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EFA Global Monitoring Report 2002

Education for All:Is the World on

Track?

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Developing the Global Monitoring Report

 

Partnerships for Progress

Presentation by Christopher ColcloughEFA Working GroupParis, 23 July 2003

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The goal-setting exercise

Current consensus around a set of international goals and targets – the MDGs – aimed at poverty reduction through human development. Two MDGs relate to education. These goals command a high international profile

The Dakar goals encompass a broader set of targets (ECCE, life skills, quality and literacy) tightly entwined with the MDGs relating to education

Monitoring, advocacy and communication play vital roles in raising education’s profile on the political agenda. Education competes with other MDGs for donor funding

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Historical flashback A brief historical survey suggests that many goals set

over past 40 years have been achieved by a considerable number of developing countries and by the target date or soon after (decolonisation, smallpox eradication in 1977, considerable advances in child immunization)

An even larger number of countries have accelerated action in the area concerned and often prepared national plans of action for implementing the goals, helping to raise international awareness

Some goals failed or almost totally failed, such as halving illiteracy by 2000

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Influencing priorities

Goals offer international platform for coordinating global action and generating strong national movements. Evidence that international targets provide frame for countries to set their own goals

Evidence of bilateral agencies using MDGs as yardstick to assess programme effectiveness (cf DFID)

NGOs have demonstrated capacity to influence and support action towards implementing global goals

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Capturing the whole picture

MDGs mostly outcome indicators. MDG framework should be interpreted as added opportunity for EFA agenda: contribution of basic education to sustainable livelihoods, reduction of child mortality, improvement in maternal health, fight against HIV/AIDS and sustainable environment.

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Capturing the whole picture (2)

Solely measuring quantitative aspects of progress does not do justice to EFA agenda, importance of qualitative aspects of education

Early childhood care and education, life skills and educational quality require further research to measure progress

 

Research ongoing on measuring “literacies”

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Assesssing progress,communicating messages How goals are explained and publicly promoted by the

UN, media and civil society can have impact on governments and donor community

Monitoring should draw attention to different degrees and dimensions of achievement, pointing to partial success and partial failure

Monitor countries on track or accelerating progress, draw regional comparisons and pay particular attention to progress in countries starting from low levels of achievement, despite poor showing in rankings

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Assessing progress,communicating messages (2)

Monitor agency and donor performance and provide more analysis of why countries are succeeding or failing

Account for unforeseeable domestic and external changes that can affect progress toward goal. Danger of backlash in donor countries 

Need to look at assessments in relation to each of the six goals to avoid superficial conclusions

Importance of drawing attention to good practice

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Singularity of Monitoring Report  The Monitoring Report is based on broad research

exercise drawing upon expertise in a number of fields and from different regions (80 papers commissioned for forthcoming edition)

Report aims to foster sense of international accountability towards commitments made in Dakar and thereafter

In Year One, the Report has become a major authoritative international source on progress made towards EFA. Holds potential to foster well-informed policy dialogue through highlighting effective reforms, strategies and programmes

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Singularity of Monitoring Report

Report’s independence vital to its credibility

At the same time, Report proudly anchored within an international system – teams work closely with UNESCO Institutes, networks within UN and academic community.

Advised by Editorial Board chaired by Professor Anil Bordia (India) meets yearly

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Communication Strategy highlights

Reminder of principles guiding our communication strategy: Speak to different regions by presenting the Report through

global and local perspectives

Speak to different audiences by reaching government, donor and civil society circles

Extend Report’s lifespan through constructive participation in EFA-related events

Make Report’s promotion a joint endeavour by tapping expertise and networks of the education community at large

 

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Lessons from 2002 Report

Over 130 articles in major media outlets following press launch in London in November organised by UNESCO’s Bureau of Public Information

English print-run of 10,000; French 7,000. Widely disseminated to education ministries, university libraries, UN specialized institutions and bilateral agencies.

Data base being significantly built up since January, with input from partners (CCNGO, IIEP)

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Lessons from 2002 Report (2)

Summary report available in six UN languages for promotion and use in variety of contexts

Supporting translation into local languages (Hindi, Urdu, Nepali and Vietnamese underway)

Website recently put on line at www. unesco.org/education/efa_reportPossibility to download report in PDF or word format, charts in Excel

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Lessons from 2002 Report (3)

Over past year, team members have participated in education related seminars and conferences (WEF, World Social Forum, International Education Society Conference, IWGE).

Report has served as reference at EFA Ministerial Conferences in South and Central Asia as well as Minedaf

Fruitful contact with members of Forum of African Parliamentarians for Education

A number of partners around the table have facilitated distribution, agreeing to share lists of network members and citing Report on their website (GCE’s Global Action Week used as occasion to widely disseminate summary reports)

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Expanding our reach

BPI foresees press launches in four ‘media hubs’ (London, Paris, Washington and Sao Paulo) ahead of launch in New Delhi prior to High Level Group meeting

Alongside, we are seeking to enhance Report’s visibility at national and regional levels, stressing importance of presentations to share findings and promote debate. Ideally, such presentations should involve different constituencies (cf April 30, Paris).

Tentative plans for presentation in SADCC region in early 2004 through Forum of African Parliamentarians for Education

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Expanding our reach (2)

Tap potential of both UNESCO and UN System. Launches through a UN or other multilateral mechanism: i.e. in Asia, Education Working Group (Cambodia); Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (regional launch) suggested by our Bangkok office

Attach importance to identifying UN partners in other regions, particularly in Africa and Latin America

Currently strengthening relationship with field offices. A user-friendly power point presentation sent to all UNESCO field office directors

  Materials available this year from mid-October. Effort to

prepare regional fact sheets

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Future Reports

Subsequent reports will focus on quality of education (2005) and literacy (2006), in light of the UN Literacy Decade

  Tracking of national policies and shifts in practice

by leading development agencies will remain central features of Report

  Adopt a more global approach to the EFA agenda

starts in this year’s Report

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Complementary international accountability mechanisms

Importance of coordinating with other reporting mechanisms

UNESCO Director General’s EFA High-Level Group established after Dakar conceived as mechanism to leverage political commitment and mobilize resources

Millennium Development Project is analysing strategies for achieving the MDGs. Includes a task force on education and gender

 

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Complementary international accountability mechanisms (2)

The Global Governance Initiative, launched by the World Economic Forum in 2002, aims to draw up an annual scorecard of progress towards MDGs emphasizing efforts by governments, bilaterals, private sector and civil society

  The Global Campaign for Education, a worldwide

alliance of NGOs and trade unions, conducts extensive lobbying in favour of free, quality education for all

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Conclusions

Dakar goals are a shared agenda. Monitoring Report relies strongly on respective strengths of its partners to share findings

In long run, Report will be judged on influence that it has had and use to which it is put

  Invite thought and propositions on improving

knowledge of Report in different constituencies and identifying mechanisms for organizing national/regional presentations