Washington, DC Consultation Framework

• An assessment of risks, obstacles, and capacities is carried out with the community to be used in promoting broader access (see guidance note 1).
• Access to and from the learning environment and the learning environment itself is free from physical threats, including gender-based violence, recruitment and abduction, UXO/ landmines and peer violence (see guidance note 2).
• Learning activities are organized, regularly scheduled and convenient.
• Teachers and involved community members are trained in learner-centered methodology relevant to the learners experiences (see guidance note 3).
• Staff and leaders are drawn from and representative of the community (see guidance note 4).
• Learning promotes skills relevant to and promoting cooperation, working together and where applicable, conflict resolution (see guidance note 5).
• A range of activities are provided that are appropriate for the developmental state of the learners, including recreation, literacy, numeracy, life skills and livelihood skills (see guidance notes 6 and 7).
• To be added: Indicator on access to safe water and sanitation within the learning environment (reference to Sphere standards)

1. Cross reference with Analysis standard. A "Do No Harm" approach should be considered for use in the assessment to identify dividers and unifiers.
2. No consensus: Some questioned whether this standard should be divided into two (one focusing on safety and the other focusing on nurturing and relevant) while others felt that it is important to see these elements in a holistic manner.
3. Learner-centered methodology is one that is responsive to childrens needs and employs active engagement, dialogue and participation instead of lecturing. The use of a learner-centered methodology should not supplant existing resources and capacities within the community, but rather should build on those assets. In the short term, the focus should be on preserving positive family life and providing a return to normalcy through structured activities. While this training is needed in the short-term, it should be accompanied with a long-term goal of providing training for locally-appropriate counseling.
4. Representative in terms of ethnicity, gender, religion, geographic diversity, etc.
5. Avoid learning that perpetuates division and conflict, including by reviewing learning materials and curriculum.
6. To build upon: need to development more indicators/guidance notes on age-appropriate learning opportunities. For instance, adolescents and youth should be engaged as a resource for providing educational activities to younger children and involved in program design and implementation, which also advances their development and builds their capacity.
7. To build upon: tie learning opportunities to other programming benchmarks; for instance, safe, structured recreational activities should be implemented by the time food distribution begins (linking the importance of nutrition and sanitation to learning). Participants discussed the dimensions of access: who has access to what and when. Recognize three stages: the preparatory stage/ prior to an emergency, emergency, early reconstruction and the importance of having ongoing activities at all phases of an emergency timed to occur according to the timing of parallel programs in a humanitarian response.

1. To build upon: While participants were not able to devote enough time to develop indicators and guidance notes for this standard, they felt that participation is critical for access issues, and that participation can serve as a means to increase access. The focus of learning opportunities and educational programs should be on enabling a community to establish educational opportunities for themselves, rather than "providing" such opportunities for a community. The participation of learners themselves is important, as this will help to ensure that learning opportunities are relevant to learners.

To build upon: While participants were not able to devote enough time to this standard, they articulated the importance on developing a targeted plan to broaden access to learning opportunities for groups of individuals who are traditionally marginalized. The participants agreed that the standard should promote "equity on par with other children with the ultimate goal of Education for All." An indicator should be drafted to ensure the inclusion of traditionally marginalized groups, including the orphans, adolescents, disabled, vulnerable children at risk of abduction or forced recruitment, ethnic minorities, women and girls, separated children and children without guardians, children parenting siblings or other children, etc.

• A planned site has a physical environment that includes adequate space for classrooms, recreation, feeding and water/sanitation facilities (see guidance note 1)
• The physical environment has adequate ventilation.
• The physical environment has sufficient lighting.
• The location of the learning space is free from environmental hazards (see guidance note 2)
• There should be separate and secure latrines/toilets for girls/women and boys/men (see guidance note 3).
• Learners have access to potable water within or nearby the physical site (see guidance note 4).

1. This indicator focuses on planned environments as opposed to those that are unplanned (such as within homes or under trees); however, participants believe that learning spaces should not exclusively be schools. Informal learning spaces are also included in the standard. When planning a planned learning facility (or "school"), however, adequate space for classrooms, recreation, and other facilities should be considered.
2. There should be a phased approach to the provision of facilities. There was also discussion about whether to look at other standards and actually articulate a space ration per student, using the Sphere standards on Shelter which articulates that shelters are based on a minimum surface area of 45m square meters for each person, including educational facilities. Area planning should also consider evolution and growth of the population.
3. This includes waste, noise from community and traffic.
4. Should be consistent with revised Sphere standards.
5. Should be consistent with revised Sphere standards. This indicator should be expanded.

• Learning spaces are located such that students and teachers are note exposed to risks on or en route to the premises.
• There is adult supervision of learning spaces (see guidance note 1).
• The learning space is free from UXO, landmines and arms.
• The integrity of the physical structure is inspected and periodically verified.
• There are designated persons and resources to respond to health emergencies (see guidance note 2).

1. Community members encouraged to take on this role Supervision should include community members
2. Such as first aid and transport.
3. To build upon: need to develop indicators on emotional and psychosocial resources in a learning environment

Participants:

Carrie Abner
Program Associate, Migration & Refugee Affairs
Humanitarian Policy & Practice Unit
InterAction
CAbner@INTERACTION.ORG

Mathew Breman
Deputy Team Leader, Emergency Response Team
Catholic Relief Services
mbreman@catholicrelief.org

Peter Buckland
Senior Education Specialist
The World Bank
pbuckland@worldbank.org

Alex Causton
Christian Childrens Fund
aacauston@ccfusa.org

Flore Hiensch
InterAction
FHiensch@INTERACTION.ORG

Christine Knudsen
Senior Protection Officer
Save the Children
cknudsen@dc.savechildren.org

Gilberto Mndez
Education and EECD Program Development Officer
International Programs
Christian Childrens Fund
gemendez@ccfusa.org

Kent Noel
Director, Strategic Planning
International Education Systems
Education Development Center
knoel@edc.org

Allison Anderson Pillsbury
INEE Focal Point on Minimum Standards
International Rescue Committee
allison@theirc.org

Mike Pozniak
Education Technical Advisor
Catholic Relief Services
mpozniak@catholicrelief.org

Susan Romanski
Emergency Program Officer
Mercy Corps
sromanski@mercycorpsdc.org

Michael Shipler
Children and Youth Program Associate
Search for Common Ground
mshipler@sfcg.org

John Williamson
Senior Technical Advisor
USAID/Displaced Children & Orphans Fund
j.williamson@mindspring.com

Robyn Yaker
Dean Scholar, International Development
American University
robynyaker@yahoo.com