"<< Background >>Our project idea was born from the will of the partnership to create an effective and repeatable learning model at the European through the development of a more attractive training program and corresponding to the individual needs and expectations of adults.Through the activities and the project results we will be able to meet the needs of our target group, consulted already during the application phase by each partner.NEEDS FOR TARGET GROUPTG1- Educators, facilitators, volunteers from partners and associated partners who work to support adults learners.Needs: new teaching methods, digital tools, quality learning opportunities based on the individual needs of adults in the digital environment; possibility to update your personal profile and get to know and exchange new methods and best practices developed at European level in adult education; use of participatory methods and digital methodologies.From this need we have identified the specific objective 1 of our project (OS1)TG2- adult learners with fewer opportunities (low skills, who don't have a diploma, who due to physical, psychological, social and economic conditions do not possess a basic mastery in the 8 key competences for lifelong learning, as revised in 2018 by the Council of the European Union).Needs: have the ability to use digital technologies with familiarity, a critical spirit and responsibility, to learn, to work, to participate consciously in society.From this need we have identified the specific objective 2 of our project (OS2)TG3- Adult organizations working with adult learners with fewer opportunities.Needs: develop internal capabilities to accomplish their mission. Lack of specialized staff for adult education to media education, integrate good practices and new methods, including digital skills, into daily activities.From this need we have identified the specific objective 3 of our project (OS3).The above needs for each TG were identified by partners upon evaluating internal capabilities, discussions with stakeholders, analyses of projects and strategies at national and European level.NEEDS FOR CONSORTIUMHave the possibility to adopt innovative approaches for addressing adult learners with fewer opportunities; to obtain more attractive education and training programs corresponding to the needs and requirements of our target groups; to experiment with the use of participatory and digital methods; greater involvement of local communities in our activities and informal training programs; have the possibility to increase the ability and professionalism of our staff and adult educators to operate at local and European level.<< Objectives >>Media culture has expanded massively over the last decades. There is a range of new media: smartphone, cable and satellite television, computers, laptops, camcorders, new 'on-line' interactive services, video discs and other consumer-oriented interactive software. The movement from analogue to digital coding and the consolidation of communications conglomerates has given rise to a growing interpenetration of media, as genres, themes and contents flow from one to another with increasing fluidity. We are entering a multimedia environment which is increasingly enveloping, involving and experienced as an interconnected whole.Media literacy education is intended to promote awareness of media influence and create an active stance towards both consuming and creating media.At the same time as the importance of media education, we must consider the challenges that digital transformation creates for online safety and cyber hygiene.It is important to strengthen adult’s critical thinking, so they can judge and overcome the ever-present threats of fake news, cyber bullying, radicalization, cybersecurity threats and fraud.Europe’s digital transformation will accelerate with the rapid advance of new technologies like previous major technological advances, digititalization affects how people live, interact, study and work. The COVID-19 emergency situation, has changed work relationships and communications between people, changing relationships globally.Digital has taken on an extremely important role, however the benefits that citizens could derive from the use of digital technologies are limited by some concerns regarding privacy and security and by the lack or lack of access to the Internet, the poor ability to surf on the Internet.When it is over, the Coronavirus pandemic will, as it should be, leave its marks on each of us and on the whole community.This makes investing in one’s digital skills throughout life of the utmost importance.From a comparative analysis conducted by the partners on the ProjectResults platform and on the EPALE platform, we have selected an interesting project that has addressed a topic similar to ours. The project is ""IDEAL - Integrating Digital Education in Adult Literacy"", and has been listed as a success story.The project tried to support adult educators in their work by providing guidelines to be able to transfer knowledge to the target group, but what we believe could have supported educators even more, is having a tool for detection of the preliminary skills of adults, to then act on them.The research that has been conducted on the training needs of adult educators is also interesting. This report is based on an online survey carried out in February-March 2016, in which adult education teachers from Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and Norway took part. Our idea is to implement this needs analysis in partner countries and update it in light of the new situation linked to COVID-19, which has inevitably changed our lives and that of educators.OBJECTIVESThe project aims to:OS1: Improve the level of skills of 25 EDUCATORS to adequately contribute to enhance the potential of adults, and development of critical thinking and personal responsibility; OS2: Facilitate access of 150 ADULTS to informal learning opportunities and exchanges of experiences,possibility of widening their competencies and developing their skills throughout life, learn to think critically, adults aware, critics and masters of their thinking and their actions;OS3: Enhance the capacity of 15 ADULT ORGANIZATIONS to appropriately valorize adults, equip organizations that work whit adults with new training tools and materials to support the target group on which they operate, improve and expand the offer of personalized quality learning.<< Implementation >>The project implementation is divided into 5 phases:Phase (1): Management and CoordinationPhase (2): Design and development of the project outputs - PR1, PR2, PR3, PR4.Phase (3): Pilot testing of the project outputs and their fine-tuningPhase (4): Promotion, dissemination and exploitation activitiesPhase (5): Quality control, Monitoring and EvaluationEach phase has been assigned with one coordinator/lead partner organisation to monitor and supervise the course of the phase. The division of the project as stated above will enable a consistent order concerning the project implementation.Phase (1): Management and CoordinationTransparent rules of management and direct contacts between all project partners will be the foundation of effective project coordination. To ensure the proper project management, EDUPRO will develop the Workplan and Handbook, which will include the timetable defining all activities, project outcomes/products, time limits, project milestones, risk management etc. It will also describe the reporting requirements and the communication rules and tools among the partners.Phase (2): Design, development & capacity buildingThe following outputs will be designed and developed:- ""MECO- Essential needs of educators to support adult learners with fewer opportunities (PR1)- Leader PETIT PAS (IT)- MECO TOOLKIT (PR2) Leader STP CONSULTING (ES)- MECO PLATFORM (O3) Leader LIDI SMART SOLUTIONS (NL)- MECO Competence Assessment (IO4) Leader NIKANOR LTD (BG)In this phase, all outputs will be tested internally and evaluated. They will be designed and developed with the participation of all project partners who will give their input for their development and improvement.Phase (3): Pilot testing of the project outputs (PR2, PR3, PR4) and their fine-tuning. The project products elaborated in the 2nd phase of the project implementation will be tested in every country participating in the project. Based on the testing results (national reports), all outputs will be fine-tuned. The Pilot Testing, Evaluation and fine-tuning will be coordinated by EDUPRO (LT). Target groups and stakeholders of the project will be engaged in this phase in order to pilot, validate and identify possible improvements.Phase (4): Promotion, dissemination and exploitation activitiesPromotion, dissemination and exploitation activities of the project results (coordinated by PETIT PAS-IT) will be carried out during the lifetime of the project. They will be based on the Promotion and Dissemination Plan which will be elaborated at the start of the project. The activities will be also focused on integrating the project results into nationalprogrammes and provision in their respective countries as part of the overall Dissemination Strategy Plan which will be elaborated after the development of the project results.Phase (5): Quality control, Monitoring and EvaluationThe Quality Control, Monitoring and Evaluation, led by NIKANOR LTD (BG) will aim to ensure that the project has a robust quality management plan and has a culture of constant improvement achieved throughout regular evaluation. The project partners will establish an internal quality board which will evaluate the project activities taking into account theplanned products of each output/task, planned time limits and communication between them. Within the Quality & Evaluation Plan, all evaluation indicators, tools and criteria used in the project evaluation will be included. An important part of the evaluation is the feedback from final beneficiaries who will be also asked to assess the project products. The results of the evaluation will be used to improve and adapt the project results to the needs of the target group. The results of the Quality and Evaluation activities will be presented and discussed during each transnational project meeting.<< Results >>During the ""MECO"" implementation, the project partnership will develop Intangible results and 4 relevant project results (PR).Intangible results:1. Increased capabilities of 25 educators of using the modern digital learning environment, incuding critical thinking and media literacy;2. Improved knowledge of 15 educators to testing project results developed, by participation to LTTA, with a theoretical and practical part. This activity will allow to become familiar and competent in using the projects’ results as well as share valuable experience and feedback. 3. Improve the knowledge of at least 150 adults about a conscious approach to the use of media4. enhance attention, concentration and memory skills of adults5. increase the desire to learn6. adults aware, trained, critics and masters of their thinking and acting7. Ability to understand reality and social changes8. Support positive and long-lasting effects on the participating organizations, systems, and individuals directly and indirectly involved9. Extended professional network of partners at national level (adult organizations, adult educators, facilitators, policy makers) by getting in contact with them for interviews, piloting, focus groups and further for participation to MEs to disseminate and exploit the MECO's results.Tangible results:PR1 ""MECO- Essential needs of educators to support adult learners with fewer opportunities""PR1 represents a comprehensive needs analyses report comprising several aspects of adult education from the needs of educators that work with adult learners with fewer opportunities, to the methods of to encourage adults to engage in lifelong learning and social activities.PR2 MECO TOOLKITThe objective of this PR is to create a training material that provides the project’s target groups with high-quality knowledge and skills needed to guide adult educators to teach to develop critical thinking among the adults and abilities to recognize the fraudulent use of the web.PR3: MECO PLATFORMThe ""e-learning Platform"" will serve as an open education digital platform for the provision of the training material developed throughout the project. It is an innovative way to engagedistant learners in the training procedure. Through this digital platform, training will be conducted more efficiently, by overcoming physical and time limitations. Moreover, the platform will support equal access to good quality education as everyone will have access to the training material and resources.The platform will be user-friendly, with tutoring availability, and relevant user guide.PR4 MECO Competence Assessment (incl. User’s guide of the ICT tool).The main aim of the ICT tool for Competence Assessment will be to evaluate the knowledge and starting skills of the target group, identification of the needs of the specific target groups that need to be addressed in order to provide them with useful skills.All PRs will be available in various media and all partner languages (IT, NL, BG, ES, LT) and in English. Moreover, all project Outputs will be flexible and easily adaptable to be transferred to other sectors and to other EU countries.During the project implementation, the partnership will also develop other results to support:a) Process of elaboration of the results / pilot testing in every project country, templates, guidelines and reports summarizing the particular activities and giving recommendations for the results.b) Promotion and dissemination activities / Promotion and, Dissemination Plan, project website, leaflet and brochure, newsletters, promotion and dissemination reports of the project partnersc) The exploitation of the results /exploitation strategy at the partnership level and outside;d) Evaluation and quality control of the project activities and products/ Monitoring and Evaluation Plan, quality reports;e) Management / Workplan and Handbook, progress reports, interim report, and final report."