Erik Schäffer

since 2010	Managing Director of the Institute for Social Research, Consultancy and Organisational Development (iSPO), Saarbrücken
since 2008	Research assistant at the Institute for Social Research, Practice Consulting and Organizational Development (iSPO), Saarbrücken
2004 – 2008	Freelance activity as a self-employed educational consultant
2003	Freelance work for the Center for Evaluation (CEval) at Saarland University
2000 – 2002	Research assistant at the Center for Evaluation (CEval) at Saarland University
1999	Research assistant at the chair of Prof. Strittmatter at Saarland University

Key activities

Development and implementation of impact-oriented monitoring and evaluation systems, planning, design and implementation of evaluations, consulting on methodological questions of recording and documenting impacts (especially in the area of social services), strategic (impact-oriented) planning and concept development.

Sectoral experience: e.g. child and youth welfare, care for the elderly, vocational integration of disadvantaged young people,  ex-prisoners, migrants, school education, informal/non-formal education, vocational training, school social work, health, municipal social planning and integrated urban (district) planning), development cooperation.

Current projects

• Evaluation of a quality development process “Supporting quality development in practice: Communal Quality Dialogues Early Supports” (Municipalities in Germany receive technical support from the National Centre for Early Intervention (NZFH, under the auspices of the Federal Centre for Health Education – BZgA), (2018 – 2021).
• Development of a “Campaign plan for the implementation of the UN Disability Rights Convention in all urban structures of the state capital Saarbrücken”(2019 -2020).
• Evaluation of the funding line “Weltwärts – extracurricular encounter projects in the context of Agenda 2030” on behalf of Engagement Global gGmbH (2019 – 2020).
• Elaboration of the “5th Children and Youth Report of the Saarland on behalf of the Saarland state government” (2018 – 2020)
• Evaluation of the exemplary further development of the “Zentren plus” (institutions for open senior citizens’ work in 19 Düsseldorf urban areas) on behalf of the state capital Düsseldorf (2019 – 2021).
• Update and further development of the integration concept of the City of Völklingen (2018 – 2020).
• Evaluation consulting and expert monitoring of the preventive youth welfare project “Open space for prevention” on behalf of the Paritätische Gesellschaft für Gemeinwesenarbeit (Parity Society for Community Work), the Diakonisches Werk an der Saar and the Caritasverband für Saarbrücken und Umgebung e.V. (since 2007).
• Monitoring and evaluation of the project KIBIZ (Child Education Centre in Saarbrücken-Malstatt) “Good Education for All – Education Offensive of the Child Education Centre in the District and School” (since 2012).
• Scientific support and implementation of an impact-oriented monitoring of the “Action Programme for the Integration of Disadvantaged Young People in the Transition from School to Training to Work” in the district of Saarlouis (since the beginning of the programme in 2005).

Selected completed projects

• Development and implementation of an impact-oriented reporting system for the Youth Employment Agency Freiburg “Rail 25” (2017-2020).
• Evaluation of the work and activities of the Service Agency for Foundations and Philanthropy and its extended contact structure, the DC Scouts for Foundations and development of a monitoring concept on behalf of Engagement Global – Service for Development Initiatives gGmbH gGmbH (2019)
• Design and implementation of a company-wide, impact-oriented monitoring and evaluation system for Engagement Global gGmbH (joint assignment with CEval GmbH) (2014-2017)
• Evaluation and implementation of an impact-oriented monitoring and evaluation system for the “Youth Career Agency Saarbrücken” founded in 2014 under the auspices of the Regional Association Saarbrücken (Job Centre and Youth Welfare Office), the Employment Agency, the Centre for Education and Career Saar gGmbH and the Diakonisches Werk an der Saar (2014 – 2017).
• Scientific support, development and implementation of a monitoring and evaluation system for the “State Programme for the Promotion of Cooperation between Youth Welfare and Schools – ‘Schoolworker'” on behalf of the Saarland Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Women and Family (2004 – 2017).
• Support and advice on the implementation of social space analyses in various communities in Saarland on behalf of the Arbeiterwohlfahrt Landesverband Saarland e.V.
• Evaluation of the instrument “Landesansprechpersonen” (LAP) of the development policy volunteer service weltwärts on behalf of Engagement Global gGmbH (2015 – 2016)
• Evaluation of the “Runway 25” project of the Saarlouis Job Centre (2013 – 2014).
• Scientific monitoring and evaluation of the pilot project “SOJUS – Social-space-oriented Youth Service in Saarbrücken” (2011 – 2012).
• Evaluation of the project “SoKoS – Social Competence for the Reintegration of Prisoners” on behalf of the Saarland Ministry of Justice, Labour, Health and Social Affairs and in cooperation with bfw Rheinland-Pfalz/Saar. The project will run for three years (beginning of 2009) and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection and the European Social Fund within the framework of the ESF federal programme “XENOS – Integration and Diversity”.
• Evaluation of the project “Intercultural competence workshop” (project duration 2009 – 2011) on behalf of the Diakonisches Werk an der Saar gGmbH. The project is funded by the BMAS and the European Social Fund within the framework of the ESF federal programme “XENOS – Integration and Diversity”.
• Evaluation of EU Twinning projects on behalf of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) (2002)
• Evaluation of the state support programme “Education now” on behalf of the Saarland Ministry of Economics (2000)