In 2003, the Combat Poverty Agency, along with partner organisations from the participating EU Member States, undertook a three-year research project to advance the understanding of mainstreaming as a policy tool in social inclusion. The project is funded by the European Commission through the Transnational Exchange Programme (TEP), DG Employment and Social Affairs.
The objectives of the MSI project are:
- To contribute to a wider understanding of how mainstreaming social inclusion might be integrated into national policies;
- To develop the concept;
- Provide operational tools for those involved in the formulation of policies, in decision-making, for administrators and service providers responsible for the implementation of these policies and for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that represent people experiencing social exclusion and poverty.
For the purpose of this project, the partner organisations adopted the following definition of Mainstreaming Social Inclusion:
Mainstreaming social inclusion is the integration of poverty and social inclusion objectives, including an equality perspective, into all areas and levels of policy-making and that is promoted through the participation of public bodies, social partners, NGOs and other relevant actors.
The knowledge gained through this project will contribute to the successful development and implementation of strategies across the European Union to tackle poverty and promote social inclusion.
There are three phases to the project and the objectives of these were:
- Phase I (2003) to establish how mainstreaming is understood in each partner country or region and what are the key features that constitute mainstreaming;
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- Phase II (2004-2005) investigated the potential of mainstreaming for achieving positive outcomes for people experiencing poverty, the benefits that mainstreaming can generate and to develop a framework for the evaluation of how social inclusion is mainstreamed into government policies.
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- Phase III During 2006 the MSI project will undertake an evaluation study of the mainstreaming of social inclusion into public policies, using the evaluation framework developed during Phase 2 of the project. This research will consist of an extensive survey of national, regional and local administrations, social partners and civil society organisations. This study will be undertaken by eighteen partner organisations in nine countries, including the original 'MSI five' - Czech Republic; France; Ireland; Norway; and Portugal. The new countries participating are Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Slovak Republic and the UK, including Northern Ireland and Scotland as a region. The European Anti Poverty Network will also participate as an NGO partner organisation.
The results of this study will provide a benchmark for the future measurements of mainstreaming social inclusion into the public policies of the Member States.