As subcontractor to the Sociological Research Institute Göttingen (SOFI) Zoom e.V. and two other organisations evaluate the implementation of the pilot project “Internal, integral support for work integration” by the Federal Employment Agency.

In the context of this pilot project three job centres in different cities are trying out a new approach of counselling and assistance of unemployed people with severe diffi-culties finding a job. As part of this approach standardised guidelines on how to deal with this target group that are in place in all other job centres are suspended. This means that job centre staff have no time limit when counselling an individual client and also have to advice fewer clients overall than staff in other job centres.

Further-more are staff in the three model job centres obliged to offer certain services  them-selves which are normally outsourced.

The Federal Employment Agency has commissioned the Sociological Research Insti-tute Göttingen (SOFI) with the implementation of the nineteen-month-long research project. Zoom e.V. is a subcontractor. The field work is carried out by three teams, one consists of Sandra Kotlenga and Nils Pagels from Zoom e.V.

The project runs until May 2010.