The project was funded by the European Union via the Technical Support Instrument, and implemented by the OECD, in co-operation with the European Commission.
This report was prepared by the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities (CFE) led by Lamia Kamal-Chaoui, Director. The work was conducted as part of the OECD’s Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Programme with financial support from the European Commission’s Reform and Investment Task Force (SG REFORM). The report and underlying project were co-ordinated by Lars Ludolph, Economist in the OECD Local Employment, Skills and Social Innovation (LESI) Division, under the supervision of Kristine Langenbucher, Deputy Head of Division (CFE/LESI) and subsequently, Lukas Kleine-Rueschkamp, Head of Unit, Local Employment and Skills (CFE/LESI). Karen Maguire, Head of Division (CFE/LESI), provided overall guidance and comments. This report was drafted by Lars Ludolph (Chapters 1,2, 3, 4, and 5), Anna Padiasek (CFE/LESI; Chapters 3, 4 and 5) and Nicola Duell (Economix; Chapters 4 and 5).
The report benefitted from valuable inputs and contributions from Michal Kolb (CFE/LESI; Chapters 2,3,4,5), Ada Zakrzewska (CFE/LESI; Chapter 2), Jakub Grabowski (ASM Research Solutions; Chapters 2 and 5); Joanna Syrda (ASM Research Solutions; Chapters 2 and 5), Łukasz Arndt (University of Łódź; Chapters 3 and 5); Ewa Gałecka-Burdziak (Warsaw School of Economics; Chapter 3 and 5), Agnieszka Chlon-Dominczak (Warsaw School of Economics; Chapter 4), Robert Pater (University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow; Chapter 5), and Patricia Peñalosa (CFE/LESI; Chapter 5). Tilde Ussing, Policy Analyst (CFE/LESI), Michela Meghnagi (CFE/LESI), Melis Aslan (CFE/LESI), Anne Lauringson (ELS) and Andrew Aitken (ELS) provided valuable comments on the report. Jack Waters and Eloisa Cozar Navarette prepared the report for publication.
The project Advisory Group guided and supported the project. It consisted of Rima Joujou Deljkic (SG Reform, European Commission), Oana Dumitrescu (SG Reform, European Commission), Michał Bruski (WUP Gdansk), Paweł Bardon (WUP Gdansk), Dariusz Gobis (WUP Gdansk), Katarzyna Antończak-Świder (WUP Krakow), Adam Biernat (WUP Krakow), Małgorzata Dudziak (WUP Krakow), Paulina Marmuszewska (WUP Krakow), Katarzyna Nyklewicz (WUP Krakow), Marta Zwolak (WUP Olsztyn), Patrycja Wojciechowska-Wachuła (WUP Olsztyn), Ewa Feresztyn (WUP Opole), Krzysztof Duraj (WUP Opole), Maciej Filipowicz (WUP Opole), Maria Korska (Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy) and Sylwia Kowalczyk (Ministry of Development, Funds, and Regional Policy).
The OECD team further expresses its gratitude to the many stakeholders from Poland who provided inputs into the report during fact-finding meetings and workshops, including from Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy, Regional Labour Offices in Gdańsk, Kraków, Olsztyn, and Opole, the Powiat Labour Offices in Gdansk, Ilawa, Opole, Krapkowice and Nysa, Voluntary Labour Corps in Olsztyn, the Statistical Office in Krakow, including its Tarnow Branch, Gdańsk Foundation for Social Innovation (including So Stay Hotel, Kuznia Coffee Shop and Parkolada Pastry Shop), Morena Association (Gdansk), The Kashubian Folk High School (Wieżyca), Warmia and Mazury Association of Persons with Disabilities (Ostróda), Federation of Social Organisations of the Voivodeship of Warmia and Mazury (Olsztyn) and Fundacja Rozwoju Społecznego Spinacz (Opole).
Special thanks are also extended to the international experts who participated in knowledge-sharing workshops as part of the project. These include Nadia Arndt (Jobcenter Leipzig, Germany), Annelies Baes (Actiris, Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium), Frank Cörvers (Maastricht University), Hanna Liski-Wallentowitz (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment in Finland), Elena Magrini (Lightcast), Ulvi Mölder (Public Employment Service Estonia), Magdalena Peckskamp (Deloitte Human Capital Consulting/Public Employment Service Austria), Wee Siong Yeo (SkillsFuture Singapore) and Živa Štiglic (Public Employment Service Slovenia).
Study visits hosted by Estonia and France informed recommendations in this report. The OECD team expresses its gratitude to Kerstin Holland (Director of International Cooperation at the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund, Eesti Töötukassa) and Isabelle Ibanez (Director of the International Cooperation Department, France Travail) and their respective teams for hosting the delegation from Poland, and Monika Natter (ÖSB Consulting) for her support in planning the study visits.
The OECD would also like to thank the LEED Delegates from Finland and Luxembourg for their comments on the draft report.