OECD Skills Strategy Bulgaria

Annex A. Engagement

The Bulgaria Skills Strategy project involved ongoing oversight and input from an inter-ministerial team (made up of the Project Steering Committee and the National Project Team). The Project Steering Committee and the National Project Team were co-ordinated by the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) of the Republic of Bulgaria and composed of representatives from various ministries, agencies and social partner organisations, as outlined in Table A A.1 and Table A A.2 below.

Table A A.1. Project Steering Committee

Name	Organisation
Maria Gaidarova	Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education and Science (MES)
Vanya Stoyneva	Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education and Science (MES)
Ivan Krastev	Deputy Minister, Ministry of Labour and Social Policy (MLSP)
Karina Angelieva	Deputy Minister, Ministry of Innovation and Growth (MIG)
Rossitsa Steliyanova	Programs and Projects Manager, Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association (BICA)
Dobri Mitrev	Chair of the Managing Board, Bulgarian Industrial Association
Julian Petrov	Chair of “Education” trade union, Confederation of Labour “Podkrepa”
Vaska Baklarova	Secretary General (incumbent), Union for Private Economic Enterprise
Yassen Tsvetkov	Industrial Policy Advisor (alternate), Union for Private Economic Enterprise

Table A A.2. National Project Team

Name	Organisation
Vania Tividosheva	Director, MES “Vocational Education and Training” Directorate
Polina Zlatarska	Chief expert, MES “Vocational Education and Training” Directorate
Krassimira Todorova	Chief expert, MES “International Cooperation” Directorate
Nikolay Karamihov	Chief expert, MES “Policies for Strategic Development, Qualification, and Career Development” Directorate
Kliment Hristov	Chief expert, MES “Policies for Strategic Development, Qualification, and Career Development” Directorate
Iskra Yoshovska	Chief expert (incumbent), MES “Higher Education” Directorate
Maya Slavova	Chief expert (alternate), MES “Higher Education” Directorate
Aneliya Rusakova	Chief expert (incumbent), MES “Content of the Pre-School and School Education” Directorate
Elena Tarnichkova	State expert (alternate), MES “Content of the Pre-School and School Education” Directorate
Dimitar Enchev	Chief expert (incumbent), MES “Finance” Directorate
Boriana Tsvetkova	Senior expert (incumbent), MES “Finance” Directorate
Maria Todorova	Director, MIG "Policies and Analyses" Directorate
Zhecho Zhechev	Chief expert, Ministry of Economy and Industry “Economic Policy“ Directorate
Desislava Dimitrova	Unit “Recruitment, Assessment, and Career Development”, Ministry of Finance “Human Resources and Administrative Services“ Directorate
Iskra Petrova	Chief expert, MLSP “Labour market Policy and Labour Mobility“ Directorate
Alexandra Mircheva	Project Manager (incumbent), Education Bulgaria 2030” Association (NGO)
Velizara Georgieva	Projects Assistant (alternate), “Education Bulgaria 2030” Association (NGO)

OECD consultations in Bulgaria

The OECD held one virtual consultation and two rounds of in-person consultations with officials and stakeholders in Bulgaria between February and June 2022. A broad range of actors participated in these consultations, including ministries, government agencies, subnational authorities, education and training institutions, businesses and business associations, unions and community associations, academia, civil society and other organisations. The consultations included a virtual seminar, interactive workshops, thematic expert meetings and bilateral meetings. Staff of ministries and organisations in the national project team acted as moderators and note-takers during the in-person workshops in April and June 2022.

Consultation 1: Skills Strategy Seminar

During the first virtual consultations on 17 February 2022, members of the OECD team held a seminar to formally commence the project with the Project Steering Committee and National Project Team. The Seminar was attended by various ministries and organisations (Table A A.3).

During the seminar, remarks were shared by Deputy Minister Maria Gaidarova (MES) and Deputy Minister Vanya Stoyneva (MES).

Table A A.3. Skills Strategy Seminar, 17 February 2022

Organisation
Ministry of Education and Science (MES)
Ministry of Labour and Social Policy (MLSP)
Ministry of Innovation and Growth (MIG)
Ministry of Economy and Industry (MEI)
Ministry of Finance
Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association (BICA)
Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA)
Union for Private Economic Enterprise
“Education Bulgaria 2030” Association (NGO)

Consultation 2: Assessment consultations

During the second consultations, held in person in Bulgaria from 11 to 13 April 2022, members of the OECD team:

1. held a meeting with the NPT to prepare for the workshop

2. held a stakeholder assessment workshop to build broad cross-sectoral buy-in to improve Bulgaria’s skills system, facilitate networking, and gather stakeholders’ views

3. held four experts’ discussions, one on each priority for the project, for the OECD to gather experts’ views on Bulgaria’s main challenges and opportunities to enrich the report.

Representatives of several ministries and offices, social partners, NGOs, education and training providers, and other stakeholders attended the assessment consultations (Table A A.4).

Table A A.4. Organisations participating in the assessment consultations, 11 to 13 April 2022

Organisations
Ministries and agencies
Ministry of Education and Science (MES)
Ministry of Labour and Social Policy (MLSP)
Ministry of Innovation and Growth (MIG)
Ministry of Economy and Industry (MEI)
Ministry of Finance
National Agency for Vocational Education and Training (NAVET)
National Employment Agency (NEA)
National Statistical Institute
Stakeholders
AdvantageAustria - Austrian Chamber of Commerce
Assen Jordanoff Private Vocational College of Air Transport
Association of Industrial Capital in Bulgaria
Balkan Institute for Labour and Social Policy
Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Bulgarian Construction Chamber
Bulgarian Industrial Association
Business Foundation for Education
Centre for Inclusive Education
Confederation of Independent Syndicates in Bulgaria
Education Bulgaria 2030 Association
Human Resources Development Centre
Institute for Research in Education
Junior Achievement Bulgaria
National Trade and Baking High School
Plovdiv University "Paisiy Hilendarski"
Programme Education Executive Agency
Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"
State Enterprise Bulgarian - German Vocational Training Centres
Telelink
Telerik Academy School
Together in Class Foundation
The Union for Private Economic Enterprise
University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy

Consultation 3: Recommendations consultations

During the third consultations, held in person in Bulgaria from 20 to 23 June 2022, members of the OECD team:

1. held bilateral meetings with various ministries and organisations on the national project team

2. held a meeting with the NPT to prepare for the workshop

3. held a stakeholder recommendations workshop to test draft recommendations and discuss their feasibility and implementation

4. held 4 experts’ discussions, one on each priority for the project, for the OECD to test draft recommendations with experts

Representatives of several ministries, offices and stakeholder groups attended the recommendations consultations (Table A A.5).

Table A A.5. Organisations participating in the recommendations consultations, 20 to 23 June 2022

Organisations
Ministries and agencies
Ministry of Education and Science (MES)
Ministry of Labour and Social Policy (MLSP)
Ministry of Innovation and Growth (MIG)
Ministry of Economy and Industry (MEI)
Ministry of Finance
Council of Ministers, National Co-ordination Unit
National Agency for Vocational Education and Training (NAVET)
National Employment Agency (NEA)
National Statistical Institute
Stakeholders
AdvantageAustria - Austrian Chamber of Commerce
Assen Jordanoff Private Vocational College of Air Transport
Association of Industrial Capital in Bulgaria
Balkan Institute for Labour and Social Policy
Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Bulgarian Construction Chamber
Bulgarian Industrial Association
Bulgarian Network of the UN Global Compact
Bulgarian-Swiss Chamber of Commerce
Business Foundation for Education
Centre for Inclusive Education
Confederation of Independent Syndicates in Bulgaria
Education Bulgaria 2030 Association
Human Resources Development Centre
Institute for Research in Education
Junior Achievement Bulgaria
National Trade and Baking High School
Plovdiv University "Paisiy Hilendarski"
Programme Education Executive Agency
Regional Department of Education - Sofia
Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"
State Enterprise Bulgarian - German Vocational Training Centres
Telelink
Telerik Academy School
Together in Class Foundation
The Union for Private Economic Enterprise
University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy