Fostering monitoring and evaluation: an interview with ETF's Abdelaziz Jaouani

One of the ETF’s greatest strengths has always been the diversity of its staff. But even within the context of such a broad church, Aziz Jaouani’s background stands out. With educational credentials that take in a degree in physics, a masters in nuclear physics, a diploma in engineering from the Lyon school of textiles and clothing, and another diploma in business management, Aziz would not appear predestined for his role as the ETF’s Senior Human Capital Development Expert specialising in Lifelong Learning Policies. “None of that fits with what I’m doing now,” he smiles, “and yet the common thread is technical and vocational education and training (TVET). TVET has been the constant factor in all the different sectors I’ve worked in.”

Diverse heritage

Moroccan by birth, Aziz began his career in industry. Previously a teacher, pedagogical director,  VET school director, manager of Morocco’s only school of textile engineering, and then director of the management unit of MEDA 2 (the biggest EU human resources programme in Morocco: 75 M€), Aziz also ran his own textile company in between. It was a chance encounter that started him off down his current path.

“One day I was talking to someone from the ETF, who was over in Morocco supporting us in our activities,” he explains. “He said: you’ve got just the right profile to work with us, and the ETF journey started like that. I like to say that I’m a Moroccan with Italian citizenship, a French education, and European values.”

Building a new era in VET governance and fostering Monitoring and Evaluation

After joining the ETF in 2007, Aziz started working in entrepreneurial learning. Soon he was appointed leader of the team managing the GEMM project: a large-scale initiative to map VET governance systems in countries of the southern and eastern Mediterranean, to identify good practice and areas for improvement. “We initiated the idea of Public-Private Partnerships in VET, multi-stakeholders and participatory governance, among other things,” he explains. “I’m very proud of that project, it really helped our partner countries. When GEMM finished in 2015, I became the ETF’s team leader for the Torino Process, and then senior expert working on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) and EU Support services." Aziz also occupied the post of Acting Head of Analysis and Coordination Unit between June and December 2020.

A flagship project

Despite his diverse responsibilities and experience within the ETF, the Torino Process is something that retains a special place in Aziz's heart. Launched in 2010, the Process is a participatory and evidence-based analysis of VET policies in a given country. Every two years, the ETF invites its partner countries to analyse progress in their VET policies and systems. Its added value lies in the fact that it embeds VET within the socioeconomic context. In addition, the Torino Process informs the ETF’s recommendations to the EU’s external assistance instruments and serves as a basis in designing the ETF’s support strategies for partner countries.

“It’s the ETF’s flagship project,” says Abdelaziz. “It’s the only global comparative report on VET that exists in our partner countries, and almost all the donor organisations use it before starting any project. The Torino Process has been and remains the flagship product and main brand of the ETF.”

Jewel in the crown

For all of these reasons, Aziz thinks the Torino Process is a precious resource that need to be protected. “More than any other, it's the process which links the ETF interactively with all its partner countries,” he explains. “Our great strength is our knowledge of those countries, and most of that knowledge comes from the Torino Process. So the Torino Process is vital. If it stopped, interactive contact with our partners would reduce dramatically, and that knowledge would dry up.”

Focus on the EU neighbourhood

At a time when the ETF is being encouraged to take on a more global role, Aziz believes it is also crucial to retain a focus on the EU neighbourhood countries that constitute the core of the organisation’s mandate. That belief underlies his current role in the Torino Process. While the mandatory Level 1 monitors general progress in VET and lifelong learning, Level 2 investigates specific thematic areas requested by the country in question.

“It’s the only ETF project in which we ask the country to select any thematic area of interest to them,” he explains. “We then go there and conduct a field visit involving all the relevant partners and stakeholders, to establish what we are going to do.”

After assessing the factors at play in the chosen area, the existing policies in place, and any eventual gaps between the two, the ETF team makes policy recommendations whose possibilities of implementation are then discussed with the local actors – “the most important part of the process” according to Aziz. “Level 2 is more interactive,” he says, “it’s what keeps us in contact with the local policy-makers and practitioners.”

Staying in touch

Aziz believes that the ETF's close, dynamic relationships with partner countries are among its greatest assets. In addition to conducting studies and research, he emphasises the importance of maintaining these connections through small, concrete projects that address real needs. “These initiatives allow us to keep in touch with our partners and provide valuable, practical support," he says. “They appreciate our presence and expertise. These ongoing, hands-on projects help us to strengthen the bonds that we have built together over the years.”