project Preventing Long-term Exclusion: Module 1, i.e. motivation and activation program was imple-mented by Psychological and Pedagogical Advisory Center in Rybnik and Guild of Crafts and Small and Medium Enterprise in Rybnik. Module 2, Support Groups - Psychological and Ped-agogical Advisory Center in Rybnik, Social Welfare Center in Rybnik, Social Welfare Center in Czerwionka-Leszczyny and Guild of Crafts and Small and Medium Enterprise in Rybnik. Module 3 – IT training and Module 4 were implemented by The Silesian University of Tech-nology in Gliwice and the Rybnik Center of Vocational Education Center of Continuing and Practical Education in Rybnik. Module 5 was implemented by the Rybnik Center of Voca-tional Education Center of Continuing and Practical Education in Rybnik, Guild of Crafts and Small and Medium Enterprise in Rybnik and Social Initiative Development Center in Rybnik (CRIS). Karol Adamiecki University of Economics in Katowice and the Rybnik Cen-ter of Vocational Education Center of Continuing and Practical Education in Rybnik were responsible for the implementation of Module 6. The Family Activation module (MR) was implemented by Social Welfare Center in Rybnik and Guild of Crafts and Small and Medium Enterprise in Rybnik.

Implementation of objective 2 was conducted by the already mentioned tasks imple-mented within objective 1 related to preventing social exclusion and by implementing tasks specifi c for objective 2, which included the following:

1. Creating a program which described and diagnosed the benefi ciaries, which constituted the database on the benefi ciaries. The database included the basis information related social and demographic issues related to the benefi ciaries, which was used by particu-lar institutions working with the long-term unemployed. It was an element of creating com-mon knowledge and it facilitated communication between institutions related to possibilities of employing the benefi ciaries.

2. Cooperation with employers was related to a task implemented within objec-tive 1 Development of a model of preventing inheritance of unemployment, which consisted in traineeships conducted by benefi ciaries in local enterprises. This task was implemented by two non-government institutions: Social Initiative Development Center in Rybnik (CRIS) and Guild of Crafts and Small and Medium Enterprise in Rybnik. These actions aimed at start-ing cooperation with local labor market companies, potential employers for the benefi ciaries. This resulted in starting cooperation with 33 enterprises located in the area of Rybnik and in its vicinity, which enabled the benefi ciaries to conduct their traineeships. Establishment of contacts with employers and cooperation resulting in employing the benefi ciaries consisted mainly in direct contacts with the employers, during which the program was presented and a possibility of traineeships for the benefi ciaries was discussed. On the other hand, a question of individual approach toward the benefi ciaries arose, i.e. search for proper traineeship loca-tion for certain people with professional predispositions or for people living in a given area.


31

3. Trainings for project workers were yet another element of creating a model of cooperation between institutions dealing with social and professional integration. It was con-cluded that this type of undertaking will be most effective when people working in various partner institutions are able to develop, improve their skills and increase their knowledge, but at the same time there will be integration of a broadly-understood working group result-ing not only in mutual learning but also in conversion of social capital into human capital. It means that mutual meetings building social bonds and integration will be refl ected in increase of knowledge of particular training participants. Just like in the case of the benefi ciaries there should be a process of learning in practice and learning from other. The following trainings were implemented in the course of project implementation:

1. Training of Partnership workers in psychology 07-16 of February 2006 in Rybnik.2. Training workers of the project “Inherit work” 25-26 of May 2006, in Węgierska Górka.3. Gender Mainstreaming Implementation of the perspective of gender equality in projects

implemented within the Community Initiative EQUAL, 23-24 of November 2006 in Ustroń.

4. Project management, 20 of November, 2006 – 08 of January 2007, in Rybnik.5. Conducting trainings effectively – techniques of improving instructor skills, 19-20 of Feb-

ruary 2007 in Brenna.6. Gaining European funds 2007-2013, 12-13 of May 2007, in Ustroń.7. Training of workers of the project “Inherit work” 24-25 of September, in Ustroń.

4. International cooperation - programs “Common Work for the Future” and “Fu-ture as Opportunity”. Due to the fact that one of the underlying principles behind “Equal” projects is cooperation with foreign partners aiming at exchanging knowledge and experience and creating innovative solutions on the local market, it was concluded that the Partnership for Development “Inherit work” project should have twofold networks of cooperation related to career counseling and possible exchange of the benefi ciaries on the European labor market. It was implemented in the course of two programs: Common Work for the Future and Future as Opportunity. Sources of this type of cooperation were related to (1) exchange of experience between partners by means of conferences and seminars, common workshops and exchange of documents; (2) development of common tools for working with the unemployed and (3) application of innovative solutions for preventing unemployment and remaining on the labor market by means of foreign traineeships. The fi rst program was implemented in cooperation with a French partner – Domi-Services and a Spanish partner – Consorcio Palencia Social. The second program involved cooperation with an Italian partner – Turismo Integrator Aree Cos-tiere e Interne come Opportunita di Sviluppo Locale and an associated Swedish partner – Bo Nillson, and was related to traineeships conducted in Swedish and Italian enterprises.

Within the project “Common Work for the Future’ the following was completed:a) Seminars and workshops on work motivation, career counseling and new educational

methods. They were held in countries of particular partners in the following period: December 2006 - April 2007.

32

Robert Geisler

b) Research - project entitled “The diffi culties women face when entering labor market’ – comparative research in Poland, Spain and France.

c) Publications – inter alia Work motivation. Publication of post-seminar and post-work-shop materials edited by T. Harsze, J. Kryszczyszyn and J. Naróg.

The program “Future as Opportunity” involved establishment of cooperation with in-stitutions, which deal with career counseling, trainings (for entrepreneurs and the unem-ployed) and provide assistance to people who are excluded and socially marginalized. That is why, the essence of transnational cooperation, as required by the EQUAL project, consisted in exchange of experience within effective labor market research methods, diagnosis of pro-fessional predispositions of the unemployed and new training methods. This task involved organizing three transnational conferences, traineeships for the benefi ciaries held in Sweden (September 2006) and Italy (June 2007), preparation of a publication and dissemination of results of partnership actions on websites.

5. Creating a platform of cooperation between institutions, i.e. distribution of partnership products. This involved organization of three debates, two conferences, and a guidebook. The debates were devoted to issues related to career counseling, voluntary ser-vices and cooperation between non-government organizations. The subjects debated during the conferences were related to family issues associated with combating unemployment and issues of future education. The fi rst conference was held on 28.02.2007 in Rybnik and was entitled “The need of voluntary services in Rybnik”. It aimed at exchanging experience and knowledge between institutions dealing with this type of activities and using volunteers. The debate also aimed at showing chances and opportunities of development and barri-ers to voluntary services. The long-term objective of the debate was to create a model of cooperation between non-government organizations related to implementation of joint projects, e.g. in the sphere of social exclusion. The second debate - conference was held in Rybnik on April 25, 2007. It was devoted to cooperation between institutions within estab-lishing joint projects in the sphere of career counseling. It was undoubtedly a continuation of the previous debated which was related to cooperation of non-government organizations with other partners. In this case however, the debate aimed at drawing attention to a specifi c problem, i.e. career counseling implemented by different institutions – self-government and non-government ones. Again, the long-term objective and result of this debate, which should be achieved once the project “Inherit work” is completed is creating a model of co-operation between institutions dealing with career counseling. The third debate was held in the Rybnik High Schools on May 26, 2007 within the Festival of Local Social Initiatives. The panel part consisted of four simultaneous debates, one of which was organized within the Community Initiative project EQUAL “Inherit work”. The panel debate aimed at an-swering the question of whether there is any cooperation between non-government orga-nizations and between non-government organizations and other organizations, e.g. public authorities. Finally, a few words should be devoted to the debates organized by Partnership for Development “Inherit work”. As in the case of the trainings analyzed above, the debates


33

result in increasing knowledge of the employed and being active in different areas of local community affecting important issues in Rybnik and its vicinity, related to development of effective methods of preventing social marginalization. Increase in knowledge affected a wider group of users than just workers of organizations involved in the project. The us-ers included representatives of different types of institutions and organizations in the local community, and it also aimed at creating interpersonal relations which could be applied in implementation of joint social actions, e.g. in the form of projects. These actions should con-sist in cooperation between non-government organizations and should concern the issues related to career counseling, because these subjects were regarded as the most important from the perspective of local communities of Rybnik and its vicinity.

Moreover, within this action Partnership for Development “Inherit work” organized two conferences, which were another result of dissemination of project outcomes. They aimed at not only dissemination knowledge of the project, but also knowledge off topics related to combating unemployment or future professional education. That is why two conferences were organized: “Investment in family as an effective method of combating unemployment’ and “Education of the future’. The fi rst of the conferences was held in Ustroń on 4-5.10.2007 and aimed at familiarizing the conference participants with the problems of combating unem-ployment social exclusion and using family or its role as a support group. The second confer-ence - “Education of the future” - was organized on 15.10.2007 in Rybnik and was addressed mainly to people responsible for educational institutions in Rybnik and its vicinity. The con-ference aimed at transferring knowledge on the challenges that modern education faces, and more precisely challenges related to professional education and the development of the latest technologies or new ideological assumptions on cooperation and dialogue.

The last element of creating a network of cooperation was preparation of a guidebook on social welfare services and labor market. Its main objective was to gather information on avail-able services offered by institutions for the unemployed and people at risk of social exclusion. The authors intended to provide this handbook to (1) institutions so that they are informed about services offered by other entities and (2) for social welfare consumers so that they are informed about available services. The guidebook was divided into 5 thematic areas contain-ing names of institutions providing the services.

� Labor market,� Family violence,� Addictions,� Disability,� Homelessness, � Return from a prison facility, � Helpline.

Each of the thematic areas has names of institutions and their short description. Apart from the address of a relief institution there is also information on the territorial sphere of activity of the institutions and in some cases scope of their activities. Apart from the above,

34

Robert Geisler

one can fi nd information on whether the relief is intended for children, people of up to 18 years of age, or the adult.

Objective 3 in the project Partnership for Development “Inherit work” is entitled Development of activation methods of local communities for the purpose of creating local initiatives for employment of self-employment. Implementation of this objective should be related to development of activation model of local communities for the purpose of creating local initiatives for employment or self-employment. Activation of local communities is very often related to the terms: citizen and local civil community. Citizen is here defi ned not as an individual belonging to the state but as a person possessing the so-called civil traits, also referred to as civic virtues - understood as psycho-physical traits related to activeness, sense of subjectivity, awareness of one’s rights and duties. The traits are nothing more than civic virtues, which on the basis of the ideology and social theory of communitarians could be defi ned an activity in various fi elds, inter alia non-government institutions, social actions, economy and politics. What is more, traits such as trust, responsibility of justice are also mentioned29.

Subject-related literature offers broad and narrow defi nitions of civil society30. The fi rst defi nition assumes that civil society consists of various institutions, such as political institu-tions (authorities or political parties), non-government institutions, Churches, schools, en-terprises, markets and communes. One can refer to the already mentioned Objective 2 of the project which assumed cooperation between various social institutions in the local commu-nity of Rybnik and its vicinity. Narrow defi nition defi nes civil society as institutions working outside the state’s domain. In this case these institutions are limited to the institutions of the third sector. Jerzy Szacki defi nes civil society as spontaneous, unplanned and unsupervised activeness which is determined only by legal standards and good manners. This approach is also followed by Michael Walzer, according to whom civil society is an area of casual as-sociations of citizens with a dominant network of social relations that fi ll the area. The same author in another defi nition indicates that civil society is a network of institutions indepen-dent from the state, which unite citizens around issues of common concern and which may infl uence the form of applied policy31.

On the basis of these theoretical foundations, the initiators of the project Partnership for Development “Inherit work” assumed a number of actions related to activation of the benefi -ciaries for the purpose of creating a model of an active citizen in their local community, who will fulfi ll themselves in business activities.

The following tasks were assumed in implementation of the project:1. Facilitating family functions by creating correct correlations, diagnosis of family mem-

bers’ placement. The following subtasks were isolated within this task: a) activation

29 Cf. A. Etzioni, The Essential Communitarian Reader, London – Bulder – New York – Toronto – Oxford, Rowman&Littlefi eld Publishers Inc 1998; cf. also R. Bellah, R. Madsen, W. Sullivan, A. Swidler, S. Tipton, Habits of the Heart. Individualism and Commitment in American Life. New York, Harper & Row 1996.

30 Cf. J. Szacki (ed.), Ani książę, ani kupiec: Obywatel. Wybór tekstów i wstęp J. Szacki. Warszawa - Kraków, Fundacja im. S. Batorego, Wydawnictwo Znak 1997.

31 Ibidem


35

of the benefi ciaries - the youth; b) care exerted over the dependants; c) activation of the benefi ciaries - the remaining family members - Support Groups for families of the benefi ciaries; d) family activation - Local Animator – activation of local community for self-help actins by organizing family meetings.

2. Self-employment - establishing family companies. The following subtasks were isolat-ed within this task: a) advisory assistance of business experts; b) fi nancial support for benefi ciaries launching their businesses; c) promotion of self-employment in family companies and promotion of other forms of social and professional activation of the unemployed.

3. Creating a positive image of Partnership for Development “Inherit work” within the Community Project EQUAL. The following subtasks were isolated within this tasks: a) Public Relations of the Partnership for Development “Inherit work”; b) prepara-tion of promotional and distribution materials; c) Administration of the website www.odziedziczprace.pl; d) administration of the website of Partnership “Future as Opportunity”.

Formulation and division of the above tasks ware the results of the logics assumed within the project Partnership for Development “Inherit work”. The key element of the project con-sisted in working with the fi nal benefi ciaries – the long-term unemployed and their family members within the so-called dual training model. During implementation of objective 1, i.e. development of methods blocking inheritance of unemployment in long-term unemployed families in the Rybnik region, two parallel methods of work aiming at activation of local communities were assumed. Activation may only be achieved by means of working with the benefi ciaries in bigger communities. Due to the above, implementation of the following tasks was assumed: creation of the so-called Support Groups (which constituted the task of objective 1), care ex-erted over the dependants and activation of young people. Trainings of this type were con-ducted simultaneously with the training activating the benefi ciaries in module 2 of objective 1 of the project, and included 40 hours of trainings, four hours once a week for the period of ten weeks. The meetings mainly aimed at developing motivation to participate in the project, showing constructive forms of spending free time, motivating to maintain positive changes in the families that appeared during the project, stimulating initiative among proj-ect participants, stimulating creativity and creative thinking, strengthening family ties and pursuing creation of positive relations within the families. Care exerted over the dependants mainly consisted in providing care for children of the benefi ciaries who participated in the trainings. It consisted in organizing kindergartens located within the closest possible distance from the places of residence of the benefi ciaries. This type of tasks also included opening of a day-room for participants of English training courses.

Once the dual training model was completed, a new task was created upon the initiative of the benefi ciaries, i.e. Family activation – local animator. It consisted in providing the ben-efi ciaries with skills related to participation in joint actions, their organization and manage-ment. The activities that were planned to be conducted within this task included regular

36

Robert Geisler

meeting held in the districts, organization of events such as Picnic or other occasional events - convivial meetings. However, these events and undertakings cannot be organized without local life leaders. That is why trainings for local leaders were initiated with the purpose of preparing them to perform this role in a professional manner. It was also assumed that it would be possible to implement objective due to its infrastructure which would provide the benefi ciaries with a possibility to develop their skills and organize their free time and their life. The project assumed establishment of day-rooms - the so-called Local activity centers. These facilities aimed at helping the unemployed and their family members by means of cre-ating integration and activation institutions. The centers are to contribute to self-organiza-tion of the benefi ciaries, maintenance of readiness and motivation for work and creation of active environment for various types of social activities, forms of organized or institutional-ized activities in local community. These institutions should also increase adaptive skills of the benefi ciaries in scope of future social and economic changes.

It was also assumed, that activation may be implemented inter alia by means of theoretical and practical activation trainings in photography “You can see much more through camera lenses”, and “English for children and the youth”. In both cases it is crucial to provide the benefi ciaries with skills that improve their position on the labor market. These tasks were implemented in the second half of 2007.

Activation of local communities may also be achieved by activation of the benefi ciaries on the labor market by means of for example self-employment and establishment of family companies. This task was assumed in the beginning of the project. However it could not be achieved due to legal issues (it was impossible to guarantee loans for the unemployed). Due to the above, the objectives related to creation of skills related to self-employment and establishment of family companies were slightly changed and involved training the benefi -ciaries to perform those skills. Due to the fact that after the practical module was completed, a module related to participation of the benefi ciaries on the labor market, both the ben-efi ciaries and the employers formulated their needs related to shaping their skills of self-presentation and negotiation it was decided that the project would incorporate this type of trainings.

The third task related to activation of local communities consisted in promotion of the project, Public Relations of the Partnership for Development “Inherit work”; preparation of promotion and distribution materials; administration of the website www.odziedziczprace.pl; and administration of the website Partnership “Future as Opportunity”.

To summarize, it is well-justifi ed to say that the project Partnership for Development “Inherit work” became a part of the broadly-understood ideology of local development and creation of this development by internal factors. Local leaders acknowledged that there are endogenic potentials in the local community of Rybnik and its vicinity, which could be used during activation actions. The project played the role of this type of activation related to dif-ferent social groups - the excluded, which was the essence of the project embedded in its title, career advisers, social services workers or players working in various types of local institutions.


37

There is no doubt that preparation of this project type requires undertaking many tasks and actions that will result in achieving planned outcomes.

38

Robert Geisler


39

Chapter II

Methodological aspects of evaluation research

The underlying concept of the project Partnership for Development “Inherit work” pre-sented in Chapter I, shows the project’s highly complex and multidimensional structure. It means that a particular research approach would have to be applied in analyses of the proj-ect’s outcomes. This book is the result of evaluation research conducted in the second part of the project. Evaluation research is applied in case of social intervention, understood as intentional action (project) aiming at achieving the intended effect32. The project “Inherit work” meets the requirements of social intervention and due to the above it is justifi ed to conduct evaluation research. Evaluation is defi ned as methodical evaluation of actions (project) or action’s results in comparison to effective standards, which aims at improving program/proj-ect/actions33. The evaluation of the project “Inherit work” aims mainly at evaluating proj-ect outcomes (expected outcomes, achieved outcomes, their manner of implementation). The results of this evaluation research may be applied not only in the process of making de-cisions related to this project (or other projects), but also in learning organization (of the project or institutions involved in the project).

Subject-related literature emphasizes the importance of quantitative indicators in evalua-tion research. However, in case of this type of projects, social and psychological effects, which cannot be fully presented in quantitative values, seem to be more important. Due to the above, evaluation research should also include quantitative research.

Due to the fact that the author of this book started evaluation research in January of 2007, i.e. in the second part of this project, quantitative research - the so-called Input Di-agnosis and Output Diagnosis, could not be conducted among the project benefi ciaries. This quantitative research constituted the basis of evaluation research at the beginning of the

32 Cf. E. Babbie, Badania społeczne w praktyce. Warszawa, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN 2003, p. 371.33 Cf. C. Weiss, Evaluation. Methods for studying. Programs and policies. Second edition. New Jersey, Prentice Hall, 1998.

40

Robert Geisler

project, and at the end of the stage called Dual training model34. As a result of this, the author encountered various quantitative data, such as the questionnaire research con-ducted earlier, as well as qualitative data - documents and pictures. It was then decided to make this book a part of the trend of quality sociology or social and cultural anthropology. The Researcher – evaluator, and at the same the author of this book, found himself in a for-eign environment, in a situation of “cultural strangeness”, which was caused not only by the author’s place of residence but also by the author’s ‘unfamiliarity’ with the environment of the long-term unemployed, the environment of the people working for the EQUAL project, the environment of Rybnik and its vicinity. It was the beginning of an intellectual adventure full of conversations, observations and casual interviews. That is why this book becomes a part of a broadly understood ethnography, in particular institutional ethnography. Insti-tutional ethnography is a method aiming at explaining social relations between people. The author of this method, a Canadian researcher Dorothy Smith, analyzed relations between everyday life situations, professional practices and development of politics35. By referring to critical theories of Karl Marks and Michel Foucault, and the tradition of phe-nomenology, she assumed that social relations consist in processes and practices regulating and controlling people by means of establishing different principles, either formal (legal principles) or informal. As many different entities establish different principles, power is generated by multitude of entities, which was also noticed by Michel Foucault. As a result of that, social life assumes organized forms and a researcher has to analyze discursive and practical forms of management generated by the authorities (multitude of entities) on dif-ferent levels and defi ned as principles establishing or regulating social life. A special example may be a nature of social relation characterized by domination of one social group over other groups, which is related to controlling other people and social control exerted over them. This type of relations is also present in civil society, when control over citizens is taken by means of principles established by this society.

In case of a project analyzed by means of institutional ethnography method, it becomes important to diagnose meanings common for people belonging to the same culture, which is understood fi rstly as a regional/local Upper-Silesian culture of the Rybnik region and secondly as a culture of people belonging to institutions operating in Rybnik or to the culture of poverty. In each of those types there are characteristic common meanings acknowledged by people belonging to those cultures. It is important to determine the dominant culture, which refers to a broadly-understood model of civil society, active and subjective, which is imposed on every player and institution in the local dimension.

Due to the character of the evaluation research, it was assumed to analyze the following research issues:

1) To what extent has social identity of the project benefi ciaries changed? In this case it becomes important to diagnose elements of self-perception by the long-term unem-

34 Cf. R. Morawski, Ewaluacja rodzin benefi cjentów projektu „Odziedzicz pracę”. Raport ewaluacyjny. 1.11.2006; cf. also R. Morawski, A. Kobierska, Raport z diagnozy Benefi cjentów ostatecznych. Rybnik 2006.

35 Cf. D. Smith, Institutional Ethnography. A Sociology for people. Calif, Alta Mira, 2005.


41

ployed, who as a result of their participation in the project “Inherit work” reevaluated their world of values related to family, work and participation in society.

2) How does the partnership of institutions dealing with social and economic integration of socially-marginalized people function? It is important to realize how the institu-tions organized their cooperation and what obstacle they encountered.

3) What is the manner in which creation of local civil society is performed as a result of actions of the benefi ciaries in their districts - places of residence which very often are ghettos of poverty?

The following research methods and techniques were applied in analyzing the Partner-ship for Development Project “Inherit work”:

� Analysis of documents,� Casual interviews with experts (project workers, project benefi ciaries),� Observation.During evaluation research the documents were understood as evidence of existence of

facts from the project collected in a systematics manner in the course of project implementa-tion and reports on particular tasks, as well as analyses of previous evaluation research. Input diagnosis and Output diagnosis, i.e. benefi ciaries’ evaluation research conducted earlier, which aimed at becoming familiar with the opinions expressed by the benefi ciaries on the project and diagnosis of psycho-social traits36, were a particularly good source for reinterpretation of the research. The panel research prepared in this manner aimed at determining changes among the benefi ciaries by comparing the condition at the beginning of the project and at the end of the project in the dimension of psychosocial traits of individuals-benefi ciaries, their at-titude to work (i.e. work as a value), their relations with other members of their families and their activeness in society (including civil society defi ned as a social self-organization). What is more, the evaluation research used personal documents, such as diaries of the benefi ciaries kept during their foreign traineeships.

When the evaluation research was started it was decided that it would be necessary to supplement the applied document analysis method with casual interview and observations. It was decided that in order to verify achievement of soft results it is important to conduct interview with the project benefi ciaries and experts, i.e. project workers, (cf. the interview questionnaire included in the appendix). At the same time hidden participating observation was applied during implementation of the project and its stages.

Evaluation research was organized according to the following schedule:� 15.01 - 10.02.2007 – initial analysis of documents and research reconnaissance� 11.02 - 16.02.2007 – terrain research, interview and observation� 19.02 – 28.02.2007 – interview transcripts � 1.03 – 15.03.2007 – analysis of interview, documents and preparation of the fi nal

evaluation report.

36 ?????

42

Robert Geisler

This research stage included 10 casual interviews, including 5 interviews with fi nal be-nefi ciaries, 2 interviews with experts - project workers - coordinators of the project, 2 long-term unemployed individuals and one group interview with workers - coordinators of the project “Inherit work” (4 people). The surveyed benefi ciaries included 4 women and 1 man, participants of different training groups from different regions of Rybnik and Czerwionka-Leszczyny.

Evaluation research of objective 2 was conducted according to the following schedule: � 15.05.2007 – 15.06.2007 – initial analysis of documents and research reconnais-

sance� 15.05.2007 – 15.10.2007 – terrain research - interviews (9 interviews with experts

- workers of partnership institutions) and observation� 1.09.2007 – 15.10.2007 – analysis of interview, documents and preparation of fi nal

evaluation report.Objective 2 evaluation research included 9 casual interviews with representative of part-

ner institutions of the project “Inherit work”. Researcher’s participation in conferences and debates, as well as observation of everyday activities was also used in the research.

Evaluation research of objective 3 was conducted at the end of the project. This stage of research included 3 casual interviews with project benefi ciaries and experts. Casual in-terviews conducted during evaluation research of objective 2 - development of partnership model of the institutions - were also used. Evaluation research was conducted according to the following schedule:

� 1.10. – 10.10. 2007 – initial analysis of documents and research reconnaissance� 11.10. – 30.10.2007 – fi eld research, interviews and observation� 20.10. – 30.10.2007 – interview transcripts� 1.11. – 15.11.2007 – analysis of interviews, documents and preparation of fi nal evalu-

ation report.

Research organization shows its implementation in the period of the whole year 2007. Thus, this work is a synthesis of not only evaluation reports completed after objectives 1, 2, and 3 of the project but also a synthesis of actions implemented by project group and author’s possibility to observe and participate in the project “Inherit work” as a researcher-evaluator in the period of last 12 months.


43

Chapter III

Counteracting long-term unemployment in Rybnik and its vicinity as a result of the project “Inherit work”

Each project aims at introducing changes. In case of Partnership for Development “Inherit work” these changes were multidimensional. It means that the project outcomes were a consequence of the so-called ‘added value’, i.e. a chain of various factors-actions in the project.

Results of the project may be diagnosed on the basis of two important issues which were embedded in the project objectives: fi rstly, it is counteracting long-term unemployment which related to solving the problem of social exclusion, ghettoisation of urban area or reducing un-employment37. Secondly, it is creation of local civil society carried out on two levels – (1) ac-tivation of Rybnik districts and its vicinity by means of actions performed by the benefi ciaries and (2) by local institutions responsible for social and professional integration. One cannot forget that creation of local civil society on the second level is not related only to the above institutions, but fi rst and foremost, to the whole spectrum of public and non-government institutions and business organizations which somehow become a part of the rank-and-fi le processes of creating local communities.

37 Cf. B. Jałowiecki, W. Łukowski, Gettoizacja polskiej przestrzeni miejskiej. Warszawa, Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar 2007.

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Robert Geisler

Diagram: Results of the project

Counteracting long-term unemployment was one of the most important objectives of the project Partnership for Development “Inherit work”. After taking into consideration the dif-fi cult situation of the long-term unemployed living in the vicinity of Rybnik and the local problem of unemployment, poverty and social exclusion it was decided that the people who fi nd themselves in this diffi cult situation should be provided with a series of trainings. The al-ready mentioned model of therepeutical citizenship assumed introduction of changes in the mentality and customs of the project benefi ciaries. As it was already mentioned, the so-called Dual training model was the essence of work with the long-term unemployed. Because of that the project may be perceived through the perspective of actions implemented at this stage; however, one cannot forget that the prevention of unemployment by means of infl uencing the benefi ciaries was implemented throughout the whole project, also in case of implementa-tion of objective 3 of the project, i.e. activation of local communities.

When analyzing the results of counteracting unemployment, the issues may be looked at from the perspective of a project as violence and the model of biopower. The term project as violence consisted in forcing values upon the benefi ciaries, as well as social standards and psychological traits regarded as desirable for the society. The model of biopower is related to shaping new identity among people in relation to their physical as well as psychosocial traits. Michel Foucault defi ned biopower as policy over human body, in other words the power of society over people’s bodies, which determines the appearance of specifi c mental and psychic traits38. This is the direct consequence of project as violence. Control exerted over the benefi -

38 Cf. M. Foucault, Nadzorować i karać. Narodziny więzienia. Warszawa, Fundacja Aletheia 1998.


45

ciaries refers to their whole lives, and as a result of application of disciplining techniques the benefi ciaries should possess the desired traits. The project, just like any social action, does not bring complete results to the project’s authors. What is left is an attempt to look at the results in both dimensions.

3.1. Project as violenceThe term project as violence refers to the actions implemented by the Partnership for

Development “Inherit work” defi ned as imposing social standards regarded by the society as effective standards upon the benefi ciaries. Issues related to norm discipline presented in subject-related literature in sociology and anthropology refers to imposing social norms upon subordinate groups by the dominating groups39. In this case the society is the dominating group imposing specifi c social norms constituting the foundations of society upon the subor-dinate groups - the long-term unemployed. The norms are related to, fi rstly, broadly under-stood citizenship, i.e. performing social roles of social and political life participants, e.g. dur-ing elections. The modern citizen is not only a participant of life in the state, but fi rst of all in the society, including local community. It is an element of analyzes conducted by for example Thomas Marshall, who presented evolution of human rights from civil and political rights to social rights. In recent years there has been an increase in social rights, which strengthens the status of a citizen. The status does not consist only in affi liation of an individual to structures of the state, but fi rst of all in participation in society (or social groups)40. Jürgen Habermas, when continuing this idea, paid attention to the fact that nowadays the core of citizenship is not only its legal status, but also affi liation to a legal community understood here as ethical and cultural community. In other words citizenship is created by participation in self-govern-ing of a community, which is not only the essence of freedom but also the attitude of self-de-termination, i.e. formulation of specifi c social identity41.

Secondly, these norms refer to participation of a given individual in economic life as a con-sumer and in the fi rst place a worker on a labor market. Social role of a consumer is related to a specifi c life style. Subject-related literature characterizes a consumer by the following traits: identity seeker, hedonist, artist, activist, citizen and also victim and a rebel42. These social norms may be imposed by various techniques - marketing or advertisement. However, in case of this project it was assumed that the benefi ciaries will participate in particular stages of training in order to create or evoke traits characteristic of consumers or citizens. The situation looks similar in case of social roles of a worker or a citizen. Their performance of the roles is related to creating a sense of new values in their minds. It should also be stressed that impos-ing specifi c norms on a society is related to presenting individuals with behavior models. The individuals very often function in a community where other behavior models are valid.

39 Cf. E. C. Dunn, Standards and Person-Making In East Central Europe. In: Global Assemblages. Technology, Politics, and Ethics as Anthropological Problems. Ed. A. Ong, S. J. Collier. Oxford, Blackwell Publishing 2005.

40 Cf. T. H. Marshall, Citizenship and Social Class. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press 1950.41 Cf. J. Habermas, Obywatelstwo a tożsamość narodowa. Rozważania nad przyszłością Europy. Warszawa, Wydawnictwo Insty-

tutu Filozofi i i Socjologii PAN 1993, p. 14.42 Cf. A. Aldridge, Konsumpcja. Warszawa, Wydawnictwo SIC 2006.

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When referring to the psycho-cultural concept in cultural anthropology, it is important to stress that behavior models are directly related to psychological factors43. Behavior models which are dominant in a specifi c type of society shape mental and psychical type. In other words, the environment of the long-term unemployed gave rise to behavior models related to organization of an ordinary day and participation in social life. The former are related to spending time, relations with other people, whereas the latter are related to participation in help institutions, such as Social Welfare Centers of Job Offi ces. Participation in this type of in-stitutions is very often associated with creation of a demanding attitude not a subjective one, i.e. related to activeness or the will to return to the labor market. This type of behavior model gave rise to a new type of work – “illegal work”, which offers fi nancial profi ts exceeding the profi ts that could be earned if working legally (when comparing work time with the revenues gained) and freedom of choice. All these elements refer to shaping habits, i.e. routine actions based on mental models. One cannot forget about values, which also constitute an important element of life of the long-term unemployed. It can be assumed that the values related to the Word of work fell into oblivion or were eliminated from social awareness of the benefi ciaries.

Diagram 2. Project as violence

The social world of the benefi ciaries, which was constructed in this way, underwent changes. The project aimed at shaping new type of social identity of training participants. The principle of violence of the dominating group was used to create tools for changing the

43 Cf. R. Benedict, Wzory kultury. Warszawa, Wydawnictwo MUZA SA 1999, M. Mead, Kultura i tożsamość. Studium dystansu międzypokoleniowego. Warszawa PWN 2000.


47

life model of the benefi ciaries as individuals and their families. The project however, just like any action, does not always produce its objectives, and sometimes implementation of par-ticular stages turns out to be incorrect once its components are completed. That is why, it is important to determine particular critical refl ections related to particular tasks.

In case of analyses of objective 1, i.e. working with the benefi ciaries to develop effective methods of counteracting unemployment, more in-depth analyses - interdisciplinary ones - should be applied. These in-depth analyses should refer to enterprise markets and entrepre-neur markets creating new jobs. This interdisciplinariness may make it easier to make deci-sions on different management levels in local community (not only in particular projects but also in the decisions made by town authorities). However, one has to bear in mind that the rate of changes on the labor market related to global events impedes the process of formulat-ing conclusions for the future, and affects the manner in which such conclusions are formu-lated in comparison to the manner in which such conclusions were formulated in the period of stable prosperity of a given state.

Secondly, for the sake of recruitment of the benefi ciaries, it is important to popularize the concept of the project among potential participants of the training by means of very often in-formal information fl ow, e.g. by opinion leaders in the environment of the excluded or by in-stitutions in which the excluded participate, e.g. catholic church parishes. What is more, due to psychological traits of the benefi ciaries, it is also important to shorten intervals between particular stages of the project, and to persuade a potential participant to select training and sign a declaration.

Thirdly, a very distinct element of the Dual training method, emphasized in the course of the whole project, consisted in providing the benefi ciaries and their family members with psychological support, which shows that despite the fact that this type of training was in-cluded in the project there is still the need to extend its scope, which is especially important in everyday activities of the benefi ciaries in social environment - other socially-marginalized people. It referred to their feeling of being unwanted by the society. According to Zygmunt Bauman, unnecessary people fi nd themselves in a desperate situation they cannot escape. If they attempt to adjust to socially-approved lifestyles, they are immediately accused of scandalous ar-rogance, unrestrained claims and insolence in striving for the rights they cannot have, and criminal intents. If they explicitly refuse to obey the rules which the rich cherish and the poor hate, then it is immediately regarded as a confi rmation of a common belief that the unnecessary people are nothing more than a cancerous tumor destroying healthy tissues of the society, ardent enemies of “our model of life” and “the values we subscribe to”44. It also should be noticed that there is the necessity to incorporate the excluded into the broadly-understood concept of information society. One should refl ect upon the extent these people need skills related to operating new media and latest technologies.

And fi nally, when taking into consideration the issues related to the European labor mar-ket, i.e. possibility of migrating to European Union countries in search for work, it becomes important to prepare the benefi ciaries mentally and provide them with emotional support

44 Z. Bauman, Życie na przemiał. Kraków, Wydawnictwo Literackie 2004, p. 69.

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before their going abroad, and offer them bigger emotional support once they are abroad, particularly in case of their abroad traineeships. By all means it is advisable to acquaint the benefi ciaries that have the opportunity to function on the uniform European labor market with other models of behavior that can be found in other cultures, and to make them transfer the acquired knowledge to their home country.

Due to implementation of objective 3, i.e. continuation of work on changing social iden-tity of the benefi ciaries, one can distinguish the following elements of actions which could re-sult in other outcomes. Making the assumption related to activation local communities by the benefi ciaries themselves, attention should be drawn to selection of leaders, people meeting sill-related psychological requirements necessary to take the role of the leader. Secondly, the training in leadership should be greatly infl uenced and should not consist in a single training only. One cannot forget about the long period of social marginalization of the benefi ciaries. It is related to taking initiatives and collective actions by the benefi ciaries. It might be more effective if particular benefi ciaries tried to implement particular tasks individually, instead of relying on coordinators. This type of experiment could show what skills they lack and how they can realize their social needs.

The so-called Support Groups for the family members of the benefi ciaries had a separate function to perform. It is advisable to reconsider a change in the formula of working with the family that would consist in providing psychological support to each family individually. It turns out that a direct support and supervision over these families could result in more signifi cant changes in identity of the project participants.

All in all, one can say that the organization of the project as violence indicates various tasks that could be carried out differently, however this becomes obvious usually after specifi c actions are completed. It is very diffi cult to anticipate all the various factors that may disturb or make it impossible to achieve particular results of the project.

3.2. BiopowerAssumptions of the project presented the necessity of changes among the benefi ciaries.

The changes included outcomes such as identity changes, labor market participation changes, changes of relations between family members and changes in society. The last issue is related to factors discussed in the next chapter, i.e. local civil society. The fi rst three issues are related to the issue discussed in subject-related sociology and anthropology literature, and referred to as biopower. Biopower is defi ned as systematic infl uence on individuals which is exerted by society in order to create a particular model of its identity. Michel Foucault assumed that each historical period has its own particular rules, which defi ne the identity of an individ-ual. When referring to sociological concept, one can say that the identity of an individual is socially-bestowed, socially transformed and socially received45. In other words, there was a model of identity of an individual connected to the traits regarded as effective in society, which was visible in the period of Polish transformation at the turn of 20-th and 21-st century. These traits include performing work, i.e. professional activeness, participation in consumer

45 Cf. P. Berger, Zaproszenie do socjologii. Warszawa PWN 1995.


49

life, participation of a citizen in public sphere or participation in family life. That is why the project “Inherit work” assumed a change of identity of the benefi ciaries in every dimension - physical and mental, which was to be achieved by means of particular project actions, i.e. participation of the benefi ciaries in particular stages of the project, which was already men-tioned in chapter 1.

When shaping new identity of the benefi ciaries, the people in charge of implementation of the project paid attention to the fact that the benefi ciaries played social roles, some of them new, they were unfamiliar with or the roles they used to be familiar with. First of all it is important for the benefi ciary to perform a role of a worker, somebody who is professionally active and who participates in the ever-changing labor market. Thus, the performance of these roles may not be omitted. In some cases, the role of a worker was related to working in a state enterprise, which at the same was an industrial enterprise of the age of real socialism. The performance of these social roles was related to specifi c psychological traits such as cer-tainty of employment, lack of necessity to improve qualifi cations, low sense of quality of per-formed work. These traits were mainly characteristic of men, whereas in case of women a different behavior model was visible - the model of an unemployed woman, i.e. inactive on the labor market46. The model resulted from the historical family model, the model of a fam-ily dependent on heavy industry enterprises employing only men. Subject-related literature presented the so-called Upper-Silesian family model, in which the husband was employed in a coal mine and his wife was unemployed. Secondly, this model showed the role of a husband/wife in family relations. One cannot forget that these relations were somehow determined by the role of unemployed wife and later, in the period of transformation, by her very often unemployed husband. This type of social situation very often contributed to various social confl icts between the spouses. Some of the confl icts were intensifi ed by occurrence of various social pathologies such as alcoholism or family violence47. This was the social climate shaping social identity of the benefi ciaries before their participation in the project.

One of important elements of biopower consists in creating a model of gouvernementalité, which is defi ned as techniques of self-management, i.e. self control of the benefi ciaries48. It means that the benefi ciaries should depart from the model of inactiveness and passiveness which were the dominant traits in their mentality for the benefi t of self-conviction that they can infl uence their situation themselves, and thus undertaking actions aiming at participa-tion in broadly-understood society.

3.3. How did the project benefi ciaries change?The above-mentioned assumptions of the project Partnership for Development “Inherit

work” related to imposing the society-accepted models of a citizen and consumer and changes

46 Cf. M. Błaszczak-Wacławik, W. Błasiak, T. Nawrocki, Górny Śląsk. Szczególny przypadek kulturowy. Warszawa, Uniwersytet Warszawski 1990.

47 Cf. S. Golinowska (ed.), Bezrobocie – nowy problem społeczny w krajach dokonujących transformacji systemu gospodarczego i restrukturyzacji gospodarki. Warszawa, Instytut Pracy i Spraw Socjalnych 1992.

48 Cf. M. Foucault, Rządomyślność. In: inbid, Filozofi a. Historia. Polityka. Wybór pism. Warszawa - Wrocław, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN 2000.

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in social identity of the benefi ciaries that soul relate to socially-active individuals who live their lives according to the principles of activeness and subjectivity, should contribute to achieve-ment of project results, among other things, results in the social world of the benefi ciaries. That is why further parts of this chapter will present the project outcomes by means of quality and quantity indicators acquired from the evaluation research49. The logics of this work is based on the assumption that the changes social identity of the benefi ciaries will not only apply to “hard” criteria, such as their employment or resignation from the services offered by social welfare center, but will determine psycho-social changes in their subjective world.

That is why it is worth indicating a change in physical model that occurred in the benefi ciaries after they completed their trainings. First of all, these people, after a long period of staying at home and avoiding any participation in social life, were incorporated into the mainstream of social life and forced to establish contacts with other people, e.g. other benefi -ciaries. The need to leave home and go out, particularly in case of women, was a decisive factor in changing the image/appearance. This fundamental form of external change constituted the basis behind social identity changes of those individuals. One can say that it was a spe-cial type of infl uence exerted by biopower, i.e. power of society exerted by the project on the benefi ciaries in the sphere of their body and their mentality. Changes in the appearance of the benefi ciaries reveal new forms of self-perception, which could play a decisive role in further changes, deeper ones that would occur in other dimensions. On the other hand one should remember that not all benefi ciaries were affected by these changes. Very often, particularly in case of men, there were no changes in this dimension, which may prove a lack of identity changes and occurrence of only professional qualifi cation changes. It should be stressed that the people in question very often had problems Winding work due to their physical appear-ance - physical model. Thus, one can say that appearance changes can be regarded as funda-mental in other projects which would require separate trainings in this regard.

Subjective increase in knowledge and professional qualifi cations constitutes another ele-ment of changes in identity of the benefi ciaries. As a result of participation in professional trainings and the practical module it is possible to diagnose increase of human capital of the benefi ciaries. This capital, defi ned here as embodied knowledge, was increased particularly in case of the long-term unemployed. One has to bear in mind, that modern labor market is characterized by signifi cant Dynamics, particularly if compared to the labor market of twenty or thirty years ago. The earlier labor market, labor market of the Polish real socialism pe-riod, did not required employees to increase their qualifi cations. The model looked as follows: completion of a basic vocational school and further employment in the same company, usu-ally an industrial enterprise, for the rest of life. Changes of the Post-Fordism era started in the

49 Cf. R. Geisler, Report on evaluation on Objective 1 of the Project Partnership for Development “Inherit work”. Typescript reproduced. Rybnik, March 2007; cf. also R. Geisler, Report on evaluation of Objective 2.’ Development of effective methods of coordination of institutions and organizations that deal with social and professional integration’. Typescript reproduced. Rybnik, October 2007; cf. also R. Geisler, Report on Objective 2 Evaluation of cooperation between national and foreign partners. Project Partnership for Development “Inherit work”, October 2007, cf. also R. Geisler, Report on evaluation of Objective 3. Development of methods of local community activation to create local initiatives for the benefi t of employment or self-employment. Project Partnership for Development “Inherit work”. Typescript reproduced. Rybnik, November 2007.


51

70’s of the last century, and revolutionized labor market and behavior models of employees50. Thus, human capital became of the fundamental elements of enterprises’ development and from the perspective of employees the fundamental category determining the place on the labor market. In case of the long-term unemployed the issue of human capital becomes twice as important. Firstly, these people did not possess signifi cant human capital due to their low level of education - completion of basic vocational or primary education. Secondly, in case of women the fact that they stopped working for some time or had not worked at all determined this signifi cant difference in the level of their human capital compared to the level of human capital of people who had already been present on the labor market and thus continuously increasing their human capital due to development of technology or working skills. This dif-ference should be eliminated if the benefi ciaries are to incorporated into the labor market.

So was there any actual increase in knowledge and professional qualifi cations of the benefi ciaries? It is proven by inter alia the following indicators: fi rstly, a subjective opinion of the benefi ciaries on changes in the increase of knowledge and professional qualifi cations, as presented in their statements taken from interviews and questionnaire surveys. Secondly, subjective evaluations produced by the employers who provided the benefi ciaries with train-eeships. Thirdly, one can adopt the indicator of particular trainings completion, i.e. certifi -cates and diploma that were issued.

3.3.1. The world of values of the benefi ciariesOne of important elements in new identity of the benefi ciaries is their world of values.

There is no doubt that this world, established by the period of long-term unemployment, cre-ated values related to unemployment, self-realization or activeness. Subject-related literature also uses the concept of psychological capital, which is made of self-esteem, the ability to use a network of support; self-evaluation, social and communication skills, as well as image and self-presentation51.

During casual interviews the benefi ciaries very clearly stressed identity changes they ex-perienced as a result of their participation in the project. The changes were related to their re-jection of apathy and inactiveness for the benefi t of activeness, increased self-esteem and the possibility to live their lives independently. A new world of values was created, particularly in case of women who had participated in the model of industrial society as the unemployed ones. Their participation in the project not only opened their eyes to a new world of values, but also made them accept and feel those values. The female benefi ciaries paid particular attention to psychological training, i.e. module 1, as the most important element of their participation in the project, which not only changed them but also eliminated certain habits related to the past. That is why they started to change their values. This is an opinion ex-pressed by one of the female benefi ciaries:

50 Cf. A. Amin (ed.), Post-fordism. A Reader. Oxford, Blackwell Publishing 2003, cf. also M. Koch, Road to Post-Fordism. Labour Markets and Social Structure in Europe. Aldershot, Ashgate 2006.

51 Cf. A. Giza-Poleszczuk, M. Marody, A. Rychard, Strategie i system. Polacy w obliczu zmiany społecznej. Warszawa IFiS PAN 2000.

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� I had some confi dence but you can say about regaining the confi dence due to many real-life reasons (benefi ciary 2).

It is also important to say that confi dence in possibilities was regained as a result incorpo-ration of the benefi ciaries into social life by means of their activeness in the project and their participation in traineeships. One can also assume a hypothesis that the confi dence will be deepened once the benefi ciaries start their work, which could be concluded on the basis of the opinion expressed by one of the benefi ciaries:

� If we were to look into the future and see everything the project assumed and the works was there, then our life would change for the better. ‘Cause if you compare our present life you end up with a dramatic picture, and if everyone had a job and earned decent money, then the life would surely change. Despite the fact that we are (…), our living standards would change. Our life is like vegetation and (…) our only hope is that if all this works out, there will be work and the life will change for the better. Well, if life changes for the better, then everything will change. We could go somewhere and meet some people (benefi ciary 3).

One can also present a few indicators acquired from quantitative research, which illus-trate the change in the world of values and self-esteem. The fi rst of the indicators is self-evaluation. At the end of the project the number of people convinced or showing stron-ger confi dence that they might fi nd a good work increased (from 12.5% to 83%). In other words, four out of 5 benefi ciaries believed in their capabilities, if defi ned as capabilities of fi nding work.

Table 2. Self-evaluation of the benefi ciaries

I know that I am capable of fi nding a good work

Input diagnosis (%) Output diagnosis (%)

I agree 63,9 6,5

I disagree 12,5 83,1

It is diffi cult to say 22,5 10,4

Source: Input diagnosis and Output diagnosis52

The extent of psychological changes is also determined by how much the benefi ciaries believe in their skills, which can be measured on the basis of the benefi ciaries’ conviction that they can infl uence their own destiny. Evaluation research of the benefi ciaries shows, that the number of benefi ciaries convinced that they can only slightly infl uence their own destiny dropped from nearly 70% of the benefi ciaries to 24% at the end of the project. It means that

52 Input diagnosis means research conducted among the benefi ciaries at the beginning of the project and Output diagnosis research conducted at the end of the project. The research aimed at comparing changes in the benefi ciaries’ lives as a result of their participation in the project.


53

only every fourth benefi ciary displayed small confi dence in their skills, whereas every second benefi ciary stressed their signifi cant infl uence on their own destiny and lives.

Table 3. Conviction of infl uence on one’s own destiny

I can only slightly infl uence my own destiny


I disagree 13 50,7I agree 69,6 24,7It is diffi cult to say 18,1 20,8

Source: Input diagnosis and Output diagnosis

The confi dence of the benefi ciaries in their own skills may be analyzed by diagnosing their conviction of obstacle they will face when striving to achieve their objectives. In this case the number of benefi ciaries declaring that they have these diffi culties decreased from 65% at the beginning of the project to 29% at the end of the project. After the project was completed only every third benefi ciary was convinced that he/she had diffi culties in fulfi lling their resolutions.

Table 4. Conviction of diffi culties in fulfi lling the benefi ciaries’ resolutions

I have always had big problems with fulfi lling my own resolutions


I disagree 18,6 53,3I agree 65 29,9It is diffi cult to say 6,7 14,3


Self-evaluation of the benefi ciaries is another important element of psychological capital. Quality research shows a subjective feeling of changes among the benefi ciaries. They pre-sented themselves as being self-confi dent, active, with some specifi c objectives, and they very often indicated that they had already experienced all that in the past but completely forgot about it. This is how they presented that:

� I was not self-confi dent. Any job available, no, I’m sorry and goodbye. Now it has all gone away. If there is no job available now and you’re not welcomed you got to keep asking. Now I know how to keep on asking and how to be persistent (benefi ciary 2)

� (Question - Did the training teach you how to be optimistic and active?). It brought it back to me. Yes. I’ve always had it but it was dim, so the training has brought it back because it was not necessary. I feel like a million dollars (benefi ciary 2).

� I have changed myself completely. I used to be so shy, ashamed of everything (benefi ciary 1).

� I am so shy and quiet. I always do what I am told. My daughter has not changed. She pretends to be brave, but I know that if she is to go somewhere to fi nd job, she would give

54

Robert Geisler

up. And she has the gift of the gab. I keep telling her go and fi nd a job and she says -no. I would have to go with her (benefi ciary 1).

This fragment of an interview with one of the benefi ciaries may also illustrate the above:Question: You have also said that you used to be totally inactive?Answer: Not totally inactive, but not brave enough.Question: You were not brave enough?Answer: Deep inside I was brave, but I did not know how to show it. I had to, because I had six children and my husband has lost his leg. I was brave but I was ashamed of my bravery. It has all changed. My attitude to searching for a job has changed.

When mentioning the results of quantitative research again, one has to indicate that the conviction of being able to educate oneself is one of the most important elements of self-evalu-ation. The number of benefi ciaries declaring that having been given a chance they would have completed a good school increased from 20% to 42%. The number of people that disagreed with that dropped from 62% to 5.2%.

Table 5. Conviction of one’s own skills and abilities

I am a bright person and I would have completed a good school if I had been given a chance to do so.


I disagree 62,5 5,2I agree 20,8 42,9It is diffi cult to say 16,7 15,6


Another factor showing the level of psychological capital was the feeling of being relatively disadvantaged, i.e. a subjective feeling of being interior to others. In this case the percentage of the benefi ciaries expressing this opinion decreased from 68% of answers at the beginning of the project to 16% at the end of the project.

Table 6. Conviction of being relatively less competent

I very often think that I am less able then other.


I disagree 11 61,1I agree 68 16,9It is diffi cult to say 18,1 18,2


Another indicator showing changes was the benefi ciaries’ declaration of their easiness to infl uence others. At the beginning of the project 13% of the benefi ciaries declared that they


55

can easily infl uence other people, compared to 36% of such answers at the end of the project. The percentage difference, when analyzed from the perspective of people who disagreed with that, was even bigger with a decrease from 74% to 23% of answers.

Table 7. Conviction of being able to infl uence others easily

It is easy for me to infl uence others. Input diagnosis (%) Output diagnosis (%)I disagree 74,7 32,5I agree 13,3 36,4It is diffi cult to say 23,6 27,3


Self-evaluation of the benefi ciaries related to their aggressive behavior was an equally im-portant element of new identity forms. The number of answers indicating frequent aggressive behavior dropped from 66% at the beginning of the project to 28% at the end of the project.

Table 8. Self-evaluation of aggressive behavior

I very often get furious because many people irritate me.


I disagree 33,3 53,3I agree 66,4 28,6It is diffi cult to say 0 15,6


Diagram 1

Evaluation research included another element of self-evaluation - determination of the benefi ciaries, i.e. their ability to achieve planned objectives. Although one has to bear in mind that is is an individual issue related to psychological predispositions, the results of evaluation

56

Robert Geisler

research show that the number of people giving “always” answer increased - from 2.8% to 14.3%, and “often” from 9.7% to 37%.

Table 9. Self-evaluation of one’s determination

I am a person who always likes to “have it my way”.


Never 23,6 1,3Seldom 25 7,8Sometimes 30,6 31,2Often 9,7 37,7Always 2,8 14,3


Another element of the benefi ciaries’ world of values that changed as a result of their participation in the project was social skills - communication skills related to self-presenta-tion and image. Quality research shows that the benefi ciaries referred to themselves as people changing their communication skills for the better, which was in way related to the change of their social identity. Thus, one can say that on one hand the benefi ciaries’ participation in the activation and motivation training project and on the other hand their participation in the whole training cycle newly shaped these skills. Even the benefi ciaries themselves indicated opinions of other people they have contact with in their regular life, e.g. their families or their neighbors, which were a proof of their newly acquired communication skills. One of the benefi ciaries said that he became more articulate and open, and that he used those skills when talking to his neighbors or people he met on the street.

Communication skills were also shaped in some of the benefi ciaries during implementa-tion of objective 3 of the project, i.e. activation of local communities. In this case however, only benefi ciaries with specifi c predispositions were invited to participate in this training. Their specifi c predispositions could be developed even further during particular type of train-ing for local animators. A similar ascertainment can be made in case of self-presentation and negotiation trainings conducted within objective 3 for some benefi ciaries due to the fact that they managed to shape such skills in themselves.

An important element - result - of the project was an improvement of image and self-pre-sentation of the benefi ciaries. Just like the experts, the benefi ciaries talked about changes in their appearance, mainly their clothing. As one of the benefi ciaries said:

� But I used to spend all days at home, taking care of the household, and when you do those things you do not care about the way you look. I had to dress properly and comb my hair only when I had to go to the Job Offi ce or Social Welfare Center (benefi ciary 2).

It is worth mentioning here the comments of employers who expressed their opinions in their reports on benefi ciaries’ skills: professional, social and skills related to communica-tion and relations with other people. Punctuality, reliability or quality of work also shows


57

the world of values that the benefi ciaries had. On the base of the grading scale (0-6) the benefi ciaries’ average attitude to work was given the grade of 4.39 (acc. to the following cri-teria: punctuality, reliability, observing orders of their superior), whereas the quality of the benefi ciaries’ work was give the grade of 4.18 (acc. to the criterion of professional skills of the trainees). The highest grade in comparison to work was given to participants of the hotel worker training – 5. 44, with their work quality getting the grade of 5.0. The lowest attitude to work was reported among the benefi ciaries who underwent training in the profession of “Creative tradesman” – 3.27. The lowest quality was reported in the construction worker group, only 2.92.

As it was said in the evaluation report, skills such as quality of work were given low grades in professions which required expertise and accuracy. One has to remember that these grades are very subjective, which means that the standards related to attitude to work and quality of work could be different than in case of other professions.

The employers stressed the benefi ciaries’ diligence, commitment, reliability, effi ciency and observance of orders.

Table 10. Grades in particular groups, in relation to attitude to work, quality of work and module completion

Group Attitude to work Quality of workPercentage of those that completed the training

G1 4 3,6 90%

G2 3,27 3,27 100%

G3 4,81 4,85 100%

G4 3,31 2,92 90%

G5 3,75 4,2 80%

G6 5 4,86 90%

G7 5,44 5 100%

G8 5 4 100%

G9 4,35 3,6 100%

G10 4,96 5 100%


Another outcome showing effectiveness of professional trainings implemented in the project “Inherit work” were opinions on trainees that were presented by the employers in their reports. They mainly indicated the benefi ciaries’ increase in professional knowledge, professional skills, as well as professional competences and social skills. These are a few opinions expressed by employers on the benefi ciaries’ increase in knowledge:

� He improved his skills in welding, construction and understanding technical documents. He actively participated in realization of construction works and welding works.

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The employers also mentioned professional skills which included among other things the following:

� During his traineeship he constantly improved his welding skills. The acquired knowledge and practical skills enable the trainee to independently carry out simple welding works and works ordered by the foreman. Further practical training in welding and joining metal elements is advisable.

� He acquired practical skills in MAG welding. (…) Moreover, he showed signifi cant disci-pline, reliability, honesty and solidity while performing his tasks.

� She acquired practical skills in providing care to the disabled, acquired knowledge on the needs of the sick. She learned how to cooperate within a team. She is liked by the patients and employees. She is a responsible and reliable person.

� He showed himself as a worker who quickly improves his qualifi cations and quickly ac-quires new skills. He is reliable and hardworking.

The last group of skills acquired by the benefi ciaries includes social skills. This factor is very often shaped in relations with other people, and while working in enterprises. This is how the employer’s put it:

� The benefi ciary is a scrupulous worker holding prospects of a good specialist.� She performed all her tasks scrupulously and reliably. She is punctual, reliable and hard-

working.� Mrs. (…) is a responsible person, capable of cooperating with other people.� She managed to organize her work perfectly.� Mrs. (…) learned how to open in contacts with other people, how to cope with problems,

and how to help them with their problems. She also increased her confi dence in her skills of navigating on the labor market. On 17.01.2007 we concluded a civic-legal employment contract to employ her as a carer.

� He showed himself as an employee who quickly improves his qualifi cations and quickly acquires new skills. He has good teamwork skills. He is reliable and hardworking.

� She is a scrupulous and reliable worker. She is ambitious, creative and independent. She proved to be a good worker in individual tasks and teamwork.

� He showed commitment and effectiveness.

The telephone poll on the employees that provided the benefi ciaries with traineeships conducted after completion of the traineeships confi rmed opinions on changes the benefi cia-ries experienced and their acquisition of new skills. The polled employers expressed similar opinions on the benefi ciaries and the work they performed. The poll report emphasizes the fact that the benefi ciaries managed to meet all requirements their employers set, which were mainly related to punctuality and work commitment. Since the benefi ciaries performed their work scrupulously, one can say that they have learned how to work in particular companies. However, the employers indicated low professional skills of the benefi ciaries, which could denote that the employers expected the benefi ciaries to have greater skills. The employers


59

pointed out the importance of increased number of practical classes during the trainings. They expected better professional preparation of the benefi ciaries which could only be achieved by earlier practical training and a theoretical one53.

3.3.2. Work motivation of the project benefi ciariesWork motivation is one of the fundamental elements of new social identity of the

benefi ciaries. It was assumed that the period of long-term unemployment contributed to their lack work motivation on the labor market and created habits of relying on social wel-fare services, particularly unemployment compensations and illegal work. Quality research - interviews and observation - makes it possible to formulate conclusions related to some benefi ciaries, who are diffi cult to defi ne in actual numbers, showing that in case of those benefi ciaries work motivation has become an important element of their new identity. It results from, among other things, the fact that some of the benefi ciaries used to have jobs and performed their work very scrupulously; however a diffi cult economic situation of the state and the region made them change their social position and forced them to play the so-cial roles of the unemployed. In case of such people, the participation in the project helped them regain their previous psychological elements related to their activeness and work motivation, thus facilitating them to return to broadly-understood civic society. However, one has to remember that in many cases new forms of work motivation were imposed on the benefi ciaries by the project they participated in and it is diffi cult to tell whether the identity changes related to work motivation are permanent. This is what the benefi ciaries had to say:

� Nowadays when you call them they want your phone number. It is not like in the old days when it was not important and I could say that I am on my way. These days when you have no job, you have no money (benefi ciary 1).

� More. I am more active. In the old days when I couldn’t I couldn’t and now I am more open. Besides, when you had traineeships you had to organize yourself. You had to do some washing or cook something and this is what people learned. And now what? You do this and you do that and then you have nothing to do (benefi ciary 1).

� I am bored and I have nothing to do. I learned to do things quickly. I do something quickly in the morning and then I have nothing to do (benefi ciary 4).

Quantitative - evaluation - research results, conducted for the purpose of the project “In-herit work”, show different arguments confi rming occurrence of work motivation. Increased work motivation is confi rmed by, among other things, a decreasing number of declarations of people who quickly break down and give up job search - out of 40% of people answering “of-ten” and 27% of people answering “always” at the beginning of the project to 1.3% answering “often” and “always” at the end of the project.

53 Cf. I. Burda, Report on conducting a telephone poll on employers and fi nal benefi ciaries of the project “Inherit work”. Rybnik, 2007.

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Table 11. Motivation on the labor market - conviction of quick resignation from job search

I break down quickly give up my job search


Never 10,8 29,9Seldom 5,8 36,4Sometimes 11,9 26,0Often 40,5 1,3Always 27,8 1,3


Diagram 2

Secondly, the number of people declaring discouragement after failures in searching for a job dropped – from almost 50% of people answering “always” and “often” to 10% at the end of the project. It is a confi rmation of strong motivation to search for a job, even if the search is to no avail.

Table 12. Motivation on the labor market - conviction of discouragement after failures

I have fi ts and starts when I search for a job but failures discourage me.





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The above issues are important because at the end of the project the interviewed benefi -ciaries started to believe that failures may also be important and that they can learn some-thing from these failures. It shows a signifi cant change in their way of thinking and their work motivation. Job search failures are not negative elements anymore. They can be used to learn something. The percentage of “often” and “always” answers increased from 50% at the beginning to 58.5% at the end of the project.

Table 13. Motivation on the labor market – conviction of learning from failures

When I search for work even my failures may teach me something.




The conviction that searching for work determines the failure to fall into apathy and pas-sivity turned out to be a more signifi cant factor in showing the level of work motivation. Thus, it shows that psychological training created e new approach to the process of job search. Activeness appeared, which is shown by an increase in the “always” answers from 4.2% to 16.9% of answers given by the project benefi ciaries, and from 13.9% to 37.7% for the “often” answers.

Table 14. Motivation on the labor market - conviction of the necessity to be active on the labor market

When I search for a job I do it actively because I know that this is the only method that will protest me from falling into apathy and inactiveness.




The indicator showing confi dence in fi nding a job is a very important form of work moti-vation. The results of evaluation research show that the number of “often” answers given by the benefi ciaries increased from 6.9% at the beginning of the project to 33.8% at the end of the project and in case of the number of “always” answers from 8.3% to 48.1%.

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Robert Geisler

Table 15. Motivation on the labor market - conviction of being able to fi nd a job

I am convinced that I will fi nally fi nd a job.




Work motivation that was created in the benefi ciaries as a result of the project is charac-terized by its individual dimension. One cannot forget that for some of the benefi ciaries mo-tivation is a problem they cannot overcome. It is a direct result of mental factors. One has to bear in mind that some of the benefi ciaries participated in the project to get immediate profi ts and not to change themselves. They could not change because of their own mental blockages. It was indicated by some forms of their behavior during the project or during the traineeships. A clear rejection of the model of participating in society, and also in the labor market is related to the fact that they live their lives according to principles not shared by the society. It could be explained by a signifi cant number of various psychological problems, which appeared due to their exclusion and marginalization. It is shown by some pathology such as alcoholism af-fecting some of the long-term unemployed, and also some of the benefi ciaries. This however shows that such people should have special psychological care to a bigger extent than the one implemented in the project.

It is worth mentioning the results of research on woman conducted after completion of the project54. The women indicated that their work motivation is caused by fi nancial needs (85% of answers), the feeling of being needed (64.7%) and their professional development (61.7%). Financial issues clearly determine their motivation. Over fourth-fi fths of answers compared to two-thirds of answers indicate their need to feel needed and professional devel-opment. It is worth mentioning that there is a relatively small percentage of answers related to gaining independence by working, which seems to be an unimportant motivation factor for the respondents (only every third of the respondents gave that answer).

54 Cf. R. Geisler, Research report. Problems women face when entering labor market. Typescript reproduced. Rybnik, February 2007.


63

Diagram 3.

Table 16. Opinions on the reasons of looking for a job expressed by the researched women

Why are you looking for a job? N %

I want to develop professionally 21 61,7

I want to improve myself in my work 13 38,2

I need money 29 85,3

I want to establish new contacts 15 44,1

I am bored at home 9 26,5

I want to have more achievements 12 35,3

I have fi nancial obligations 16 47,1

I want to develop my personality 10 29,4

I want to apply my knowledge in practice 12 35,3

Work will help me be independent 13 38,3

I want to feel needed 22 64,7

Notice: Research results do not Total 100% because the respondent could chose more than one answer.Source: own research 2007

Another issue worth paying attention to is determination of diffi culties in entering the labor market by female benefi ciaries. It became important to determine which factors and to what extent hinder the female benefi ciaries’ fi nding a job. The research results show that low- level education or lack of education hinder the process of fi nding a job in case of almost every second female benefi ciary or even make it impossible to fi nd a job in case of every tenth female benefi ciary. Among important factors the respondents also mentioned lack of professional ex-perience (for 58.8% of the benefi ciaries it was an important factor), and belonging to certain social groups (younger or older people) - as a prohibiting factor - was selected by almost every

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second respondent (47.1%). Lack of specifi c knowledge (e.g. IT skills) was selected by every second respondent (50%).

The factors regarded as slightly hindering included: lack of confi dence that it can be achieved – 73,5%, being a woman – 55,8% of answers, lack of communication skills – 55,9%, general ap-pearance or image – 52,9% of answers, lack of motivation to start work – 47,1%. In other words, high percentage of answers related to motivation and all types of labor market navigation skills perceived as hindering factors or slightly hindering factors show only to some extent relatively high level of work motivation. The hindering factors include mainly objective factors such as lack of knowledge, lack of professional experience and belonging to a specifi c social group.

Another subject of research was the determination of external diffi culties in fi nding a job for the female benefi ciaries. The most signifi cant external diffi culty was the conviction that job offer requirements cannot be met by the respondents due to their lack of skills or knowledge, e.g. higher education requirements or lack of information from the job offi ce (an average of 7 out of maximum 10 points). Informal contacts as factors facilitating job fi nding, i.e. lack of such contacts on the part of the benefi ciaries, were selected as factors prohibiting the benefi ciaries from fi nding a job.

Female respondents declared their conviction that they are able to reconcile their roles of mothers and wives with their professional roles and also indicated that their husbands/part-ners were interested in their fi nding a job. This shows a change of social roles in the family, the situation When husbands/partners are aware that women are active on the labor market.

The female respondents declared their activeness on the labor market and they also da-clared that they had particular psychological traits such as striving for success or learning from life failures. It should be noticed that traditional methods of job search are the domi-nant ones among female respondents, although one has to bear in mind a relatively high percentage of answers related to utilization of the latest technologies such as the Internet. The most often selected factors facilitating or hindering job fi nding included money and type of employment contract. Working time or opinions on the company are of no importance for the benefi ciaries. Work motivation is mainly indicated by employment rates. As on 1.03.2007 56 benefi ciaries were employed by Local enterprises, including 26 women and 30 men.

3.3.3. Project benefi ciaries on their familiesAnother important result that was planned to achieve by the authors of the project “In-

herit work” was improvement of family relations. The difference in family situation is defi -nitely visible in case of female benefi ciaries. The women mainly stressed dissatisfaction of their husbands with their participation in the project, which was mainly caused by emancipa-tion of women and the change in their social roles, which so far has been defi ned as the role of an unemployed woman. Psychological training they participated in changed the way the women perceived the world, and their participation in professional trainings and trainee-ships, i.e. performing the role of an employed person, (they had to leave their homes for a few hours every day) was met with disapproval. Thus, depending on personality of their husbands and previous family relations, one can say about a change in family situation: from a hid-


65

den confl ict to an open confl ict in female-male relations. Hidden confl ict very often resulted from husband’s personality and his acceptance of his wife as an employed person, which is related to a change of family model. There is an open confl ict in case the husband has a strong personality, thus playing the dominant role in the family. One of the benefi ciaries said that she needs to take a fi rmer stand towards her husband, and work, i.e. fi nancial independence, would bring about a greater change, including a divorce. Moreover, children’s personality de-velopment was also indicated. The children in some of the families, due to their participation in the project, had to learn how to deal with household chores and how to be independent. This is what some of the benefi ciaries had to say:

� (My son) has become much more responsible and independent. We live with an eighty-year old grandmother and when I go out he takes care of her. He can even cook dinner. He helped me a lot. Although I was sick and had to stay in bed for some time I knew that I could count on him (benefi ciary 2).

� No changes. My daughters haven’t changed. My husband had to stay at home and cook dinner, but other than that nothing has changed (benefi ciary 3).

Analysis of the questionnaire survey on the benefi ciaries show that the number of people declaring good family relations between spouses increased (an increase from 19.4% to 37.7% of the answers), and the number of people declaring good relation with their children also went up from 16.7% to 40.3%. As to the number of declarations related to bad family rela-tions between spouses, the number dropped from 20.8% to 7.8%.

Table 17. Family relations of the benefi ciaries

Family relations of the benefi ciaries


bad good bad good

Husband/wife 20,8 19,4 7,8 37,7

Children 0 16,7 14,3 40,3


The benefi ciaries in their own subjective world did not indicate any changes. They believe that their families remained unchanged. It seems that there has to be a differentiation be-tween pathological situations and normal situations. One can put forward a hypothesis that in a situation where there is no pathology, the situation does not changes drastically, apart from the fact that new behavior models of parents appear which will defi nitely affect next generations. In case of pathological relations between some family members one can say about appearance of new life objectives and social roles which are related to those objectives, and if this occurs it is justifi ed to say that new family relations appeared. The situation becomes complicated, when in case of social pathologies with no therepeutical care there is a return to

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the pathology (alcoholism, violence) despite participation in the training/project, which very often produced very negative effects for the benefi ciaries.

One should also look at the subjective sense of changes that occurred in the families of the benefi ciaries. One can refer to the results of evaluation research conducted by Rajmund Morawski in November 200655. According to the research results there has been an increase in the benefi ciaries’ satisfaction with participation in the project, which was indicated by, among other things, increase in satisfaction with the project indicated by 91.2% of the re-spondents. Was this level of satisfaction refl ected in other family issues? Firstly, one should stress that the benefi ciaries - family members - indicated positive infl uence of their participa-tion in the project on relations with their parents and friends. Such answers were related to, among other things, interpersonal communication between spouses, with almost half of the respondents (47.1%) mentioning more frequent conversations in their families devoted to their problems, and every third respondent admitted that they had fewer arguments. One should also stress the fact that according to one third of the respondents their relations with their children improved.

Another important element of changes is behavior of the benefi ciaries - family members - in local communities. Half of the respondents expressed opinion that as a result of participa-tion in the project they unselfi shly help other people, e.g. their neighbors. Only every sixth of the benefi ciaries said that his/her participation in the project increased their participation in social life (e.g. going to parties).

Another factor that should be taken into consideration includes changes in personal de-velopment of the benefi ciaries and increase in their self-evaluation and activeness in various spheres of life. According to research results, every third benefi ciary discovered their own positive traits thanks to participation in the training, and every sevenths benefi ciary said that thanks to participation in the training he/she increased their self-evaluation. The interesting thing is that over three fi fths of the researched benefi ciaries believed that thanks to participa-tion in the project they gained specifi c profi ts, which included discovering their own positive traits and skills, strengthening their self-esteem by acquiring information.

Research conducted on the benefi ciaries’ family members show that there has been an increase in social competences. The vast majority of the respondents, in their own subjec-tive conviction, improved their competences/skills in scope of interpersonal communication, learned how to talk with others or think of themselves positively, learned how to take care about their appearance and image, help other people, use their own talents and skill, as well as how to make decisions.

The research results also show different way of functioning of a child during the train-ings implemented within the Project. Every third respondent expressed the opinion that their children have developed a positive attitude as a result of their participation in the project. It manifests itself, among other things, in talking about the trainings and expressing satisfaction with the trainings. Almost two fi fths of the respondents believed, that their children were

55 Cf. R. Morawski, Ewaluacja rodzin benefi cjentów projektu „Odziedzicz pracę” Raport ewaluacyjny. Rybnik 1.11.2006, maszynopis w posiadaniu autora.


67

satisfi ed with the instructors. Again, every fourth parent/guardian expressed the opinion that their children show the skills they acquired during the trainings and use them willingly at home. 10% of the polled benefi ciaries said that their children leave the trainings without a positive attitude. As a result of that, the following consequences of the children’s partici-pation in the project were indicated: in the opinion of parents/guardians their children are more open in their contacts with other people, they are characterized by increased willing-ness to act, they become more independent, and they have better contacts with their peers at school. The researched noticed greater calmness in their children and better contact with their parents.

To sum up this brief presentation of evaluation research results, the Support Group played an important role in creating a new social environment of the benefi ciaries, mainly due to creating new behavior models and attempting to create new thinking and action habits.

In conclusion it is worth mentioning one critical refl ection related to the part of the project devoted to implementation of one of its objectives, i.e. preventing social marginaliza-tion and developing methods impeding the process of inheriting unemployment, poverty and exclusion. The project’s infl uence exerted on the benefi ciaries resulted in changes in their lives. Some of them signifi cantly changed their physical appearance, others gained self-con-fi dence, other benefi ciaries learned how to search for a job, and all of them introduced some changes in their lives. The essence of the project is to introduce changes. It is important that the world of the benefi ciaries resembles the world of people who actively participate in the society, playing various social roles related to both the labor market and collective actions. It is also important to show new behavior models, which will shape next generations and maybe as a result of all this there will be no further social marginalization in Rybnik and its vicinity.

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Chapter IV

Creating a local civil society

As it was already mentioned, the second important dimension of the project Partnership for Development “Inherit work” consisted in building local civil society, which was by all means crucial due to local development of Rybnik and its vicinity. The model of civil society was regarded as a priority not only in connection to processes of solving problems and social issues, such as unemployment, poverty or social exclusion, but also economic development of the town - investments, development of companies and their employees, implementation of pro-development processes related to the European Union fi nancial support for the years 2007-2013. The model was defi ned in two dimensions: the dimension of benefi ciaries, who should start active participation not only in the labor market following their participation in the Dual training method, but also in the enterprises market or the market of non-government organizations/social actions. The second dimension of creating local civil society consisted in joint actions of institutions and organizations resulting from the project “Inherit work”, as well as the results of the project.

4.1. Participation of the benefi ciaries in creating civil societyFacilitating family functions by means of assistance in shaping correct correlations, placement

diagnosis of family members is one of the tasks implemented within objective 3 of the project “Inherit work”. The following subtasks were isolated within the objective: a) activation of the benefi ciaries - young people; b) care over the dependants; c) activation of the benefi ciaries - other family members - Support Groups for family members of the benefi ciaries; d) family activation - Local Animator - activation of local community for the purpose of mutual aid society by means of organizing family meetings. In the next task, Self-employment, establishing family companies, it was agree that the following subtasks would be implemented: a) adviso-ry assistance provided by business experts; b) fi nancial support for the benefi ciaries starting their own businesses; c) promotion of self-employment of family companies and other forms of social and professional activation of the unemployed. Due to the fact, that implementation of this task encountered problems related to establishing companies; it was decided to organi-ze self-presentation and negotiation training for the benefi ciaries instead.

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When summarizing the results of the evaluation research, two issues must be taken note of56. Firstly, it is important to emphasize changes the benefi ciaries experienced (at least some of the benefi ciaries), which resulted from shaping their new social needs and teaching them how to solve these needs. Meetings held in districts, co-participation of the benefi ciaries in organization of various events show the process of creating their new needs and thinking and action habits. Thus, activation of not only the benefi ciaries but also local communities they live in occurs. There is no doubt that Czerwionka-Leszczyny became the leader in imple-mentation of that task, because its inhabitants managed to organize themselves much better and managed to build a local civil society. The so-called Support Groups implemented within objective 1 of the project, trainings for animators, and trainings in negotiations and self-pre-sentation undoubtedly contributed to this type of activation. These trainings increased the benefi ciaries’ chances of fi nding jobs and also increased their labor market navigation skills.

Secondly, these actions focused on children of the benefi ciaries. They produced two types of results. On one hand, the children were reluctant to participate in those trainings; their reluctance was partly caused by their parents’ reactions - the benefi ciaries. On the other hand, children’s participation in some events, such as “Sunny holidays” or IT trainings, showed them new needs and new forms of spending free time, which may result in new behavior models for those children, thus providing next generation of the long-term unemployed with new “tools” for life.

The most important action of objective 3 of the project, and resulting from implementa-tion of previous tasks, consisted in activation of the benefi ciaries in their local communities. It should be mentioned that Module 2 of the project, i.e. actions implemented within objective 1 of the project, the so-called Support Groups for the unemployed and Module 9 intended for their family members, which were organized during implementation of the Dual Training Model in 2006 and the fi rst integration party (organized the same year) organized for all the benefi ciaries during the trainings under the name Picnic “We for ourselves”, resulted in the benefi ciaries’ willingness to organize similar integration and activation parties. People in charge of the project implementation decided that such meeting would be held in districts in-cluded in the project and they would be organized by the benefi ciaries themselves. It was also assumed that the benefi ciaries would establish their own district group, in which they would be able to share their problems with other district inhabitants who very often struggle with similar problems. That is why the concept of creating civil society arose, a society which was understood as actions of citizens, in this case the benefi ciaries, which ‘unite citizens around issues of common concern’57.

Due to the above, the benefi ciaries - group leaders who showed signifi cant involvement during trainings and were very active - were initially provided with some basic skills required

56 Cf. R. Geisler, Report on evaluation of Objective 3. Development of activation methods of local communities aiming at creating local initiatives for employment or self-employment. Project Partnership for Development “Inherit work”. Typescript reproduced. Rybnik, November 2007.

57 Cf. Ch. Taylor, Kiedy mówimy społeczeństwo obywatelskie, In: K. Michalski (ed.), Europa i społeczeństwo obywatelskie. Roz-mowy w Castel Gandolfo. Warszawa - Kraków, Fundacja im. S. Batorego, Wydawnictwo Znak 1994, pp. 54-80.


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in organizing such meetings. That is why the fi rst step aiming at organizing these meetings consisted in a training devoted to the issues of social animation, which was held at the turn of November and December 2006. It was assumed to increase the level of human capital among the benefi ciaries in relation to their animation actions. It was also realized that implementa-tion of those district-held meetings will be possible with the assistance of social workers from particular districts. According to the assumption that was made, joint participation of the benefi ciaries and social workers will bring those people together and will “break the ice” in further, necessary future cooperation. Thus, the training also aimed at creating social capital between them. This training was the initial meeting preceding all later trainings and events organized within the project once the benefi ciaries completed their training. This is the time schedule of those meetings:

� December 6 gift-shower party and carnival party - December 2006/January 2007� Banquets - “Together we search for work” - February 2007� Silesian-style feasts organized Czerwionka-Leszczyny � “EQUAL with an egg” – Easter workshops - March 2007� Festival of Local Social Initiatives – Network of cooperation within the initiative

EQUAL – 26.05.2007 � “Who is afraid of children?” – Children’s Day in Czerwionka-Leszczyny� Sport fest held on the occasion of Mother’s, Father’s and Children’s Day “Mother,

Father and I” in Rybnik – 30.06.2007� “Sunny holidays with EQUAL”, which included ecological workshops and trips to

Aquapark in Tarnowskie Góry and to the Scenic Park in Rudy.� Meetings of the benefi ciaries in districts – Czerwionka-Leszczyny – from January 2007.

According to the documents, all those social and cultural events may be divided into the following groups:

1. “Cyclic and joint” meetings, which were to constitute a fi eld of action for local anima-tors. These meetings aimed at establishing a schedule of the meetings and their mod-eration. The events made it possible for the benefi ciaries to spend their time together, which was to be a continuation of the so-called Support Groups, and also they were to provide the benefi ciaries with an opportunity to exchange knowledge and life experi-ence, e.g. related to job search activities.

2. Occasional meetings, which included the following meetings: December 6 gift-shower meetings and a carnival meeting in Rybnik and Czerwionka-Leszczyny; Easter Family meetings; Meeting of the benefi ciaries with war veterans – together with the Benefi -ciaries from Rybnik, May 2007; Participation in the Festival of Local Social Initiatives – Rybnik, May 2007; Parties on the occasion of the Children’s, Mother’s, Father’s Day in Rybnik and Czerwionka-Leszczyny.

3. Integration parties - Picnic “We for ourselves”, Banquet “Together we search for work”, I and II Silesian-style Feast - feasts organized jointly by the benefi ciaries and project coordinators.

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4. Peer support – mutual support of the project benefi ciaries, e.g. hairdressers’ services, handicraft, fl ower arrangements, information on job offers or encouragement to estab-lish business activities.

All the above tasks should activate local community members; particularly the district inhabited by the benefi ciaries, by means of shaping the benefi ciaries’ sense of responsibility and activity, their ability to undertake self-help actions by organizing family meetings. Thus it became important to create social networks. According to John Naisbitt “the network is made of people that talk to each other, share their ideas, information and resources. When creating a network, the network - the fi nal result - is not that important. What is important is the pro-cess of its creation - communication establishing relations between people and social groups’58. If we understand civil society in that way, then the most important things include interper-sonal relations, social bonds and mutual communication carried out between people who want to achieve joint objectives. As a result of implementation of particular tasks, and with the participation of the benefi ciaries social sphere in the local dimension was activated. This sphere constitutes an important element of the defi nition of civil society. It is defi ned as a joint space, which facilitates meetings and discussions between citizens. It could be direct or it could be carried out by means of electronic media and printed media. Regardless of the above, this is a place where people can exchange their ideas and knowledge, and a place where they can debate issues of common concern and search for shared views59. This space will perform its functions if it has structural foundations. That is why it was assumed in the project “Inherit work” that it would be possible to implement objective 3 of the project if it leaves space, thanks to which the benefi ciaries will be able to develop their skills and reorganize their lives and free time. Day rooms were established - the so-called Local activity centers, which aimed at providing the unemployed and their families with support by means of establishing integration and activation institutions. These centers are to contribute to self-organization of the benefi -ciaries, maintaining their readiness and motivation for work and creation of active community consisting of people capable of implementing joint objectives. These institutions should also aim at increasing adaptation skills of the benefi ciaries related to social and economic changes in the region. Modern world is an ever-changing place, which requires employees to adjust to the changes; otherwise they could be excluded from the society.

These actions resulted in deepening new social identity of the benefi ciaries as active citi-zens. Some of them saw what the world of free time is, and what does it mean to spend free time with their close relatives, neighbors and friends during parties or feasts. Others saw the world full of people similar to them, with the same life or family problems and trying to solve them together. It is important that the benefi ciaries could feel the spirit of community, as the communitarians put it, thanks to which they would be able to jointly solve their individual problems and social problems - on a local scale. They would also be able to implement actions of the project which would increase their activeness and solidarity.

58 Cf. J. Naisbitt, Megatrendy. Poznań Zysk i Sp-ka, 1997, p. 247.59 Cf. Ch. Taylor, Polityka liberalna a sfera publiczna. In: K. Michalski (ed.), Społeczeństwo liberalne. Rozmowy w Castel Gan-

dolfo. Warszawa - Kraków, Fundacja im. S. Batorego, Wydawnictwo Znak 1996, p. 22.


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4.2. Local institutions and cooperation between them within the project “Inhe-rit work”

As an introduction, it should be mentioned that projects fi nanced by the European Union EQUAL relief fund require participation of a bigger number of institutions. It results directly from the concept underlying the concept of partnership, which is the guiding principle of all activities undertaken by the European Union and all integration processes. This ideological aspect of ever-intensifying European integration was imposed on Polish projects after Poland’s accession on May 1, 2004. The concept of partnership assumes cooperation between various types of institutions - self-government, non-government and business institutions conducting their activities in local communities and very often solving or working on the same problems.

Due to the above, the project “Inherit work” is coordinated by one institution - project administrator - Rybnik Center of Vocational Education Center of Continuing and Practical Education, with the following institutions participating in the project: Rybnik Town Council, the leading partner in the project, which guarantees that the project is supported by local authorities; Commune and Town Council of Czerwionka-Leszczyny, National Center for Supporting Vocational and Continuing Education in Warsaw, The Silesian University of Tech-nology in Gliwice, Karol Adamiecki University of Economics in Katowice, District Job Offi ce in Rybnik, Social Welfare Center in Rybnik, Social Welfare Center in Czerwionka-Leszczyny, Catholic Youth Education Center KANA in Gliwice, Ecologic Foundation „Ekoterm Silesia” in Rybnik, Parish Division of the Catholic Action - KPK “PRACA” in the parish under the invocation of the Holiest Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Czerwionka-Leszczyny, Psycho-logical and Pedagogical Advisory Center in Rybnik, Social Initiative Development Center in Rybnik, Guild of Crafts and Small and Medium Enterprises in Rybnik.

It is worth introducing the institutions participating in the project: Rybnik Center of Vocational Education Center of Continuing and Practical Ed-

ucation (RCEZ CKUoP), which is an educational institution which aims at organization and implementation of practical classes for students of basic vocational schools, upper-sec-ondary schools and lower-secondary schools. This institution also educates, provides supple-mentary education and in-service courses for adults in the form of in-school and out-of-school classes. The Center also prepares and Publisher didactic materials for teachers and lecturers. The Center includes: Practical Education Center, Secondary Technical School for Adults, Out-of-school Training Center, and Post-secondary Vocational School. The institution also includes: Entrepreneurship Incubator, RCEZ Library with the Local European Information Center and CISCO Academy.

Rybnik Town Council and Commune and Town Council in Czerwionka-Lesz-czyny are territorial self-government institutions, which were established to implement development-related tasks. Their powers refer to spatial governance, land management and environmental protection, commune roads, street, bridges, squares, waterworks, local public transport, health care, social welfare, education, public housing and culture60.

60 Cf. J. Regulski, Samorząd III Rzeczypospolitej. Koncepcje i realizacja. Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa 2000.

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Welfare Center in Rybnik and Social Welfare Center in Czerwionka-Leszczyny are social welfare centers established to provide social welfare services on the level of a com-mune. According to the provisions of the act, social welfare services may be addressed to in-dividuals and families in diffi cult life conditions which are caused by: poverty, orphanhood, homelessness, unemployment, disability, long-lasting or severe disease, family violence, ma-ternity protection or a great number of children of a woman or family, helplessness in upbring-ing and education issues and conducting household affairs, lack of skills in providing young people leaving youth custody centers with skills necessary to live in a society, diffi culties in adjusting to life in society after leaving a penitentiary, integration diffi culties experienced by people who were given the status of a political refugee, alcoholism and drug addiction, acts of God and emergency situations, natural or ecological disaster.61

District Job Offi ce in Rybnik is an institution implementing the provisions speci-fi ed in the act of April 20, 2004 on promoting employment and labor market institutions in scope of promoting employment, easing the effects of unemployment and professional activation.

National Center for Supporting Vocational and Continuing Education in War-saw is a central, public institution providing professional development services for teachers. It prepares educational programs for vocational education teachers, and it collects proceeds and disseminates information related to vocational education.

The Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice and University of Economics in Katowice, which are public higher educational institutions located in the Silesian Prov-ince region. They have their didactic and scientifi c out-of-town centers in Rybnik. They edu-cate young people in economics and technical sciences.

Psychological and Pedagogical Advisory Center in Rybnik provides psychological, pedagogical and logopedic services for children and the youth from Rybnik. The mission of this institution is to work with young people in diffi cult life situation.

Guild of Crafts and Small and Medium Enterprises is an institution of the local business self-government - craftsmanship. It has 510 members from 10 communes. It has a professional education center which is attended by 1500 students. The Guild of Various Crafts actively cooperates with territorial self-government, provides educational services and organizes, among other things, labor fairs.

Social Initiative Development Center (CRIS) is one of the most important non-government organizations in the Rybnik subregion. Since it was establish in 2002 the organi-zation has animated cooperation with territorial self-government and local business centers. The institution has also implemented trainings and programs counteracting social marginal-ization and unemployment. Moreover, it has provided advisory services in scope of establish-ing non-government organizations.

Ecologic Foundation “Ekoterm Silesia” was established by Elektrownia “Rybnik” SA Power Plant, Rybnik Town Council, PPH Utex, Design Office Mexem, Rybnik Coal Company and Railway Transport and Stone Management Company S.A. for the purpose

61 Cf. Act of March 12, 2004 on social welfare services (Journal of Laws No 64, item 593)


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of developing higher education propagating pro-ecological actions as well as knowledge on the natural environment.

Association - Diocese Institute of Catholic Action of the Katowice Archdio-cese – Parish Division of Catholic Action KPK “Praca” in the parish under the invocation of the Holiest Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Czerwionka-Leszczyny is a division of Catholic Action, i.e. a non-government institution associated with the Catho-lic Church. The Parish Division aims at providing support and assistance to people belonging to various social groups, people that very often fi nd themselves in a very diffi cult life situa-tion. It is a local organization and its activities are related to, among other things, handicraft meetings, collecting job offers or exchanging information.

Catholic Youth Education Center KANA in Gliwice is a non-government organiza-tion implementing educational programs aiming at increasing knowledge of young people and teachers in scope of IT science and foreign languages, as well as projects on civil society in scope of preparing young people to participate in the labor market.

Chapter I of this publication presented division of tasks between particular institutions participating in the project. It should also be mentioned that our partners: Catholic Youth Education Center KANA and KPP “Praca” Division of Catholic Action were not actively in-volved in implementation of objective 2 of the project. The Catholic Youth Education Center KANA played an important role in Action 1 and in preparation for Action 2, whereas the Peer Support Club PRACA in Czerwionka-Leszczyny played an important part in the task - recruitment of the benefi ciaries of the project “Inherit work” by disseminating information on the project and carrying out promotional activities among the long-term unemployed.

One can assume that implementation of objective 2 - creating a partnership of institu-tions, and joint actions undertaken during implementation of objectives 1 and 3 contributed to appearance of a specifi c model of functioning of institutions and people employed by those institutions, which means that despite the fact that the project is completed in 2008 it will leave specifi c carefully developed action schemes and thinking habits which could be developed even further when implementing other actions of this kind.

Further parts of this publication present description of evaluation of cooperation between various institutions within the project Partnership for Development “Inherit work” and in-stitutions located in Rybnik and its vicinity. Quality network analysis was employed in the research. First of all it should be mentioned that the forms of cooperation between particular partners in the project and other types of institutions outside the project depend on types of tasks. Due to the above, some institutions may be regarded as crucial, constituting the so-called “core” of the project, and other institutions must be considered as supporting ones, i.e. “peripheral”.

When analyzing cooperation between institutions in their work with the benefi ciaries - objective 1 of the project, Rybnik Center of Vocational Education Center of Continuing and Practical Education (RCEZ CKUoP) should be mentioned as the leading institution being supported by and Social Welfare Centers in Rybnik and Czerwionka-Leszczyny and Psycho-logical and Pedagogical Advisory Center in Rybnik. In this case one can say about forms of

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cooperation related to recruitment of the benefi ciaries, activation and motivation program, support groups and working with the family. What is more, Rybnik Center of Vocational Edu-cation cooperated with Social Welfare Centers while implementing the so-called objective 3, i.e. activation of local community. Analysis of task division in objective 1 reveals institutions which were of key importance for the project due to implementation of the so-called dual training model.

Other forms of cooperation resulting from other types of tasks related to working with the benefi ciaries could also be diagnosed Cooperation between Rybnik Center of Vocational Edu-cation Center of Continuing and Practical Education with the Silesian University of Tech-nology was related to organizing IT training and professional trainings, whereas its coopera-tion with University of Economics was related to the trainings implemented within Module VI, i.e. labor market navigation skills. Other forms of cooperation with RCEZ CKUoP were implemented by Rybnik Town Council and Town and Commune Council of Czerwionka-Leszczyny, whose tasks were concentrated on promoting the project. Different forms of tasks were implemented by Social Initiative Development Center (CRIS) and Guild of Crafts and Small and Medium Enterprises in Rybnik, which started cooperation with employers to en-sure traineeships and practical trainings for the benefi ciaries. It was a form of cooperation between project institutions and business institutions from outside the project (they were not partners in the project). However, these outside-the-project institutions by employing the benefi ciaries became active institutions involved in solving the problem of long-term un-employment.

Forms of cooperation between institutions can also be presented in the basis of imple-mentation of objective 2 tasks - Development of effective methods of coordination of activities of institutions and organizations dealing with social and professional integration. During imple-mentation of this tasks, Ecologic Foundation “Ekoterm Silesia” and the Silesian University of Technology established their cooperation with RCEZ CKUoP and Social Welfare Centers in Rybnik and Czerwionka-Leszczyny as well as with the District Job Offi ce in Rybnik, for the purpose of creating program that would describe and diagnose the benefi ciaries. This coop-eration involved Whiting a computer program that could be applied during different types of tasks implemented by the institutions dealing with the benefi ciaries.

Finally, two other types of cooperation should be mentioned: 1) transnational cooperation and (2) spontaneous cooperation resulting from other actions implemented in the project. In case of transnational cooperation two programs involving Partnership for Development “In-herit work” are worth mentioning - “Common Work for the Future” and “Future as Oppor-tunity”. In case of the fi rst project, cooperation consisted mainly in exchanging knowledge and experience between Polish, Spanish and French partners. In case of the project “Future as Opportunity”, apart from exchanging knowledge and experience with the Italian partner, cooperation involved implementation of the module - foreign traineeships for the benefi ciaries of the project in Italy and Sweden, which was prepare together with the associated partner. The other example of cooperation, the so-called “spontaneous” cooperation resulted from de-bates held within dissemination of the project Partnership for Development “Inherit work”.


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One cannot forget that the debate on career counseling resulted in creating a specifi c innova-tive project, i.e. platform for exchanging experience and knowledge between indi-viduals and institutions dealing with career counseling on the local labor market in Rybnik - career advisers from job offi ces employed in schools or teachers. This very example clearly shows infl uence of the project on other institutions or individuals dealing with similar problems. In case of those individuals, participation in one of the project’s events was a starting point in creating new innovative solutions by means of added value.

To recapitulate, one can assume that the project Partnership for Development “Inherit work” involved 15 partners - self-government and non-government institutions. Diversity and the scale of implemented tasks contributed to creation of different forms of cooperation between various institutions. (cf. Fig. Network of cooperation)

Fig. Network of cooperation

Moreover, the partnership participated in two networks of cooperation with transnatio-nal partnerships. (Cf. Fig. Transnational cooperation). One cannot forget about the fact, that the partnership created a model of cooperation with institutions from outside the project. This was the case when we established cooperation with employers and creating new forms of cooperation platforms between various types of organizations, which resulted from participa-tion in joint undertakings initiated by the Partnership for Development “Inherit work”.

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Fig. Transnational cooperation

When summarizing the benefi ts the project produced one should mention institutional and individual benefi ts. The fi rst group includes benefi ts resulting from participation of in-stitutions in the project “Inherit work”. These institutions acquired knowledge and skills which were provided by people employed in the project. Individual benefi ts include increased knowledge and skills of particular individuals, both those employed in the project institutions and individuals from other local institutions utilizing various types of undertakings imple-mented within the project “Inherit work”, and allocated for a wide group of recipients such as teachers, career counselors or voluntary workers.

A group of people employed in the project Partnership for Development “Inherit work” in Rybnik Center of Vocational Education Center of Continuing and Practical Educa-tion was an important constituent of the project. Initially it was agreed to employ a group of young people, usually higher school graduates. Their employment as project coordinators was related to imposing a signifi cant scope of duties on them - from issues related to social exclusion, unemployment or partnership of institutions, through fi nancial and legal issues, to social issues (interpersonal communication with the benefi ciaries or employees of partner institutions).

After two years of work, evaluation research shows that people from the project group RCEZ CKUoP signifi cantly increased their knowledge (know-how) in scope of European proj-ects, legal and fi nancial issues related to project management. What is more, an interinstitu-tional team of individuals knowing themselves and each other well was created. They knew their personalities, their level of knowledge and they knew how to cooperate with each other on different assignments. It shows that participation in the project produced yet another im-portant outcome, i.e. creation of a group of different people working on a single project. Thus,


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it is important, that every group should implement successive projects involving new people, who will provide everyone with an opportunity to increase their know-how and distribute their silent knowledge to others.

4.3. Processes initiated by the project “Inherit work”Bearing in mind creation of new behavior models, customs and thinking habits in the

benefi ciaries and members of their families in scope of activeness in local communities as well as creation of local civil society by institutions and organizations involved in social life, one can indicate the appearance of social processes defi ned as long-term results of the project “Inherit work” which will infl uence the town of Rybnik and its local development in the fore-seeable future. One can concentrate on at least four issues: increase in human capital, increase in the importance of social and institutional capital, creation of local civil society and the appearance of social responsibility of business circles. These issues concern the benefi ciaries and people employed in the project, people working in partner institutions, and very often they go beyond those 15 partner institutions. This determines the project’s infl uence on local community of Rybnik and Czerwionka-Leszczyny and further located areas such as Żory or Jastrzębie. It means that actions initiated by the project are continued in various forms by institutions and individuals, and they will be continued in human and institutional habits of people working for the benefi t of human development.

The fi rst process which should be considered is human capital of those employed in the project. Increase of knowledge of the people employed in the project was emphasized many times. It shows that people employed in the institutions that cooperated within the project had an opportunity to increase their knowledge in scope of project implementation (man-agement and fi nances), administrative issues, European issues and social and psychological ones. This broad scope of knowledge permits to make an assumption on the development of human resources from Rybnik, employed in various institutions. What is more, it was possible to create the need of further education and adjustment to requirements of the market and the environment. In other words, increase in human capital of the people employed in the proj-ect consists one of the long-term effects of the project. It could be added, that the trainings also helped increase the level of human capital of people who were not employed in project institutions, but who participated in social processes of Rybnik and its vicinity as career coun-selors, school principals, employees and voluntary workers of non-government organizations. As one of the experts put it:

� We defi nitely participated in the trainings on how to gain funds, so it is really important to me. Participation in the trainings can be used in the future. There must be more of that.

In addition to this, knowledge that those people had about the institutions participating in the project is refl ected in other forms of cooperation between them.

� For me as a career advisor (somebody enters the room) it is much easier because I know how those institutions work. I know what a given Job Offi ce has to offer, for example the services it provides, like traineeships and other basic things. The information I could get

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from the internet was insuffi cient, so when I meet these people they are able to explain what the tools are all about. This is very important to me, because right know I know it inside out and not only from the Internet. This is my experience.

� We have never experienced something like that, because we didn’t know each other. We were two different institutions. You do your job and we do our job. They sent their custom-ers to us and it was much easier back then because there were no job offers. It was no problem for us. We have registered many people. You want a certifi cate then you will get a certifi cate.

� Benefi t? Well, gaining partnerships is also benefi cial. It is easier for me when I call this job offi ce and I know who I can talk to. Even if they have any job offers it is still much easier for me to talk with them. We can provide our customers with better assistance.

Apart from increasing knowledge of the people employed in the project, interpersonal contacts, which are refl ected not only in the cooperation within the project, but also in their general functioning in the institutions they are employed in, are also very signifi cant. It means, that as a result of participating in the project the peopled employed in this project established interpersonal contacts with people employed in partner institutions, which is also refl ected in the relations between those institutions (which are shaped by the same people). In other words, knowing people employed in different institutions participating in the project “Inherit work”, whether this refers to managers or ordinary employees, facilitates cooperation in other projects and everyday tasks.

� And establishing contacts with other partners we had regular contacts with, turned out to be helpful.

� I think that informal contacts, exchange of experience between the partnerships are also a form of informal integration. We worked on a project and everyone had a different opinion on that and everyone saw the whole project from a different perspective. We learned more about the work of a given institution.

The project benefi ciaries also experienced the increase in human capital by their very participation in the traineeships. The level of knowledge increased by participation in motiva-tion and activation trainings and the knowledge was related to everyday affairs of their family life, job search or problem solving.

Social and institutional capital is another long-term effect of implementation of an objective consisting in cooperation between institutions in the project “Inherit work”. The effect consists in establishing new forms of cooperation between employees of those in-stitutions based on trust and reciprocity standards. It shows development of some forms of cooperation. They were based on interpersonal relations and becoming acquainted with people, which is refl ected in implementation of single tasks, starting with single tasks requiring only consultations between employees of different institutions or just acquiring knowledge (this is the model of social capital – know-who) and ending with working on joint projects or tasks.


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There is also the level of social capital of the project benefi ciaries. Social capital is the sum of resources, actual and potential, which belong to an individual or a group on the grounds of possessing a permanent, more or less institutionalized network of relations, contacts, mutual respect62. Its possession by an individual depends on the extent of the network of connections which could be effectively motivated by the network. It also depends on the level of other capitals (economic, cultural or symbolic) possessed by an individual, which the individual can apply to contact other individuals63.

The interest Bourdieu had in the conversion of particular types of capital is of special interest here64. In his analysis he touched upon the possibility of converting social capital into forms of economic capital. In case of the project “Inherit work” one can say about con-version of social capital into human capital of the benefi ciaries and people employed in the project institutions. One can also assume that the created forms of trust, just to refer to the classical defi nition of social capital by Putnam, will undergo conversion into other projects implemented in Rybnik or Czerwionka-Leszczyny, i.e. forms of organized social actions in scope of local civil society.

Local civil society and, to be more precise, its creation is yet another process created by participation of institutions in various undertaking aiming at solving social problems such as counteracting social exclusion. The project “Inherit work” is an example of a top-down method of building activeness of local institutions: self-government institutions, non-govern-ment institutions, local business circles. Commencement of the project was the key moment of launching new forms of cooperation between various institutions that had a common ob-jective, i.e. work with the long-term unemployed and the socially-excluded. As a result of joint actions, a model of joint problem-solving was developed related to problems of great importance to the local community of Rybnik and its vicinity.

Social and institutional capital and local civil society refer to the so-called institutio-nal benefi ts, i.e. results that were produced by the institutions participating in the project. First of all, all the institutions increased the level of knowledge (know-how) of their workers - subject knowledge and organization and management knowledge in case of European pro-jects.

� This cooperation aims at building connections between particular institutions. We believe that all the institutions will learn as much as possible about each other. They will learn what they work on, what are common elements and I think that at this very moment we have reached some consensus, for example in case of career guidance.

Moreover, cooperation within this big and European project resulted in creating signifi -cant institutional capital in the course of implementation of everyday tasks. The tasks were

62 P. Bourdieu, L. Wacquant, Zaproszenie do socjologii refl eksyjnej. Warszawa, Ofi cyna Naukowa 2001, p. 104-105.63 A. Behtoui. The Elusive Concept of Social Capital. Paper presented during the conference Regional Identity, Cultires&Images

Seminar, Norrkoeping 10-12.03.2005. Typescript is the author’s property.64 Cf. A. Portes, M. Mooney, Social Capital and Community Development. In: Guillen M. F., Collins R., England P., Meyer M.

(ed.), New Economic Sociology. New York, Russel Sage Foundation, 2000, p. 305.

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connected with the fact that the project employees had to become acquainted with each other, which infl uenced their regular professional life.

And fi nally, the institutional benefi t consists in creating a new group - a team working on a single problem related to local development of Rybnik, in this case it is counteracting social exclusion, not only directly by means of working with the benefi ciaries, but also indirectly by developing new methods of exchanging knowledge and information or by creating a platform of cooperation between them. One of the consequences was initiating debates by the partner-ship, whose results may be seen in the form of particular new events.

� Career counseling platform was established on the initiative of our employees. It was not our directive. It was initiated by our employees during our conference on career counseling we held last autumn. It was a spontaneous and voluntary decision. My employees approached me after the conference and said that they had this initiative of theirs and that they had already seen it somewhere and it could be transferred and applied. You see, it was yet another effect of this cooperation. They invited career advisers from local job centers to the fi rst meeting of the platform. And as it turned out the same platform was being established in Jastrzębie.

� In scope of career counseling the issue of this platform has been taken care of. The platform performs its functions and I think it is one of the successes of the “Equal” project. That is why there is a close contact with the social and professional advisory center, its advisers also employed in school career centers. In fact, everybody does the same thing, but people didn’t know much about their work. Thanks to the “Equal” project this has been taken care of, and it all works well.

The very idea of partnership has become a new issue and a new organizational and struc-tural form that was acquired by the partners of the project “Inherit work”.

� On the other hand, the most important thing for me was the cooperation with such or-ganizations like social welfare centers. Right now the situation on the labor market has changed and the majority of our customers include customers of social welfare center. I have conducted my own research and I can say that 70% of job offi ces’ customers are people supported by social welfare center.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the last diagnosed process which started long-term infl uence of the project on the future of local communities of Rybnik and its vicin-ity. It is defi ned as voluntary actions undertaken by enterprises that go beyond their basic forms of business activity. In other words, it includes, among other things, involvement of business circles in solving problems of local community. 33 local companies were involved in the project “Inherit work”, which provided the benefi ciaries with traineeships and trainings. Thus, business circles were incorporated into the local community not only by drawing their attention to local issues, but also by making these circles more active in solving social prob-lems. Employing the benefi ciaries was benefi ciary for both sides: the benefi ciaries, because they could use and improve their skills and knowledge in practice, and the entrepreneurs because they had more employees at their disposal.


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The above processes cannot be perceived only as producing positive results, because social world also has its dark side, i.e. problems that occurred during implementation of particular stages of the project tasks. In other words, creation of processes such as, increase of human capital, social and institutional capital of the local civic society and corporate responsibility in Rybnik and its vicinity encountered some problems. Evaluation research conducted for the purpose of the project revealed the following barriers: organizational - resulting from the very nature of the partnership, legal, communication and psychological ones.

Organizational barriers resulting from the nature of the partnership were related to the number of partners and division of tasks and people participating in the project. The fi rst issue was the number of institutional partners – 15. European projects assume build-ing partnerships between various types of institutions in local communities. The initiators of the project “Inherit work” - Rybnik Center of Vocational Education Center of Continuing and Practical Education - selected 14 self-government and non-government institutions of various nature - related to the socially excluded, but also didactic and scientifi c institutions and self-government institutions - territorial and economic self-government. On one hand, the number of partners was compliant with the principles of cooperation between organiza-tions, as specifi ed by the European Union for implementation of such projects, placing par-ticular emphasis on the so-called added value, i.e. innovativeness and mutual learning. On the other hand, the number of institutional partners could constitute a problem in management of the project. Evaluation research showed that the number of institutions participating in the project is very often an obstacle in quick decision-making. As one of the experts put it:

� The more people, the worse things can go.

The positive element of this type of partnership is the opportunity to learn from each other and create new forms of cooperation in local dimension. In other words, different insti-tutions (thanks to their employees participating in the project) learn from each other.

Due to the fact that 15 institutions were involved in the project, there were differences in the rate of the project’s implementation. That is why there was an unequal division of tasks, which resulted in creating the so-called “core” institutions - of key importance for the project due to implementation of its basic objective, i.e. development of methods of counter-acting social exclusion, and “peripheral” institutions, i.e. institutions supporting the project. The “core” institutions include, apart from RCEZ CKUoP, Social Welfare Centers in Rybnik and Czerwionka-Leszczyny, the District Job Offi ce in Rybnik and the Psychological and Peda-gogical Advisory Center in Rybnik. This does not mean that the “peripheral” organizations were needless. However, one has to consider whether this type of projects, due to other bar-riers that will be mentioned further in the publication, should be implemented with such a signifi cant number of partners.

Taking into account a reduction in the number of institutional partners, one can notice that division of tasks is a barrier in case of implementing tasks which are not compliant with the statutory objectives of the organization, e.g. “Eko-Term Silesia” Foundation which orga-nized traineeships in Sweden for the benefi ciaries. In addition to this, establishment of coop-

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eration with employers was implemented by two institutions: Social Initiative Development Center (CRIS) and Guild of Crafts and Small and Medium Enterprises, which turned out to be unnecessary. The actions carried out by the above institutions were duplicated, which resulted in less signifi cant participation of one of the above partners.

In case of employees of particular partners the barrier was caused by the fact that the ac-tions those employees were assigned were merely additional tasks in their daily work routines. As a result of the above, barriers appeared caused by lack of time or work management issues, which affected people employed by particular institutions. Only RCEZ CKUoP employed people who worked only on the project. Experts described the situation with the following opinions:

� I work as a career advisor in a Social Welfare Center, and the EQUAL project “Inherit work” is not the only project I work on. So sometimes it was really hard to cope with all that and sometimes I didn’t manage to do so. It is just a question of time management with so many overlapping projects.

� We haven’t employed more people to work on the project, so the people who work on it also have other things to do.

� The problem is that every employee is delegated to work on the partnership. That’s why it is very diffi cult to set one date or one hour for everyone to meet at the same time.

The concept of employing additional people in the institutions working with the benefi c-iaries was criticized because those people would lack knowledge on the structure and services of the institutions they would be employed in, e.g. social welfare center or job offi ce and they would not have the required skills to work with a customer.

� If we employed an outsider, he or she wouldn’t know much about the project and the prob-lems it attempts to solve. So this wouldn’t be a good idea to employ such a person only for the project. I know a lot about problems the people visiting us have. Anyway, we will have to employ someone, I guess.

When summarizing those issues of organizational barriers one can say that there were many different opinions related mainly to the number of institutions. According to those opinions the number of institutions participating in project and working with the long-term unemployed, the so-called „core” institutions which are of greatest importance in working with the benefi ciaries, should be reduced. The other institutions may participate in similar projects as subcontractors.

Legal barriers were related mainly to the variety of institutions and different legal regu-lations. Due to the fact that the project involved territorial self-government institutions and non-government institutions and each of the above institutions conducts its activities on the basis of different regulations, the decision-making processes or communication processes function on the basis of different principles in those institutions. This problem was observed and it directly infl uenced implementation of the project. Moreover, the legal barriers were related, as the experts indicated, to issues regulated by some acts of law, which was the source


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of confl icts connected to implementation of particular tasks. A good example of the above is “the act on personal data protection” which very often was the source of confl icts during the recruitment process of the benefi ciaries. Social Welfare Centers expressed their doubts as to the possibility of revealing information related to implementation of the project, which may violate the provisions of the act on personal data protection.

� Regulations, you know personal data protection. These are very important (…). We had a database created especially for the project, which we could use and we still can use, but unfortunately is didn’t meet all our expectations. I mean information on the families of the benefi ciaries. The regulations prohibited that. When we came up with some ideas we very often couldn’t implement them because we couldn’t overcome this barrier.

� These are statutory and legal issues which we can’t solve. Everybody has their tasks to do. Job offi ce should help people who want to start work. We shouldn’t be an institution forcing people to work just because it would help them. It is not helpful both for the unemployed and the employers.

Communication barriers were caused by the number of partners and the information fl ow between them. The project was managed using weekly meetings of the working group, however due to the number of partners and people employed in the project it was impossible for them to attend such meetings, which affected communication between the partners. On the other hand the number of partners determined information fl ow between them. In some institutions information was an element of internal circulation delaying information feed-back. As some of the experts put it:

� We have to change this circulation of information. We have to change task assignments to accelerate it. There were 14 partners, probably there were too many. Perhaps the number should be lower. The exchange of opinions, information, and experience is very important, but I would reduce the number of partners. I would divide the tasks, for example task 1.2, because it would accelerate their implementation. It would be better if we had just partners and traineeships. There was no need to have two partners, us and the Guild of Crafts. That was too many. I think it was just overestimation of the budget.

� Maybe it was because there were so many partners and you had to coordinate their actions. There were some problems with information fl ow. I think that the project is too big. Our social welfare center wouldn’t be able to manage the project on our own. We don’t have enough employees and resources.

� I don’t know if would be more effective, but it would be much easier and the information fl ow would be easier. With so many partners it was diffi cult to set the date of a meeting of the working group. It was diffi cult to pass a resolution or make a decision and I think that it was diffi cult for the administrator to coordinate the project.

Finally, psychological barriers that occurred during implementation of the project were related to personalities of some people employed in the project, their authoritative personality and desire to dominate others. The experts very often stressed signifi cant problems related to

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teamwork and which occurred in the initial stages of the project, which was characterized by tensions resulting from personality traits. In addition to that, the experts emphasized mental barriers caused by the sense of fatalism and lack of innovativeness in overcoming barriers on the way to achieving particular objectives experienced by some representatives of the project institutions. It also shows that experts working with the benefi ciaries are not characterized by a sense of activeness and instrumentalism, which is refl ected in implementation of the project actions.

� We didn’t encounter so many barriers. Project implementation was very absorbing. I really wanted to go and visit employers and get my message across. I think that telephone contact is important but face to face meetings can be much more effective. I think that face to face meetings produced better results. (…) During those meetings I introduced them to the project and they did not have any obligations. We encountered some barriers with other partners, not with the project administrator. I think that we don’t have any problems communicating with all the young people employed there. I think that this is the success of this partnership, I mean people from various institutions got to know each other better. I think that this was the nice side of the project.

The following barriers are emphasized in the project Partnership for Development “In-herit work”: legal barriers, communication barriers, psychological and organizational barriers, or those that result from the nature of the project. Psychological and communication-related barriers occurred at the beginning of the project and were caused by the confusion related to the project’s launching and a natural psychological tendency to develop cooperation on the basis of previous experience. The fact, that most of the partners did not cooperate with themselves earlier gave rise to various confl icts in the initial stages of the project caused by dynamics of the group and were eliminated as the project progressed.

Despite the above barriers, the benefi ciaries and people involved in the project developed new social standards, forms of social awareness, and fi rst of all new habits that shape their new world and new relations between them. Introduction of a model of therepeutical society resulted in creation of new local culture – organizational, labor, institutional and local. One has to bear in mind that it is this culture that shapes social framework along which the players move65. Veblen introduced the concept of institution to mark those behavior models. These were defi ned as rules and principles of action constituting permanent part of social reality, apart from the traditional concept of institution (Veblen call it environment, including tech-nology). Thus one can say that institutions are behavior models rooted in group habits or people’s customs, combined with cultural values and standards66. Institutions are made up of cognitive, normative and regulatory action structures, which introduce stability and mining into social behavior.

65 Cf. G. M. Hodgson, On the evolution of Thorstein Veblen’s evolutionary economics. „Cambridge Journal of Economics”. 1998, Vol. 22, p. 415-431, cf. also G. M. Hodgson, The Approach of Institutional Economics. „Journal of Economic Literature”. 1998, Vol. XXXVI, p. 166-192.

66 Cf. ibid


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Behavior models take root in the course of history and are of evolutionary nature. That is why changes in behavior occur more slowly than technological, legal or organizational changes. The above process of shaping institutions in the course of history is especially im-portant is case of regional or local communities, because as a result of that players performing on a given area are equipped with Rather similar institutions. On one hand one can say about acquired, cyclic institutions which are habitual actions, and on the other hand one can say about evolution, changes in institutions (actions, ways of perceiving the world), i.e. innova-tive actions. Habits constitute the basis of cyclic actions and are defi ned as non-refl ective and self-upgrading action models67. Then, one can talk about accumulation of certain habits and behavior models, which are refl ected in individual actions of players performed on a given area in a specifi ed social environment. Due to the above they are deep-rooted in social net-works, i.e. specifi c groups of people who exchange resources by means of direct interactions; mainly knowledge and information. Social acquaintance occurs in those groups, mainly by means of learning. Acquaintance and learning are two processes thanks to which players may become a part of social environment, thinking and acting in accordance with the adopted model, and they may go beyond habits by learning new behavior models.

Learning and acquaintance occur within networks, i.e. groups of people who communicate with each other and enter into mutual interactions. Social capital is one of the elements of this network. One can refer to the concept formulated by Woolcock, who out of four concepts distinguished two which are important to this project: institutional approach and network approach68. In case of the former, the ability to undertake joint social actions depends on the Quality of formal institutions, whereas the latter is related to building informal relations based on informal game rules formulated in a specifi c social environment.

Summarizing the above, habitual actions of players which are created in the course of so-cialization in a specifi c culture or social group (social environment), are a permanent element of their cognitive structures and behavior. Any changes of those habits or models of action may occur in reality; however this process is a slow one. That is why, the project Partnership for Development “Inherit work” aimed at Creating new institutions understood as thinking habits and action habits among the benefi ciaries, i.e. the long-term unemployed living in so-cially excluded areas of Rybnik and its vicinity. Thus the actions implemented in the project and some form of behavior of the benefi ciaries show that local civic society is about to be created, particularly by means of informal network of contacts and social relations, which are refl ected in joint actions. We should hope that local activeness centers will perform their functions of infrastructural foundation for the benefi ciaries, and the benefi ciaries will utilize them to implement their next actions. In addition to this, local civic society is created, to a much bigger extent, by institutions participating in the project “Inherit work” and by results

67 Cf. ibid68 Cf. M. Woolcock, Social capital and economic development: Toward a theoretical synthesis and policy framework. „Theory and

Society” 1998, no 27, pp. 151-208, cf. also D. Narajan, M. Woolcock, Social Capital: Implication for development theory, research and policy, „The World Bank Research Observer”, 2000, Vol. 15, no 2, pp. 225-248.

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of their cooperation which infl uences other organizations. It clearly shows that the project was an element of social inspiration and mobilization, and it gave rise to social processes of developing, among other things, social and institutional capital or human capital, which can be developed even further.


89

Conclusions

Rybnik is one of Polish transformation leaders in communes. The projects that are being implemented in Rybnik confi rm this thesis. One of those projects, i.e. Partnership for Deve-lopment “Inherit work”, presented in this publication, was related to a broadly-understood concept of local development. It used the so-called endogenic potentials facilitating multidi-mensional implementation of pro-development processes. These processes aimed at prevent-ing social marginalization, creating social and institutional capital, and building civil society. They involved not only people that were socially excluded and incorporated into the model of civil society, but also people managing particular self-government and non-government institutions in Rybnik and its vicinity.

The project “Inherit work” has been implemented since October 31, 2004 within the Community Initiative EQUAL Partnership for Development by Rybnik Center of Vocational Education Center of Continuing and Practical Education in Rybnik. The project attempts to solve three important, from the perspective of the partnership, problems of local community. Firstly, development of new methods hindering the process of inheriting unemployment, se-condly, development of a model of cooperation between institutions in Rybnik and its vicin-ity, and thirdly, activation of local communities.

The project which is to be completed on 31.03.2008 has a multidimensional and multi-level structure and implements various objectives consisting of different tasks.

While implementing the fi rst objective, i.e. development of effective methods counteract-ing social exclusion, the so-called Dual model of professional and activation training for the un-employed and members of their families was developed. It involved trainings for two-generation families in which the process of inheriting unemployment, poverty and social marginaliza-tion has already started. 106 benefi ciaries and 369 members of their families participated in the project. This model of training, developed by Mrs. Joanna Kryszczyszyn, assumed parallel work with the long-term unemployed and their family members. It was assumed that previ-ous trainings of the long-term unemployed are not always effective due to the environment these people live in, which is characterized by specifi c traits of inactiveness and rejection of work-related behavior models. That is was it was important to infl uence not only the unem-ployed but also their family members. The dual training model started with activation and motivation classes, which were followed by professional trainings and traineeships. It also

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provided the benefi ciaries with IT skills and labor market navigation skills. The benefi ciaries were trained in the following professions: welder, tradesman, child care worker, older person’s care worker and disabled person care worker, construction worker, forklift operator, caterer, fl orist, hotel worker, water supply and sewage installation fi tter. One of the key elements of trainings included the so-called Support Groups, i.e. classes conducted throughout the pe-riod of the project’s implementation and intended for both the benefi ciaries and their family members helping them get rid of bad habits. The results of the Dual training model are related to the benefi ciaries’ incorporation into the labor market. As of 1.12.2007, there were 56 benefi ciaries (26 women and 30 men) with employment contracts, out of the total number of 93 people who completed their professional trainings. In addition to this, the be-nefi ciaries’ participation in the program resulted in changes in the benefi ciaries. Evaluation research shows identity changes consisting in departing from the sense of fatalism, inactive-ness, apathy for the benefi t of activeness, particularly on the labor market, conviction of the ability to infl uence one’s own destiny and increased self-esteem. What helped the benefi -ciaries achieve this was not only their participation in the trainings, but also an opportunity to conduct professional traineeships in local enterprises (46 benefi ciaries took advantage of that opportunity). Participation of the benefi ciaries’ family members in the project, especially their children, was of special importance for the project. Their active participation in the Sup-port Groups aimed at changing their habits passed on to them in the process of upbringing in the state of social marginalization. One cannot forget that some of the benefi ciaries had an opportunity to verify their knowledge on the European market by conducting their trainee-ships in Sweden and in Italy.

The second objective of the project aimed at developing methods of coordinating actions of institutions and organizations dealing with social and professional integration. This objec-tive was important due to several reasons. Firstly, it is important that the institutions working with the same people, e.g. social welfare centers, job offi ces or training institutions, coordi-nated their actions and very often jointly implemented particular projects. What is more, to ensure local development it is important that the project managers and people employed in particular institutions knew how to cooperate and learn from each other. This form of creating social capital by means of project actions was based on activities related to building a platform of cooperation. Debates organized for this purpose were devoted to the issues of profession-related mediation and cooperation of non-government organizations. Undoubtedly, one of the successes of the project consisted in establishing a platform of cooperation between career advisors and employment agents from various institutions in Rybnik and its vicinity, which aimed at exchange of knowledge and information as well as coordination of their actions. It shows that the actions related to creating social bonds and coordinating actions produced measurable effects. One cannot forget that the project also involved local enterprises. These enterprises were to provide the benefi ciaries with professional traineeships. Participation of 33 companies shows, that the companies and entrepreneurs are not indifferent to the fate of the socially excluded, which indicates that the model of corporate social responsibility ap-peared. To get the full picture of how the creation of partnership of the institutions by the


91

project “Inherit work” looked like, one has to add the participation of network of institutions of the project “Inherit work” in transnational cooperation. Programs “Common Work for the Future” and “Future as Opportunity” constituted an important element of exchange of knowledge and experience between people employed in institutions of different countries. The fi rst program was related to work motivation issues and employment services. Project group employees, as a result of their participation in the programs, had an opportunity to become acquainted with other types of experience which are subjects of their everyday work. The second program, apart from implementing objectives related to exchange of information and knowledge, implemented foreign traineeships for 14 benefi ciaries in Sweden and 8 ben-efi ciaries in Italy. One of the results of this objectives, which is also worth noticing, is prepara-tion of the brochure called Institutions and organizations of the Rybnik agglomeration acting for the benefi t of people in need of assistance, which presents the basic information on the services available in scope of labor market, family violence, addictions, disability, homelessness, return from prison facilities and help line from the area of Rybnik and its vicinity. It contains a brief description of institutions dealing with the above issues, territorial range and address data.

The third objective of the project aimed at developing methods of activation of local com-munities in order to create local initiatives for employment or self-employment. The tasks of this objective involved creating new behavior models and habits related not only to activeness on the labor market in the form of self-employment, but also in the form of activation of local communities, i.e. locations where the benefi ciaries lived. Taking into account ghettoisation of the communities inhabited by the socially excluded, it became important to create new forms of social activity. Such activities cannot exist without the leaders of social life, active people who can not only organize various events or meetings, but also persuade others to follow them by infecting the socially excluded with optimism, desire to act and perspective of problem-solving opportunities. That is why the Social animator training was organized for the benefi ciaries, which aimed at passing on knowledge related to the basic forms of social activity organization. It was assumed that the animators, initially assisted by the project coordinators, would organize meetings for the benefi ciaries in districts of Rybnik and Czerwionaka-Lesz-czyny. It is worth enumerating the most important meetings that have been held since the end of 2007: December 6 gift-shower parties and carnival parties, feasts, a sport fest, holiday trips for children or meetings for the benefi ciaries held in their districts. It shows a far-reaching desire to engage people who not so long ago were inactive and apathetic. It will be possible to further develop new behavior models combined with newly-created models of thinking and habits thanks to, inter alia, local “Equal” activity centers, i.e. the infrastructural result of the project. The process of establishing the local Centers involved - equipping or providing additional equipment for day rooms and creating playgrounds for children in all districts the project involved. Thus, these will be the places where the project benefi ciaries, long after the project is completed, will be able to continue their previous meetings in their local communi-ties and develop new projects thanks to the skills acquired during their participation in the Dual training model. The local centers are the places where the benefi ciaries will be able to change their local world.

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The following recommendations related to other projects with similar objectives need to be made in relation to the project implementation. Firstly, one should increase psychologi-cal assistance for the benefi ciaries because of the objective consisting in eliminating negative social behavior models work for the benefi t of increasing the power of positive habits. One can also suggest providing psychological support and assistance to the families participat-ing in the project, which will undoubtedly result in deeper involvement in the project and in a possibility to implement the project’s results, which include change of mentality and elimination of social problems or social pathology present in some families. Secondly, it is also worth mentioning the increase in the project participants’ motivation, which could be particularly helpful in the initial stages of the project when the benefi ciaries treated the project like any other form of training, which very often produces no benefi ts for the be-nefi ciaries. Thirdly, there should be an increase in the number of practical classes with the number of theoretical classes reduced, if possible. This issue was indicated particularly by the employers who provided the benefi ciaries with traineeships. The forth issue one can consider is combination of trainings with traineeships, which is particularly important in case of knowledge transfer. It would mean parallel implementation of professional trainings with traineeships, which on one hand will facilitate better use of knowledge in practice, and on the other hand it will create a bond between a benefi ciary and an employer, thus avoiding a situation in which some benefi ciaries will not have an opportunity to conduct their traineeships or professional preparation. The fi fth issue that should be considered is increase in the number of classes during support group activities for the benefi ciaries and members of their families. Positive evaluations presented by the benefi ciaries, members of their families and experts prove that those classes fully performed their role of creating new personality and identity of the project benefi ciaries. It was a combination of their everyday successes and failures with the knowledge of experts - psychologists. One cannot forget that during IT trainings and labor market navigation trainings attention could be drawn to the ever-increasing role of the latest technologies in society and economy and to the possibility to use internet in work, whereas in case of labor market navigation trainings, taking into ac-count diffi cult situation of the benefi ciaries who have been excluded from this institution for a long period of time, one should take into account possible resistance from the benefi ciaries. Inclusion of this type of classes into the activation module and division of thematic blocks into particular training cycles could be a solution to this problem. One would defi nitely have to change project organization issues and consider to what extent labor market analyses should be combined with identifi cation and selection of the benefi ciaries and selection of trainings. One has to bear in mind the ever-changing labor market and lack of connections between labor market analyses and potential employment of new workers by the employers. In other words, it may be necessary to implement training simultaneously with traineeships conducted in particular enterprises, which will make it possible to avoid problems with fi nd-ing particular employers. In addition to this, one should also give some considerations to the benefi ciaries’ recruitment process and take into account their “social world”, subjective feelings related to social welfare services and job offi ces.


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Due to implementation of objective 2 related to developing methods of cooperation be-tween institutions dealing with professional integration, the following solutions improving similar projects could be suggested: fi rstly, the program describing and diagnosing benefi cia-ries should be applied more effectively, so that it could be used by institutions dealing with local development and solving social problems. Secondly, when cooperating on the transna-tional level, more attention should be drawn to cultural issues, particularly related to inter-cultural communication. Due to the above, there is a need to conduct trainings in intercul-tural communication for national partners and foreign partners participating in the project. Thirdly, promotion-related activities addressed to employers in relation to their employment of the project benefi ciaries in traineeships should be increased. In addition to this, one cannot omit refl ections related to decrease in the number of partner institutions to 5-6, which will facilitate the project management process - communication and decision-making. Also there should be increase in the number of people employed in the institutions participating in the project which will facilitate management of those institutions in project-related affairs and by employing new people will increase the potential of local community. Another issue is greater involvement of employers in the project thus creating a model of corporate social responsibili-ty. Finally, it should be clearly indicated that the rich experience acquired during translational cooperation should be used in project activities in the future and should facilitate maintain-ing project groups for the purpose of implementation of future European projects.

Research on implementation of objective 3 facilitates making recommendations related to more effective promotion activities among the project benefi ciaries, particularly children and young people, or other recruitment forms combined with other attractions, secondly greater involvement of the project benefi ciaries in independent organizational activities, mainly by means of organizing occasional events; thirdly by continuous trainings for social animators. One can assume that a single training in social animation will be insuffi cient to change their identities. The fourth issue should consist in increasing trainings in self-presentation and negotiation for the benefi ciaries, not only the leaders but also other active participants in the life of local community, which would also increase their chances on the labor market.

The project “Inherit work” is a milestone in creating new models of cooperation between institutions in Rybnik and its vicinity. Practically, the project consists in creating new forms of management, new knowledge resources, social bonds and new social relations between people working in various institutions dealing with the same or similar issues. First of all, the project aimed at counteracting long-term unemployment and social marginalization by creating new thinking habits and behavior models. In some cases there have been radical changes in the benefi ciaries’ identity, in some cases those changes were of minor importance and in some of no importance whatsoever. We must hope that for some of the benefi ciaries the project was the beginning of new life, much better life than they used to have. One can also emphasize that the infrastructure that the project will leave behind in the form of Local Activity Cen-ters, will be a great place for creating new projects by the benefi ciaries themselves. Thus, new processes have begun that will produce future results for local development of Rybnik and

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its vicinity. New lives and new community have started to exist full of faces stripped of the feeling of fatalism, faces through which one can see the depth of their souls. If the changes produced positive results for the benefi ciaries, then the project may defi nitely be regarded as a good practice.


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List of tables

Table 1. List of modules ..................................................................................................22Table 2. Self-evaluation of the benefi ciaries .....................................................................52Table 3. Conviction of infl uence on one’s own destiny .....................................................53Table 4. Conviction of diffi culties in fulfi lling the benefi ciaries’ resolutions .....................53Table 5. Conviction of one’s own skills and abilities ........................................................54Table 6. Conviction of being relatively less competent .....................................................54Table 7. Conviction of being able to infl uence others easily ..............................................55Table 8. Self-evaluation of aggressive behavior ................................................................55Table 9. Self-evaluation of one’s determination ...............................................................56Table 10. Grades in particular groups in relation to work, quality of work and module completion. .........................................................................57Table 11. Motivation on the labor market – conviction of quick resignation from job search .............................................................................................60Table 12. Motivation on the labor market – conviction of discouragement after failures ...60Table 13. Motivation on the labor market – conviction of learning from failures ...............61Table 14. Motivation on the labor market – conviction of the necessity to be active on the labor market .....................................................................................61Table 15. Motivation on the labor market – conviction of being able to fi nd a job ............62Table 16. Opinions on the reasons of looking for a job expressed by the researched women ...............................................................................................63Table 17. Family relations of the benefi ciaries .................................................................65

List of diagrams

Diagram 1. Conviction of emotional reactions to events ..................................................55Diagram 2. “When searching for a job I break down quickly and give up my job search” ...60Diagram 3. “Why are you looking for a job?” ..................................................................63

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Kurczewska J. (ed.), Oblicza lokalności. Tradycja i współczesność. Warszawa, Wydawnictwo Instytutu Filozofi i i Socjologii PAN 2004.

Marshall T., Citizenship and Social Class. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press 1950.

Mead M., Kultura i tożsamość. Studium dystansu międzypokoleniowego. Warszawa PWN 2000.

Mesarovic M., Ludzkość w punkcie zwrotnym. II Raport dla Klubu Rzymskiego. Warszawa, Państwowe Wydawnictwo Ekonomiczne 1977.

Mohan G., Mohan J., Placing Social Capital. „Progress in Human Geography”, 2002, no. 26/2, pp. 191-210.

Naisbitt J., Megatrendy. Poznań Zysk i Sp-ka, 1997, p. 247.

Narayan D., Woolcock M., Social Capital: Implication for development theory, research and

policy, „The World Bank Research Observer”, 2000, Vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 225-248.

Nguyen K.V., Antiretroviral globalism, biopolitics, and the therapeutic citizenship. In: Ong A., Collier S. J. (ed.), Global Assemblages: Technology, Politics, and Ethics as Anthropological Prob-

lems. Oxford, Blackwell Publishing House, 2005, pp. 124-144.

Pietrzyk I., Polityka regionalna Unii Europejskiej i regiony w państwach członkowskich. Warsza-wa, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, 2000.

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Smith D., Institutional Ethnography. A Sociology for people. Calif, Alta Mira. 2005.

Szlachta J., Model polityki rozwoju regionalnego Szkocji. In: Rozwój – region – społeczeństwo. Ed. G. Gorzelak, M. Szczepański, T. Zarycki, Warszawa-Katowice. Uniwersytet Warszawski 1999.

Portes A., Mooney M., Social Capital and Community Development. In: Guillen M. F., Collins R., England P., Meyer M. (ed.), New Economic Sociology. New York, Russel Sage Foundation, 2000.

Putnam R., Demokracja w działaniu. Tradycje obywatelskie we współczesnych Włoszech. Warszawa - Kraków, Fundacja im. S. Batorego, Wydawnictwo Znak 1995.

Regulski J., Samorząd III Rzeczypospolitej. Koncepcje i realizacja. Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa 2000.

Rymsza M., Urynkowienie państwa czy uspołecznienie rynku? Kwestia socjalna w Trzeciej Rzeczy-

pospolitej na przykładzie ubezpieczeń społecznych. Warszawa, Uniwersytet Warszawski 1998.

Społeczeństwo informacyjne w perspektywie człowieka, techniki, gospodarki. L. Zacher (ed.). Warszawa, Fundacja Transformacje 1999.

Szacki J. (ed.), Ani książę, ani kupiec: Obywatel. Wybór tekstów i wstęp J. Szacki. Warszawa - Kraków, Fundacja im. S. Batorego, Wydawnictwo Znak 1997.

Szczepański M.S., Pokusy nowoczesności. Polskie dylematy rozwojowe. Wydawnictwo AMP, Katowice-Tychy 1992.

Taylor Ch., Kiedy mówimy społeczeństwo obywatelskie, In: K. Michalski (ed.), Europa i społe-

czeństwo obywatelskie. Rozmowy w Castel Gandolfo. Warszawa - Kraków, Fundacja im. S. Batorego, Wydawnictwo Znak 1994, pp. 54-80.

Taylor Ch., Polityka liberalna a sfera publiczna. In: K. Michalski (ed.), Społeczeństwo liberalne.

Rozmowy w Castel Gandolfo. Warszawa - Kraków, Fundacja im. S. Batorego, Wydawnictwo Znak 1996, p. 22.

Toffl er A., Trzecia fala. Warszawa, Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy 1997.

Transformacje. Pismo interdyscyplinarne. Grudzień 2006, Warszawa, Fundacja Transformacje.

Woolcock M., Social capital and economic development: Toward a theoretical synthesis and policy

framework. „Theory and Society” 1998, no. 27, pp. 151-208.


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Zarządzanie wiedzą w społeczeństwie uczącym się. Edukacja i umiejętności. Organizacja Współ-

pracy Gospodarczej i Rozwoju. Warszawa 2000.

Source materials:

Burda I.,Repport on conducting a telephone poll among the employer’s of the fi nal benefi ciaries

of the project “Inherit work” Rybnik 2007.

Geisler R., Research report. Diffi culties women face when entering the labor market. Typescript reproduced. Rybnik, February 2007.

Geisler R., Report on Objective 2. Evaluation of quality of cooperation between national and

foreign partners. Project Partnership for Development “Inherit work”. October 2007, cf. also

Geisler R., Report on evaluation of Objective 1. Project Partnership for Development “Inherit

work”. Typescript reproduced. Rybnik, March 2007;

Geisler R., Report on evaluation of Objective 2. Development of effective methods of coordination

of activities between institutions and organizations dealing with social and professional integra-

tion. Typescript reproduced. Rybnik, October 2007;

Geisler R., Report on evaluation of Objective 3. Development of methods of local community acti-

vation in order to create local initiatives for employment or self-employment. Project Partnership for Development “Inherit work”. Typescript reproduced. Rybnik, November 2007.

Morawski R., Evaluation of the families of the benefi ciaries of the project “Inherit work” Evalu-

ation report. Rybnik.

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Benefi ciaries of the EQUAL project “Inherit work” expressing their opinions on themselves and their participation in the project

Interview questionnaire

Initial issues

Questions Research intentions

1. What benefi ts did the Equal project have for you? Introductory question. Identifi cation of general evaluation of participation in the project (in relation to work/unemployment, house, family and neighbors)

Participation in the project

Questions Research intentions1. Please describe briefl y your participation in the

project (what were your duties?)Introduction of the respondent into the project subjects and its evaluation by the benefi ciary.

2. How did you get involved in the project? Do you remember the feelings you had back then?

Identifi cation of expectations and feelings related to the project in its initial stage (fears, chances, risks)

3. Please describe your participation in motivation trainings (What did you learn? What did the trainings lack and what should have been included in the training?)

Identifi cation of pluses and minuses of the project’s benefi ciary in motivation training.

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4. Please describe your participation in the professional trainings. (What did you learn? What did the trainings lack and what should have been included in the training?)

Identifi cation of pluses and minuses of the benefi ciary’s participation in professional training.

5. Please describe your participation in the traineeships. (What did you learn? What did the trainings lack and what should have been included in the training?)

Identifi cation of pluses and minuses of the benefi ciary’s participation in traineeships.

6. How do you evaluate the Equal program? How do you evaluate program Equal workers? (What are the pluses of the project and what would you change in the project?)

Evaluation of the project - particular stages of actions by the benefi ciaries.

The past/changes

Questions Research intentions1. Please describe your life before your participation

in the project (dimensions: work - home - family - neighbors/friends).

Identifi cation of the benefi ciary’s identity before intro-ducing changes in the benefi ciary’s subjective perspec-tive.

2. Please describe your school years, your adolescent years, and your early adulthood (where did you live, who did you live with, and what conditions did you live in?) What job did you have (what com-panies/professions?) How did you spend your free time back then?

Identifi cation of social circumstances behind diffi cult situation of the benefi ciary, prior to the benefi ciary’s participation in the project.

This question also aims at attempting to compare the past with the present.

Projection of the future

Questions Research intentions1a) What plans do you have for the future? What are

your life and professional objectives?

1b) Can you name the most important things (val-ues) you follow in your professional and private life today?

Identifi cation of psychosocial changes of the benefi -ciary.

Identifi cation of the benefi ciary’s self-esteem.


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2. Please imagine yourself in the year 2017. What will you be doing? (Please describe your situation, your family, work, friends, neighbors)

Identifi cation of the sense of optimism and indepen-dence.

3. What benefi ts did you get from your participation in the Equal project?

Repeating the same question as in the beginning as a retrospection.

Personal statistics: gender, age, education, place of residence.

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The unemployed and their social world

Interview questionnaire

Initial issues

Questions Research intentions

1. How long have you been unemployed?2. Where did you work before?

Initial acquaintance with the unemployed person and his/her biography.

The past

Questions Research intentions1. Can you describe your life (dimensions: work -

home - family - friends/neighbors)?Identifi cation of the benefi ciary’s identity in his/her subjective perspective.

2. Please describe your school years, your adolescent years, and your early adulthood (where did you live, who did you live with, and what conditions did you live in?) What job did you have (what companies/professions?) How did you spend your free time back then?

Identifi cation of social circumstances behind the bene-fi ciary’s diffi cult situation.

This question also aims at attempting to compare the past with the present.

The present

Questions Research intentions1. Can you describe your current life? How do you

spend your time (dimensions: work - home - family - neighbors)?

2. Do you work illegally?3. How do you evaluate your contacts with the Job

Offi ce, Social Welfare Center?

Identifi cation of the sense of activeness and relations with institutions that provide the unemployed with care and assistance.


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Projection of the future

Questions Research intentions1a) What plans do you have for the future? What

are your current life/professional objectives? 1b) Can you name the most important things (val-

ues) you follow in your professional and private life today?

Identifi cation of the level of activeness.

Identifi cation of the benefi ciary’s self-esteem.

2. Please imagine yourself in the year 2017. What will you be doing? (Please describe your situation, your family, work, friends, neighbors).

Identifi cation of the sense of optimism and indepen-dence.

Personal statistics: gender, age, education, place of residence.

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Questionnaire of the interview with expertsEvaluation of objective no. 2

1. Objective 2 of the project “Inherit work” - partnership of institutions

� What is the role of your institution in the project?� Who do you cooperate with within the project - evaluation of the cooperation� Cooperation barriers - legal, organizational, psychological� Cooperation benefi ts - for institutions, for the benefi ciaries

2. Conclusions from the project for the future - what can be done, in what dimensions, what mistakes to avoid.

3. What hinders and what facilitates cooperation of institutions in Rybnik.


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INTERVIEW QUESTIONNAIRE

EMPLOYERS’ OPINIONS ON THE BENEFICIARIES OF THE PROJECT “INHERIT WORK”

Telephone poll

We are conducting an opinion poll on the benefi ciaries of the project “Inherit work” who conduct their traineeships in your company. We would like you to answer a few questions. The poll aims at evaluating the task: “sending to traineeships”. We will use your answers only for the purpose of evaluation report within the project “Inherit work”.

1. How do you evaluate the work performed by the benefi ciaries? (a general introductory question - we are interested in general associations and refl ections)

2. What were your requirements towards the benefi ciaries? (Prior to their employment, during the period they were employed - what were they associated with? Did the be-nefi ciaries meet the requirements? (What would you call meeting and what would you call failure to meet the requirements?).

3. The respondents were employed for the period of traineeship after they had undergone training. Can you tell us something about their knowledge and skills acquired during the training?

3.1. What do you think did the benefi ciaries lack? 3.2. What skills should in your opinion the benefi ciaries have before starting their

traineeships?4. Can you compare work performance of the benefi ciaries on traineeship with other

trainees? (differences / similarities)4.1. Please compare the work performed by the benefi ciaries with other employees

(differences / similarities)5. What were the relations between the benefi ciaries and other employees in their places of work?

5.1. How were the benefi ciaries accepted by the company’s employees? 5.2. Did you notice any confl icts between them? 5.3. Would you say that there was integration between the benefi ciaries and the com-

pany’s employees?6. Would you employ the benefi ciaries in your company after the traineeship is

completed? (Why) 7. What are your requirements towards trainees and newly employed workers in your

company?8. Do you have any refl ections you would like to share with the authors and players of the

program „Inherit work”?Personal statistics: gender, age, education, position held in the company.

Thank you for your time and given answers.

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Documents

New Faces - New life - New society€¦ · The town of Rybnik - Rybnik Center of Vocational Education - Center of Continuing and Practical Education ul. Św. Józefa 30, 44-217 Rybnik,