The ESLTI project has reached an important milestone with the completion of the Competence Profile for Leadership Teams. This is one of the first key outputs of the project and will serve as a basis for the next stages of work, including the development of the School Team Leadership Guide for Sustainable Innovations and the training programme for school leadership teams.
The profile was developed through research carried out in Bulgaria, Slovenia, and Spain. It brings together findings from an online survey, focus groups with school leadership teams, and interviews with experienced innovators. The process involved school leaders and education professionals from different school contexts and leadership roles across the three partner countries.
The work started from a simple but important question: what helps innovation stay alive in schools after the first enthusiasm, the first project cycle, or the end of external support? The findings point in a clear direction. Innovation lasts when it responds to real school needs, becomes part of everyday practice, is shared by more than one person, and continues to develop over time.
The competence profile reflects this reality. It does not treat innovation as a one-off initiative or as technology alone. Instead, it focuses on the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that help leadership teams guide relevant change and make it part of the life of the school. The profile is designed around seven competence areas: innovation focus, adaptive learning, innovation capacity building, psychological safety, continuity assurance, community trust, and future readiness.
This output is especially relevant for school principals, deputy heads, senior teachers, and other members of school leadership teams who are expected to lead change in increasingly complex conditions. It responds to a clear need for more practical support in managing innovation, working with teams, building trust, and responding to developments such as digital transformation, AI, inclusion, and wellbeing.
The competence profile is now freely available in the Resources section of the ESLTI website and can be accessed by anyone interested in sustainable innovation in schools.
Its publication also comes at the right moment, as project partners are preparing for the upcoming Training of Trainers in Málaga on 22-23 April 2026. The training will build on this profile and help prepare the trainers who will later work with school leadership teams in the partner countries.