Authors: Emilie Descheemaecker, Philippe Buffe de Mornas and Marion Leclerc

Campus for Vocational Education and Training specialized in Maritime economy – University of Toulon (France)

When embarking on the project “LeaderSHIP 4 Skills”, the team from the Center for Vocational Education and Training hosted by the University of Toulon chose to implement a tailored approach to quality and risk management (Q&R management).

“LeaderSHIP 4 Skills” brings together 19 partners across 8 European countries over the course of 4 academic years, working on the evolution of the training offer in the shipbuilding and maritime sectors. A project of this scale clearly requires a unique, flexible and responsive Q&R management system.

Our approach is based on the core principle that quality and risk management is an essential part of the project coordination. It contributes directly to the delivery of activities and results that support the project’s overall objectives. The Q&R management system thus serves as a toolbox made available to the partners, enabling them to guide decisions and actions in a structured and informed manner.

As in any context, the quality manager’s top priority is to foster engagement and active participation in the Q&R system. To achieve this, we focus on building meaningful bridges between theoretical frameworks and their practical application within the project.

The best way to engage partners is to constantly demonstrate and apply best practices as much as possible in the implantation of the Q&R management system. Each presentation is carefully crafted with this central question in mind: How can we present this topic in a way that highlights the current challenges or progress without losing the audience’s attention?

When we invite our partners to engage with specific quality-related subjects, such as processes design or KPIs (key performance indicators), we begin by clearly explaining the concepts and illustrating how they contribute to optimizing the overall project execution. European quality standards are put in their proper context, integrated meaningfully within the broader system, and used to support the elaboration of an effective training offer.

Moreover, the role of the quality manager provides a comprehensive perspective on the project. It is thus our responsibility to bring clarity to our partners, by offering well-structured analyses of the data collected through the Q&R management system and translating those insights into actionable recommendations for continuous improvement.

This practical approach to quality and risk management has been well received by our partners. As a result, we collectively agreed to turn this experience into a dedicated training module to the benefit of the shipbuilding sector.

As a conclusion, throughout the “LeaderSHIP 4 Skills” project, our commitment to a pragmatic and engaging approach to quality and risk management has proven both effective and appreciated. By prioritizing clarity, participation, and practical relevance, we have succeeded in embedding Q&R practices into the project’s daily operations, rather than treating them as abstract obligations. While challenges remain, the collaboration and momentum established so far provide a strong platform for the work still to come.