WP1 – Analysis of key issues of traffic safety needed to be managed in Western Balkan region
Identification of key issues of traffic safety needed to be managed in WB and assessment of all risk management aspects in traffic will be done in WP1. The result of this WP will be report on condition in traffic safety, as well as the identification of key issues of traffic safety in WB.
Three-day workshop on curricula best practices in EU countries will be held at UM, where the most suitable programmes (or their parts) for application in WB countries will be identified, their principles and models will be discussed for possible incorporation in future undergraduate or master curricula in WB partner institutions. To the academic staff from the WB Universities will be presented all aspects of the EU partners’ institutions educational system, learning methods, courses, and specific competencies and learning outcomes, with special focus on field of traffic safety.
The general overview of existing successful models of education in the field of traffic safety of EU HEIs will represent the basic guidelines for the definition and development of the modernized undergraduate/master curricula in WB countries.
WP2 – Improvement and development of undergraduate/master curricula
The modernized/new undergraduate/master curricula will define precisely the teachers’ competencies, learning outcomes, course content and syllabi. It will ensure the viability and applicability in the period after the completion of the project. Within WP2 the WB teacher staff will be trained in EU countries for implementation of innovative teaching methods. Each of the WB HEIs will define the local working group which will be responsible for designing new undergraduate/master curriculum. Working groups will be under the supervision and control of the Project Management Committee. All preliminary reports and defined curricula will be prepared and analyzed on the meetings and their short descriptions will be presented to the Steering Committee for the final review and approval.
Preliminary list of new courses with in total 30 ECTS at each level, would include (but not limited to) the following: – Road safety management (5-7 ECTS) – Human factor and road safety(5-7 ECTS) – Road infrastructure and safety tools(5-7 ECTS) – In-vehicle devices for traffic safety(5-7 ECTS) – Inteligent traffic systems(5-7 ECTS) – Traffic information systems(5-7 ECTS) – Regulation of traffic flows(5-7 ECTS) – Expertise of traffic accidents(5-7 ECTS) – Database in transport and traffic engineering(5-7 ECTS) – Software simmulation of traffic accidents (5-7 ECTS).
Also, eight new laboratories will be established with an adequate equipment and manuals. The trainings for professionals in traffic safety will be delivered in the centres for lifelong learning at partner universities and the certificate of key skills acquired will be issued in the end of training.
WP2 will be completed by creation of book of courses within each undergraduate/master curriculum in the field of transport and traffic engineering.
WP2 covers the set of the infrastructure required for the implementation of undergraduate/master curricula. The hardware equipment, software and literature will be purchased in order to provide to the students modern study programmes harmonized with EU best practices. The equipment will be installed in the laboratories in the WB HEIs.
WP3 – Development of trainings for traffic safety professionals
The analysis of citizens’ and public sector awareness will be done with the aim to identify the level of knowledge about the traffic safety, in order to prepare effective training programmes for traffic safety professionals.
Within the WP3 the transfer of knowledge and experience in the field of traffic safety for professionals will be conducted by EU to WB partners through the study visits and teachers’ trainings. The results of analysis will serve to decide which specific areas in the field of traffic safety will be covered by training programmes, considering specificity of each WB country. The selected teachers from WB HEIs will prepare programmes of the trainings that will be applicable in each of WB partner countries. Afterwards, each WB HEI selected teachers will conduct at least 2 trainings with participation of representatives of traffic safety professionals (15 participants per training).
WP4 – Implementation of developed undergraduate/master curricula and trainings
In this WP students will enroll to undergraduate/master studies in the field of transport and traffic engineering. The enrolment will be conducted according to the legal WB HEIs procedures with precise definition of the enrolment conditions. The studies will comprise teaching, learning, lab and numerical exercising, evaluation and examinations. During this process students will have opportunity to learn in the newly formed and equipped laboratories. Self-evaluation on the quality of undergraduate/master curricula will be regularly performed.
The number of ECTS for this activity will be harmonized with international recommendations and National accreditation rules.
The educational trainings will be organized for traffic safety professionals with aim to introduce them with the best practices in EU countries and to implement acquired skills in their everyday practices.
Self-evaluation of the trainings’ quality is planned. The participants will be informed by non-accademic partners about the terms and contents of trainings.
The trainings for traffic safety professionals will be delivered in the centers for lifelong learning at universities and the certificates of acquired key skills in traffic safety will be issued after completion of training.
WP5 – Quality assurance and monitoring
The TRAFSAF project quality control monitoring will be performed as follows:
1) Internal quality assessment will include peer reviews performed by the QAC consisting of members from following partner HEIs: UPM, UM, LUT, OU and UPKM. Reports on the project quality progress will be delivered by all project participants, twice a year.
2) External quality assessment will be enabled through continuous presentation of the project activities and deliverables on the project website, as well as their publishing in public media (newspapers, journals, electronic media etc.). Annual Project Progress Reports will be prepared by the QAC and presented to Erasmus+ national offices on regular monitoring meetings. According to the internal and external monitoring and quality control, the QAC (if necessary) will take measures to improve the quality of the project realization. Quality control and monitoring results will be available in the Annual Project Progress Reports. The external monitoring and peer reviews, as well as the annual project reports, will be available on the project website.
3) Inter-project coaching will be implemented i.e. Consortium Universities will contact the members of running and/or completed Erasmus+ projects in similar fields in order to use their accumulated expertise and to undertake a peer review. Quality control meetings will be held twice a year with the participation of representatives of all Consortium members. Reports from quality control meetings will be included in the relevant annual Quality reports.
WP6 – Dissemination and Exploitation
Project dissemination will involve institutional, national and international activities. It will be focused on promotion the project and its participants and to raise awareness of the public about the potential benefits of the project results. One of the first tasks in this WP is creation of the project website, which will present all activities related to the project. Special attention will be devoted to the promotion of the project on social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. The awareness campaign will include advertising on TV, radio and newspapers.
Special attention will be paid to promotion ofmodernized/new undergraduate/master curricula in WB HEIs and development of educational trainings for traffic safety professionals. Promotions for WB non-partner HEIs will be organized in order to promote undergraduate/master studies in the field of transport and traffic engineering, including info days. All events will be documented and displayed on the project website.Promotions in HEIs will conduct teachers and students.
In the long term perspective of the TRAFSAF project it is necessary to increase the public and state authorities’ awareness for the significance of the traffic safety management. This goal will be achieved mainly through the distribution of brochures, leaflets and booklets aimed to provide all relevant project information to interested stakeholders, as well as to publish information about TRAFSAF in mass media. In relation with the dissemination, important role will play non-academic partners through many different media channels. Special attention will be paid to promotion of modernized/new undergraduate/master curricula in WB HEIs and development of LLL courses for traffic safety professionals.
The sustainability will be expressed through the following:
1) WB HEIs will continue to implement the developed undergraduate/master curricula. Undergraduate/master studies will be financed through budgetary scholarships, sponsored scholarships and private sources (student fees). During the lifespan of the project no scholarships will be charged for enrolled students.
2) Created LLL courses for traffic safety professionals will be offered to all interested stakeholders. The participation fees paid by the interested stakeholders (public services, companies, individuals) will cover costs for the courses, after the project competition.
3) WB HEIs will continue to maintain the formed laboratories and the new teaching environment. Beyond the lifespan of the project, maintenance costs of these laboratories will be covered from budgetary funds and students’ scholarships.
WP7 – Project management
The TRAFSAF project leadership will be ensured by the Legal Representative of the Project Coordinator – UPKM.
The Project Management Committee (PMC) will be established on the kick-off meeting and will lead all project activities and be responsible for theachievement of the project outcomes. UPKM will coordinate PMC activities, with participation of 7 Work Package Leaders. PMC will be responsible for full enforcement of the project activities and it will coordinate day-to-day management with contact persons from consortium members HEIs. In this way it will be possible to achieve appropriate balance between delegation of responsibilities and maintaining overall control of project staff performance.
Also, at the kick-off meeting the Steering Committee will be established which will consist of one representative from each of the EU HEIs, and one representative from each of the WB HEIs. SC will adopt contingency plans and adjustment mechanisms for the project activities. SC will be one hierarchical level above the PMC. At the end of each project year, the Steering Committee will meet to evaluate implemented activities and outputs and make more detailed plan for upcoming period and ensure exploitation and sustainability of project outcomes.
The project coordinator will have the key role in all TRAFSAF activities, and will be responsible for the achievement of the project deliverables. He/She will be responsible for integrated equipment purchasing and monitoring of public procurement procedures. Each Consortium member will be expected to establish its local support group responsible for administration and smooth implementation of actions, project related administration and financial issues, as well as submission of internal reports.
Special attention in project implementation will be given to risk management. Risks will be identified, prioritized, managed and controlled in every phase of the project. Thus, the guidelines on the project management and reporting will be developed.
