Setting up a System of Benchmarking to Measure the Success of Integration Policies in Europe

Abstract

Thomas Huddleston, Policy Analyst with the Migration Policy Group (Brussels), presented the study for the European Parliament co-authored with Dr. Jan Niessen, Setting up a system of bench­ marking to measure the success of integration policies in Europe. Huddleston discussed the process of developing methodologies for benchmarking in integration, particularly as concerns policy im­ provement. Huddleston drew on the British Council and the Migration Policy Group's Migrant In­ tegration Policy Index as a model of a benchmarking community (see wvvw. integrationindex.eu). Benchmarking serves as a strategic management tool to systematically and continuously im­ prove methods, standards and the quality of goods and services. Benchmarking should become a key tool for all levels of governance and civil society stakeholders to form benchmarking com­ munities together, identify strong integration policies and learn from and with each other. Given sufficient resources, benchmarking communities can strive for superior levels of excellence in the formation and implementation of policies and practices, which set the conditions for successful integration. Benchmarking breaks down into four basic stages: planning, mapping, analysis and imple­ mentation. The key elements include the identification of key areas of improvement, setting stan­ dards, the search for and study of good practice that best meet those standards and the adapta­ tion of lessons teamed from best practices to meet and exceed these standards.