Join us to unlock the transformative role of education

Founded in 1963, the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) is the only organization in the United Nations’ system devoted to educational planning and management. For six decades, IIEP has supported Member States with designing and implementing educational policies and plans to efficiently and effectively reach both national and international education goals.

As we mark 60 years since our creation, IIEP's mandate remains as relevant as ever. Faced with new and long-standing challenges, educational planning is a path forward to reduce disparities, promote equity and inclusion, and secure a brighter future for all. 

#IIEP60years anniversary video

A vision based on innovation

To keep relevant in the future, educational planning must keep pace with, and adapt to, the many changes reshaping our world. From globalization, rapid urbanization, and vast technological advancements, to the perils of conflict and climate change, there are a myriad of factors influencing the current and future state of education.

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Anthony Asael/Hemis.fr

Sign our guestbook

We want to hear from you! Do you have any IIEP memories or hopes for the future to share with us? Leave a message in our online guestbook to express what this milestone means for you.

Transforming education starts with planning

 Our future is in jeopardy unless countries invest now in inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all people.

 7 in 10 children

 773 million adults

244 million children

under 10 years old in low- and middle-income countries cannot read or understand a simple story.in the world are illiterate.and young people are still out of school.

Learning from the past to shape the future

The creation of IIEP-UNESCO in July 1963 took place amid a climate of unprecedented educational expansion and change. Science, technology, economic development, politics, and culture were all undergoing massive transformations. Major efforts were underway to rebuild after the massive destruction caused by World War II and the wave of independence at the start of the decade ushered in a new era.

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IIEP
IIEP-UNESCO

IIEP in dates

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IIEP-UNESCO
1963
1963: Creation of IIEP

IIEP was created in Paris, at the initiative of UNESCO and with the support of the World Bank, the French government, and the Ford Foundation as important founding and financial partners. The French Government also offered to host the Institute.

From the outset, it was conceived as an autonomous, multidisciplinary organization, designed to support educational planning capacities in developing nations, build bridges between international actors, and offer expertise on strategic educational issues.

In the picture: IIEP's first Governing Board meeting in 1963. From left to right: Sydney Caine, first Chairman of the Governing Board; Philip H. Coombs, first IIEP Director; and Stéphane Hessel, representative of the French Government. 

Read IIEP's Statutes

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IIEP-UNESCO
Seminar on ’Major research needs in educational planning‘, July 6-18, 1964, Ballagio, Italy
1964
1964: Founding seminar on "Major research needs in educational planning”

To set priorities at the outset of its activities, IIEP consulted widely. It notably held a seminar on ‘producers’ and ‘consumers’ of research in Bellagio, Italy in 1964 (courtesy of the Rockefeller Foundation). The findings of this seminar were published as an Inventory of research needs (Coombs, 1965). These helped shape the Institute’s subsequent research in planning the quality of education and human resource planning, thus providing the basis for its first training courses.

In the picture: Seminar on ’Major research needs in educational planning‘, July 6-18, 1964, Bellagio, Italy.

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IIEP-UNESCO
An ATP group in the 1960s
1965
1965: First Advanced Training Programme

The ATP (Advanced Training Programme in Educational Planning and Management) was launched in 1965 and was held at the Institute in Paris for over 55 years, bringing together participants from around the world.

As defined in IIEP’s First Medium-Term Plan, the ATP was created with a dual purpose:

  • To familiarize participants with the concepts, analytic tools, and techniques necessary for developing competence in the field of educational planning
  • To enable participants to take advantage of their stay at the Institute in order to think more deeply about their country’s educational problems and the ways in which improved planning and administration could help to solve them.


In the picture: An ATP group in the 1960s.

1967
1967: Major research on new media in education funded by USAID

The second half of the 20th century saw profound global changes caused by a rapid increase in population, momentous technological advances, and increased political emancipation. To keep pace with this changing context, it was understood that education should follow with a critical update at a never-before-seen scale. The need for such changes in education arose in tandem with new media and modes of communication —radio, television, and film—and new methods and techniques of instruction, such as programmed learning, came on the scene.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) commissioned IIEP with producing research that would help determine what was the appropriate place for these new methods and techniques in the educational process; in what way they could be interwoven into more traditional ones, and what changes in educational research should accompany the revolution in the communication process. This research led to the publication “The new media: memo to educational planners”, whose purpose was to provide evidence-based policy advice to education decision-makers.

In the picture: The cover of the 1967 publication "The new media: memo to educational planners".

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IIEP-UNESCO
Cover of one of the publications from the "Fundamentals of Educational Planning" series
1967
1967: Launch of ‘Fundamentals of Educational Planning’ series

From the start, one of the policy functions of IIEP has been to disseminate the primary outcomes of its research projects and bring them to decision-makers' attention in a brief format. This has included several publication series over the years, including IIEP’s flagship series 'Fundamentals of Educational Planning', with more than 90 titles.

The aim of the "Fundamentals" series is to provide an overview of the basic principles and practices of educational planning, as well as the various diverging trends to reflect a diversity of experiences and opinions.

In the picture: The cover of one of the publications in the "Fundementals of Educational Planning" series.

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IIEP-UNESCO
Map of a first-level school network in 1971, County Sligo, Ireland.
1972
1972: Launch of IIEP’s project on school mapping

IIEP developed its first school mapping project in County Sligo, Ireland, which led to the development of a solid methodology to locate schools (formalised the publication 'Planning the location of schools: an instrument of educational policy') and many training activities. This ground-breaking work remains relevant; IIEP still offers courses on micro-planning and school mapping, with attention paid to the incorporation of the latest technologies and developments like geospatial data.

In the picture: The map of a first-level school network in County Sligo, Ireland, in 1971.

1973
1973: IIEP moves to its new permanent Headquarters

As the host country. France has provided the IIEP premises since its founding in 1963. IIEP was initially housed in a villa and a two-story building granted by the French government on Rue Eugène Delacroix in Paris’ 16th arrondissement. By the end of the 1960s, these premises were considered too small for all institutional activities, notably the training programmes. A new building was constructed, which IIEP began occupying in 1973 and is still home to the Institute today.

Besides its role as host country, France was also a key player in the Consultative Committee created by UNESCO in 1962 to discuss the establishment of an international research and training institute which would later become IIEP.

In the picture: the last of the old IIEP buildings - Construction of new IIEP Headquarters (1963-1973).

1978
1978: Integration of qualitative concerns into planning

The 1978 publication Educational planning: towards a qualitative perspective represented an important aspect of educational development that focuses on improving the quality of education by moving beyond the quantitative measures of success in education to incorporate qualitative measures. In a similar vein, a recent example of this is IIEP's research investigation on how to improve the use of learning assessment data in the planning and policy cycle.

In the picture: The cover of the 1978 publication "Educational planning: towards a qualitative perspective".

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IIEP-UNESCO
1982
1982: Creation of the International Working Group on Education (IWGE)

The International Working Group on Education (IWGE) is an informal body bringing together aid agencies and education foundations. It was created in 1972 when two inter-agency meetings were organized in Bellagio, Italy (from which the group took its initial name – the Bellagio Group) by the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations.

In 1982, the Bellagio Group transformed into the IWGE, with IIEP-UNESCO as its Secretariat. During the 1980s and 1990s, the Group focused on basic education and served as a catalyst for the preparation and follow-up of the 1990 World Conference on Education for All in Jomtien, Thailand. After the Dakar World Education Forum in 2000, the Working Group broadened its focus to include the preparation of young people for entry into the labour market, mitigating the impact of HIV and AIDS on education, and organizing education in situations of crisis and reconstruction.

In the picture: the cover of the 2008 IWGE report "Making education work for all".

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©IIEP-UNESCO
IIEP-UNESCO Library in Paris
1989
1989: Network of depository libraries is set up

A 1989 mission revealed that IIEP’s publications were almost completely unavailable in African documentation centres. Consequently, IIEP set up a network of ‘depository libraries’, which received free copies of IIEP’s publications. These included libraries within ministries of education, universities, partner agencies, and UNESCO offices. In 2010, over 100 libraries throughout the world were supplied with extensive collections of IIEP publications. They were located mainly in developing countries: half of them in Africa, around 30 in Asia and the Pacific, 10 in Latin America and the Caribbean and about 10 in Arab states.

The network stopped in 2010, after two decades of existence, partly for cost and effectiveness reasons, but also because of improvements in digital technology. In 2023, the IIEP Library will relaunch the network, with a selection of partner institutions, in a new format, focusing on digital knowledge sharing and information support services.

In the picture: The IIEP-UNESCO Library.

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IIEP-UNESCO
1992
1992: IIEP hosts ADEA (then DAE)

What is now known as the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) was set up under the auspices of the World Bank in 1988. Initially created as the secretariat of the Donors to African Education (DAE), its purpose was to provide coordination and exchange of information among donor agencies and to generate international support for education in African countries. Initially, it was made up of a range of development agencies. However, it became evident that to operate effectively, it required the involvement of the African ministers of education. It expanded to include these education ministers, and in 1992 the secretariat was moved away from the World Bank to foster a greater sense of ownership amongst the ministers. IIEP-UNESCO was chosen to house the association, and in 1996 the name was changed from DAE to ADEA.

In the picture: The IIEP Dakar Pole team in 2017 at the ADEA Triennial "Revitalizing education in the perspective of the Universal 2030 Agenda and the 2063 Agenda for Africa".

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IIEP
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1993
1993: Formal launch of IIEP’s operational activities, including first technical support mission

IIEP’s focus on capacity building has always included both in-house training and in-country work. The Institute has regularly been entrusted with specific projects by donor agencies and governments. In 1993, the UNESCO Executive Board specifically recommended that the IIEP should pursue operational activities. As these activities were developing quickly, an Operational Activities Unit was created within the Institute in 1997 to coordinate this aspect of IIEP’s work. One of the milestones in this area was IIEP’s cooperation with the Palestinian Authority, with funding from the Italian government. Launched in 1995, over 1000 classrooms were renovated in 172 schools and contributions were made to the five-year plan for education. IIEP’s integrated approach to capacity development continues to offer services today on sector analysis, policy formulation and planning, implementation strategies, system and budget management, evaluation, monitoring, and learning.

1994
1994: The first distance education course

The first IIEP distance education course was held by radio in 1994 in the Caribbean and was followed by two correspondence courses in 1995 and 1996 respectively. Then in 1997, IIEP held its first distance learning course on the Internet. During 25 weeks, for only 6 US dollars per week, 199 participants from 46 countries had access to training modules and teaching support on the development of school textbooks (in English, French, and Spanish). IIEP's distance education has long since evolved, and interactive, dynamic courses are now routinely offered online. In 2022, all online courses across the three IIEP offices moved to the Global Campus and the establishment of a learning academy is underway, further modernizing and strengthening this pillar of IIEP's offer.

In the picture: IIEP Newsletter January-March Vol.XVI, No.1.

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IIEP-UNESCO
1995
1995: IIEP establishes the Southern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ)

In 1995, 15 ministries of education decided to join together to improve the quality of education. The Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ) was born with the mission to build the capacity of ministries to undertake studies of the quality of education systems by working in a cooperative manner that encourages the sharing of experiences and mutual learning. Its activities include project design, training, computer-based data analyses, data archive production, and dissemination of research results. It evolved from a small experimental project initiated by IIEP in one country more than three decades ago. Part of IIEP’s cooperation with the SACMEQ Consortium focused on expanding the dissemination of the Consortium’s information resources with the aim to encourage their wider usage for educational policy purposes.

In the picture: SACMEQ-PASEC Meeting on 25 January 2011.

1995
1995: Establishment of the Asian Network of Training and Research Institutions in Educational Planning (ANTRIEP)

In 1995, IIEP helped establish the Asian Network of Training and Research Institutions in Educational Planning (ANTRIEP), a regional network that has grown from 13 original members to 22 institutions in 14 countries. The idea for creating ANTRIEP emerged from the realization that institutions in Asia working in the field of educational planning and management knew little about each other’s activities and therefore rarely co-operated. Its overall objective is to create synergy to enable participating institutions to address the needs for skill development in educational management in the region. Activities have included regional seminars on school management, supervision, quality monitoring, decentralization, and school effectiveness. Several members have worked together on research and training programmes on school supervision and successful school management.

IIEP provided academic and technical support until the network became self-sustained and self-directed and it also acted as a key catalyzer in the creation of a number of national institutions which make up the ANTRIEP network, including the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration in India and the National Institute of Education in Cambodia, both of whom remain valuable partners of IIEP.

Similarly, IIEP supported the creation of the Regional Centre for Educational Planning (RCEP) in 2001 to enhance and support educational systems in the Arab region through training, consultancy, and dissemination of knowledge.

In the picture: ANTRIEP Seminar in Shanghai from 19 to 21 September 2000.

1996
1996: Launch of the IIEP website

The first IIEP website went online amid the internet revolution of the 1990s, with the purpose of communicating on IIEP’s projects and providing useful resources to users around the world. It developed rapidly and became bilingual in 2001, by adding publications and news in English and French. 

Visit the IIEP website at: www.iiep.unesco.org

 

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IIEP-UNESCO
1998
1998: Creation of IIEP Buenos Aires, Office for Latin America and the Caribbean

Although IIEP had already been developing projects in Latin American and Caribbean countries before 1998, the establishment of a regional office was a way to recognize the importance of the region in the global context, as well as to provide local and contextualized responses to the needs of ministries of education. Through this office, IIEP was able to fulfil the dual objective of bringing international educational experiences to the countries of the region, and of disseminating Latin American experiences globally, with a special focus on South-South cooperation.

Currently, IIEP-UNESCO’s Office in Buenos Aires is responsible for fulfilling the Institute's mandate in UNESCO's 36 Member States in the region. Its work focuses on the current issues and needs of the education sector and its vocation is to support governments in the region to achieve their education goals in the context of the Education 2030 Agenda.

In the picture: IIEP's Office in Buenos Aires.

Learn more about the history of IIEP's Office in Buenos Aires

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IIEP-UNESCO
2000
2000: Planning for education in the context of HIV/AIDS

In 2000, IIEP dedicated its Fundamentals of Educational Planning to the urgency of the HIV and AIDS crisis. Authored by Michael J. Kelly, Planning for education in the context of HIV/AIDS stressed the need for education systems to react quickly and to envisage new solutions in the face of an epidemic that are tailored to their specific needs. Former Director of IIEP, Gudmund Hernes, was also confirmed as the UNESCO Coordinator for the Organization’s HIV and AIDS programmes and projects in 2001 and a research programme was launched in early 2003 to study the impact of and responses to HIV and AIDS in the education sectors of Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda.

UNESCO also established a clearinghouse at IIEP and at the International Bureau of Education in 2002, focusing on planning (IIEP) and curriculum (IBE) responses to HIV. It evolved over time, becoming a comprehensive global UNESCO Clearinghouse on HIV and AIDS Education coordinated by IIEP. Today, it is the UNESCO Health and Education Resource Centre and IIEP is also involved in other health and well-being projects, including one on supporting countries with the integration of basic health and well-being indicators into Education Management Information Systems (EMIS).

In the picture: the cover of the publication "Planning for education in the context of HIV/AIDS".

2001
2001: Expert workshop on ethics and corruption in education held at IIEP premises

Expert workshop on ethics and corruption in education held at IIEP premises  This event initiated a comprehensive research programme on Ethics and Corruption in Education, which has led to several outputs over the years:

  • Large research and capacity-building projects on academic integrity, teacher management and behaviour, open school data, and open government.
  • Training on transparency, accountability and anti-corruption issues has been provided to over 2,600 people since 2003.
  • Technical cooperation work on corruption risk assessment, implementation, public expenditure tracking surveys, codes, and charters of ethics and conduct.
  • An interactive online tool, the ETICO platform, which holds over 45 publications, including the book Corrupt schools, corrupt universities: What can be done? published in 6 languages and obtained world media coverage. 

In the picture: Video on Corruption in education: what happens when the line is crossed?

2002
2002: Launch of the first IIEP thematic website

In 2002 IIEP launched its first thematic website as a dedicated space to hold specialized content and resources for the benefit of the global education community. This first website was SITEAL, a space that provides up-to-date information on educational trends and reforms in Latin America. In subsequent years, IIEP launched the following websites:

  • 2002: ETICO, an interactive tool that provides information and resources on corruption in education.
  • 2007: Planipolis, a portal of national education plans and policies and key education frameworks and monitoring reports.
  • 2015: The Learning Portal a site that helps governments worldwide integrate improved learning into the planning cycle, sharing tools, best practices, and perspectives information on learning issues, from primary through secondary education.
  • 2016: Education4Resilience, a platform that features tools and resources to accompany and guide educational planners and policy-makers through the development and implementation of crisis-sensitive educational plans and policies.
  • 2019: Education Policy Toolbox, an online catalogue of more than 500 education policy options, which addresses the bottlenecks of educational inequality, to contribute to the use of evidence for informed policy- and decision-making.

In the picture: SITEAL website.

2003
2003: Drafting of the IIEP Guidebook for planning in education emergencies and reconstruction

The drafting of this guidebook was one of the first activities carried out as part of IIEP’s burgeoning focus on education in emergencies, which has evolved into its well-established focus on crisis-sensitive planning. The Guidebook spans some forty critical topics that must be considered when planning and managing education in such situations. Designed as a reference for Ministry of Education officials and agencies, it serves educational planners and managers at all levels. 

 In the picture: the cover of the 2003 Guidebook for Planning in education emergencies and reconstruction.

2008
2008: Gender mainstreaming throughout all IIEP activities and trainings started

IIEP launched a mapping of all gender-related projects, and by 2010 the first gender-mainstreaming exercises were conducted. Since 2014, the reduction of gender inequalities has been one of the Institute’s strategic priorities.

In the picture: Workshop held at IIEP's Office in Buenos Aires on 9 March 2018.

2011
2011: World exchange on teacher codes of conduct

From 21 November to 2 December 2011, over 900 educational development professionals from across the globe participated in e-discussions on the issue of teacher codes of conduct and their implementation, contributing to a larger study and guidelines for countries. Today, examples are available from 89 countries on the ETICO thematic website

IIEP has published other guidelines on other topics including guidelines on how to design and implement school grant policies, planning to fulfil the right to education, transitional education plan preparation, and guidelines for the preparation of a diagnosis on school supervision, among other topics. 

In the picture: the cover of the 2009 Guidelines "For the design and effective use of teacher codes of conduct".

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2011
2011: Launch of IIEP’s social media presence

IIEP’s first social media account was created on Facebook in 2011. It was managed by IIEP’s Office for Latin America and aimed at a regional audience. IIEP’s global social media presence followed shortly, with Twitter and Facebook accounts created in 2015.

In the picture: Male hand pointing on key with a social media logotype/© REDPIXEL.PL/Shutterstock.com.

2013
2013: Dakar Office becomes part of IIEP and is established as its bureau for Africa

On 9th October 2013, an agreement formalised its administrative links with IIEP-UNESCO, paving the way for synergies and new collaborations. Like IIEP-UNESCO Buenos AiresIIEP-UNESCO Dakar became the second regional office to be attached to the organization’s Paris headquarters. Since this integration, some collaborations with African countries are carried out across all three offices. The Dakar office was integrated into the headquarters’ funding framework in 2020, opening up new prospects for financing projects on the continent.

In the picture: Signature of the agreement at the UNESCO headquarters on 9 October 2013. Left to right: Qian Tang, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education; Khalil Mahshi, Director of IIEP-UNESCO; Yves Boudot, Director of the AFD’s sub-Saharan Africa department.

2015
2015: Education Sector Analysis methodological guidelines developed with GPE

IIEP and the Global Partnership for Education develop and make widely available to countries and the international community guidelines to help countries develop and assess credible, relevant and feasible education sector plans. Both sets of guidelines are easily adaptable to country contexts and needs. They can also be complemented by other technical manuals on specific tools and methodologies that can be used throughout various stages of creating robust, long-lasting education sector plans.

In the picture: covers the Guidelines to help countries develop and assess credible education sector plans.

2018
2018: Advanced Training Programme celebrates its 50th Study Visit in France

IIEP celebrated its 50th Study Visit in February 2018 in Nouvelle Aquitaine in the Southwest region of France. Every year, such visits took on a specific theme, such as the quality of education, how the system caters to the diverse needs of all learners, including the disabled, or vocational education and the integration of youth into the labour market.

In the picture: ATP study visit to Bordeaux.

2018
2018: Launch of Quality Management Programme in Dakar

The future of entire generations is threatened by a global learning crisis, of which Africa is particularly affected. Despite progress in ensuring access to education on the continent, nearly 60% of students have inadequate literacy and math skills after six years of primary school. Faced with children struggling to learn, IIEP-UNESCO Dakar, together with 15 African countries set up an innovative programme to support the management of basic education quality in February 2018 with the support of the French Development Agency (Agence française de développement).

In the picture: covers of the national assessments for Burkina Faso, Madagascar, Niger and Senegal.

2018
2018: IIEP Buenos Aires organizes the first annual Regional Forum on Education Policies in Latin America

Educational policy-makers from 19 countries in Latin America met in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for the first annual Regional Forum on Educational Policies under the theme ‘Challenges of Secondary Education in Latin America to meeting the Education 2030 Agenda’.

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IIEP-UNESCO
2019
2019: Launch of first online community of practice aimed at educational planners

In 2019, IIEP Buenos Aires launched the Network of Latin American Education Policy Specialists, also known as "la RED". The RED is the first virtual community of practice that brings together professionals from ministries of education involved in the design, implementation, and analysis of education policies in the region. In this space, IIEP seeks to foster dialogue and the exchange of good practices and lessons learned among the countries of the region. Currently, the RED brings together more than 2,000 specialists and is a dynamic space that promotes events, discussion rooms, bilateral roundtables, and other interactive formats.

In the picture: Spot - IIEP UNESCO Network of Education Policy Specialists.

2019
2019: Launch of the Gender at the Centre Initiative

Launched in 2019 as part of the G7 summit and coordinated by United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI), this programme aims to strengthen the capacities of eight sub-Saharan African countries to mainstream gender in the development, implementation and monitoring of education policies. As the technical lead of this initiative, IIEP supports governments, delivers training courses and produces knowledge on the crucial issue of inclusion in African education systems.

In the picture: 4th GCI Alliance Board Meeting from March 28-30, 2023 in Dakar, Senegal hosted by UNGEI and IIEP-UNESCO.

2020
2020: IIEP responds to COVID-19

At its peak, COVID-19 affected over 1.6 billion learners of all ages – or 94% of the world’s student population. During this time, IIEP supported the education systems of UNESCO Member States with key documents, policy recommendations, and technical support. This covered many areas, including how to coordinate across sectors, re-open schools safely, and provide continuous support to learners, families, and teachers. During the pandemic, UN Secretary-General António Guterres also released the policy brief “Education in the time of COVID-19 and beyond”, warning that the emergency had created the most severe disruption in the world’s education systems in history. IIEP served as a penholder on behalf of UNESCO and gathered input from 15 organizations to draft recommendations on how to protect learning for all.

Read the Secretary-General’s Policy Brief on Education and COVID-19

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IIEP-UNESCO/Makmende Media
2021
2021: We Teacher Here films

In 2021, the first film in the We Teach Here series was released, as part of a collaboration with Education Development Trust and with support from Dubai Cares. We Teach Here focuses on the lives of teachers working in refugee settings in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda. Some of these teachers are refugees themselves. Others are national teachers who are working with refugee learners. All are members of communities affected by crisis and displacement.

We Teach Here removes our attachment to place to instead focus on people – it's about teachers who keep teaching, no matter what, no matter where. These are their stories: the lives they lead and the challenges and opportunities they encounter along the way. 

In the picture: Joel Vieutome Kakalage, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, is a refugee teacher in Uganda. 

Watch the films

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IIEP-UNESCO
2021
2021: Hackathon

In January 2021, IIEP hosted its first hackathon, Hacking EDPlanning. Six international challenges were put forward and 30 volunteers and experts came together to put forward prototypes during 54 hours. The hackathon was part of IIEP’s broader investigation into the role of computer science, geospatial, and big data as sources of new solutions. A second hackathon was held in 2022 with top challenges focusing on issues such as climate change, how to efficiently use data and more. 

In the picture: first edition of Hackathon.

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UNICEF/UNI280376/Tremeau
2022
2022: The case for investment in African education and training systems

During the ADEA 2022 Triennale on Education, IIEP reaffirmed its commitment to the African continent and presented its approach and priorities for capacity development to strengthen planning, management, and the implementation of education programmes for improved learning outcomes and skills development across the continent in a case for investment in African education and training systems. IIEP currently commits half of its country-facing work to countries across Africa. In 2021, the IIEP Office for Africa celebrated two decades of direct service to the region.  

In the picture: cover of the 2022 publication "The case for investment in African education and training systems".

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IIEP-UNESCO
The IIEP-UNESCO regional team pictured in Buenos Aires in May 2023. 
2023
2023: IIEP's Office for Latin America and the Caribbean celebrates 25 years 

In 2023, the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) Office for Latin America and the Caribbean marked a quarter century of dedicated presence in the region. The Office provides a range of services, including the Regional Training Programme in Educational Policy Planning and Management (known as "RTP" in English or “PRF” in Spanish). Since 1998, more than 600 participants from 23 countries, including 19 Latin American countries and 4 Portuguese-speaking African countries, have graduated.

As it marks 25 years, the Office is also in a process of growth with an eye on the future, to consolidate its position as a leading institution in the capacity development of ministerial teams and in the creation and dissemination of knowledge, providing flexible solutions, with a practical approach and adapted to local contexts and the specific needs of the region. Its commitment is to continue supporting countries to build resilient education systems, capable of resisting potential crises but also – and above all – capable of guaranteeing the right to education.

In the picture: The IIEP-UNESCO regional team pictured in Buenos Aires in May 2023. 

IIEP voices

When we think of education, what comes to mind? Bustling school grounds, stacks of textbooks, and teachers and students at their desks… But behind this common image are the planners and decision-makers who make important policy choices that affect millions of learners around the world. Meet some of them who have engaged with IIEP over the past 60 years.

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IIEP-UNESCO
IIEP trainees in Paris, France, during group work.