UNESS Information Session Findings of Pilot UNESS Evaluation and the Way Forward ED/PFS/ESS

UNESS PILOT EVALUATION WORKSHOP Organized at HQ from 27 to 29 September 2006 By the Division of Country Planning and Field Support (Re Blue Note on ED Reform), its Section for Education Support Strategies (HQ UNESS Team) Two expected outputs: 1. Improve the draft UNESS guidelines, both on the process and the content 2. Preliminary strategies for UNESS rollout by region

LIST OF PILOT UNESS COUNTRIES Initial list of 11 pilot “UNESS” countries: Angola, Bangladesh, Egypt, Guinea, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Viet Nam Draft UNESS presented and discussed: Angola, Bangladesh, Egypt, Lebanon*, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria*, Pakistan, Tanzania and Viet Nam Not presented and discussed: Guinea, Senegal and Sierra Leone** * Beirut Office’s own initiative for Lebanon; ADG/ED’s agreement with Abuja Office for Nigeria ** All under the Dakar Cluster Office, who didn’t come

WHO PARTICIPATED  The meeting was opened and closed by ADG/ED  Attended by Directors and Education Staff of: 2 Regional Bureaux (Bangkok and Beirut, but not Dakar and Santiago*) 9 Field Offices: Abuja, Bamako, Cairo, Dar-es-Salaam, Dhaka, Hanoi, Islamabad, Rabat, Windhoek 4 Institutes (IIEP, UIS, UIL and IBE) and HQ Divisions * All invited, but Dakar Office preferred not to come; Santiago with no pilot countries in LAC

ADDED-VALUES OF UNESS ACCORDING TO FIELD OFFICES One country, one plan (for UNESCO’s cooperation in education with MSs) A tool to ensure consistency, coherency and effectiveness of our cooperation with Member States A holistic repository of information and reference framework for UNESCO’s in-country projects/programmes A matching tool between UNESCO’s global programmes, and countries’ needs/priorities A tool for bottom-up and evidence-based planning for C/4 and C/5 A enabling factor for UNESCO in CCA/UNDAF An action framework for in-country implementation of GAP-EFA

UNESS OUTCOME MATRIX Objective: Medium-Term Outcome (by 2013) Major Issues and Challenges UNESCO’s Proposed Action ( ) Output or outcome (by 2009) Partnership Outcome 1:National Indicative costs (USD):International Outcome 2: Outcome 3: Product of analytical investigations of needs, priorities, donor mapping, & lessons learnt The Outcome is national plan, as reviewed in light of our normative mandate Challenges are the national ones, as reviewed in light of international goals Limiting to 5 outcomes as a way of streamlining (in line with ED Reform) Inclusive of not only RP, but also exploring extrabudgetary Not yet a workplan, but will provide evidence-based framework for it 6-year perspective (C/4) and 2-year action plan (C/5)

SOME KEY ISSUES RAISED For Participants, UNESS is challenging  First time of any analytical work for planning cooperation with MSs  an excellent, essential tool for ensuring the effectiveness of UNESCO’s cooperation with Member States,  but issues remain, inter alia: Usefulness of UNESS: an Upstream Planning or Downstream Implementation? Matching priorities through UNESS Alignment and synchronization Time and resource constraints Staff capacity development

USEFULNESS OF UNESS i.e. an Upstream Planning or Downstream Implementation? A shared dual-phased vision: i)UNESS will first of all serve as the planning tool for UNESCO’s medium term and biennial programmes and, ii)once these overall programmes are adopted by UNESCO’s Governing Bodies, it will then constitute the basis for building evidence-based and demand-driven workplans by concerned FOs. Questions: How to make sure that UNESS documents are reflected in next C/4 and C/5 despite short time? Re DG’s Blue Note, UNESS => Could be a basis for an “implementation contract” between RB and FOs?

MATCHING PRIORITIES THROUGH UNESS How national priorities and UNESCO’s global programmes can be reconciled? How “competing” national priorities can be reconciled? How UNESCO priorities will be aligned within UNDAF, CAS, re the “One UN” programme in-country?

ALIGNMENT AND SYNCHRONIZATION UNESCO’s position with regard to the Paris Declaration (harmonization and alignment around government procedures, priorities, budget support, etc.)? Is UNESS still needed in countries where SWAps are in place? UNESCO’s normative role? Synchronization between UNESS (proposed by ED) and the Country Programming Document (CPD, proposed by BSP)? Will UNESS be synchronized with 34 C5/C4, CCA/UNDAF, OR national policy frameworks?

TIME, RESOURCE & STAFF Capacity of FOs to develop UNESS on top of the already heavy workload of the field staff? Developing UNESS in countries where there is no FO? Will Institutes and ED Divisions contribute to UNESS design processes and how? Relating the staff (FOs, HQ) capacity development to UNESS? Improving the quality of needs/gaps analysis, policy positioning and coordination for EFA?

UNESS ROLL-OUT IN REGION Revised UNESS Guidelines (Guidance Note) UNESS developed for countries by end-2007 Different strategies across regions All 4 regions having regional meetings on UNESS and C/4 & C/5 in Nov & Dec 2006 The role of Institutes/ED Divisions?

UNESS: UNESCO’s support strategy at the country level: 6-year perspective with corresponding 2-year action plans including budgetary projections and staffing needs for 1st biennium Biennial review and update to inform 2nd and 3rd C/5 within 6-year cycle Respond to Education Sector Strategic Framework and UNESCO’s comparative advantage vis-à-vis other partners at the country level and within regular budget frameworks normally allocated Identify gaps for resource mobilization beyond UNESCO regular programme assistance – validation of UNESCO’s priorities and strategies for fundraising Identify areas for operational intersectoral cooperation Two-year action plans to become the C/5 biennial workplans. PREPARATION OF 6-YEAR ED SECTOR STRATEGY & ITS 1ST BIENNIUM (ED Reform) Jan Feb March April May June July Aug. Sep Oct Nov Dec Step 1: ED Sector Strategic Framework Step 2: Identifying national priorities, needs and strategies (UNESS UNESCO Country Programme Document) Step 3: Elaborating the structure of MP I Step 4: Regional Consul- tations (budget) Step 5: Education Programme Review by MLA Step 6: Finalization of workplans for the first biennium Two years before C/4 cycle Deadline Preliminary Proposals Deadline draft C/4 and C/5 MS Consultation process EXB Spring Session EXB Fall Session EXB Fall Session General Conference

IN SUM, UNESS IS A TOOL FOR... ANALYSIS OF NEEDS GUIDING IMPACT ON BIENNIAL REVIEW C/4 & C/5 PRIORITIES COUNTRY PLANS / ED CONTEXTS IN-COUNTRY ACTIONS

WORKING TOOL NEGOTIATION TOOL PLANNING TOOL MONITORING TOOL Coherence Accountability Informed Dialogue Effectiveness UNESS CAN HELP