The Financial Services Sector (FSS) is one of the key areas in the EU economy and society. Within the EU Luxembourg is particularly affected being Europe’s key financial marketplace. FSS institutes need to adapt in response to a changing global environment; this takes management to invest also in training, being human resources one of the main assets for sustained competitive advantage. QUA.LOBSTER adapts and transfers the benchmarking system developed in the Leonardo da Vinci Network ‘LOBSTER’ (Learning Organisation in the Banking Sector in Europe).

This will represent a useful tool for FSS organisations to assess their development stage towards the Learning Organisation model and to devise strategic actions to become a Learning Organisation. In this context QUA.LOBSTER wants to adapt and transfer the LOBSTER benchmarking system. This will set the conditions for its extensive use as a support tool for FSS organisations in assessing their own development stage towards the Learning Organisation model, and in devising appropriate strategies and actions to increase effectiveness and become a Learning Organisation. In doing so, QUA.LOBSTER embeds a Quality Assurance approach in the benchmarking system, with expected benefits in terms of quality of the training provision and of human resources active role within FSS organisations. This will improve diversity management by fostering organisational learning.

The project addresses, as primary target groups, Trainers, Human Resources Specialists, professional working for the promotion of the Learning Organisation in Human Resources Development, Organisational Development and Organisation Departments, in the Banking and Financial Services Sector. This holds particularly true in the countries addressed by the transfer of innovation (Luxembourg and Slovenia). In addition, the project also addresses the needs of employees who will benefit from the improved training provisions due to the application of quality management tools and taking into account the results of the benchmarking exercise.

QUA.LOBSTER’s objectives are: to apply the benchmarking approach to the FSS; to improve diversity management using a tool based on Learning Organisation and Quality Assurance criteria with piloting in Luxembourg and Slovenia; to offer a validated benchmarking approach the FSS so to increase quality of training services; to create a Europeanwide laboratory for innovation as a virtual community of practice; to apply the European Common Quality Assurance Framework and management tools to improve Lifelong Learning processes of FSS employees. The partnership, led by the EBTN, has the capacity to carry out and valorise this project by activating the EUwide sectoral network, as regards the professional sector as well as the broad community of research organisations exploring the evolutionary trends of the Lifelong Learning paradigm and of the Quality Assurance concepts and practices.

QUA.LOBSTER is expected to generate impact in terms of: enhanced selfreflection capacity on organisational practices concerning learning, training, diversity management and intercultural management; better understanding of quality implications of learning and training provisions at organisational level. In the mediumterm, the proposed benchmarking system and the embedded Quality Assurance perspective should also improve the capacity of individuals to identify learning opportunities and to make the most out of them so to enhance organisational performance.