Methodology and tools

This paper considers the description of the methodological approach and the tools designed for the Fair Project. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches have been included in the methodological and theoretical framework. The following tools have been designed for the research: an in-depth interview addressed to the organization's manager; a Competences Portfolio whose aim has been that of supporting the analysis and reconstruction of competences developed by people employed in the Fair Trade organizations; a participating observation grid; a semi-structured interview to former volunteers of the FTOs. The on-the-field methodology has been adopted enabling to use the competences portfolio as a data gathering instrument, useful for the reconstruction of the teaching path, training and work experience aimed at identifying the competences' components in the surveyed learning processes. The competences portfolio was carried out in various phases in order to stress the issues under observation.