Concept Paper for MSEE
Concept Paper for Minimum Standards in Emergency Education:
Education Quality in Times of Crisis
Background
Why Develop Standards for Education in Emergency Situations?
The dramatic rise in the number of education programs in emergency situations is indisputable. From Kosovo to East Timor, Afghanistan to Sierra Leone, an overwhelming number of childrens lives have been protected and restored to normalcy through education programs implemented by a range of leading humanitarian agencies. As the number of such programs continues to rise, however, two issues have come to the forefront.
- a broad-based desire and commitment to ensure a certain level of quality and accountability among education programs serving the most marginalized children in situations of crisis; and
- a recognition that education is part of the mainstream humanitarian debate and must be seen as a priority humanitarian response.
There is growing consensus that defining standards for education programs in emergency situations would address both of these issues. Standards serve as a platform for defining good practice and also provide a powerful advocacy tool both inside humanitarian organizations and externally with governments, donors and populations affected by conflict. It is widely recognized, however, that a few individuals or agencies in isolation cannot define standards for all.
Experts Meeting
In mid-2001, a group of six leading NGOs (CARE, IRC, SAVE UK, SAVE US, NRC, and CRS) started planning a consultation to discuss the feasibility of developing consensual standards for education in emergencies. The Interagency Network on Education in Emergencies (INEE) Secretariat based at UNESCO headquarters in Paris hosted this meeting of experts in March 2002. Thirty-one participants attended, with broad representation from the NGO community as well as representation from key UN agencies. NGOs from Africa, Central Asia, Europe and North America were involved, as were UNHCR, UNICEF, UNESCO and WFP. From this widely disparate group, a broad commitment and support for developing standards clearly emerged as a priority.
The Sphere Project, which defines minimum standards for humanitarian response in emergencies, was presented as one model that might be followed in the design of standards. However, because Sphere has decided not to add additional chapters at this time, other avenues to facilitate standards development were also discussed. The final outcome of the meeting was unequivocal support for developing minimum standards, and the group identified specific areas in which standards could be developed. The meeting planners were then asked to serve as a Transitional Team, prepare an action plan for moving forward the development of standards, and to take the initial steps in designing the collaborative process for hand-over to a Working Group.
Developing Standards
The Process
The process of developing standards must be broad-based and consensual to be effective. It will be a two-year process that will involve a large representative group covering the range of practitioner and academic expertise of all those committed to improving the quality of education programming on the ground during emergencies. Standards will reflect research and good practice in creating quality programs which promote the educational, psychosocial and protection needs of children. Ideas will be developed, debated and agreed upon through the following structure:
The above communication model reflects lessons learned from the Sphere management process and its emphasis on broad, transparent, cost-effective and consultative decision-making.
The Product
The standards will reflect and combine existing international child protection and education legislation as well as practitioner knowledge of sound practices in fieldwork. The standards are envisaged as not only a powerful tool for improving the quality of existing and future programs but also for advocating for education assistance to conflict-affected communities. The minimum standards will be accessible in both paper and electronic form. During and after publication, agencies' commitment to standards will develop through and build on a consensual process focused on discussion and debate, dissemination and implementation.
A number of different vehicles have been put forward for the development and dissemination of the standards, including the creation of an independent inter-agency group, working through INEE, or linking with a number of other networks (e.g. ALNAP, HAP, Sphere).
Key Players
The Focal Point
This individual will be responsible for overall project management. S/he will be a leader and well-respected individual with long-standing and well-recognized experience in the sector. The focal point will be committed to working consensually across diverse groups and understand the benefits of this kind of dynamic. S/he will also be familiar with the multi-sectoral minimum standards movement and identify appropriate platforms for housing and communicating standards upon their completion.
Working Group
The Working Group consists of 13 practitioners who are experts in education programs in situations of crisis. Members were chosen through an application process which stressed diversity of opinion and experience. The Working Group works on a voluntary basis and contributes staff time and travel. The group will work closely with the Focal Point, providing key input and direction. The group is responsible for defining parameters for standards development, such as types of standards and indicators for consideration by the Inter-agency Field Consultations (see below). The Working Group will take the outcome of the March 2002 Experts' Meeting as a point of departure and provide guidance across regions so that coherent standards will be able to emerge. This Group will then work with the Peer Review Group (see below) to synthesize the five field consultation documents into an overarching draft standards document.
- At its first meeting, held in Brussels 30 January - 1 February 2003, the Working Group constituted three small teams to carry out different responsibilities:A drafting team, to begin the process of drafting actual standards
- A consultation team, to plan the Inter-agency Field Consultations planned for later in the year and to co-ordinate the work of the Peer Review Group (see below)
- An operational team, to help manage the whole process for the Working Group, notably recruitment and orientation of the Focal Point, communications and donor relations
Inter-agency Field Consultations
Building on the initial guidance of the Working Group, standards will be developed through a process of five separate Inter-agency Field Consultations covering Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. They may be regional, sub-regional or national in scope. Participants at these meetings will craft standards which reflect their own experience and knowledge of education in emergency and crisis settings. The Inter-agency Field Consultations have been designed to lead to fuller ownership of the standards which emerge across the regions, rather than just an endorsement of standards developed at a central level. With this important step, it is expected that the voices of field staff and the multitude of Southern NGOs working in this field will be fully incorporated into the final standards. This process will enhance understanding of the applicability of standards to varying educational contexts, at the same time ensuring relevance to and promoting ownership across a wider group of stakeholders. Working Group members will advise on the organization of the Inter-agency Field Consultations in collaboration with their field offices and an external consultant/facilitator. Each Inter-agency Field Consultation will involve approximately 40 participants from NGOs, UN agencies and other key actors over a two or three day period of consultation and sharing.
Peer Review Group
The Peer Review Group will comprise 30-40 specialists, who will comment with authority on each content area covered by the standards. The group will also represent a variety of perspectives on issues of access to and quality of education, regional analyses, and cross-cutting themes. This group will represent a broad base of constituents, including NGO and UN agencies, governments, as well as academic and research institutions.
INEE
Over the past year, the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) has recruited 87 organizational and 430 individual members working in emergency education throughout the world. The INEE list-serve, presently with over 500 subscribers, will be the major vehicle for information dissemination for the consultative process, as well as its web-site. The INEE Network Coordinator will work closely with the Focal Point and the Working Group to solicit feedback from members and stakeholders on a regular basis, encouraging debate and transparency.
