EQAMOB - European Quality Assurance Label Communicating and capturing quality assurance of companies and organisations in mobility learning through digitalization.

The project application was motivated by the need to adapt to the significant changes brought about by digital transformation, which is reshaping culture, customer experiences, and market requirem...

The project's primary objective was to develop further the European Quality Assurance Label for learning mobility through digital transformation. This entailed exploring the potential of digitizing the EQAMOB label and the possibilities such digitization could unlock. The project aimed to develop innovative ideas and methods, including indicators that would enhance and motivate all actors involved in digitalization. This includes the examination, testing, and revision of results. A key goal was to test the feasibility of applying the same technology, method, and mindset used in issuing and promoting digital credentials to the process of awarding a label to exemplary companies engaged in international mobility for apprentices and learners. The project sought to transform the analog processes into an intelligent label system, capturing and communicating the roles of companies and organizations in learner/apprentice mobility. This transformation was not just about the label itself but also about fostering a new mindset among traditional system-thinking organizations, leveraging Design Thinking and other innovative approaches to bridge the digital divide and adapt to the digital reality.

One of the key achievements was the steps we took in getting to know its users through a process of understanding and observing.The team collected information from users. We described our users and their situations, creating user profiles and journey maps. The project also involved validation by consulting with experts and disseminating knowledge about the users. The input and guidance of the digital expert, Diplomasafe, was crucial in understanding how users (us, the issuers and the receivers) interact with the label. The main activities implemented in the project include: - Four transnational workshops over 24 months. - Five online meetings and approx. 25 Ad-hoc 'Virtual' Meetings: additional meetings of work package leaders, held as required. - Monitoring and Reporting on Progress and Achievement: circulation of reporting and guidelines to partners, collation with partners, and periodic reporting to partners. - Create a new website for EQAMOB - Risk Management: SWOT analysis, 3-step approach to quality assurance, and problem statement. - Distribute to-do lists in connection with each meeting. - Delivering a Report in connection with each workshop - Conflict Resolution: addressed through peer reviewing and internal evaluation. - Formative external evaluation Input: reviewing and responding to recommendations for process evaluation and overall project delivery. - Getting to know our users through interviews, focus groups, and surveys. - Creating a prototype of the label and testing the label - Working with partners on the design thinking methodology and providing appropriate literature. -Dissemination activities to share the developmental and innovative work in the project.

As coordinator, I organized the outputs and results into five work packages, each contributing to a result(s) described in the application and some more. All partners participated in all work packages (incl. the subcontractor). The use of Design Thinking in the different work packages (WPs) of the EQAMOB project and their results can be summarized as follows: WP1 - Problem Space (RESULT 2 AND 6): Objective: Understanding EQAMOB and its users. Design Thinking Application: Empathize with users by understanding EQAMOB and its stakeholders. The team analyzed SWOT to understand strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Develop a problem statement and learn about the user/customer environment (AEIOU). Outputs and Results: - A comprehensive understanding of the EQAMOB's current state and challenges. Identifying user needs and creating a mutual understanding and problem statement. SWOT analysis results, problem statement, and collected information on potential users, including gender/inclusion aspects and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Workshop: Denmark workshop in June 2020. - A document/report details the first Transnational workshop of the EQAMOBII project, held in Denmark on June 15th and 16th, 2022. It includes discussions and actions related to the project's initial stages, focusing on understanding and observing its context through a design thinking approach. The meeting involved representatives from various partner organizations who collaborated on defining the project's problem statement, discussing user needs, and sharing information relevant to the project. Other topics included budget planning, sustainability goals, inclusion strategies, the design thinking mindset, and upcoming meeting schedules. The report also contains insights and feedback from project partners, highlighting the complexity of the project and the diverse user profiles involved. - Document - Problem statement - User profile canvas/tool to collect information about users -Primary logo/ EQAMOB Label and EQAMOB badge WP2 - From Problem to Solution (RESULT 3): Objective: Moving from problem analysis to solution ideation. Design Thinking Application: Define and Ideate phases by moving from problem analysis to solution ideation. Use context mapping to better understand the user experience—ideate solutions through DOT Voting and ideation sessions. Outputs and results: Document/Report from 2nd TN workshop. Point of View (POV) is formulated based on users. Clarity on potential solutions and prioritization of the best ideas and opportunities. Workshop: Iceland workshop in October 2022. The report discusses the progress and discussions made during a workshop on the quality assurance work for the EQAMOB project. The team found them selfs in a phase of ideation and brainstorming, focusing on finding solutions and making them tangible through prototypes. WP3 - Solution Space (Result 4-5): Objective: Building, testing, and reflecting on the prototype. Design Thinking Application: We created a prototype, Tested, and then reflected. This was done in what is called the solution phases and implemented by building a prototype from the ideated phase. We then tested the prototype considering digital interactions with users and integrating innovative technologies and reflected on the insights and lessons learned to refine the solution. Outputs and results: Online training on designing and issuing award labels and badges. We developed an EQAMOB prototype label and badge (added value). Insights on digital interactions with users and we defined the next steps for prototype testing. Insights for further refinement and finalization of the solution. EQAMOB website to provide information. Workshops: Austria in March 2023 and France in September 2023. WP4 - Quality Measures (Result 1): Objective: Providing internal and external formative/summative support. Design Thinking Application: Continuous support in the Design Thinking process through formative and summative evaluations. Benchmarking against work packages for internal support. Outputs and results: Interim and final external evaluation reports. Internal formative support benchmarked against the WPs and results. Three-step quality approach, External evaluation, peer review, and formative support and effective use of Design Thinking throughout the project, ensuring quality and relevance. WP5 - Project Management: Objective: Managing the overall project. Activities: Economic management, timesheet collection, reporting, dissemination, and keeping the team motivated and focused. Coordinate workshops and report and follow up on each workshop—Organize the TEAMS platform. Outputs and results: Timesheets and dissemination reports. Interim and final project reports, including workshop action minute reports. Website. TEAMS platform for documentation. In summary, Design Thinking in the EQAMOB project is utilized to empathize with users, define problems, ideate solutions, prototype and test these solutions, and reflect on the outcomes, doing our best to ensure a user-centered approach in finding new way to promote the European Quality Assurance for learning mobility. These work packages and their results collectively contribute to the overarching goal of the EQAMOB project, which is to reboot and further develop the European Quality Assurance Label for learning mobility through digital transformation, including a comprehensive approach involving problem understanding, solution ideation, prototype development, quality assurance, and project management.