Advocacy for Education

1. Advocacy for Education Uddannelsesnetværket, 31.1.2001 Danida Technical Advisory Service – Steen Sonne Andersen

2. Advocacy for Education – why? A few facts: • 75 million children still out of school (primary) • 776 million adults lack basic literacy skills • Gender parity is improving, but a long way to go (2/3 in primary, 1/3 in secondary) • Quality of education, focusing on learning outcomes, is a huge challenge • International aid to basic education seems to be stagnating Is there a need for Advocacy for Education? Well, yes!

3. How does the Danish Government support education? Background on Danida involvement in education: • 8 Education programs in program countries (Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Zambia) • 2 Education programs in fragile states (Afghanistan and South Sudan) • General budget support (Ghana, Tanzania, Vietnam, Mali, Benin, Burkina Faso) • Multilateral support to education via Fast Track Initiative, UNESCO and UNICEF (FTI increasing)

4. The Modalities of Danida Support to Education • Primarily support to national education sector plans – often in the form of joint basket funds pooling funds with other donors and with little or no earmarking (TVET in BF, Inclusive education in Benin, East coast of Nicaragua, etc.) • Some support for specific areas outside of the national education plans: e.g. Civil Society comp. Nicaragua, Indigenous Peoples’ Education Councils in Bolivia, OLE/OLPC Nepal Most of this support is channeled via civil society and includes both advocacy and service delivery

5. Sector Dialogue = Advocacy ? Typical mechanisms of dialogue between partner countries and donors in the education sector: • SWAP and Code of Conduct, includes participation of civil society (full members, observers) and others • Annual Reviews, include civil society participation • Round tables, Steering committees • Working groups In most of these, the participation of civil society is limited, although improving. How to further improve it? And does the dialogue constitute advocacy?

6. Challenges for NGOs in Education Advocacy • Danida is clear in its support to increased inclusion and participation of civil society, in education, and in general (civil society strategy, reviews, appraisals, aid management guidelines all consider democratic processes and real CSO involvement) • Develop (CSOs) indicators for more systematic monitoring of this? • Advocacy for Education at global, national, local levels, extremely different contexts and challenges: e.g. GCE, national CSO umbrellas, teacher unions, parents’ associations • Examples: EFA HL meetings, Action Week, Class of 2007/2015, PRSPs and National Development Plans, Local Government and School Committees • Different targeting, communication, capacity needs

7. More Challenges… • International agenda – Paris, harmonization, alignment, FTI – changing context (alignment, results-orientation) • Primary education and post-primary, is the balance right? • Country level trends – decentralization – changing context for advocacy NGOs? • The ”Missing Middle” – ”elite” NGOs and grassroots • Advocacy targeting political decision makers (capital) or demand side, end-users (community development) • Nepal example: very strong devolution of school management, block grants – proven robust through conflict • In this context, who should do the advocacy? What should be the role of NGOs? (conduit?)

8. Advocacy for Education – How-To? • Is education getting ”crowded out”? (international, DK) • Human right to education; Strong documentation on positive effects of education, clear positive link from education to economic growth and poverty alleviation • We have a great story and case for education, how to tell it better? (targeting, evidence-based policymaking) • How can NGOs play the advocacy role better at various levels in education (advocacy and capacity development)? Experience? Examples?