WG COMED MEDIUM TERM STRAWG COMED MEDIUM TERM STRATEGIC PLANTEGIC PLAN2008 - 20122008 - 2012

Cotonou, Dec. 2008

PLACIN

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Placing communication at thecenter of education in Africa

As the Leading African Communication for EducationResource Agency, COMED will become the SUSTAINABLEindependent, continental reference and facilitating agency forexcellent communication practices in the field of education anddevelopment [advocacy, capacity building, analysis/ research/documenting back practices]

To Promote Communication as a CoreElement of Education Development and

Reform in Africa

Communication will be placed at the heart of education anddevelopment in Africa by - advocating the importance of good communication practicesamong key stakeholders;- building capacity to stimulate robust public debate;- pooling and exchanging knowledge and experiences of suc-cessful communication practices among Ministerial communi-cation officers, media and communities; and- promoting relationships of trust and meaningful partnershipsamong them

AFRICA

Placing communication at thecenter of education in Africa

As the Leading African Communication for EducationResource Agency, COMED will become the SUSTAINABLEindependent, continental reference and facilitating agency forexcellent communication practices in the field of education anddevelopment [advocacy, capacity building, analysis/ research/documenting back practices]

To Promote Communication as a CoreElement of Education Development and

Reform in Africa

Communication will be placed at the heart of education anddevelopment in Africa by - advocating the importance of good communication practicesamong key stakeholders;- building capacity to stimulate robust public debate;- pooling and exchanging knowledge and experiences of suc-cessful communication practices among Ministerial communi-cation officers, media and communities; and- promoting relationships of trust and meaningful partnershipsamong them

Association for the Development of Education in AfricaAssociation pour le Développement de l'Education en Afrique

Working Group on Communication for Education andDevelopment

Groupe de Travail sur la Communication pour L'Education et le Développement

WG COMED MEDIUM TERMSTRATEGIC PLAN

2008-2012

List of Abbreviations and Acronyms

Table of contentsTHE COORDINATORS' NOTE …………………………… ....

1.CONTEXT…………………………………………………….....................- INTRODUCTION …………………………….………….............- OBJECTIVES…………………………………………….............- PURPOSE…………………………………………………….......- METHODOLOGY/FORMULATION PROCESS...........- PARAMETERS FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING……………….-THE NEW CHALLENGES…………………………….- NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR CAPACITY BUILDING

2.THE STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK……………………………..…-INTRODUCTION…………………………………….…….-THE ISSUES…………………………………….……..

3.OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES………………

4.MISSION AND STRATEGIC ORIENTATION OF WG/COMED

5.STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES…………..………………..

6.EXPECTED RESULTS AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

7.AREAS OF INTERVENTION ………..………

8.BUDGET OVERVIEW TO SUPPORT THIS PLAN………

9.THE STRATEGIC PLAN 2008-2012 ……………………….

ANNEX 1 - HIGHLIGHT OF THE EFA REPORT 2008…………..

ANNEX 2 - SUMMARY OF STRATEGIES IN THE EXPANDED COMMENTARY ON THE DAKAR FRAMEWORK FORACTION ………………………………………….

ANNEX 3 - COMED STRUCTURE……………………………..

ANNEX 4 - MEMBERSHIP IN THE STEERING COMMITTEE:SOME POINTS FOR DISCUSSION…….

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THE COORDINATOR'S NOTE

Education is a critical and fundamentalhuman right. All children should havefree access to quality educationwithin an equitable system. Schools shouldbe places where children's rights arerespected, injustices are challenged andlives transformed. By attending school, chil-dren can acquire the confidence and kno-wledge to better access and make use ofinformation that can improve their lives. Thedignity and self-confidence gained can helpthem to challenge injustice and discrimina-tion. Furthermore, good quality education isessential for enabling countries to achievethe level of economic growth required totackle poverty and make sustainable deve-lopment a reality. It was with these factors inmind that in 2000, global leaders set the firstMillennium Development Goal to achieveuniversal primary education and to promotegender equality and empower women. In2008, despite the progress that has beenregistered, nearly two thirds of the 100million children that are not in school world-wide are girls and over 70 countries (themajority of them in sub-Saharan Africa)have failed to achieve this internationallyagreed goal.

Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa needto ensure that new schools are built andmillions of teachers are trained and hired.Obstacles to access such as user fees needto be eliminated. Schools need to be trans-formed so that they are more accessible,and offer friendly environments for all child-ren regardless of their status or places oforigin in their societies. Countries will haveto invest in the full "Education for All" agen-da, as there is great inter-dependency of dif-ferent aspects of education. Women's litera-cy and empowerment programmes have akey role to play in ensuring girls are enrolledand retained in schools. Youths and adoles-cents must be given special consideration.

Growth in seconda-ry education isessential if primaryschooling is not tobecome a deadend for most child-ren.

This will requiremore and betterallocation ofresources than arecurrently available. The scarceness ofdomestic and external financing is an impor-tant challenge to achieving progress in edu-cation. Conservative estimates suggest thatit may cost up to $11 billion in new aid peryear (if governments are able to correspon-dingly increase their investment in educa-tion) for every girl and boy to complete a fullcycle of primary school by 2015. In all thisresides an increase in national commitmentto developing a communication strategy forEducation for All. Broadening access,improving quality, and building capacities,together with the resources and the reformsto accomplish them, will require the partici-pation of and dialogue between the variousactors and partners in education.Communication is central to securing thesepartnerships. Communication programmesin education encourages exchange of infor-mation within a community and internatio-nally, helps draw out consensus in a group,stimulates the collective action needed tosolve specific problems, maximizes coordi-nation, and harmonizes donor support tospecific initiatives.

Through the Association for theDevelopment of Education in Africa (ADEA),the World Bank and with financial supportfrom the Norwegian Education Trust Fund,this initiative to promote the use of commu-nication in support of education program-

Lawalley COLE Coordinator, WG COMED

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mes in sub-Saharan Africa was started in1998. The Communication for Educationand Development Programme known asCOMED was designed to help build nationalconsensus and enhance public support foreducation policies and programmes. TheCOMED Programme was approved by theADEA Steering Committee as an ADEAWorking Group in April 2002.

COMED's vision is to promote joint actionfor building confidence, trust and owners-hip. It will seek to work with all partners andstakeholders including parents, teachers,learners, civil society organizations, themedia, universities, research institutions,relevant arms of government, and develop-ment agencies in order to ensure that theyare all involved in a process to develop andimplement education reforms in a participa-tory, democratic and accountable manner.Systematic, sustained and strategic com-munication is a major tool for ensuring suc-cessful education reforms. However fewAfrican education ministries have investedin institutionalizing strategic communicationactivities. Where they exist, ministerialcommunication units are weak, performmostly protocol and peripheral manage-ment functions, and rarely have designatedbudgets or identified communication stafftrained in relevant professional skills.COMED intends to change this throughworking very closely with ministries of edu-cation in Africa. The political and technicalleaderships of several education ministriesin Africa suggest that there is a will to chan-ge and move to a new paradigm.

We will give utmost priority to working witheducation ministries to develop and reinfor-ce their capacities for institutional communi-cation both internally and externally. Thisperspective has informed the currentStrategic Planning exercise. The 2008 -2012 Medium Term Strategic Plan will fur-ther guide the working group in developingmechanisms for obtaining maximal synergyeffect with the strategic objectives of ADEA.

In addition, previous COMED activitiesinvolving media and civil society will be refo-cused and programmed in the light of cur-rent and evolving needs. The AfricaEducation Journalism Award will continue topromote media excellence in reporting oneducation issues by awarding prizes to thebest articles by African journalists writing inEnglish, French and Portuguese. It is alsoexpected that this award will also coveraudio visual media within the medium term.Action linked to increasing managementcapacity and mobilization of resources isalso envisaged, in order to buttress sustai-nability and the institutionalization ofCOMED in Africa. The development of this Strategic Plan hasbeen a long process spanning severalmonths. I take this opportunity thank allthose members of the COMED SteeringCommittee who participated in its concep-tion and realization. Work on the develop-ment of this Strategic Plan started inSeptember 2007 with conceptual reflexionsinvolving the COMED Secretariat and twocolleagues, Betsy Heen, Senior EducationAdvisor at Norad and Chairperson of theSteering Committee and Maud Seghers,Programme Officer at ADEA. I take thisopportunity to recognize their invaluablecontribution and thank the principal consul-tants for this project, Mr. Alcinou Da Costa,former Director of Communications atUNESCO and Mr. Ibrahima Sar, a memberof the COMED Steering Committee. Mr.Philip Hado from the WANAD Centre inCotonou, and Mr. Latevi Lawson, COMED'sProgramme Officer and Mr GillesAdoukonou, COMED's Finance Officer alsocontributed to the project. To all of you, I sayBRAVO

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I - CONTEXTIntroduction

DESPITE PROGRESS MADE INEDUCATION in Africa over the past two deca-des, which include considerable increase inaccess to education, education in Africa conti-nue to face numerous challenges in the 21stcentury. One challenge is to build nationalcommitment to developing a communicationstrategy for Education For All. Broadeningaccess, improving quality, and building capa-cities, together with the resources and thereforms to accomplish them, will require theparticipation of and dialogue between thevarious actors and partners in education.Communication is central to securing thesepartnerships. Communication programmes ineducation encourages exchange of informa-tion within a community and internationally,helps draw out consensus in a group, stimula-tes the collective action needed to solve spe-cific problems, maximizes coordination, and

harmonizes donor support to specific initiati-ves. The Association for the Development ofEducation in Africa (ADEA), in collaborationwith the World Bank, the West African News-media and Development Centre (WANAD),with financial support from the NorwegianEducation Trust Fund (NETF), has supportedthis initiative to promote the use of communi-cation in support of education since 1998. Theinitiative known as the Communication forEducation and Development (COMED) pro-gramme became an ADEA Working Group(WG) in April 2002. Through the work of WGCOMED and its network of journalists and thepress in general, new knowledge generated ineducational reform in sub-Saharan Africa isshared and this in turn enhances policy dialo-gue among the various stakeholders. Thisalso promotes common understanding of theissues in educational reform and helps buildcommitment and ownership of reforms.

The ADEA BiennaleThe most significant regional encounter for educational cooperation in Africa, the Biennale onEducation in Africa, which takes place every two years, brings together African Ministers ofEducation and Training, high-level representatives of multi-and-bilateral organizations working inthe field of development, researchers, practitioners and other education professionals in sub-Saharan Africa.The Biennales provide an excellent opportunity for meeting other participants, for discussions,and for sharing experiences and knowledge. They also represent an important element in the lifeof the Association. Their principal objective is to encourage and enable straightforward and opendialogue between all participants on the chosen themes regarding the development of educatio-nal systems in Africa. This dialogue, which is supplemented by analytical work undertaken spe-cially for the event, including numerous contributions from education professionals and practitio-ners who are members of the ADEA network, is essential for promoting the necessary educatio-nal reforms, and it also enables ADEA to adapt its activities in order to best serve the needs ofAfrican countries.

2. Objectives:

WG COMED HAS OUTLINED CERTAINobjectives that are linked to capacity building,providing support to the development of edu-cation sector plans at national level by promo-ting dialogue, consensus and understandingthrough communication, and strengthening ofEFA partnerships between ministries of edu-cation and other stakeholders such as

parents. They are:- To strengthen the capacity of communicationunits in ministries of education in African coun-tries to promote national dialogue andconsensus for education policies and pro-grammes through designing and implemen-ting public information and communicationstrategies that are participatory and directedto all relevant internal and external publics;- To develop a network of trained journalists

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within the African media to report on issues ofeducation and development;- To enhance the exchange and distribution ofnews and information among ADEA consti-tuencies, including African journalists speciali-zing in education issues, communication offi-cers in education ministries, civil society orga-nizations and other relevant stakeholdersthrough establishing an electronic-based com-munication system;- To mobilize adequate resources for execu-ting the programmes and work plans of theWorking Group

3. Purpose:

THIS STRATEGIC PLAN FOR WG COMEDIS MEANT first and foremost for all partnersand stakeholders that are promoting educa-tion reforms in Africa through the use of com-munication. This includes all of ADEA's enti-ties - the consortium of donors, researchers,governments etc. ADEA was founded twentyyears ago and has developed from a donors'forum established to enhance the coordinationof donor activities into a broad-based forumfor consultation, cooperation and policy dialo-gue that brings

together African education ministries, deve-lopment agencies, foundations, NGOs,researchers and education specialists, whosecommon ground lies in the contributions theymake to education in Africa. Due to the changing circumstances within WGCOMED as well as external issues related tothe overall linkages between ADEA's visionand its activities as well as the need to be ableto assess tangible and identifiable outcomesstemming from ADEA's overall niche, thisStrategic Plan will guide WG COMED in deve-loping its vision on how to achieve the objecti-ves and goals of the working group. It willdevelop mechanisms for obtaining maximalsynergy effect with the Strategic objectives ofADEA. The Plan will also enable the workinggroup to clarify the direction that it will betaking in the context of the changing policyenvironment in the next five years.The Plan will serve the purposes ofCommunication Units in Education ministriesin Africa. Such ministries have a major

responsibility for managing programmes andfor piloting reforms in their countries. Amongtheir several partners are: parents, teachers'unions, learners, civil society, faith-based andcommunity organizations, the media, universi-ties and research institutions, proprietors,relevant arms of government, the private andvoluntary sectors and development agencies

4. Methodology/The formulationprocess

THE STRATEGIC PLANNING EXERCISEwas conducted in Cotonou, under the overallcoordination of the WG COMED Coordinatorwith the support of a communications consul-tant and two members of the WG COMEDSteering Committee. It started with a briefingand brainstorming session in which differentopinions and viewpoints were expressed onthe subject matter. The approach was partici-patory with certain criteria underlying the stra-tegic plan (i.e. relevance, efficiency, effective-ness, sustainability and impact) consideredthroughout the discussions and the elabora-tion of the plan. It is expected that this plan-ning process will also cater for better andmore viable interventions on the continent inthe area of communication for education anddevelopment.This strategic planning exercise has beenvery timely given that it comes immediatelyafter the development and publication ofADEA's Strategic Framework. This work waspreceded by a series of planning workshopsand meetings with all the 11 ADEA WorkingGroups. Moreover, the WG COMEDProgramme evaluation concluded in May2007 recommended that a strategic plan bedrawn up for the programme. A number ofissues have since emerged and have provo-ked considerable thinking during the develop-ment of this plan. It is also coming at a timewhen circumstances are changing in the ove-rall education environment in Africa.

" A prime factor in fostering change and deve-lopment can be the planned and systematicuse of communication to help individuals,communities, and societies to accept andintroduce change" (Colin Fraser and SoniaRestrepo-Estrada, in Communicating forDevelopment; p. 4)

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5. Parameters for StrategicPlanning

THE STRATEGIC PLANNING EXERCISEhas allowed the working group to examine thefollowing parameters that need to be addres-sed:

(1) Capacity development, possibly attwo or more levels. Firstly at the individuallevel with the acquisition of skills and knowled-ge on information use that may be obtainedthrough technical and non-technical works-hops, and secondly provide support in buildingup of capacities of Ministries of Education andother organizational capacities such as inter-nal structures, and collective capacities ofstaff to enable responsiveness to communica-tion activities vis-à-vis education. There is alsothe need to focus on strengthening capacitydevelopment at national level and to make thiscut across all WG COMED activities - thisincludes specialized training and encourage-ment for MOE Communication Officers to joinprofessional organizations (e.g. PublicRelations Association), to enhance their jobperformance and career development.

(2) Establish a series of collaborativeagreements with national training institu-tions in the area of communication in Africaand a selected few outside Africa that are dea-ling with communication and developmentactivities. Formalized partnerships withAfrican institutions will need to be establishedin multiple areas with emphasis in the area ofresearch. Considerable use will be made ofexisting research results in the fields of botheducation and communication. While strivingfor knowledge on education and developmentto become accessible to everybody, smartpartnerships between public, private and non-profit organizations are critical at this stage.These enabling partners are likely to shareexpertise and contribute financially to helpensure that local activities are sustainable.With strong partnerships, WG COMED shouldalso be in a strong position to provide supportthrough education information services, advi-ce on educational developments on the conti-nent as well as access to expert networks andlocal websites.

6. The New Challenges:

SEVERAL CHALLENGES MAY NEED TO BEaddressed concurrently, and we note the follo-wing: - Resources mobilisation - Communicationhas costs: time, expertise, appropriate structu-res and technologies, including planning andorganization. Therefore, communicationrequires resources - material, human, finan-cial, technical.- Diversifying the resource base of WGCOMED - From 2002 to 2006, COMED recei-ved financial support from the NorwegianEducation Trust Fund (NETF) which has nowbeen completed, and which overall has beenseen as a highly successful model of technicalassistance that has helped countries preparecredible plans for educational development, tofoster dialogue among diverse stakeholdersand to build consensus for policy reform. Thepartnerships that COMED will henceforthdevelop with other institutions and coopera-tion agencies will enable it to diversify itsresource base; proposals for medium termresource mobilization and partnerships will bedeveloped by the COMED Secretariat in orderto seek alternative sources of funding.COMED would in the first place design anestablished programme for fund-raising thatwill be part of its overall strategy. - Increasing national commitment to develo-ping communication strategy for education/EFA - The communication programme shouldencourage exchanges of information within acommunity, help draw out consensus in agroup, and stimulate the collective action nee-ded to solve specific problems. - Accessing national resources for WGCOMED programmes.

Communication "can no longer be treated likethe fifth wheel on a car - nice to have, butsomething of luxury. Communication needs tobe converted into the steering wheel to helpguide the enormous changes necessary bythose responsible for national policies, by insti-tutions, societies, communities and groups."(Colin Fraser and Sonia Restrepo-Estrada, inCommunicating for Development; p. 238)

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7. New Opportunities for CapacityDevelopment:

COMED WILL SPECIFICALLY CONTINUEto work with Ministries of Education on thecontinent and will promote and enhanceministerial capacity for institutional communi-cation on educational issues through the follo-wing:- National training for communication officers,and other media practitioners.- Widespread use of the new tool kit for mediapractitioners in Africa.- Use of new modules for designing andmanaging communication strategies.- Use of other communication techniques and

tools.- Use new techniques in institutional commu-nication programme design and management.- Use of more internal communicationsmechanisms.- Promote public/external relations inMinistries of Education.- Maintain viable media/press relations, andenhance media understanding of educationissues in general.- Support public affairs communication andadvocacy - in particular advocacy with medialeaders/gatekeepers.- Help to design ministerial communicationstrategies.

II - THE STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK

1. Introduction:

WG COMED'S MAIN STRATEGY, AMONGother things, will be geared towards suppor-ting country leaderships in education, streng-thening local institutions and advocating forbuilding efficient partnerships to serve natio-nal interests. It will be based on an extensiveconsultation process involving countries, sub-regions, and donor partners, UN agencies andkey partners, evaluation bodies, centres ofexcellence and steering committee members.This strategy will be linked to the overall ADEAstrategic plan and its targets and will adequa-tely reflect key international agreements andinitiatives including the MDGs and specificallythe broader EFA agenda.With the advent of new initiatives [such as theSchool Fee Abolition Initiative (SFAI)],COMED will support ADEA in ensuring that itmaintains and increase its international advo-cacy role for the promotion of all aspects ofeducation in Africa, while allowing other part-ners - UN agencies, NGOs, and the WorldBank to assume a more aggressive role interms of supporting financing, and servicedelivery at regional, national or internationallevel. WG COMED will be explicit about how

to work with civil society to achieve its goals.WG COMED's strategy will also reflect thenew aid agenda and the changes associatedwith move away from individual projects to amore strategic sectoral approach. It shouldfocus on some specific results-based planningand reporting, specify how this will be done,and elaborate on modalities for funding thevarious COMED-related activities on the conti-nent. It should also indicate potential areas ofconflict in programming, especially as relatedto the work of the other 10 ADEA WorkingGroups and other institutions with relatedtypes of agenda.

2. The issues:

WG COMED WILL SUPPORT WORK ONimproved quality in education, and furtherfocus on education for disadvantaged groups,girls and children from economically andsocially deprived communities. Fund-raisingwill during the medium term be COMED's big-gest priority. The fund-raising environment ismore challenging and competitive than everbefore. Achieving our fund-raising objectivesrequires innovative as well as a cohesive andco-ordinated fund-raising effort. The interna-

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tional community adopted in 2000 theMillennium Declaration and its eightMillennium Development Goals (MDGs) anddeclared its commitments to finance develop-ment. It is therefore imperative to know how tobetter operate in this dynamic fund-raisingenvironment

3. Opportunities and Challenges

COMED MUST UNDERSTAND AND OPERA-TE strategically within the ever-changing envi-ronment. We should be able to analyse thepublic and private sector funding develop-ments to understand trends, opportunities andchallenges at the global level as well as in ourlocal funding environment, providing importantinput to the global analysis, and how this isrelated specifically to the situation in Africa.With this continuous analysis we will have aclear framework within which to raise resour-ces. ADEA's strength coupled with strongcommunication capacities gives us a uniqueability to inform, inspire and motivate donors.COMED in conjunction with ADEA shouldwork together to maximise our outreachthrough sponsored media and leverage forour advocacy messages, and help to "orches-trate" advocacy campaigns that support ourfund-raising efforts.The challenges for ADEA and COMED areenormous, but the opportunities are equallyas great. The Millennium Development Goalsare a great global challenge and donors aredemanding results and providing deadlines forachieving them. ADEA is well placed torespond.

4. Mission and Strategic orientation

FROM ITS INCEPTION IN 1998, THE NEEDfor a Working Group on communication foreducation was based on the idea that educa-tion systems work best in contexts of well-developed partnerships and trust between themultiple actors involved. In addition to the basic classroom partnership between tea-cher and learners, it was recognized that edu-cation systems are based on partnerships andtrust between school authorities, teachers,community and the Education Ministry; bet-

ween Ministries of Education and their finan-cing partners, mainly their Ministries ofFinance, but also external financing partners;and between practitioners and more up-stream professionals such as researchers.This implies a host of actors and participants:students, teachers, parents, community mem-bers, taxpayers, educational professionals,decision-makers, administrators who imple-ment programmes, legislators who vote bud-

gets, media people who provide (and trans-form) information etc. They are all essentiallinks in the chain that holds the education sys-tem together and enables it to move forward.And this is where effective communicationtakes on its full meaning: it is needed to keepall these actors and participants involved,informed and concerned. Education systemswork well when there is a good dose of socialcapital between all these actors; and multi-directional flow of reliable information is requi-red for this. Therefore in view of all this, WG COMEDconsiders the following in the formulation of itsmission and strategic orientation:- The stakes and challenges of EFA and theever-increasing importance of the role thatADEA is poised to play in contributing to mee-ting the educational challenges of the Africancontinent;- The numerous challenges that African Stateshave to contend with in educational reform;- The expectancies, diversity and multiplicityof the various national and international part-ners involved in the field of education in Africa;- A media path that has undergone considera-ble development; and

This was expounded by Richard Sack, then ADEA ExecutiveSecretary, in two articles in the ADEA Newsletter:"Communicating about Education: Partnerships, Trust andPedagogy" (April-June 1999); and "Linking Education, Pedagogyand Communication" (October-December 2000).

Trust is ''one of the determining factors in all partners-hips.'' This trust "cannot be reduced to a formal contract.It involves mutual recognition of each partner's institutio-nal and self-interests, expectations, problems, sovereign-ty, and cultures. It is maintained through the commonexperiences, permanent communication and proximitywhich facilitate mutual understanding.'' (President AbdouDiouf, Opening of ADEA's Biennial Meeting, Dakar,October 1997)

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- The low level of resources available for com-munication in the field of education.

A- In the light of the above, we might considerthe following principal tasks for COMED:

- To become the technical arm of ADEA in thearea of communication;- To develop advocacy in order to integratecommunication components in educationalpolicies;- To promote better knowledge of educationalfacts among the media and journalists;- To provide advice and quality services incommunication to ADEA and its 11 WorkingGroups, as well as to ministries of education inAfrica, the media, development cooperationagencies, and civil society organizations inter-vening in education;- Contribute to the expansion of support topolicies and reforms in education; - Mobilise matching financial resources.

B- The following strategic orientations mightalso be considered:

- Confirmation and expression of WGCOMED's leadership

Within ADEA, WG COMED is responsi-ble for the design, preparation, imple-mentation and evaluation of program-mes and services in the area of com-munication. To this end, it will developthe functional and operational relations-hips with the Secretariat and the 10other ADEA Working Groups in order torespond to their needs. COMED willprovide support and other additionalmeasures.

- Contribution towards a practicalunderstanding of policies andreforms in education:

Policy dialogue depends on sharedknowledge of policies and reformsthrough the development of informationand communication that allows for consensusbuilding and greater involvement of develop-ment partners.

- Accompaniment of ministries of educa-tion in the use of communication:While continuing to strengthen advocacyefforts in ministries of education in order toensure the systematic application of commu-nication issues in policies and programmes,WG COMED is called upon to prop up the pro-cess of setting up communication units inthese ministries. This would entail the streng-thening of staff capacity in those structuresthat WG COMED would support at the sub-regional level, and with a view to setting upsub-regional networks of communication offi-cers, as a prelude to the development of aregional network.

- The involvement of the Media

Presently, there is no project, initiative, or ven-ture that does not contain a solid communica-tion component that directly covers the media.These have now become inevitable partnersboth for the production and transmission ofinformation as well as for sensitization and themobilization of public opinion. The strategicorientation in this domain requires that weconsider the following three elements:

(1) At the national level:The main reason given for the attention paidto the local media is because of its capacity toreach all segments of the population, particu-

WG COMED Coordinator with Nigerian Federal Minister of Basic Education, Hajiya Aishata Gibril Dukku at a recent Roundtable of Ministers of Educationand Education journalists in Maputo, Mozambique, May 2008. On theMinister's right is Nigerian journalist Bukola Olatunji, twice First Prize winnerof the Africa Education Journalism Award. Standing is London based freelan-ce photo journalist, Catherine Ecolivet.

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larly the grass roots communities. With this inmind, the capacity building of journalists cons-titutes a priority area for WG COMED, especially as it means developing good pro-fessional practice.

(2) At the sub-regional and regionallevels:The continental dimension of ADEA naturallyleads WG COMED to be preoccupied with theinvolvement of the African media at the regio-nal level as far as the transmission of infor-mation on developments in education goes,particularly as concerns common issues. The apprehension with regard to capacity buil-ding at this stage provides the opportunity foreffective partnership with regional institutesand training centres for journalists who covereducation in Africa. In this respect, the resto-ration of the Akintola Fatoyinbo AfricaEducation Journalism Award falls within thisframework. Its popularization will encourageexcellence in journalism for new generationsof journalists.

(3) At an international and donor-country level:

For public opinion, especially in donorcountries, there is a need to be able to moni-tor more closely developments in edu-cation in Africa while at the same time kno-wing how public resources allocated to thissector are being used. The regular provisionand sharing of information is a stake in themobilization of national public opinion whichcan have an influence on the direction thatcooperation takes.

- Provision of advice and services of a highquality With enormous developments in thefield of communication, particularly with theadvent of ICT, the response to the needs ofthe various actors and partners necessitatesthat WG COMED provide effective advice andservices.- Contribution to the attainment of the goalsregarding regional integration in the field ofeducationAs it is concerned with all education actions ofa regional dimension and being specialised incommunication for education, WG COMED isa stakeholder in the preparation and implementation of the communication strategy

for the 2nd Decade of Education in Africa. It will put its expertise at the disposal of theAfrican Union, which has approached ADEAto this end. With this implying the full integra-tion and involvement of populations, WG COMED will as it does for other aspects ofmobilization, work in a sustained manner withcivil society organizations (parents' associa-tions, teachers etc).

5. Strategic objectives

THIS STRATEGIC PLAN IS BEING DESI-GNED to develop mechanisms for obtainingmaximal synergy effect with the strategicobjectives of ADEA and its targets to adequa-tely reflect key international agreements andinitiatives including the MDGs and specificallythe broader EFA agenda. The following strate-gic objectives have therefore been proposed:1. Improve the role and use of strategiccommunication in order to promote educatio-nal reform ;2. Increase the production and exchan-ge of news and information about educationby improving the media's understanding of it,by paying closer attention and encouragingexcellence in reporting;3. Strengthen civil society's capacity tocommunicate and participate in policy dialo-gue as well as education reform;4. Strengthen COMED's institutionalcapacity in order to provide quality monitoringand effective management.5. Increase the financial resources ofWG/COMED.

6. Expected results and performan-ce indicators

THIS STRATEGIC PLAN INCLUDES Aperformance measurement framework for theWorking Group. Together with partners, user-friendly monitoring and evaluation systemsthat will be able to evaluate COMED's roles,its level and user satisfaction and the develop-mental impact of its activities will be develo-ped. Results and new knowledge will be sha-red with all partners ensuring that lessons arelearned from experiences. Research institu-tions, their activities and data-bases in educa-

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tion will be better promoted among journalistsand other communicators. Training in the useof educational statistics and other data-relatedexperiences for reporters and correspondentswould be necessary, as is the creation of user-friendly Education Management InformationSystems (EMIS).

7. Areas of intervention

TO ACHIEVE THESE RESULTS COMEDHAS chosen to do the following:1. Enhance the role and use of strategiccommunication to promote educationalreformThe aim is to help ministries of educationassume responsibility for communication sothat it becomes fully integrated into ministrywork programmes as a systematic modalityfor work, which in any case requires commu-nicating with different audiences who have dif-ferent needs. There are numerous partnersinvolved in implementing reform, policies, andprogrammes. These include students,parents, and other actors in education such ascommunication partners, NGOS and commu-nity groups.WG/COMED hopes to install, through a sus-tained internal communication effort, a climateof mutual trust that constitutes a prerequisitefor ensuring the regular flow and sharing ofinformation. At the same time it expects toestablish a dynamic external communicationeffort that will give visibility to the policies,reforms and programmes being implemented,and also to share the results and performanceoutcomes of the education system.

"Education is the key to economic and social deve-lopment. If we can get our leaders to understandthat education deserves priority, we would haveaccomplished a marvelous task...Our role as jour-nalists is very important; but to become more effec-tive development actors, we need to comprehendthe major issues in education."Akintola Fatoyinbo, COMED initiator and firstProgramme Manager (final public statement, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, November 30, 2002. Akinpassed on the following day, December 1, 2002)

2. Increase production and exchange ofeducation news and information by enhan-cing media understanding and attentionand promoting excellence in reportingAs a major challenge for Africans countries,education must progressively come to occupya legitimate place in the media. That meansthat over and above an awareness of what isat stake journalists must understand the fun-damental issues involved in education so asto improve their coverage of them and thusaddress the public's need for information thatwill prepare all actors for participation in policydialogue.

Akintola Fatoyinbo Africa Education Journalism Award Laureatesreceiving their awards in Maputo, Mozambique, May 2008

19

3. Reinforce the capacity of civil society tocommunicate about and participate in policydialogue and education reforms

One of the underlying objectives for integra-ting a communication component at all stagesof education actions is to encourage activecommunity participation in national debate onpolicies, programmes and reforms in the edu-cation sector.

4. Strengthen COMED's institutional capacityto provide quality control and effective mana-gement

This will be accomplished by creating a basisfor effective cooperation among all identifiedpartners, the first step being to accompanythe launch of ADEA's Medium Term Plan.In order to achieve the continent-wide objecti-ves it will also be necessary - above andbeyond ensuring the relevance and quality of

the interventions - to meet the challenge ofoptimising resources. These require mobili-zing partners with a view to enhancing cohe-rence and consequently make it easier toachieve the desired results. The main advan-tage would come from using existing researchresults in both communication and educationin Africa with a focus on applied researchconcerning problems in education, as well ason the collection and popularization of bestpractices and lessons learned in the variousfields in which we currently work.

5. Increase the financial resources ofWG/COMEDThe sheer number of tasks and projectsundertaken by WG/COMED requires an everincreasing investment to meet both needs andpriorities. It is absolutely essential to mobilisefunds on a grand scale by diversifying thesources of funding for the working group

N° Strategic objectives

Estimated budget in US Dollars Total

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 %

1Enhance the role and useof strategic communica-tion to promote educationreform.

92 500 150 000 156 000 175 000 187 000 760 500 14,37%

2Increase the productionand exchange of informa-tion on education

145 760 301 000 407 000 468 000 516 000 1 837 760 34,74%

3Strengthen the capacityof civil society to commu-nicate and participate inpolicy dialogue

70 000 159 000 160 000 182 000 195 000 766 000 14,48%

4 Strengthen COMED'sinstitutional capacity 111 400 120 000 105 000 144 000 101 000 581 400 10,99%

5 Increase the financialresources of COMED 0 35 000 40 000 55 000 65 000 195 000 3,69%

6 Secretariat running cost 200 000 200 000 250 000 250 000 250 000 1 150 000 21,74%

TOTAL 619 660 965 000 1 118 000 1 274 000 1 314 000 5 290 660 100%

8. Budget Overview to support this Plan

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Meetings with partners help to create the foundation for work based on a division of tasks andresponsibilities. It gives an opportunity to take stock of the mutual needs and expectations ofeach, and thereby help define what kind of accompaniment and/or support WG/COMED shouldprovide. Here are the specific activities to be implemented under each strategic objective

III - The Strategic Plan 2008 - 2012

Objective 1: Enhance the role anduse of strategic communication topromote education reform

EDUCATION MINISTRIES HAVE A MAJORresponsibility for managing programmes andfor leading the reforms in their countries.They therefore need to establish multiplepartnerships for education development andchange. Ministries must seek the activeengagement and support of varied public, pri-vate, community and civic groups, for suc-cess in developing and implementing educa-tion reforms. The processes involved in doingso are destined to become more participatory,democratic and accountable in line with ten-dencies in the broader national and interna-tional contexts. Multi-directional and multi-level communication will be required to effec-

tively address the partnerships required.COMED's contacts with the political and tech-nical leaderships of several education minis-tries suggests that there is a will to move to anew paradigm. Education ministries, sear-ching for ways of successfully implementingmuch-needed reforms, seem to recognize thenecessity for more effective communications.COMED will provide technical expertise toadvance reflection and to undertake action inthis area.

'Partnerships are necessary because so many par-ticipants are involved in making an education sys-tem work. They are all essential links of the chainthat holds the education system together and ena-bles it to go forward. Effective communication isneeded to keep them involved, informed andconcerned.'' (Richard Sack, ADEA ExecutiveSecretary, ADEA Newsletter, Volume 11, Number 2,April-June 1999, p. 2)

21

To expand the growing awareness and toencourage commitment, COMED will targetMinisters of Education, senior officials at poli-cy level, as well as funding partners, throughadvocacy and other efforts, so that theyaccept the importance of including communi-cation activities in their policies and program-mes, thus ensuring them greater visibility andincreased public support. The areas targeted for specific acti-vities are as follows:

a) Sensitization of top political andtechnical officials of educationministries and development part-ners: COMED will prepare informa-tion materials explaining the issuesinvolved and practical examples ofthe use and impact of communica-tion. These will be distributed atnational education and trainingevents, as well as at regional andinternational events where thesetop officials gather.

b) Enhance National Capacity toProduce High Quality Reporting ofEducation News:

WG COMED will develop partners-hips with institutions such as RhodesUniversity School of Journalism and MediaStudies in South Africa, or the Africa Instituteof Journalism and Communications in Ghana,or alternatively ESJ-International School ofJournalism in France to develop a strategictool-kit that will build on good practices fromcountry case studies to enhance effectivecoverage of education issues in African coun-tries. This kit will support the use of somebasic elements of a multi-dimensional com-munication strategy for education. It will alsodemonstrate to the learner that communica-tion is an essential tool for education policymakers in their quest to go to scale. It will pro-vide examples of how different forms of com-munication have been used successfully inenabling dialogue among stakeholders. It willalso emphasize the need for a policy and stra-tegic approach to the use of communication insupport of education in Africa. Journalists and

communication experts who will receive trai-ning with the use of this kit will be well-resour-ced with the technical knowledge and experti-se in ensuring that a policy and strategicapproach to communication for educationwould provide an important point of departurefor the massive mobilization of resources andenergies required for implementing Educationfor All, as well as other crucial programmes of

educational reform on the African continent

c) COMED will work with expert consultantsand specialized

training institutions to develop a hands-ontool-kit that will be used primarily for trai-ning journalists and communications offi-cers within the ministries of education.The tool-kit will enable journalists and commu-nications officers to enhance their dialoguewith Ministers of Education, senior officials atpolicy level, and funding partners to worktogether to include communication compo-nents in education policies and programmes,thus ensuring greater visibility and increasedpublic support. COMED will specifically targetnational universities, training institutes,UNESCO BREDA and UNESCO NationalCommissions at the country and regional

WG COMED preparing the tool kit for journalists and communication offi-cers in Africa in Cotonou, April, 2008

22

levels to organize and host up to 16 sub-regio-nal and national training workshops that willbe spread out during plan period. COMED willalso participate in a series of other nationalworkshops that will be hosted by FAPE.Based on needs assessment and diagnosticinformation from COMED's previous work withMinistries of Education, profiles of communi-cation tasks and skills have been createdaround training modules for work with commu-nication officers. These will now be updatedand adopted in the new tool kit for use in theregional and national level capacity reinforce-ment workshops.

d) Reinforcing capacity of communicationunits in education ministries:

Based on needs assessment and diagnosticinformation from COMED's previous work withministries, profiles of communication tasksand skills have been created around trainingmodules for work with communication officers.These will be updated and adapted for natio-nal-level capacity reinforcement in four to sixselected countries. A regional network invol-ving these countries will also be organized.The COMED Secretariat will explore the useof the three-prong "quality node approach"employed by the ADEA Secretariat. This willinvolve (a) analytical work to synthesize "goodpractices" in each of these areas (much workof this type has already been conducted byCOMED); (b) sub-regional and national kno-wledge sharing and peer learning by the fourto six countries which have shown their com-mitment by including communication for edu-cation in their national sector programmes(including financing). These countries would be asked to participatein a 2-3 years process comprising (i) regionalworkshops (perhaps annually) to share expe-rience, promote peer learning, and compareprogress in implementation of national capaci-

ty-building programmes; and (ii) nationalcapacity-building activities organized withinthe framework of their sector programmes;and (iii) technical back-stopping at the sub-regional and national level facilitated byCOMED.

e) Undertaking and publishing analytical casestudies of communication in/by selectedministries of education: The studies will be asking questions aboutcommunication polices, guidelines, structuresand activities of ministries of education; aboutsources of information, different messages,priority interlocutors, human, technical andfinancial resources for ministerial communica-tion; the public image of education ministries,and the flow of information from the centre toperiphery establishments: from the minister'soffice in the capital city, to a village schoolhead teacher in the remotest rural community.The results of the studies will be used to esta-blish a diagnostic approach to ministerial com-munication and to disseminate successfulexamples.

23

Journalists from various African countries on a COMED sponsored training

1. Enhance the role and use of strategic communication to promote education reform1. Accroîtrele rôle et l'utilisation de la communication stratégique pour la promotion des réformes de l'édu-

cationOperatio

nalobjecti-

ves

Activities DescriptionEstimated budget in US Dollars

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Strengthenadvocacy toministersand their col-leagues

Work/studyvisits to prio-rity countries

The COMED Coordinatorand a communicationconsultant will make a 3-day working visit to eachpriority country

Kenya,Swaziland,Burkina Faso,Liberia

15 000

Angola,Botswana,Afrique duSud,Tanzanie

25 000

Algérie,Mauritanie,Maroc,Tunisie

26 000

Cap-Vert, Côted'Ivoire,Guinée-Bissau, GuinéeConakry

30 000

Lesotho, Malawi,Ile Maurice,Zambie

35 000

Working visitto AU head-quarters

The COMED Coordinatorand communicationconsultant will make a 3-day working visit to AUheadquarters to makeuseful contacts for moun-ting a communication stra-tegy for the Decade forEducation

10 000

Develop theprofessionalskills of com-municationprofessio-nals

Develop atraining kiton communi-cation foreducationand develop-ment

The COMED Secretariatwill invite 3 independentexpert/consultants to helpprepare the training tool kitfor journalists and educa-tion communicators. It willthen be published inEnglish, French andPortuguese.

22 500

Workshop totest the trai-ning tool kiton communi-cation foreducation

20 experts/trainers from15 Francophone countrieswill attend workshop totest the COMED trainingkit. The kit preparationteam would be amongthose participating in the5-day workshop inCotonou

45 000

Eight subregional andnationalworkshops tostrengthenthe capacityof journalistsand commu-nication offi-cers in theministries ofeducation

Each year 28 communica-tion officers and journalistswill participate in two tofour different sub regionaland national skills-buildingworkshops of 10 dayseach.

95 000 90 000 95 000 100 000

Four casestudies oncommunica-tion in theministries ofeducation offour coun-tries

A consultant will be calledupon in each of the fourchosen countries to carryout a study lasting 30days

30 000(Sénégal)

40 000(Djibouti)

50 000(Ouganda) 52 000$

(Madagascar)

SUB-TOTAL 192 500 150 000 156 000 175 000 187 000

TOTAL 1 760 500 $US

24

Objective 2: Increase productionand exchange of education newsand information by enhancingmedia understanding and attentionand promoting excellence in repor-ting

IN THE PAST SEVEN YEARS COMED HASpartnered with the African media to increasethe number of editors, journalists, producersand their organizations focusing on educationissues. A COMED Journalists' Network, num-bering more than seventy persons, was sup-ported to cover major education events, provi-ding on-site reports and subsequent in-depthanalyses for wide-spread diffusion andexchange. Most of them have also conti-nuously covered the education sector in theirown countries through regular news reporting,opinion columns and broadcast programmes.Increasingly, these are available in on-line edi-tions. To the extent possible, these activitieswill continue to be supported from 2008 to theend of period covered by this strategic plan,through increased documentation and infor-mation exchange, and regional as well asnational-level training activities. The followingspecific actions are proposed:

a. Strengthen National Networks ofCommunicators for Education:

At the end of COMED training workshops inseveral countries since 2000, participantsdecided to create associations to continuecontact and professional development. TheNetworks comprise journalists, ministerialcommunication officers, training institutionsand other relevant stakeholders. In Senegal,Nigeria, Mali, Ghana, Congo, Ethiopia, Benin,where networks already exist, these groupsneed to be backstopped to continue regular(monthly/quarterly) activities to engage andcommit their members, increase their experti-se on education issues and provide access tonational and international data sources.COMED will provide modest support for perio-dic briefing sessions, one-day skills-relatedtraining (e.g. on education statistics), introduc-tion to new technologies and important websi-

tes. COMED support will also ensure impro-ved provision and exchange of information atnational and regional levels through trainingon how to use its website.

b. Support Political Will and the Climate for theDevelopment of a Communications Strategyfor the Second Decade of Education in Africa:

Following the evaluation of the First Decade ofEducation for Africa (2006), ADEA received arequest from the African Union to support thedevelopment of a communication strategy forthe Second Decade. The request was reitera-ted during a July 2007 meeting betweenADEA, UNESCO and the AU Commission,where it met a positive response from all part-ners. As the "expert" branch of ADEA in thearea of communication for education anddevelopment, WGCOMED studied andresponded to the request. In follow-up to itsfifth, sixth and seventh meetings (July andOctober 2007, and May 2008), the WGCO-MED Steering Committee (chaired by Norad)approved the provision of support to theAfrican Union in drawing up a continentalcommunications strategy to support activitiesrelated to the Second Decade of Education forAfrica. While they do not restate the EFA/FTIgoals exactly, the objectives of the SecondDecade clearly match those of these globalinitiatives. As clarified in the AU's "Plan ofAction", the Second Decade's areas of focuson "gender and culture" or "teacher develop-ment" (to name only two) relate directly to EFAGoals 2, 4, 5, 6. The external evaluation of theFirst Decade clearly indicated that the suc-cess of the Second Decade would depend -also - on the existence (and implementationof) a solid communication strategy.

25

Where am I? Home : Award Holder Support : Communications Toolkit :Communications Strategy : Top Ten Tips

1.CHECK EXTERNAL PERCEPTIONS OF YOURcentre/programme among potential target audiences beforeyou start. This will help you develop a communications stra-tegy that gives you a distinct and credible voice. 2.Begin with a statement of your objectives in communica-ting the project; don't simply restate the objectives of theproject itself. Make them clear, simple and measurable. 3.Be clear on the principles underpinning your strategy.Some may be self-evident, like producing honest, succinct,credible and cost-effective communications. But also thinkabout what you are prepared to do, and not do, as part ofyour communication strategy. 4.Develop some simple messages and model how thesemight work in different contexts - a press release, a report, anewspaper article, a website page. Remember that you canbe succinct without 'dumping down'. Make sure your projectis branded in line with your communication objectives. 5.Be clear about your target audiences and user groups andprioritize them according to importance and influence relati-ve to your objectives. Don't just think about the 'usualsuspects'. 6.Think about both the actual and preferred channels yourtarget audiences might use and challenge yourself aboutwhether you are planning to use the right ones for maximumimpact. 7.Include a full list of all the relevant communications activi-ties, developed into a working project plan with deadlinesand responsibilities. Keep it flexible but avoid being vague. 8.Keep it manageable and don't underestimate the timeinvolved in communication. Include key deadlines, milesto-nes and review points. 9.Estimate the time and money involved. The ESRC recom-mends that around five per cent of the total funded researchbudget should be allocated for communication. Ensure valuefor money by targeting communication effectively: prioritizingthe audiences and channels and focusing on highimpact/low cost activity. Buy in specialist help where neces-sary. 10.Build in some simple evaluation measures at the start sothat you'll know if and how you have succeeded in meetingyour communication objectives.

1. Identify and analyze theproblem as well as the resultingcommunication needs

2. Target specific groups

3. Determine operationalobjectives

4. Determine strategicareas to focus on and plan activi-ties

5. Formulate key messages

6. Select communication channels and

mediums

7. Plan necessary human,material and financial resources

8. Produce communicationmaterial

9. Implement the program-me as planned

10. Monitor and evaluate theimpact of the programme andreprogramme depending on theevaluation result

10 Steps for the Planning andimplementation of a

Communication programme

26

C. The Akintola Fatoyinbo AfricaEducation Journalism Award:

THIS IS A JOINT RESPONSIBILITY OF THEADEA Secretariat and COMED. After 'resting'for one year, the Award was revived in 2007,and in May 2008 four new prize winners andtwo laureates for a special prize were honou-red at an award ceremony held in Maputo,Mozambique. A revamped format is expectedto be more cost effective while continuing theobjective of promoting excellence in educationreporting by African journalists. The Award'sactivities to be managed jointly by the ADEASecretariat and COMED include: promotion,advertising, publicity and call for entries,selection of juries, media relations, processingof entries, preliminary screening, selection ofshort-listed and winning entries, announce-ment of winners, study tour to partner mediaorganizations who are leaders in educationjournalism and other study opportunities toenhance professional profile of laureates.

d. Specialized media featureson education:

While the base of African media and journa-lists reporting on education is expanding,there is however, need to develop a corps ofhighly-skilled commentators and analystswhose grasp of education issues and theirability to express them cogently could providequality products that are able to attract theattention of policy makers and civil society atregional and national levels. Their work couldbecome significant inputs into education poli-

cy dialogue. COMED will identify a smallgroup of talented journalists, from its existingNetworks if possible, who can be supported toplay this critical role. They will be invited byADEA, the World Bank, the African Union andother institutions to attend special educationevents to be organized during the five yearperiod of this strategic plan, and will be provi-ded access to significant education actors andinformation sources. A major event in 2008has been the Biennale organized by ADEA inwhich over 600 participants includingMinisters of Education in Africa attended inMaputo, Mozambique in May. WG COMEDwill also support media coverage of othermajor activities such as the coverage of theHigh level EFA meetings and the launch of theGlobal Monitoring Report each year.Journalists and correspondents' reports will bewidely disseminated through ADEA and othernetworks. This will refocus media coverage ofmajor education events in Africa from themore training-oriented 'mass' approach of thepast, to a more selective, mainstreamed pro-fessional approach. It will also significantlyreduce costs and is designed to improve qua-lity. Funding for the features service will beincluded in COMED contracts with organizersfor media coverage of the events.

e. Operationalizing the WG COMED website:

This activity will increase COMED's visibilityand networking function. It will link COMED'svarious constituencies: media, educationministries, researchers and instructors, edu-cation stakeholders, development partnersand the larger ADEA family through providingand exchanging information about communi-cation for education in Africa. News abouteducation from media (provided daily) as wellas clippings and contributions from communi-cation officers in education ministries will becomplemented by moderated electronic forumdiscussions on various subjects of interest.Monitoring of the website's usefulness will beundertaken through documenting 'hits' as wellas periodic questionnaires for users. COMEDwill work with the ADEA web developer tostreamline the two web sites to avoid duplica-tion of efforts and enhance synergy

Akintola Fatoyinbo Award Prize Ceremony: Carol Natukundafrom the New Vision newspaper in Uganda receiving her prize

from Elizabeth Heen, Chairperson of COMED

27

2. Increase the production and exchange of information on education

Operational

objecti-ves

Activities DescriptionBudget estimate in US Dollars

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Enhance thecoverage ofeducationfacts andissues

Twelve national trai-ning workshops foreducation journa-lists and communi-cators

25 education journalists and communica-tors in 3 countries will participate in sepa-rate 10-day national workshops, eachassisted by a consultant (Kenya, Liberiaand Mali) 68 760 75 000 85 000 85 000

Four sub regionalworkshops for trai-ning trainers oncommunication foreducation anddevelopment

12 journalists and communication officersfrom the ministries of education of 3 coun-tries, to be selected every year, will takepart in the 10-day sub regional workshopsfor training trainers, each assisted by 3consultants

45 000 48 000 50 000 52 000

Three regionalworkshops for trai-ning education jour-nalists and commu-nicators during the3 ADEA Biennales

20 education journalists and communica-tors in different countries will be invited toattend each Biennale and associatedworkshop during 3 days, in the presenceeach time of 3 consultants

20 000 30 000 40 000

4 sub regional trai-ning workshops oneducation statistics

18 journalists in 6 countries will take parteach year in a sub regional trainingworkshop on the use of education statis-tics

40 000 45 000 50 000 52 000

4 annual sub regio-nal workshops toassess educationnews coverage

Each year the WG/COMED Secretariatwill organize a sub regional workshop tobe held in Cotonou over 5 days. It willassess the coverage of education news byAfrican media. Participants will include: publishers, jour-nalists, communication officers from theministries of education and representati-ves of civil society.

46 000 47 000 50 000 48 000

2 ateliers régio-naux de formationet de renforcementde capacités desmembres régio-naux du COMED

20 education journalists and communica-tors, who are members of the 10 nationalnetworks, will take part every two years ineach of the workshops for a 5-day period,assisted by the 2 consultants assigned toeach workshop.The workshops will take place in Cotonouand Addis

45 000 49 000

Meetings and localtraining and infor-mation workshopsfor members of thenational COMEDnetworks

The COMED Secretariat will support thenational networks in 10 countries in offe-ring their members regular training andinformation sessions on the major chal-lenges to education in Africa and theworld.

60 000 100 000 120 000 140 000

Organizemedia cove-rage of thebig events

ADEA Biennale The WG/COMED Secretariat will providetechnical support for the media coverageand will always be represented (one wee-k's attendance per Biennale).

17 000 15 000 25 000

28

High-level meetings on educa-tion

The WG/COMED Secretariatwill help develop the plans formedia coverage and identifythe necessary journalists andcommunication officers. TheSecretariat will always berepresented (one week'sattendance per event)

25 000 35 000 20 000 22 000 27 000

Launch of the EFA GlobalMonitoring Report

Technical support fromWG/COMED for inviting mediaand communication professio-nals to cover the launches andother international educationevents. The Secretariat willalways be represented (oneweek's attendance per event).

5 000 10 000 7 000 17 000 17 000

Contributeto the orga-nization ofthe AfricanEducationJournalismAward(AEJA)

Dividing up roles and responsi-bilities between ADEA andCOMED

The WG/COMED Secretariatwill, on each occasion, providethe technical support neededto organize the AEJA

10 000 20 000 20 000 25 000 30 000

SUB-TOTAL 2 145 760 301 000 407 000 468 000 516 000

TOTAL 2 1 837 760 $US

ment its project, 'l'Ecole des Parents' in whichparents speak to other parents about educationand urge them to participatemore in the governance and acti-vities of schools. Piloted andrecently-evaluated in three coun-tries, Burkina Faso, Guinea andSenegal, the project has provi-ded important insights into thecontribution that communicationamong parents and familiesmake to increased enrolmentand retention (especially of girls)and parents' participation inschool governance and extra-curricula activities. The experien-ce can be scaled up with theinclusion of other civil societygroups apart from parents; forexample, women's and youthgroups, to create a veritablemobilization of communities in support of theeducation sector. It can also be extended toother countries FAPE and COMED agree thatthis work should be further developed. From2008 COMED will provide technical assistancefor FAPE to engage in national training activi-ties in twelve countries. The possibility of a

regional 'network' of these countries will beinitiated to share experiences and build skills.

Participants will likely comefrom the FAPE pilot coun-tries, Burkina Faso, Guineaand Senegal, and othercountries with experience oflocal level decentralized edu-cation development activi-ties, such as Uganda,Tanzania, Kenya andEthiopia. The network will bepatterned along the lines ofthe 'quality nodes' that havebeen successfully applied byADEA in its work on educa-tion quality. Thus, whilenational level activities arepromoted, multi-countryexchange and sharing is alsoundertaken to encourage

countries to learn from one another. Technicalback-stopping for the network by COMED isenvisaged. Funding will be sought by FAPEfrom national education sector programmes,among other sources. COMED will also prepa-re proposals to donors to support regional levelactivities. The final list of participating countries

National EFA coalitions find a voicearound the worldAfrica: The Liberian campaign net-work participated in the drafting com-mittee of the 2004-2015 EducationPolicy Act. In Sierra Leone and Kenya,national networks reported that seve-ral of their proposals were taken onboard in their countries' ten-year edu-cation sector plans or acts. In theNiger, lobbying led to pledges torecruit more teachers, increase theeducation budget and open new litera-cy centres. Budget tracking has alsogained momentum, notably in Ugandaand the United Republic of Tanzania.Source: Africa network Campaign onEducation For All - quoted in UNESCO2008 EFA GMR

29

will be based on negotiations to ascertain inter-est and willingness to commit resources.b) Producing and continued testing ofinstructional module on communication foreducation policy dialogue: Through its mem-bership of the ADEA ad hoc Working Group onPolicy Dialogue, COMED has produced a ten-unit training module on communication to sup-port education policy dialogue. After pre-testingin several workshops in the past three years, it

will be printed in a preliminary version for useby ADEA, IBE and other partners for furthertraining sessions. COMED will integrate thismodule in the new tool kit that will be developedin order to continue to use and test it as well asits various units in national training activities foreducation stakeholders. A unit on communica-tion in civil society organizations will be furtherdeveloped in order to support training aimed atbuilding capacity in these groups.

COMED will continue to promote communication at the schoollevel with parents, teachers and students to ensure that qualityissues are on the top of the school agenda

A listening Group in Matam (750 km from theSenegalese capital, Dakar)

3. Strengthen the capacity of civil society to communicate and participa-te in policy dialogue

Operationalobjectives

Activities DescriptionBudget estimate in US Dollars

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012To create a flow ofinformation by moreintensive mining ofcurrent news

Information oneducation will tar-get the widestpossible range ofaudiences

2 regional workshops per year will beorganized to implement and consolidatethe School for Parents. There will be 15participants and 2 consultants for each 5-day workshop.

70 000(Dakar

andOuagado

ugou)

75 000 75 000 80 000 85 000

National workshops in Kenya and Mali willbe organized to test the module on policydialogue in education. Each of the 2workshops will include 20 participants.Afterwards the module will be translatedinto English and Portuguese. The 3 ver-sions (English, French, and Portuguese)will then be produced and disseminated.

41 000

1 sub regional training workshop eachyear on policy dialogue in education.Each workshop will have 20 participantsfrom 5 countries.

40 000 50 000 55 000

Implementation ofstrategies to enhan-ce ministry actionplans

Eight workshopsto train communi-cation officers howto implement com-munication strate-gies

The 28 communication officers who haveparticipated each year in the two capaci-ty-building workshops will then join eachof these two training groups in order toproduce ministerial communicationplans/strategies on EFA in their respectivecountries.

43 000 45 000 52 000 55 000

SUB-TOTAL 3 70 000 159 000 160 000 182 000 195 000

TOTAL 3 766 000 $US

30

OBJECTIVE 4: Strengthen COMED's insti-tutional capacity to provide quality controland effective managementa) Reinforcing the COMED Secretariat:

IN VIEW OF THE WORKING GROUP'Schanging programming and workload, theCOMED Secretariat will require strengtheningto more efficiently manage its activities on aday-to-day basis. A new Coordinator has beenappointed in May 2007 to head the WorkingGroup Secretariat and ensure day-to-day ope-rations, and has received short term supportto ensure continued technical efficacy.Beginning 2008 COMED's priorities are toimprove its financial management structureand to broaden it funding base.

The financial management structure will beimproved by the following measures:1. Strict adherence to activities included inthe grant agreements, work plans and bud-gets. WG COMED may approach otherdonors for additional resources as and whenthe need arises;2. Timely implementation of all plannedactivities and adherence to the budget.COMED works very closely with Norad andwill on a monthly basis consult with them andprovide updates on the status of programmeimplementation and financial management.The ADEA Secretariat and members of theWorking Group Steering Committee will alsoreceive regular quarterly updates;3. Submit financial reports as stipula-ted in grant agreements. In addition,COMED will submit a qualitative reportthatdescribes the implemented activities.

As from 2008, COMED will be strengthe-ned to provide quality control and effectivemanagement that would enable it toincrease and diversify its resource mobili-zation (from national and international,public and private sector sources) as wellas promote COMED's visibility and com-petitiveness. WGCOMED will develop afinance strategy and tools for manage-ment, planning, evaluation and reportingof communication related activities. Workon the development of such tools for finan-cial management and planning will be

done with assistance from the ADEASecretariat and the new ADEA host institution,the African Development Bank. Proposals formedium-term resources mobilization will bedeveloped by the COMED Secretariat in 2008.Other activities foreseen will include: enhan-cing institutional communication with educa-tion partners (ADEA Steering Committee,national authorities and organizations, deve-lopment partners, the private sector, themedia, and professional associations).Additional staffing will be provided to supportspecifically the Africa Education JournalismAward and the network of journalists in thevarious countries and at the continental level.This will assist in the increase of capacity inthe short term and will support efforts aimed atresource mobilization and advocacy. In addi-tion, due to the increasing volume of work,there will be the need for a full-time personalassistant to the Coordinator and a full-timeadministrative and finance assistant, throughthe use of consultants on a need basis. b. Independent Evaluation of COMED: Theinstitutional 'shape' of COMED and its mediumto long-term orientation will be further clarifiedbased on the results of the recently implemen-ted independent evaluation that was fundedfrom the Education Project DevelopmentFund, EPDF. Overall, this evaluation has beenpositive, and should help the COMEDSecretariat with material for advocacy andresource mobilization sufficiently to be com-mensurate with the work of ADEA.

Steering Committee member Ibrahima Sar from Senegalexchanging with Chairperson Elizabeth Heen during a

COMED Steering Committee meeting in Paris, July 2007

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4. Strengthen COMED's institutional capacity

Operationalobjectives

Activities Description Budget estimate in UD Dollars

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

To give visibility toCOMED's workprogram

Meeting ofCOMED SteeringCommittee

The Steering Committee will meet to set upguidelines and ensure quality control

25 000 30 000 30 000 35 000 35 000

To prepare for aCOMED audit

An administrative and financial audit to becarried out by an international firm at theWG's request

12 000

To develop afinance andmanagement stra-tegy

Two consultants and the financial officer ofADEA will support the COMED Secretariatin implementing a finance and manage-ment strategy plan for the WG. They willalso draft some project documents for sub-mission to the donors.

13 000

Development ofan institutionalcommunicationstrategy forWG/COMED

10 000

Contribute to thepopularization anddissemination ofthe ADEA strategicaction plan

Dissemination ofthe ADEA strate-gic plan to keypartners andthrough COMEDnetworks

The WG/COMED Secretariat will use itsnetwork of journalists and communicatorsas well as its website, training activitiesand meetings in order to disseminate theADEA strategic plan.

10 000 15 000 12 000 17 000 22 000

To strengthen thecapacity ofWG/COMED

To strengthen andbetter equip theSecretariat ofWG/COMED

The WG/COMED Secretariat will be provi-ded with the personnel and equipmentneeded to carry out its work

5 000 15 000 15 000 15 000 20 000

To increase thevisibility ofWG/COMED

Preparation of aflyer onWG/COMED

Design and production each year of 1000flyers presenting COMED's work, for distri-bution at major education events

10 000 6 000 12 000 15 000

Produce a film onWG/COMED

Production of a film to introduce COMEDwill be assigned to an African companyunder the supervision of the WG/COMEDSecretariat. It will also be produced as aCD (1000 copies).

20 000 25 000

To promote theeffective flow ofinformation

Renovation of theWG/COMED web-site to make itmore user friendly

A specialist in information technology andcommunication will be recruited by theSecretariat of COMED to update the websi-te updated on a regular basis.

26 400 24 000 24 000 25 000

Regular publica-tion of an electro-nic newsletter

The COMED Secretariat will undertake todesign and produce a quarterly electronicnewsletter

10 000 12 000 12 000 24 000

SUB-TOTAL 4 111 400 120 000 105 000 144 000 101 000

TOTAL 4 581 400 $US

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5. Increase the financial resources ofCOMED:

COMED activities have so far been funded bythe World Bank through the GlobalDevelopment Fund, GDF, and the NorwegianEducation Trust Fund, NETF. In 2006, at theexpiration of NETF, COMED submitted a fun-ding proposal to its successor, the EducationProject Development Fund, EPDF- a multi-donor fund which is in reality a scaled-upapproach of the NETF for world-wide applica-tion. The EPDF just like the NETF is adminis-tered by the World Bank, and its main objecti-ves are linked to the EPDF objectives of buil-ding capacity, developing education sectorplans at national level by promoting dialogue,

consensus and understanding through com-munication, and the strengthening of EFA FTIpartnerships between ministries of educationand other stakeholders including parents. Therequest was approved for financing core pro-gramme activities and some media coverageof education events in Africa. COMED willcontinue to seek financing from EPDF-Africato support its core programme activities duringthe period of implementation of this StrategicPlan. In addition, proposals for medium termresource mobilization and partnerships will bedeveloped by the COMED Secretariat in orderto seek alternative sources of funding to coverits secretarial running costs.

The principles of alignment between governments and donors, and harmonization among donors, are at the centre ofthe EFA Fast Track Initiative, with its emphasis on endorsement of an education sector plan by donor staff working inthe country. As of August 2007, thirty-two countries had had their plans endorsed. In the past year, work has progres-sed on improving communications at all levels in order to ensure more inclusive participation and input from all parties.In-country processes such as plan appraisal and endorsement, overall donor coordination and harmonization, andplan monitoring are being strengthened. P.167 EFA GMR

COMED will broaden its funding base, and willin the first place design an established pro-gramme for fund-raising that will be part of itsoverall strategy. The following are envisaged:

(a) Approach other traditional donorsand involve the private sector.COMED will establish and maintaincontact with representatives of donorcountries based in the various countriesand in the region, and with the concer-ned donor focal points (donor govern-ments /global funds and foundations). Itwill also bring in people from the privatesector and review the possibilities ofthem providing funding at local level inthe various countries. Donors willalways be considered as partners andCOMED will strive to cooperate withthem and involve them with the SteeringCommittee members during the pro-gramme planning process. COMED willalso outline the main existing and poten-tial governmental and inter-governmen-tal funding sources, and any otheropportunities in the private sector inclu-ding new aid modalities such as globalfunds and foundations.

(b) Work locally with Ministries ofEducation and Finance, and other localinstitutions. COMED will engage in conside-rable advocacy work with Ministries ofEducation and Finance on the continent as

Three African Ministers of Education - Mali, South Africa and CongoBrazzaville exchanging with journalists and communication officers on the useof communication in promoting education for development in Maputo,Mozambique, May 2008. WG COMED Steering Committee member Ben Zulu(in the middle) was the ModeratorFrom left to right: Mr. Michael Wakabi, Deputy editor, The East AfricanNewspaper, Kampala, Uganda; Mr. Adama Samassekou, Former Minister ofEducation, Mali and currently President of the African Academy of Languages;Ms. Rose Ablavi Akakpo, Journalist, Le Point au Quotidien, Benin; Mr. BenZulu, COMED Steering Committee member, Roundtable Moderator; Ms.Naledi Pandor, Minister of Education, South Africa; Ms. Rosalie Kama-Niamayoua, Minister of Education, Congo-Brazzaville.

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was done in Mali, and therefore fundraise forspecific COMED-related activities in countryeducation programmes. COMED will alsowork with other stakeholders. With the use ofsocial mobilization techniques COMED willstrive to create social consensus at country,regional or area levels on new educationinitiatives. COMED will also establish part-nerships locally with African institutions, in

order to share expertise and contribute finan-cially to help ensure that local activities aresustainable. At various intervals during theplan period, COMED will review if key bilateraland multilateral partnerships will continue andthe extent to which support will be provided toits programme objectives, interests and speci-fic programmes.

5. Increase the financial resources of COMED

Operationalobjective

Activities Description Budget estimate in US Dollars

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012Identify new fun-ding sources sothat COMED's acti-vities are sustaina-ble

Promote COMEDduring missions todifferent technicaland financial part-ners.

The COMED Coordinator and membersof the Steering Committee will travel todifferent donor countries in order to mobi-lize new sources of funding. For example,to Denmark, The Netherlands, Germanyand Switzerland.

20 000$ 20 000$ 25 000$ 30 000$

Intensify the mobili-zation of COMED'stechnical and finan-cial partners

Organization of anannual roundtable for technicaland financial part-ners under theADEA banner

A round table COMED's technical andfinancial partners will take place eachyear in Paris or Tunis, under the aegis ofADEA. The Coordinator and a memberof the COMED Steering Committee willbe present during the working period,which will last no longer than 2 days.

15 000$ 20 000$ 30 000$ 35 000$

SUB-TOTAL 5 35 000 40 000 55 000 65 000

TOTAL 5 195 000 $US

Performance Measurement Framework WG COMED

StrategicObjective

Areas of inter-vention Outcome

PerformanceIndicators

Risks andAssumptions for each

strategic objectiveCOMED SO1:Enhance the role

and use of strate-gic communicationto promote educa-tion reform

ADEA SO4:Disseminate aswidely as possiblethe messages andfindings accumula-ted by ADEA frompolicy dialogue, ana-lytical research andexchanges of expe-rience in order tosupport knowledgesharing, inter-lear-ning and capacitybuilding

1. Strengthen thecapacity of educa-tion ministries toenhance commu-nication supportfor education poli-cies and programsthrough targetedtraining and advo-cacy (capacitybuilding)

1.1 improvedmedia coverage of edu-cation themes, andenhanced public opinionand debate on educationissues and themes 1.2 mechanismsfor knowledge sharingand peer learning deve-loped in countries sho-wing commitment tocommunication of educa-tion for development

1.1. No of partici-pants in training works-hops (gender disaggre-gated) /selected follow-up after training (inputindicator)1.2. Increase by15% in the number ofeducation -related arti-cles/reports in countrieswhere WG COMED hasimplemented training(output indicator)1.3. Active partici-pation in electronic com-munication networks (No.of visitors/hits - outputindicator)

a)Timely disbursement offunds b)Reliable baseline figu-resc)Sufficient manpower tomonitor progress

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2. Collaboratewith existing jour-nalism traininginstitutions andconduct nationaland regionalcapacity buildingactivities for minis-tries of education(capacity building)

2. Enhanced professio-nalism in communicationcapacities of ministries.National and sub-regio-nal training carried outwith the use of a special-ly devised Toolkit.

2. Increase by 15% thenumber of communica-tion strategies implemen-ted in ministries of edu-cation where WGCOMED has done trai-ning (output: indicator)

COMED SO2 :Increase productionand exchange of edu-cation news andinformation throughenhancing mediaunderstanding andimproved attentionand promoting excel-lence in reportingADEA SO4:Disseminate as wide-ly as possible themessages and fin-dings accumulated byADEA from policy dia-logue, analyticalresearch and exchan-ges of experience inorder to support kno-wledge sharing, inter-learning and capacitybuilding.

2.1 Establish part-nership with theAfrican Union's edu-cation and communi-cation units(partnerships)

2.2 Improve networ-king(networking)

2.3 Media coverageat internationalevents(dissemination ofinformation)

2.4 The AfricanEducation JournalismAward (advocacy)

2.5 Analytical casestudies of communi-cation in ministries ofeducation in order totrack and dissemina-te diagnostic approa-ches and good prac-tices(analysis)

2.1 Enhanced capacity tocontribute to the implemen-tation of the AU's 2ndDecade of Education inAfrica

2.2 Improved skills of mem-bers of national educationand media networks throughworkshops and active parti-cipation

2.3 Quality coverage ofinternational educationevents through pertinentselection of media of com-munication workers

2.4 Result-oriented collabo-ration between ADEA andWGCOMED on selection ofcandidates and planning ofthe AEJA awards and studytour for laureates

2.5 Improved means of trac-king change and impact ofWG COMED's interventions

2.1 Elaboration of a commu-nications strategy for the AU2nd Decade on education B(output indicator)

2.2 No of press releases,bulletins on educationalissues released by journa-lists in networks (output indi-cator)

2.3 No. of press releases,bulletins etc on educationalissues published by selectedjournalists. (output indicator).

2.4 No of written press arti-cles, or electronic or broad-casting pieces written byAEJA laureates(output indicator)

2.5 Increase by15% in thenumber of media