Background Annex

VLIR-UOS, country approach and NETWORK basics

Brussels, 2 July 2015

Contents1. Intro VLIR-UOS2. Country Policy3. IUC basics

1. Intro VLIR-UOS

Who are we?

VLIR-UOS-film 2013

VLIR - 5 Flemish universities, 16 university colleges

Ghent

University

University of Antwerp

Hasselt University

KU Leuven

Vrije Universiteit Brussel

What’s in a name: VLIR vs. VLIR-UOS

Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR) – University Cooperation for Development (UOS)

Foundation created in 1998 under the umbrella of the Flemish Interuniversity Council

Funded by the Belgian minister for Development Cooperation

Annual budget of € 33 million

We support partnerships between universities and university colleges in Flanders and the South looking for innovative responses to global and local challenges

STRENGTHENING

HIGHER EDUCATION

and its globalisation

From KNOWLEDGE to APPLICATION

COOPERATION

PROJECTS

between professors

and researchers

20 partner countries

SCHOLARSHIPS

for students and

professionals in

Flanders and the South

54 countries for scholarships

2. Country Strategy Approach

Country Strategy Approach• Paris and Accra Declaration

• Political Agreement VLIR-UOS and CIUF-CUD with Belgian government of 22 April 2010

Geographical concentration ~ 20 countries Country strategies

Based on country strategies

• Framework for cooperation

• 2012: DR Congo, Cuba, Ecuador, Uganda, Tanzania and Vietnam

• 2013: Ethiopia, South Africa

• 2013-14:Suriname and Burundi

• 2014 - 2015: Peru, Kenya, Bolivia, India, Morocco

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What is a Country Strategy?

• Strategic framework => Country Strategy Document (policy document)

• Captures the niche or matches – the Southern ‘demand’ (local needs and priorities)– with the Flemish ‘supply’ (offer of expertise and

human resources)

DEMAND STRATEGIC NICHE FOR

PROGRAMMING

SUPPLY

From strategy to country programme

Policy initiated

calls

Strategy Selection Programme

Competitive

calls

Opportunities and expectations from country strategies and programmes

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•Clear framework – country strategy paper as context

• Increase of societal impact through coherence with development priorities

•Higher visibility of actions and results

•High level policy dialogue

•Donor coordination, network facilitation (alumni), synergies, harmonisation and alignment

•Promoting Flemish HE

• Link with regional initiatives / spin-offs

INTERVENTION TYPE  LEVEL

NATIONAL

(NETWORK, PLATFORM and

other national-level projects)

   

   

COUNTRY

IUC  

   INSTITUTION

TEAM & SOUTH INITIATIVES

 

 DEPARTMENT/

FACULTY

SCHOLARS INDIVIDUAL

Mix of interventions

3. NETWORK basics

(post IUC)-Network University Cooperation (NETWORK)

Characteristics of the NETWORK

• A well-defined theme with obvious and high impact at the country level

• Addresses nation-wide needs in the educational and research area

• Less of a capacity building initiative, but the focus is more on multiplication of opportunities, extension and harvesting (post IUC)

– CTU – Vietnam; UCLV – Cuba and ESPOL- Ecuador

• Should focus on cross-institutional interactions – such as in inter-university curriculum development, joint degrees at Master and Ph.D. levels– Links with other networks– Links with Flemish universities

• Co-funding should be included through the universities and other donors

• Need for strong logistic and managerial support structures at level of the coordinating university

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Network CUBACOORDINATION FLEMISH LOCALAcademic Georges Eisendrath (Vrije

Universiteit Brussel)Roberto Vicente (UCLV)

Operational Françoise De Cupere (ICOS Vrije Universiteit Brussel)

 

NETWORK ADVISORS FLEMISH LOCALP1: Research in ICT related sciences

Ann Nowe (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)

Rafael Bello Pérez (UCLV)

P2: Open ICT systems and management

Rudy Gevaert (UGent) Hector Cruz Enriquez (UCLV)

P3: ICT in support of educational processes and the knowledge management in Higher Education

Marc Goovaerts (Uhasselt) PL from UCI

coordinated by Universidad Central Marta Abreu de las Villas (UCLV)Other partner universities:

Universidad de Pinar del Río Universidad de las Ciencias Informáticas (UCI) Universidad 'Oscar Lucero Moya' de Holguín Universidad de Camagüey 'Ignacio Agramonte y Loynaz' (UC) Universidad de Oriente (UO)

NATIONAL - Network Cuba – ICT for development

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A successful programme

Spirit of partnership, dialogue and mutual respect

Participation of high level academic leadership is crucial (decision making structures in the university)

Incorporation into local structures and systems (university, regional/national) Ownership

Good communication and efficient and transparent procedures at all levels

Support structure – programme support unitAgreed upon, transparent, management structure =>

management manual and procedures

NETWORK STRUCTURE

UNIV 1 UNIV 2 UNIV 3 UNIV 4 UNIV 5

Sub-theme 1 - group of experts : focal points per university w ith a project leader

Sub-theme 2 - group of experts : focal points per university w ith a project leader

Programme Support Unit

lead by a Network

Programme Coordinator

Flemish Coordinator

and ICOS support

VLIR-UOS/DGD

Regional Commission VLIR-UOS and Bureau

UOS

NETWORK COORDINATION and FACILITATION at the NETWORK COORDINATING UNIVERSITY - organises a NETWORK Steering

Committee

MULTI-stakeholder

platform

Flemish Advisory Comittee (Flemish Network coordinator and team of experts (NETWORK ADVISORS) (at least 1 per subtheme)

Comparison of mandatesIUC NETWORK PLATFORM

COORDINATORS ( FL, Local)

COORDINATORS ( FL, Local)

COORDINATORS ( FL, Local)

Project leaders Project leaders South / Network Advisers North

Promotors of individual TEAM and South Initatives

Team Members Team members / Transversal advisers

Other stakeholders in the national platform

MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE

Programme Support Unit lead locally by Programme

Manager

Programme Support Unit – mandates can differentiate

Platform support unit – mandates can differentiate

ICOS supports Flemish coordinator and

coordinates operational structure North

ICOS supports Flemish coordinator and

coordinates operational structure North

Role of ICOS remains to be defined, in principle more

limited support needed towards the Flemish

coordinator

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Programme cycle – 5 year strategic planning phases / Annual Activity programmes

Country level Network University CooperationProgramme Cycle

Phase In - Pre Partner

Programme

Phase 1 – Network capacity building

Phase II PP: Network consolidation

Year O 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10Partnerships

2015-16 

                 

Network University Cooperation (Network)

Network University Cooperation (NETWORK) budgetary boundaries

NETWORK with

2 projects (2 proj

+ PSU at ‘hub’)

80%

budget for

projects

and 20%

for PSU

On average 250.000 EUR/Year; on average 40.000

EUR/university and 50.000 EUR for a PSU –

administration and coordination costs at level of the

‘hub’/facilitator university – indicative number of

universities including ‘hub’ = 5

Notes: All Network University Cooperation Programmes will include mandatory an

administrative structure (Programme Support Unit and coordination cost structure) at level

of the ‘hub’/facilitator university

Proj: Project: subtheme of the network-theme involving departments of different

universities around a collective development agenda in a specific discipline/expertise area

PSU: Programme Support Unit and administrative overhead structure at level of the

‘hub’/facilitator university

South team BrusselsVLIR-UOS Desk officer specific

IUC partnerships and cross cutting themes

Mr. Peter De Lannoy Coordinator

Overall management and follow-up of South Programmes, including IUCFocal point for Latin America and the Caribbean Region – Cuba, Ecuador and PeruPartner Programmes: UCuenca, UNALM, UCLV, UO, NETWORK Cuba & Ecuador

Mr. Christophe Goossens Programme Officer

Focal point for South Africa, Mozambique, Vietnam and IndiaPartner Programmes: UL, UWC, UEM, Hué and Network Vietnam

(Also back-up contact person for UB)Cross Cutting: ICT initiatives expert group, biostatistics project, NSS active projects

Mr. Wannes VerbeeckProgramme Officer

Focal point for Ethiopia, Tanzania , Suriname and BoliviaPartner Programmes: MU, JU, NM-AIST, Mzumbe, Adekus

(Also back-up contact person for UNALM, Network Ecuador and the DRC programme)Cross Cutting: RIP Programme

Herman DielsProgramme Officer

Focal point for Uganda and KenyaPartner Programmes: MMU, Platforms Uganda (2), MU-K-Kenia

TEAM (former Own Initiatives) Programme

Kathleen WuytackProgramme Officer

Focal point for DR Congo , Burundi and MoroccoCongo policy follow-up, in-country donor and ANG meetings

Congo- Transversal Programmes UniversiTIC, AQ and LanguesPartner Programmes with UNIKIS, UCC, UCB and UB

Koen De KosterProgramme Officer

Focal point for M&E First phase: focus on new M&E approach related to country programming and monitoring

South Initiatives in countries without a strategy. Countries: to be seen in view of 2017 and new intake, currently Indonesia, Rwanda, Palestina

Kristof Van Der PerrenAdministrative Assistant

IUC , Country programmes and South Initiatives (SI)Events and website, Process management IUC evaluations, IUC Contract and Mobility Procedures

General administrative support for IUC and South Initiatives

Dominique De BondtAdministrative Assistant

General administrative support for TEAM, PRDC and RIP projects and secretariat of the VLIR-UOS Director and financial department