Participants need to be defined on the basis of the objective of the operation and how it is targeted. Output indicators should cover persons benefitting directly from the ESF support under the respective investment priority. Therefore, depending on the objective of the operation students or teachers/counsellors might be counted as participants, but this can only be ascertained on a case by case basis:
- Case 1: Operation provides training to career guidance counsellors in order to improve, expand (or create) career guidance services in schools. The service is then open to all students on demand. This is capacity building, individual students are not targeted.
- Counsellors should be counted, students should not.
- Case 2:Operation aims to improve school-to-work transition of students with a migrant background living in a deprived area. Counsellors are trained to deal with the specific barriers faced by this group and there is a target to provide assistance to a particular number or proportion of the affected students in the area and expenditure is allocated accordingly. Students are selected individually on the basis of their disadvantaged situation and expenditure is earmarked accordingly.
- Students should be counted as participants, but not the counsellors as they are not the target group and no results at individual level are expected for them.