BRIDGE’s National ECD Community of Practice: A summary of action and impact 29 October 2013

NDP on some key ECD Challenges Training for practitioners (recommendation: “invest in training early childhood development practitioners, upgrade their qualifications and develop clear career paths”) Strengthening of delivery (recommendation : “encourage innovation in the way ECD services are delivered”) Ensuring that departments responsible for different aspects of early childhood development work together (recommendation: “address the coordination weaknesses between the different sectors and departments responsible for ECD services in order to strengthen collaboration”)

This CoP’s outcomes Develop common purpose, peer support and trust Maximise resources and reduce duplication Share working practice and innovations (horizontal integration) Link policy and practice (vertical integration) Impact on the whole system

This CoP’s objectives Work with the Departments of Education, Social Development and Health Align with and support the goals of the National Development Plan, and support the work of the National Education Collaboration Framework Work with selected Provincial Governments so as to encourage collaboration Focus on specific areas, such as the Training of ECD Practitioners Share and disseminate working practice Find ways to scale working practice

Impact? We formed this community of practice in February What have we achieved in 2013? What impact have we had?

Community of practice membership Currently 227 members on the database From eight provinces Range of stakeholder groupings: civil society organisations (incl. NGOs, NPOs, etc.), funders and business, universities, research organisations, training organisations, government (national, provincial and the President’s Office), public entities (NDA), faith-based organisations Wide range of bodies represented: e.g. ECD Congress, provincial groupings and forums, BRIDGE’s Western Cape ECD community of practice, etc.

The meetings of February 2013 (GIBS) Agreement to form an inclusive CoP Agreement to support NDP: “We want to be a collective voice of people from various backgrounds, working to help government implement the NDP in the area of ECD” Agreement: concept paper to be drafted Agreement: government to be approached to join 18 March 2013 (Deutsche Bank) Agreement that this should be a national group Agreed to form under BRIDGE Initial database generated of ECD stakeholders

The meetings of 2013 cont. 7 May 2013 (READ) Presentations by: Vanessa Mentor, Director of GDE’s ECD Institute – work of the ECDI Bertha Magoge (TREE) – ECD in KZN Brainstorm re ‘Thought-Leaders’ in ECD, and key areas of ECD on which the CoP should be focusing 16 July 2013 (GIBS) Presentations by: Ronel Burger (from the focus group: ECD practitioner training) Sherri Le Mottee of Illifa Labantwana – re their work Michele Kay – ITEC – ECD in Eastern Cape Camilla Swart – ECD in Western Cape How will we work? What will we do? Sustainability?

The meetings of 2013 cont. 27 August 2013 (GIBS) Presentations by: Vanessa Mentor, Director of GDE’s ECD Institute – Universalisation of Grade R, etc. Thabi Molete, Director of Programmes at the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance (MGSLG) – the provision of ECD training in Gauteng Saide’s Sheila Drew – the ECD fundamentals Implications for CoP, commenting on key documents, broadening the scoping process, etc. 29 October 2013 (GIBS) What have we done in 2013, where are we going?

Actions carried out Re policy documents, members made a combined response to/comments on: Draft Terms of Reference for an Inter-Sectoral Forum for ECD (to the Department of Social Development, September 2013) Draft Curriculum for Ages 0-4 (September 2013) Universal Access to Grade R document (September 2013) Re fundamentals, members: participate in the QCTO’s scoping of ECD qualifications, and belong to the fundamentals reference group that Saide is co-ordinating.

Knowledge management, publications and conferences BRIDGE communication platforms: – Website ( – Online network – Facebook – Twitter – Media partnerships Trialogue: CSI Handbook ECDLC Newsflash: Issue 23, April 2013 EMASA conference: August 2013 Ntataise conference

Fundraising and stakeholder engagement Seed funding: Deutsche Bank (R50,000) Member contributions (R3,500 and in-kind) Discussions held with Apex Hi (TSI), FirstRand, Hollard Foundation (KYB), Sasol, Liberty, Porticus, Ilifa Labantwana, DG Murray Trust, Elma Philanthropies, VW, PetroSA, Claude Neon Foundation Proposals submitted to Apex Hi (TSI), Liberty, Ilima (Old Mutual), NECT Proposals pending to Sasol and Porticus

Fundraising and stakeholder engagement cont. Stakeholder engagement: (with a view to promoting stakeholder co-operation) – Government departments (technical committee proposed) – Marie-Louise Samuels (DBE) – Margot Davids (DSD) – President’s Office – National Planning Commission – Inter-sectoral forum for ECD, DSD – Inter-Departmental ECD Committee – NECT – NDA – Thabi Molete (Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance) – Vanessa Mentor (GDE’s ECD Institute) – SA Research Association for Early Childhood Education – EC ECD Forum – SA ECD Congress