Evaluation of the INEE Minimum Standards in Pakistan

Click here to download the report in: English, Urdu 

In December 2004, the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) launched the Minimum Standards for Education in Emergencies, Chronic Crisis and Early Reconstruction (INEE Minimum Standards). Pilot trainings on the INEE Minimum Standards took place in Pakistan in September 2005, one month before the country’s devastating earthquake and the consequent emergency situation. Within days of the earthquake in October 2005, which killed 75,000 and affected 3.5 million people, a concerted effort to disseminate the INEE Minimum Standards had begun. Hundreds of handbooks were distributed and hundreds of professionals were trained on the handbook’s use. This study was undertaken to add to the understanding of the awareness, utilization, institutionalization and impact of the INEE Minimum Standards in Pakistan, given the wide circulation of handbooks and the number of trainings held.

INEE would like to acknowledge and express its gratitude to UNESCO Pakistan for its support of this case study evaluation. INEE would especially like to thank Dr. Mehmooda Rehman and Shakir Ishaq at BEFARe for research assistance, logistical support and guidance; Jackie Kirk, IRC, for information sharing during the research; and all those whose participated in this research and contributed to a better understanding of the awareness, utilization, institutionalization and impact of the INEE Minimum Standards.

The following are a selection of findings and recommendations from this report.

Findings

  • At the time of Pakistan’s earthquake in October 2005, awareness in Pakistan of the Standards was almost nonexistent. Since that time, awareness of the INEE Minimum Standards has increased considerably. However, considering the wide dissemination of the handbook and the fact that several trainings took place after the earthquake, the level of awareness was lower than expected. Of the 112 participants in the study, 48% of participants were unaware of the existence of standards, 23% were aware of their existence, and only 29% had a high degree of familiarity.
  • The participants most likely to be aware of the INEE minimum Standards were those working for international NGOs and UN agencies. The study cited the following as reasons for lack of awareness: high staff turnover, lack of dissemination within institutions to junior employees, lack of time for personnel to familiarize selves with external tools or attend trainings.
  • Half of the study participants aware of the INEE Minimum Standards indicated using them in their work. Those most likely to use standards were high positioned individuals engaged in policy and planning. All study participants working in the education sector with high levels of familiarity with the Standards reported using them during the acute emergency and wanting to use them for post-crisis/reconstruction.
  • Participants most frequently used the INEE Minimum Standards for monitoring and evaluation activities, followed by project design, advocacy, assessment, and preparedness planning. The Community Participation standards were used most frequently by those working in the field, while standards related to Policy and Coordination and Teachers and Other Educational Personnel were most likely to be used by those in management positions.
  • According to study participants, the INEE Minimum Standards have helped avoid duplication of efforts and have influenced the way program design is approached.
  • According to those aware of the INEE Minimum Standards, the standards positively influenced the emergency response in Pakistan and improved coordination efforts.

Recommendations and Next Steps

The evaluation presents several recommendations for increasing awareness, utilization and institutionalization of the INEE Minimum Standards:

Awareness

  • Continuation of long-term INEE Minimum Standards trainings to enhance capacity building.
  • Establishment of permanent focal points at the local level to increase frequency and quality of training, to follow up with trainees and institutions, and to provide assistance to the INEE Secretariat.
  • Local and national advocacy for the utilization and institutionalization of the INEE Minimum Standards
  • Translation INEE Minimum Standards into local language in order to increase accessibility.

Utilization

  • Users need to adapt the indicators so that they reflect local contexts; ideally, this should be done as part of emergency preparedness.
  • Development of a user-friendly Reference Guide to the INEE Minimum Standards and case studies on their use in other contexts

Institutionalization

  • Advocacy for the institutionalization of INEE Minimum Standards within agency headquarters and country programs by members of the INEE Working Group on Minimum Standards