Developing capacity in emergencies and reconstruction settings is key to mitigating the otherwise disastrous consequences of low capacity and preparedness.
Education Cluster Capacity Development Initiative
In 2007, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) endorsed a Global Education Cluster to improve partnerships between UN agencies, NGOs and governments in emergency situations. Under the Global Education Cluster, IIEP works with other members like Save the Children and UNICEF to implement the capacity development programme.
Capacity development helps ministries of education to:
- advocate for education in emergencies;
- interact with international humanitarian communities;
- understand international frameworks and implement disaster reduction programmes;
- advocate for resources to improve capacity of education systems.
IIEP launched this programme in Anglophone Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda and Zimbabwe), where the ministries of education are designing and implementing country-specific activities for disaster prevention, conflict mitigation, and education in emergencies, with technical assistance from IIEP. In February 2010, a regional workshop with five Latin American countries (Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru) also took place in collaboration with UNESCO Santiago.
For further reading on the capacity development programme, see the Advocacy brochure.
Integrating disaster and risk reduction into education sector planning
- IASC Education Cluster Regional Workshop, Ndjamena, Chad, Dec 2009
Chad
As part of the Education Cluster’s capacity development initiative, IIEP co-facilitated a workshop on Education in Emergencies in Chad with the Ministry of Education and UNICEF in December 2009. The workshop laid the groundwork for integrating education in emergencies into the ten-year education sector plan that is currently in development in Chad.
Also read about IIEP’s evidence-based research programmes in emergencies and reconstruction.
