NRP Portugal

ofintervention.- As a complement to the monitoring and evaluation covered by the Quality Card, a process ofexternal evaluation, long and profound, of the New Opportunities Initiative and Network ofCentreswaslaunchedinJanuary2008withtheaimofsupervisingitseffectivenessandefficacy.- The carrying out of various Information and Awareness Campaigns for qualification in 2007,namelyinthemedia(television,radio,press)withtheobjectiveofpromoting12thyearschoolingandthesocialvalorisationofschoolsandvocationaltraining,asameanstoobtainaqualificationthat enables better opportunities for employment and personal fulfilment. This campaign wasaccompaniedbythedistributionofbookletsdestinedforeducationworkersandyoungpeople,i.e.studentsaged14‐15,theageatwhichtheychoosetheirsecondaryeducationcourse.Atthesametime,NewOpportunitieskitsweredistributed24toschools.TheContributionoftheEU’sStructuralFundstotheNewOpportunitiesInitiativeThe steps already taken in the implementation of the New Opportunities Initiative have benefitedgreatlyfromstructuralfundsupport,inparticularthatoftheEuropeanSocialFund(ESF)inthescopeofthe CSF III, which required a strategic reorientation of the planned investment in the field ofemploymentandtrainingpoliciesinlinewiththestrategiesandtargetsdefinedintheframeworkofthisInitiative.This strategic guideline was heavily stressed in the National Strategic Reference Framework. ThequalificationofPortuguesemenandwomenisacentralpriority,expressedbytheincreaseoffinancingdirectedforthispurpose.Forthisreason,theESFrepresentsaround37%ofthesetofStructuralFundsfromwhichmainlandPortugalwillbenefit,increasingby10percentagepointsitspositionrelativetoCSFIII.Thiscorrespondstoanamountabove6000millionEuros,70%ofwhichareallocatedtotheimplementationoftheNewOpportunitiesInitiative.Driver9.ProximityCommunityServicesNetworkTheProximityCommunityServicesNetworkisformedbyasetofprojects,responsesandsocialandhealthfacilities,whoseaimistoensurethecontinuityoftheprovisionofcare(healthandsocial)topeoplewhoareinasituationofdependencyforvariousreasons,insuchawayastopromotetheiroverallrecovery(viacontinuousrehabilitation,readaptationandreintegration),givingspecialattentiontosocialexclusion.Inmostcases,itsworkisdevelopedusingacooperationmodelbetweentheStateandCivilSocietyandtargets particularly the following intervention areas: i) childhood and youth; ii) the disabled; iii) theelderly;iv)familyandcommunity;v)drugaddicts;vi)peopleinfectedwithHIV/AIDSandtheirfamilies;vii)otherinterventionareas(mentalhealth,integratedsocialresponses).Thepledgeintheexpansionandupgradingoftheproximityservicesnetwork,intermsofnumberofresponses,qualityandequityinterritorialdistribution,isnotonlyanimportantinstrumenttofosterconciliation between the professional activity and the personal and family life and equal genderopportunities,thereductionofabsenteeism,butitwillalsocontributetogeneratingnumerousnewjobs in the tertiary sector. Hence, the Government proposes to use the "Extension of the SocialFacilities Network Programme" 25 and the "Support Programme for Investment in Social Facilities"to: 26 (i) increase the installed capacity of crèches by 2009 – 31,161 places (to reach the Barcelonacommitment:33%);(ii)improvesocialresponsesfortheelderly,creating19,000newplacesby2009;(iii) provide 4,600 places in integrated continued care network facilities by 2008 and; (iv) add 1,85025GovernmentOrderno.426/2006of2MayandOrderno.10516/2006of11May.26GovernmentOrderno.869/2006of29August.78