Deliverable D2.1 presents a comparative analysis of ten in-depth case studies across five countries, examining skills strategies and ALMPs in different national contexts.
Developed under WP2, it applies a shared methodology combining desk research and stakeholder input. It supports Tasks 2.1–2.3 and informs Task 2.4, providing a strong analytical basis for the Communities of Practice and future policy development.
Why it matters
This deliverable provides the evidence base for understanding what works in skills matching and ALMPs, supporting the development of more effective, data-informed policies and contributing to the design of AI-supported tools within the project.
Key information
Objectives
- Provide a comparative overview of ten case studies on skills strategies and ALMPs
- Identify effective practices and transferable lessons across countries
- Analyse how policies operate under different contextual conditions (CMO approach)
- Highlight key mechanisms and factors influencing policy effectiveness
- Support knowledge exchange within the Communities of Practice
- Contribute to the development of a shared analytical basis for the project
Target audience
- EU, national and regional policymakers
- Researchers and analysts working on labour market and skills policy
- Stakeholders involved in skills ecosystems (including social partners and labour market institutions)
End users
- Experts and evaluators in the labour market policy field
- ALMPs designers and decision-makers
- Local and sectoral actors engaged in skills development and labour market integration
- EU-ALMPO project partners involved in the Communities of Practice (Task 2.4)
Keywords →
Policy
ALMPs | Skills strategies | Target groups
Analysis
Skills matching | Skills ecosystems | Comparative analysis | CMO
Impact
Policy effectiveness | Governance | Labour market integration
Deliverable D.2.1 presents a comparative analysis of ten in-depth case studies developed within Work Package 2 (WP2) of the EU-ALMPO project, covering Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland and Spain, with two cases per country. These case studies were produced by five project partners, each responsible for two national cases, and are included as annexed documents forming the core empirical basis of the report.
The cases examined include: the Alliance for Initial and Further Training and the ReDI School of Digital Integration (Germany, TIG); the Elefsina Pilot and the Mechanism of Labour Market Diagnosis (Greece, HAEA); the GOL Programme and the ReMAP – Metropolitan Network for Lifelong Learning (Italy, IRS); the Human Capital Balance/Sectoral Human Capital Balance and the Sectoral Skills Councils (Poland, GUT); and the COE Network and Barcelona Activa – Cibernàrium (Spain, Domspain).
All case studies were developed using a shared methodology that combines desk research with semi-structured stakeholder interviews, supported by a realist-informed analytical approach. Each partner formulated Initial Programme Theories (IPTs) to explain how the interventions are expected to operate within their specific contexts; these were subsequently refined through evidence collection and stakeholder engagement. This approach ensured both cross-country comparability and sensitivity to contextual specificities. Subsequently, 37 CMO configurations were identified by IRS across the ten cases and are fully listed in the report appendix.
The report is organised into five analytical chapters. It opens with an overview of the ten policy measures, followed by an examination of four recurring contextual dimensions: governing complexity and fragmentation; institutional capacity and system development; data and information systems; and structural labour market pressures and access barriers. The analysis then turns to the identification of mechanisms operating at two levels: system-level mechanisms (including strategic inter-institutional coordination and the institutionalisation of evidence and skills intelligence) and actor-level mechanisms (such as staff professionalisation, behavioural change through relational recognition and person-centred engagement, and strategic incentives for motivation and behavioural alignment). The outcomes chapter highlights four recurring results across the cases: strengthened coordination and governance coherence; improved alignment between training provision and labour market needs; increased legitimacy and political salience of skills policies and ALMPs; and enhanced employability and social inclusion among target groups. A final chapter synthesises the main lessons learned, identifying both enabling and hindering factors influencing policy effectiveness.
The deliverable is directly linked to Task 2.1 (national skills ecosystem mapping); Task 2.2 (Identification of existing and emerging good practices) and Task 2.3 (selection and preparation of case studies) within WP2, and it also feeds into Task 2.4, providing an analytical background for the Communities of Practice discussing the case studies.
Overall, the report provides a structured comparative perspective on how skills and labour market policies operate across different governance settings, contributing to a deeper understanding of effective approaches to skills matching and ALMPs.