Minutes WGMSEE meeting, June, 2003

 

Meeting June 4-6, 2003, Washington, D.C.
Key Decisions, Dates and Deadlines

Present: Pilar Aguilar, Allison Anderson Pillsbury, Helge Brochmann, Tim Brown, Nancy Dorst, Christine Knudsen, Fred Ligon, Susan Nicolai, Michael Pozniak, Beverly Roberts, Wendy Smith (and colleagues Marie de la Soudiere and Rebecca Winthrop), Christopher Talbot

Introduction of focal point

Allison Anderson Pillsbury has been hired as the INEE Focal Point on Minimum Standards. Allison is based at the International Rescue Committee in New York, who along with the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) is providing core funding for the initiative.

She joins the Standards Process from the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children. For the past five years, Allison has worked on the Children and Adolescents Project that involved the research, editing and writing of a global adolescent study and a series of participatory adolescent studies in Kosovo, Uganda, Sierra Leone and Thailand. Her work at the Women's Commission has involved significant advocacy, fund-raising, project management and training on behalf of the education and protection needs of adolescents. Allison was the principal coordinator of the NGO Committee on UNICEF, Sub-Working Group on Children in Armed Conflict and represented the group at various conferences, including the UN Special Session on Children. Prior to joining the Women's Commission, Allison worked as a facilitator for teens at Prep for Prep and as a researcher for Media Action International Research in Geneva researching education, including the REACH (Radio Education for Afghan Children) project. Allison holds an MA in International Relations from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva and a BA in International Relations from Yale University.

Group focal points

  • Operations and Management: Christine

Members: Pilar, Chris, Wendy (Wendys replacement)

  • Drafting: Helge

Members: Mike, Susan, Tim, Fred

  • Consultations: Nancy

Members: Nemia, Birgit, CARE USA

Advocacy and Outreach Strategy

Two-prong goal of advocacy/outreach:

  1. General awareness raising and information sharing message: launch of process/outcomes and details about first consultation
  2. Targeted advocacy and fundraising message for donors, key decision-makers and practitioners: These standards will help NGO and UN workers be more effective and provide better education programming; they will be a monitoring tool for accountability; a capacity-building and training tool, including for Governmental Ministries, to enhance management and effectiveness. There is also a strong research component to this work: we are consulting widely, refining drafts to be used as a tool for child protection, etc; and it is strongly rights- and protection-based.

Clarifications of terms

Education in emergencies phases: acute → protracted → early reconstruction

  • MSEE process will look at acute and protracted with a view toward early reconstruction. Standards must be able to be used in a variety of different circumstances

Types of disasters: conflict → natural disasters
Populations: IDPs, Refugees, host populations, "stayees" → reintegrating and whole populations

  • Target group look at all age groups and all forms of education (formal, non-formal, primary, post-primary, tertiary, etc.)
  • Range of activities does not attempt to focus on HIV/AIDS, economic issues because other groups are already working on these issues


Group Acceptance of Sphere Definitions:


  • Minimum standards: The minimum level of service to be attained in humanitarian assistance
  • Indicator: "Signals" that show whether a standard has been attained. They provide a way of measuring and communicating both the impact, or result of programs as well as the process, or methods used. Can be qualitative or quantitative.
  • Guidance notes: These include specific points to consider when applying the standards in different situations, guidance on tackling practical difficulties and advice on priority issues. May also include critical issues relating to the standards or indicators, describe dilemmas, controversies or gaps in current knowledge

WGMSEE "Sphere format"

Education: 9 categories

1-5 standards for each category

2-10 indicators for each standard

Many guidance notes

Appendix

 

WGMSEE standard categories:

  1. Analysis
  2. Access
  3. Equity
  4. Learning content and methodology
  5. Learning environment and resources
  6. Teacher and other educational personnel
  7. Community participation
  8. Education policy and coordination
  9. Program management, human resources and capacity


Regional Consultations

INEE WGMSEE drives the minimal standards process, but the standards are developed in the field through participatory regional consultations and informal consultations in the field and over the INEE listserve. Standards, indicators and guidance notes will come from the consultations; however, participants will be presented with a framework based on:

  • Revised briefing paper (outcome of the WGMSEE meeting), with nine categories and several bullets within each category representing key issues for possible standards
  • Developed standards for one category (Teacher and other Educational Personnel at the first consultation)
  • One standard with complete indicators and guidance notes (The learning environment is physically secure, non-threatening and promotes protection and psychosocial recovery at the first consultation).


Three to four consultations will be held covering the regions of Africa, Asia, Middle East, Latin America, Europe. They will be:

  • Three days long
  • Attended by approximately 30-40 participants, who are experts on education in emergencies. These participants will be expected to read materials beforehand and consult with beneficiaries in order to inform the process
  • WGMSEE members will volunteer to host or co-host consultations, and the country office of the hosting organization is responsible for logistics.
  • Facilitation guide for the consultations will be developed by the consultation group and submitted to the WGMSEE for review. Once finalized, the facilitators guide can be posted on INEEs listserve so that more informal consultations take place


Peer review process

  • Approximately 40 experts selected by WGMSEE nomination or self-selection
  • Will be particularly involved in reviewing final draft, but the focal point will also communicate with them via e-mail/ invite them to attend consultations and send reports from the consultations.