Events » The Real Worlds Strategies (RWS) Project - [1-2 Jun 2004]

From 1-2 June 2004, The Africa Network Campaign on Education for All (ANCEFA) held a country level workshop on GCE Capacity Building Initiative For EFA Coalitions In Africa: The Real Worlds Strategies (RWS) Project – Workplan For 2004. The workshop was hosted by the Civil Society Coalition on Quality Basic Education (CSCQBE), a coaliton of more than 48 civil society organiations in Malawi advocating for quality education.

SCSQBE Coordinator, Limban Nsapato, speaks during the workshops, flanked by the Kenyan-based ANCEFA Capacity Building Coordinator, Andiwo Obondoh.

ANCEFA – GCE CAPACITY BUILDING INITIATIVE FOR EFA COALITIONS IN AFRICA: THE REAL WORLDS STRATEGIES (RWS) PROJECT – WORKPLAN FOR 2004.

Overarching Goal: developing campaigning skills within Coalitions to influence education policy and practice in Africa.

1.0 Introduction and some Background:

1. RWS is intended to support a comprehensive strategic planning & campaign/advocacy processes designed, led and implemented by participating CSO Coalitions (including NGOs, ROs and teacher unions) for the next two years, with room for a further one-year extension.
2. RWS is not a parallel initiative, but is meant to bolster ongoing capacity building efforts by Coalitions. As such it will not use ‘a parachute approach’ where experts are flown in with a ready-made training package. It will however involve sharing of basic training materials/tools and use of campaigners with wide range of advocacy experience as resource persons from across Africa.
3. RWS’ main aim is to build vibrant, broad based and effective national Coalitions with sharp advocacy skills to develop and implement a coherent and time bound campaign plans.
4. CSO networks often try to organise their advocacy work around a mission statement and a practical activity plan, which in most cases has little overall strategic direction. But without clearly defined goals, intelligent, monitoring national efforts with the regional and international policy debates, and poor or non-existent monitoring and evaluation schemes all help to explain why Coalitions need additional support around campaigning.
5. It is therefore expected that this initiative will help Coalitions to design, implement and monitor a well informed, targeted and time bound strategy for achieving specific and measurable changes in national education policy planning, programming and financing.
6. The RWS is premised on better focused, more inclusive and broad based advocacy that will have greater impact on actions of national governments and multi/bilateral agencies, which in turn will accelerate progress towards the attainment of EFA goals.

2.0 Specific Objectives of the RWS

1. Build strong alliances/networks for effective advocacy at national, sub regional and regional levels.
2. Help Coalitions translate their plans and priorities into sharp, focused and well-targeted campaign strategies for maximum impact in the next two years.
3. Find creative ways of building social and technical influences as well as expanding political space for civil society engagement around EFA goals.
4. Help coalitions become proactive catalysts of policy changes so as to target and influence education planning, financing (including spending priorities), participation and curriculum issues.
5. Improve research, documentation, monitoring and evaluation of campaign/advocacy efforts.

3.0 Result Indicators and Expected outputs/outcomes

1. National planning and consensus workshops
2. Country conveners/campaign assistants appointed and working
3. National and regional expert teams put in place and functioning
4. Common platforms (strong coalitions) for education campaign established where they don’t exist – all actors join an all-inclusive platform
5. Coalitions develop and begin to implement focused strategic plans (with no more than 3 short term change objectives), leading to increased public visibility and greater impact on policy outcomes around EFA
6. Short-tern strategic plans will be linked to longer-term, well-informed campaign strategies. By the end of the year each coalition should have achieved at least one of its set objectives.
7. The strategy must outline new approaches to advocacy considering the ‘real world’ context in each country – it has to be intelligently targeted, realistic, inventive step-by-step strategy for changing policy over a limited period of time with minimum resources.
8. Improved documentation, monitoring and evaluation of advocacy work

4.0 Challenges that Participating Coalitions are expected to overcome:

1. Building a shared understanding, among all actors within the country, of advocacy as a legitimate and important strategy achieving education reform.
2. Establishing credibility and high integrity in the eyes of government, donors, policy makers, media and the public.
3. Marshalling evidence (facts and figures) and political support as part of a systematic strategy to influence policy.
4. Enhancing coordination and complimentarily with other capacity building initiatives at country and sub-regional levels.

5.0 Log Frame for year 2004 (next page)

Timeline (month) Activity Objective Output/Outcome Responsibility Observations or notes
January 1
Review proposals, selection of countries - Critically appraise country requests- Approve and select participating countries - Strengths of proposals outlined- Feedback given to coalitions- Countries selected - ANCEFA regional office- RWS coordinators - RWS Steering Committee - All proposals have been reviewed- 10 countries selected

February 2
Induction of coordinators - Have a common vision and a shared understanding of RWS- Agree on 2004 draft work plan - RWS begin work- 2004 work plan in place - RWS Steering Committee- ANCEFA regional office - RWS coordinators CoordinatorsAlready inducted- 2004 work plan ready

March - May 3
Strategic planning by coordinators4. Selection, appointment of conveners or assistants5. National planning and consensus workshops6. Establish and sub regional expert teams - Appoint country conveners or campaign assistants- Develop ToRs for conveners - Review and finalise work plan & budget- Build consensus and country ownership- Select national and regional expert teams - Campaign assistants recruited by coalitions- Consensus built ad ownership improved- National action plan and budgets agreed on - Coalitions (conveners)- RWS coordinators- RWS Steering Committees- GCE Board - ToRs for conveners or assistant under discussion

June - July 7
Sub regional meetings8. Regional Education Watch Meeting - Agree on sub regional training agenda and common issues- Share experiences and lessons - Education watch initiative on- Experience shared - Experts - ANCEFA regional office- GCE- RWS Coordinators- Coalitions (conveners)

Aug - Nov 9
Database of resources and production of resource materials10. National and sub regional training workshops - Identify sources of required materials- Implement action plans- Develop campaign skills - Database in place - materials sourced or produced- at least one training workshop per country - As above

Nov - Dec 11
Mid term review and annual report12. Planning for 2005 - Review progress and write annual report for 2004 - Annual report including midterm review - Gaps and strengths outlined - Coalitions (conveners)- ANCEFA- RWS Coordinators

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