Project title:   COMPETENCE LEVEL ASSESSMENT OF SME MANAGERS - M-ASTRA
Promoting organisation:  Polish Foundation of the Opportunities Industrialization Centers "OIC Poland"
Project no 2008-1-PL1-LEO05-02069
e-mail: astra_ldv@oic.lublin.pl

3-4th June 2010 - 5th transnational project meeting in Braga (Portugal)

        The 5th transnational project meeting started from the workshop about the possibilities of the ICT tool - M-ASTRA tool. The workshop was chaired by Syntra West. The expert introduced two versions of the ICT tool (on-line and off-line).
The Lead Partner presented the results of the standardization procedure and the final result of the psychometrical analysis. The psychometrical analysis defined the following competences:

- Innovativeness
- Planning
- Cooperation
- Leadership
- Decision making
- Self-confidence
- Persistence
- Problem solving
- Knowledge of personnel evaluation and motivation
- Knowledge of recruitment and human resources development
- Knowledge of advertising and marketing
- Knowledge of market
- Knowledge of production and logistics
- Knowledge of finances
- Knowledge of legislation and regulation
 
The list of statements (indicators) numbers 73 statements.

The project partners agreed the structure of the handbook. The handbook will be divided into two parts: technical and methodological part. Belgium partner is responsible for the technical part and Polish partner is responsible for the second one.


4 December 2009 - 4rd transnational project meeting in Barcelona (Spain)

        4th transnational project meeting was focused on testing procedure of the elaborated questionnaire on SME managers. Research is carried out on the representative sample in each participating country. The planned deadline is 31 March 2010.
The project partners discussed about trainings and other activities aiming at improving managerial competence level.



13 May 2009 - 3rd transnational project meeting Ljubljana  (Slovenia)

        The 3rd transnational project meeting started from the workshop presenting possibilities of the ICT tool (possible operational paths of the ICT tool). The workshop was chaired by the Syntra West.



3-4 March 2009 - 2nd transnational project meeting Brugge (Belgium)

The 2nd transnational project meeting started from presenting the results of the kick-off meeting.

The project partners had spent two last months on investigation of the competence profile of SME manager. Each team of the partners' experts had elaborated the proposal of the competence profile of SME manager based on the literature and best practices review. They had filled in a temple of questionnaire/table provided by the Lead Partner to elaborate the proposal of competence profile of SME managers and self-assessment questions for each competence (to decide which competences are important and why they are important).

During the meeting the participants of the meeting elaborated the almost final version of the competence profile of SME manager and self-assessment questions for each competence. Firstly, taking into account the elaborated proposals of the project partners, the participants of the meeting defined the competence profile of SME manager. They distinguished the following competences:

I)   General competences
1)   Flexibility
2)   Leadership
3)   Persistence
4)   Planning
5)   Creativity/innovation
6)   Problem solving
7)   Decision making
8)   Communication
9)   Cooperation
10)   Self-confidence
11)   Life Long Learning
12)   Coping with stress


II)   Technical competences
1)   Knowledge of legislation/regulation
2)   Knowledge of financial matters
3)   Knowledge of accounting and taxes
4)   Marketing knowledge
5)   Knowledge of process management (ICT, quality and logistic, etc.)
6)   Human Resources Management

The participants of the meeting worked in groups to elaborate self-assessment questions for each competence and check correctness of distinguished competences.



16 December 2008 - Kick-off meeting Lublin (Poland)

        1) The OIC Poland Foundation presented general operational foundation of already existing ASTRA tool as the basis for development of the planned M-ASTRA tool. The ASTRA tool was elaborated within the pilot project ("Managerial Competence Level Assessment, Training Plan and Implementation for SMEs" ASTRA - PL/ 04/B/P/PP-174506) selected by the European Commission and funded by the Community budget as a part of the second phase of the LEONARDO DA VINCI Community Action Programme on vocational training.

The main result of the ASTRA project is ICT tool for self-assessment of managerial competence level for the start-ups (version I) and owner/manager of already existing firm up to 10 employees (version II). The tool is adapted to the partner countries business culture and environment and available in languages: EN, FR, IT, NL, HU, PL. The main innovative asset of the ASTRA tool that will be transferred to the M-ASTRA tool is a direct link between managerial competence assessment and a training plan tailored up to the needs of the tested individual.


2) The Lead Partner presented the aims of the M-ASTRA project, its objectives, tasks and project implementation schedule (the multimedia presentation is attached).

Target groups of the M-ASTRA project are managers of small and medium enterprises (except for start-ups and managers/owners of small firms employing up to 10 persons). First project task is development of the profile of SME manager. The partners will focus on development of pure managerial competences of SME manager and refining generic competences. Generic competences developed in the ASTRA project are the same for all entrepreneurs and managers regardless of sector. They will be transferred from ASTRA tool into M-ASTRA tool. The development and adjustment of pure managerial competences (technical competences) will contribute to more precise competence assessment.
start of project: 01.12.2008
end of project: 28.02.2011