Workshop Project “Skills for Poverty Reduction”

Kochkor, 18-19/05/2007Eduarda Castel-Branco

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Objectives workshop

Preliminary results and lessons of each pilot project – the core substance for reflection

Policy debate - in view of the action policy learning purpose of the SDPR

Project planning: fine-tuning – to improve things and get closer to effectiveness (reach objectives)

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Objectives and key issues of workshop

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Objectives workshop - remarks Not a competition between pilot projects – they are all

different and have very good and less good things to share Not a discussion to criticise policies and politics, but to share

and exchange; analyse and reflect; make proposals (even if only embryos) that feed the action policy learning purpose of the project.

If possible: no personal attacks and thus no need for justifications to save the face…

This is a learning project for all involved parties: ETF, national policy makers, involved schools and partnerships and eventually other outside parts

We look forward to suggestions and conceptual contributions from all invited guests (not involved in the SDPR – yet…)

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Key issues workshop (1) Exchange between pilot schools and coaches on preliminary

findings / results, as well as used approaches / methods in all SDPR pilot projects

Debate with policy makers, partners and with other providers of skills and information in rural areas: key lessons that can be translated in policy; proposals on how to ensure sustainability of the pilot project; how to enhance the partnership and its role.

Needed improvements: identification of main risks and difficulties affecting implementation; analysis of weak points and areas in the activity of the pilot project; proposals

SDPR publication: Volumes I and II; role and scope; discussion on objectives, indicative structure, content lines; inputs from various players; milestones. Possible problems.

Next steps, activities of the SDPR: a) pilot project and b) overall SDPR. Questions and replies, proposals.

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Sensitive issues workshop (2)

“Policy and system”: the interactions Is the system rather receptive or rather resistant to new policies? What makes systems more or less resistant to innovation / new

policies? – How can practitioners contribute to better and more effective /

efficient policy implementation? What makes policies more and better implementable (accepted

by the system)? – How can policy makers be closer to realities?

Policy monitoring Can policies be counterproductive despite their good intentions? Are institutions and policy making “focal points” ready for

monitoring and accountability? Action – analysis and reflection – feedback – policy - action

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Workshop will need

Your active and constructive participation Good understanding of the SDPR purpose and role of

pilot projects Good questions Ambition Openness of ETF to new challenges of the SDPR

development

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SDPR

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Skills for Poverty Reduction

This is NOT!!! Direct, unique and quick-effect causal relationship, therefore it

requires cross-sector Policy; openess of the E & T system to innovation, partnerships with new players, funding from other sources, self-assessment and a lot of motivators for all parties

Skills reduction of poverty (not true!!!!) “SKILLS” is not:

Technical, narrow, strictly occupational Results only

IT IS: Process and results (SKILLS DEVELOPMENT) Wide “Skills”: social, core, professional “Developing” skills: LLL

REMINDER!!

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Skills development and poverty reduction: issues In CIS: not lack of formal education (basic and secondary)!

Some of the problems:1. Mix of skills for work: obsolescence is recognised; but there is poor access to relevant

training where needed2. Insufficient coherence of Local + national, civic + governmental strategies / programmes

waste3. Lack of strategic articulation and intersector co-operation at local level

Fragmentation of diverse and multiple initiatives 4. Insufficient cross-fertilisation of learning methods / contents of Formal and Non-formal /

Informal Education and Training5. Insufficient sustainable development of learning methods, structures and contents of non-

formal training (for adults with various needs)6. Low involvement of the target groups (poor, vulnerable groups) in design / monitoring of

training programmes7. Inadequate policy focus and funding on training of low skilled / poor8. Training for work – not a task of education sector / or of VET sub-sector alone! All E & T

potential needed

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Skills for Poverty Reduction Project

SDPR: not a large donor project for development of VET schools

Aim is not to train 50 or 100 persons of the target group – this is a result, a means, a seed

Small dimension of ETF funding – not commensurate to the usefulness of the 3 pilot projects: Learning rather than mainstreaming - yet Pilot partnerships have a potential that largely exceeds the small

funding from ETF (resources, policy support, knowledge local needs, strive for results for own project)

ETF will share its expertise with pilot VET schools / pilot projects to enhance the existing capacity at partnership level

ETF is: coach, resource, catalyst, player – not the owner of the pilots

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Involved parts of SDPR

Pilot partnership

Pilot skills development Project (VET school+partners, representative Ministry)

Policy makers: MoE, MoL, Government …

ETF

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Involved parts

VET schools Coaches Partnership management team Partners Policy makers Local authorities Peer reviewers ETF team Others...

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Some very preliminary findings

VarietyConsistencyRelevanceCapacity

Sustainability

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Variety of the ongoing pilot projects Kyrgyzstan

Do new things… In a different manner more adapted for target group (mobile training,

inputs trainees…) even when demanding for trainers and school Using good prior experience and capacity (trainers, manuals, needs

assessment…) Permanent involvement local authorities

Kazakhstan Reflect on those things that are being done already by school (in

particular training for unemployed of various categories) Try to use feed back from reflection to improve certain aspects of normal

activity with adults and even possibly on mainstream formal VET programmes (changes in curriculum, training methods, place of trainee…)

Try to insert some changes at school level (more debate with management)

Try to introduce more debate among staff, teachers Reflection on what needs to be changed further in training approach

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Consistency

Initial pilot project planning vs actual pilot project activities Target group vs selected participants (“beneficiaries”) Training – trainees – community: roles and interactions Partnership: a key challenge for the VET school /pilot?

How to make it more vibrant? What are the sources of difficulty?

Policy makers: effective involvement and interest “Poverty reduction” in the horizon of the project parties:

how to maintain the cap and focus; how to formulate the issue in a less negative wording (“poverty”…); how to enrich the definition of “poverty reduction” in relationship with skills development (and vice-versa)

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Relevance

The ongoing pilot projects of the SDPR: are they relevant as a whole as parts of the SDPR? Cases What is new? What do they bring to the VET school development? And to the

skills wealth of the community? Other? What is their policy learning POTENTIAL for each country, and as

a whole for SDPR? Do they have the needed mechanisms to allow and foster self-

assessment, knowledge management, sharing and exchange with other schools and centres

Do they have a proper balance of short-term action with more medium-term reflection?

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Capacity VET school: capacity of management and key staff

Dynamism: interest, get best contribution of pilot for VET school development…

Management skills: plan, act, monitor, self-assessment, proper spending, discuss and get suggestions, balance trade-offs…

Readiness to learn and to change Results orientation: various paths; measure and be accountable Motivate and reward (school staff, teachers and trainers…)

Training (learning): approach, methods and structures Students centered Competence-based Participative, interactive Open training structures: use of outsiders’ competencies, partnerships

with other schools and training centres… Quality, quality, quality

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Capacity

Trainers and teachers Professionalism Motivation Creativity Openness to new

Use of prior experience and knowledge In particular: results of other projects and exchanges with

international partners Manuals, training supports

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Sustainability

Knowledge from this pilot: management, sharing, use and further development (training methods, curriculum development approach, trainers, coaches, role of trainees, methodologies)

Partnership: enhance it; how? What other partners and how to attract and motivate them? How to overcome the barriers of institutional protectiveness (envy)?

Dissemination: among peers institutions, NGOs, local authorities, rural extension agencies; what to disseminate? Is it good enough for others?

Mainstreaming: policy makers are welcome here! Resources, funding: cannot be state-only based; Community as a

whole has resources (is richer than the state…)

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Some problem areas Additional workload for VET school or a great self-

learning opportunity? Constructive interaction of pilot and mainstream activity of

the VET school Partnership: traditional linkages instead of more

creativity? Coaches role and inputs: foster better use of school

capacity, promote change, remind pilot project policy focus

VET school management: culture, interest, capacity, ambition and consistency. Director’s role and place vs more participation and debate of staff

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Why partnerships?

Pool together resources, experience and social-political capacity (roles), which can be used effectively to address the identified problems / objectives set

A feasible solution to fragmentation of many varied actions at a local level, overcome institutional barriers

Reach a critical mass able to overcome the weaknesses of working alone

Create communication and exchanges among partners Discover each other Reach out larger and more varied audience

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Why partnerships (2) in the SDPR

To get direct and effective support from: Policy makers Local authorities Enterprises Rural extension agencies NGOs and other projects, associations

To facilitate exchanges bottom-up and top-down To enhance a culture of networking in more strategic and systematic

way with relevant players of the local environment Embryos of permanent local training partnerships that have a role

in socio-economic development (SUSTAINABILITY)

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Why are VET schools alone reaching out less than requires poverty reduction strategy?

Reputation Own behaviour

Tools of state policy

Not adequate (know-how, resources, rigidity in training)

Heavy management

Not interested in social development and related skills

Formal education, youngsters - poorly adapted for non-formal Training and adults

Insufficient management autonomy-lack of incentives to really do new (extra-budget funds)

Mistrust towards other new forms of training and providers

Fear of additional workload for teachers / schools

Some “fatalism”, closed attitude

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Partnerships can help (some players...)

VET Schools:

E&T know-how

Professional skills training

Curricula, training premises

Occupational standards

Employers

Training needs

Co-funding

Places practical learning

Employment

Sub-contracting (self-employed)

Retraining staff in VET schoolsNGOsCatalysts social develop.Innovative training methodsSocial skillsNetworking, donorsProject design and monitoringIndependence from state

Local governance bodies- Political support (not interference...)- HRD / SD - part of local development programmes / funding- Better local governance, awareness- Intersector co-ordination- Visibility of good initiatives

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Partnerships may have varied formats

Temporary co-operation around one project More strategic co-operation around objectives linked with

socio-economic development of the region / community Core group of partners + temporary association of other

members for specific activities / reasons Legal entity with charter, strategic plan and funding Association that represents a certain group of interests

and is acknowledged by authorities… Old, historical partnership Newly born partnership to face new challengesOthers…

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SDPR publication

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Purposes

Active participation of all key SDPR actors Motivator for all actors (visibility) Manage knowledge Disseminate Tools for action policy learning

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Contents

Stories Key processed results of peer reviews Articles (coaches, VET schools, ETF…) Proposals for Policy:

General E & T Thematic Institutional Design, formulation, implementation and monitoring Policy and system

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Milestones 2007:

Plan, propose various contributors, define overall roles and responsibilities, communication and review guidelines,

Define forms and methods to gather information and exchange it Collect and process basic information from all pilots and SDPR

activities Discuss preliminary material with policy makers in final events Propose themes, titles, guidelines for articles – defined in SDPR

final reports and approved ETF 2008:

Drafts Review Final drafts

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Policy learning

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Policy learning

Fragmented actions and initiatives yield experience, suggest what to do and what to avoid

But are lessons learned out of these experiences, projects, investments in HRD, out of VET reforms ongoing for years?

Is policy implementation monitored? Is challenging daily work in Ministries combined with

analysis of reforms and policies with participation of practitioners?

Are lessons used in further policy making?

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Policy learning

Lessons from practice Analyse and use lessons Monitor Accountability Sharing good practice Encouragement Bottom-up and top-bottom exchange Participation of civil and public entities Policy learns in continuity (even buildings learn…)

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Policy learning

Concerns: Ministries and Government, Parliament Public education practitioners (schools…) Wider public (users of education and training) Enterprises Analysts …

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From pilot to policy

Monitoring Coaches Field visits Peer visits and discussion Better use of

SDPR website Analyse experiences

in joint discussion

- Dissemination of experience

- Project publication

- Involvement of policy makers as policy learners

- Report to stakeholders

- Recommendations ETF / EC regarding future projects in new Instrument

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Ex.: Some possible policy questions on Skills and poverty reduction (1) What skills?

– Technical-professional above all?– General, core, social?– What combination and weigth of professional vs core and social? Of

theorethical and general vs applied knowledge?– Content of training and METHODS / approaches of training are not

separated (“problem solving” – in application, not theory) How to ascertain impact of training on community and group livelihoods,

self-help, economic empowerment, social development? What adequate LLL in context of empoverishment + scarce state funds? Change attitude of state (MoE) towards innovation, new providers,

partnerships, “education (not) for education”, school autonomy? Accountability: culture and mechanisms? Role and place of target groups (socio-economic vulnerable) Impact on reform of the above on E & T system?

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Ex.: Some possible policy questions on Skills and poverty reduction (2)

Role of KSC (Knowledge, Skills and Competences) in the economy with increasing knowledge capital Low skills deter economic growth Educational attainment and skills level are only moderately correlated High skills do not seem to affect growth, but high percentages of

people with low level of skills tend to retard growth. Effectively the low skills seem to inhibit rates of technological adaptation and innovation.

There should be policy focus on the people with the lowest skills as they are holding the economic development back.

People lose skills over time. This is not really surprising given societal, technological and organisational changes; but it happens at a rate that offsets the overall rise in educational quality seen over the last decades. The situation would be even worse if there had been no rise in educational quality.

KSC or KSCA (Attitudes)...

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Coaches

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Skills for Poverty Reduction Project

Learning is the core of SDPR

Сеть

Обмен

Скромность

Творчество

Готовноть узнать и делать новое – по-новому

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Наставник (encourage…)

Наставник – это человек, который поддерживает и направляет другого человека посредством поощрения и задавания вопросов.

Они помогают клиента находить их собственные решения с помощью задаваемых вопросов, которые дают им возможность проникновения в суть их проблемы.

Самая большая польза от личного наставничества – они поддерживают ответственность клиента. Таким образом, если клиент согласился с планом действий. Его обязательство перед наставником поможет в мотивации реализовать план.

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Наставник

Групповое наставничество фокусируется на улучшении деятельности. В случае работы с группой наставник наблюдает за текущей работой группы, оценивает сильные и слабые стороны группы и разрабатывает план для внесения необходимых изменений.

Бизнес наставничество фокусируется на помощи владельцу бизнеса в создании особого бизнес-плана с учетом его собственной индивидуальности. Бизнес наставничество может работать в любом сегменте рынка: от традиционного бизнеса до начала предпринимательской деятельности в электронном бизнесе.

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Наставники SDPR Наведение мостов и объединение партнеров и

участников на уровне пилотного проекта, а также на более широком уровне РНСБ

Способствование динамизму в достижении и открытии сетевому взаимодействию с окружающим миром

Помощь пилотному партнерству и школам ПОО в анализе и решении проблем

Мотивация генерации идей для более эффективной реализации проекта

Предлагать помощь, налаживать диалог и со временем консультировать всех ключевых игроков пилотного партнерства

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Наставники SDPR

Сбор и анализ информации, мнений, данных по реализуемому партнерству и пилотному проекту с целью получения уроков, которые будут представлять высший результат этого эксперимента (мониторинг)

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Наставники SDPR

Сочетание

наставничество мониторинг

В пилоте Вне пилота

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Связки

Явный упор должен быть сделан на вертикальные и горизонтальные пути взаимодействия: сверху вниз и снизу вверх для соединения различных уровней решений и реализации; и горизонтально для интегрирования политик и действий различных секторов и институтов в рамках подходов, которые могут решать различные вопросы, связанные с бедностью.

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Вызовы

Отношениями с различными организациями, различного профиля и статуса и с долговременной хорошо налаженной деятельностью: роль и поведение наставника будут достаточно деликатными, так как руководство может не быть готовым принять такое «внешнее присутствие».

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Вызовы

Построение партнерства в окружающей среде, где конкуренция, самоизоляция внутри институциональных границ и недостаток информации друг о друге могут представлять угрозу спокойному и надежному сотрудничеству и более стратегическому сотрудничеству с одной стороны.

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Вызовы

Мониторинг, но не контроль: проверка реализации мероприятий, предложенных последующих шагов и подходов, решения важных проблем, интересных результатов, моделей изменений обучения, мнений и впечатлений представителей целевых групп также как и игроков школы ПОО, среди прочих. Это задание потребует хорошего набора инструментов для эффективной работы, а также основания для взаимного доверия и понимания между ключевыми игроками партнерства и школой ПОО особенно.

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Вызовы

Управление нестандартными, инновативными ситуациями: в то время как рабочий план и надлежащая подготовка к проекту предусмотрит риски и допущения, а также способы снижения их влияния, наставник вероятно будет вовлечен в непредсказуемые ситуации или обстоятельства, которые могут стать новыми для профессионального профиля наставника.

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Вызовы Наставник не играет роль консультанта / эксперта по

техническим вопросам ПОО, а играет роль человека, который помогает объединять и связывать процессы и партнеров с пилотными проектами и партнерствами.

1. Что требуется от наставника, так это правильное понимание того, что означает ПОО в системе образования и обучения, или лучше, в обучении в течение всей жизни, в стратегии социально-экономического развития.

2. Но, наставники, предполагается, будут задавать хорошие вопросы, включая вопросы из специфических областей ПОО, вопросы, которые могут быть связаны с учебными инновациями в прогрессивном развитии, например, в рамках обучающих пилотных проектов. Такая поддержка инноваций в подходах к обучению, их лучшей адаптации к потребностям и возможностям взрослого населения для улучшения социально-экономического положения, будет типичной задачей наставника в нашем проекте.

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Вызовы

Извлекать уроки для разработки политики Роль наставника будет состоять в поддержке и

стимулировании игроков, сборе информации и точек зрения, также как и в анализе этих элементов.

Наставник, как человек внешний для системы ПОО и пилотного партнерства, будет иметь свежий и более широкий взгляд на процессы, не будет зацикливаться на деталях, например, технического характера.

Наставник будет параллельно в и вовне, и адекватный баланс участия и дистанцирования должен быть соблюден в каждом случае.

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Вызовы Участие партнерств в процессах принятия решений по политике:

лица, принимающие решения в области политики участвуют в проекте и, предполагается, должны играть активную роль посредством эффективного взаимодействия с пилотными партнерствами / школами ПОО, как-то благоприятствование вовлечению в процесс принятия решений, открытые коммуникации сверху вниз и снизу вверх. Институциональные роли и нормативные рамки в данном случае не рассматриваются вообще (напрямую), только связанность и открытость к изучению, предполагается, будут усиливаться посредством проекта.

Формы и методы необходимо согласовать с участниками, особенно, с руководством проекта РНСБ (ЕФО) и представителями политического уровня. Роль наставника включает в себя, прежде всего: a) поддержка обсуждений и b) информирование о результатах и мониторинговой информации в рамках подхода, который должен быть согласован. Более или менее активное участие наставников во взаимодействие с лицами, принимающими решения, будет зависеть от прочности пилотного партнерства и заинтересованности представителей власти в РНСБ.