with managerial responsibilities.
They must be working in hospitals and healthcare facilities, adequately experienced in their profession with a minimum of three years of experience and having proficiency in the language that is accepted by the host country.
The HOPE Exchange Programme is not a medical or technical programme. It is a multi professional programme. It is aimed at professions and professionals who are directly or indirectly involved in the management of European health care services and hospitals.
Participation of candidates and host organisations is organized through the distribution of information (application forms, timetable, information sheets…) by national co-ordinators and depends on the willingness of the employing authority to grant special leave with pay to the candidates going abroad. Host organisations are requested to provide free accommodation as well as meals at a reasonable price.
The application forms from candidates and host organisations are then sent to HOPE, that then assigns – together with the national co-ordinators and within the scope of the offer of host organisations – the candidates to the most appropriate host organisations. Efforts are made to facilitate the wishes of professionals in regard to the type of candidate a host organisation wants to host, but the final decision rests with HOPE.
Once the attachment is decided by HOPE, the professional has to contact his host organisation in order to arrange accommodation facilities and to discuss the individual exchange programme.
The emphasis of the programme is practical rather than academic and should also take into account the professional’s specific motivation for joining the programme as well as the agreed theme for the year.
It has been followed, since 1988, by an evaluation meeting and since 1992 also by a seminar in June, to which all professionals of the HOPE Exchange Programme are invited. Each year these meetings are organized in a different country by its national delegation of HOPE. During the evaluation meeting each professional is requested to contribute to a national presentation of his/her experiences abroad.
The host organisations must send in an outline of the individual exchange programme of the professional before the training starts.
A final report has to be drawn up at the end of the training by both the participant and the host organisation. Having completed their training the professionals receive a certificate for having participated in a European Exchange Programme.
The national co-ordinator is also responsible for the organisation of a social programme for professionals coming to the country.
This allows them to exchange ideas and experiences with other candidates in the host country. In addition, hosts will be asked to consider a social programme for their visitors recognising that some will be more independent than others.