ACCEDES works starting from a participative working methodology and under cultural ideologies that emphasise the importance of using participants’ experiences, expectations and concerns as a starting point.  Participation is determined by fair and pluralistic involvement of the institutions and organisations in the activities presented. Participation makes it possible for the project to be enriched by the experiences of similar projects that have already been started up in different partner and co-operating countries such as Spain, Cuba, Bolivia, Paraguay and Italy.

Although the project encompasses almost all Latin American countries, our goals do not include the generalisation of a model or its institutional application. The focal point can be found in the common meanings that are shared by all participants and having sufficient methodological flexibility to adapt to the diversity of different national scenarios and contexts. The outlined techniques, methods and strategies should be employed to systematise common plans that will lead to an emerging construction of the different proposals made during the project phase.

A working system during the replication stage will ensure the project’s coverage and presence in practically all Latin American countries, by using the twin methodology. Each institution associated with the project will connect to another institution in one of the countries without direct representation, thus having partner countries that are twinned or partners with another country, both in the design phases (data collection, repository, etc.) and in the replication phase, becoming active nodes for the phase of creating work-experience networks.

The differentiation between applicant institutions, partner institutions and co-operating institutions suggested in the summons for ALFA III, distinguishes the roles and responsibilities of each of the institutions involved, as the participative approach does not advise a highly hierarchical operating model, although areas of decision-making and responsibility are established: technique, leadership and financing.

Project development identifies four key times, which are: 1) entry into the scenario, data collection and analysis; 2) drafting the ACCEDES intervention model to facilitate academic access, continuance and performance in LA countries; 3) theoretical validation (by experts) and practical validation (via pilot tests) of the ACCEDES model; and 4) replication of the ACCEDES model at co-operating HEIs and creation of a work-experience community in this area.

The working outline also considers it essential for the entire process to have monitoring mechanisms that let errors be detected and necessary changes introduced (the section on project sustainability details contingency actions for foreseeable mistakes and difficulties). Likewise, product generation is also stressed, as proof of effective and communicable work.