Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies

The Minimum Standards for Education in Emergencies, Chronic Crises and Early Reconstruction (INEE Minimum Standards) present a global framework for coordinated action to enhance the quality of educational preparedness and response, increase access to relevant learning opportunities, and ensure humanitarian accountability in providing these services. Developed with the participation of over 2,250 individuals from more than 50 countries affected by conflict and natural disasters, the INEE Minimum Standards reflect international rights and commitments as well as consensus on good practices and lessons learned across the fields of education and protection in situations of emergency, chronic crisis and early recovery.

Over 25,000 copies of the INEE Minimum Standards have been produced, and are available in 14 languages:English,French, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Arabic, Bahasa Indonesian, Bangla/Bengali, Dari, Khmer, Sinhala, Tamil, Thai and Urdu. The INEE Minimum Standards are being used in over 80 countries around the world. INEE has received hundred of examples of the standards’ positive use in, and relevance for, programme and policy planning, assessment, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation as well as advocacy. Users relate the INEE Minimum Standards provide a common framework, facilitating the development of shared objectives between different stakeholders, including members of affected communities, humanitarian agency staff and governments. They are also being used to promote holistic thinking and response and to frame and foster inter- and intra- agency policy dialogue, coordination, advocacy and action for the provision of quality education in emergencies, chronic crises and early recovery.

The following are select examples of the diverse ways in which the INEE Minimum Standards were implemented across the globe in 2007.

INEE commissioned a team of researchers from InterWorks, Columbia University and George Washington University in 2006 to carry out an analysis of INEE members’ awareness, utilization, institutionalization of the INEE Minimum Standards, and ultimately the impact that the standards have had on improving quality of education in emergencies, chronic crises and early reconstruction contexts. More than half of the respondents (55%) from this analysis indicated that they use the INEE Minimum Standards in their work. The contexts in which they are being used are diverse, ranging from situations of conflict (61%) to natural disasters (56%) and from acute emergencies (59%) to post-crisis/reconstruction (62%). Respondents most frequently use the INEE Minimum Standards for technical guidance, monitoring and evaluation and project design. The Community Participation standards are those used most frequently, and those used least frequently are the standards associated with Teachers and Other Educational Personnel and Education Policy and Coordination. More than 80% of respondents use one or more of the cross-cutting issues in their projects. Nearly 70% of respondents incorporate gender issues into their projects, while approximately 40% of respondents have incorporated HIV/AIDS and/or special education as cross-cutting issues.

INEE Secretariat; Summary of Key Findings from the Analysis Report: Measuring the Implementation and Impact of the INEE Minimum Standards, August 2007.

UNHCR engaged in a process from December 2007-February 2008 of revising their Education Field Guidelines based on the INEE Minimum Standards in order to better institutionalize and incorporate them into their policies, programming and procedures. UNHCR is incorporating the INEE Minimum Standards into many of its project proposals. One such example was a project proposal to the Government of Japan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs on “Returnees as Agents for Peace-Building”.

UNHCR

The Norwegian Refugee Council referenced the INEE Minimum Standards in a new Camp Management Toolkit. The Toolkit provides Assessment, Monitoring and Evaluation Checklists for School Site/Environment and Teacher Assessment/Facilitator Availability and Capacity that are based on the INEE Minimum Standards. (To access the Camp Management Toolkit:

Norwegian Refugee Council

In 2007, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) established an Education Cluster that is co-led by UNICEF and Save the Children Alliance. INEE contributes to the IASC Education Cluster by participating on the Advisory Groupalong with IRC, CCF, UNHCR, WFP and UNESCO. The INEE Minimum Standards provide a common framework for the Education Cluster and their work on needs assessment, monitoring and evaluation. The INEE Minimum Standards Toolkit also serves as an integral part of the cluster’s work. INEE used the minimum standards to contribute technical expertise to the development and implementation of the Cluster’s 2007 priorities.

INEE (member of the IASC Education Cluster Advisory Group)

We are incorporating INEE resources on the INEE Minimum Standards and the cross cutting issue of Disability into our databases.

Mary Ellen Chatwin, World Vision

We added the INEE Minimum Standards Handbook to our internal Digital Library in response to requests from our field staff.

Michael Hamilton,Mercy Corps

The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) created an IASC Gender Handbook in Humanitarian Action to enable stakeholders to implement a set of multi-sectoral interventions based on women’s different needs and the imperative to provide them with equal opportunities during emergencies. The education chapter provides an overview of gender issues in education in emergencies, outlines what humanitarian staff need to know to design and implement gender-responsive education, lists actions to ensure gender mainstreaming and provides a sample indicator checklist (all of which are based on the INEE Minimum Standards). The same is true of the IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings which highlights education as a key psychosocial intervention that provides a safe and stable learning environment and restores a sense of normalcy, dignity and hope. Based on the INEE Minimum Standards, the education chapter outlines key actions that can be taken to support learners experiencing psychosocial and mental health difficulties.

INEE (member of the IASC Education Cluster Advisory Group)

Angola: We implemented the INEE Minimum Standards in our education programmes for returnees and IDPs in Huige and Luanda provinces.

Carlos Lichony, Jesuit Refugee Service

Burkina Faso: I gave a presentation on INEE and the minimum standards to regional Plan leaders in November 2007.

Maurice Oeudraogo, Plan

Congo-Brazzaville: I met with the Steering Committee of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) on education in emergencies, and gave a presentation on how INEE and the INEE Minimum Standards support Education for All goals in Africa.

Jennifer Hofmann, INEE Secretariat

Côte d’Ivoire: The main activity under the protection component of the Rewrite the Future programme in Côte d’Ivoire is the elaboration and adoption of a teacher’s code of conduct in each Regional District of the country. In the Bouake Regional District where I work, we used the sample teacher’s code of conduct included in the INEE Minimum Standards Handbook as a basis for our discussions and organized a one-day workshop with education stakeholders to work on adapting it to our local context.

Yaya Diarrassouba, Save the Children Sweden

Kenya: We used the INEE Minimum Standards in the design and implementation and evaluation and monitoring of our policy introducing a students council to achieve community participation in our English language training programmes in Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps. We used the INEE Minimum Standards in design and implementation to ensure that the councils integrated community interest groups like women, various nationalities, clans, age groups and marginalized groups in the camp setting. Windle Trust’s camp programming recognizes the need for women to participate in the development of their communities. The programmes focus on improving English language skills and the confidence of vulnerable women refugees and train women leaders and community leaders to promote access to learning opportunities. The INEE Minimum Standards on evaluation and monitoring were also used to conduct formal and structured evaluation sessions with graduating students.

Kasaya Bramwell, Windle Trust Kenya

Kenya: I incorporated the INEE Minimum Standards into undergraduate and graduate tutorials at Kenyatta University.

Daniel Wesonga, Kenyatta University

Kenya: We used the INEE Minimum Standards’ Community Education Committees in the implementation and management of schools in Kenyan villages.

Jacquiline Wattimah, World Vision International

Kenya: I ensured that sub-agreements signed between UNHCR and IP education partners incorporated minimum standards related to school safety (Learning Environment), involvement of local communities (Community Participation) and working with the government (Policy and Coordination).

Vick Ikobwa, UNHCR

Kenya: We integrated the INEE Minimum Standards into multiple trainings for Education Managers on Child Friendly Schools. With the National Emergency Education Coordination Committee, we used the INEE Minimum Standards to assess the impact of drought, floods and conflicts in several parts of the country, resulting in interventions by Ministry of Education and partners.

Elias Jama Noor, UNICEF

Liberia: TheINEE Minimum Standards were used to design the operation working programme plan to start implementation of the 4-year Rewrite the Future education thematic programme plan aiming to build capacity of the Ministry of Education and Liberian communities to improve access to basic quality education, enabling all children affected by armed conflict to learn, develop and play in safe and protective environments by 2010. The four components of the Rewrite the Future programme are access, protection, quality and finance of education. The INEE Minimum Standards and indicators were used to develop key achievements and outcomes for each of these four components. The INEE Minimum Standards Handbook was particularly useful to develop a monitoring and evaluation system to contribute to the efficiency of the educational programme and maximize its impact. My work on this took place between October 2006 and February 2007.

Andriy Dubovyk, Save the Children

Mali: The INEE Minimum Standards have served both as an analytical tool and as a checklist for WFP’s work in Mali. WFP Mali has specifically used the standards on Community Participation, Initial Assessment, Evaluation, Equal Access and Protection and Well-being. These standards have facilitated WFP’s work conducting rapid assessments of target group capacities and existing local resources, providing access to formal and non-formal education without discrimination based on school fees or teaching language, ensuring that documents are not always necessary for children to enrol in school and promoting inter-agency coordination and action. Lessons learnt in this process include the importance of situation analysis, the need to understand how the community has been affected, and that community involvement is crucial for programme design and mobilizing local resources to support educational programmes.

Fatimata Sow-Sidibe, WFP

Mozambique: Our Education Section is currently supporting the Ministry of Education to develop the education sector’s first Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan (EPRP) and is using the INEE Minimum Standards as a reference guide and framework. We are also incorporating the INEE Minimum Standards into the EPRP. Copies of the INEE Minimum Standards (in English and in Portuguese) have been shared with Ministry of Education counterparts at central and particularly, at provincial and district levels where there are no such similar resources or guides for educators working in emergency-prone areas.
Although we faced challenges in implementing the INEE Minimum Standards because clear guidance on emergencypreparednessand response activities during periods of drought is lacking, wefoundthatthe INEE Minimum Standards Handbookprovides an essential reference guide and checklist. We now plan to apply the INEE Minimum Standards concretely when implementing the EPRP over the next few years, specificallyincurriculum development, teacher training, policy formulation and overall advocacy efforts in Mozambique. As we seek partners tosupport implementation ofthe plan, we are very much emphasizing the incorporationof theINEE Minimum Standards as we feel that they give more credence to our efforts.

Lisa Doherty, UNICEF Mozambique

Sierra Leone: Save the Children and UNICEF began working on a joint emergency preparedness initiative in the education sector. They met with the Ministry for Education, Science and Technology (MEST) to assess knowledge, capacity and systems, as well as discuss their role and responsibilities in emergencies. They provided MEST staff with INEE Minimum Standards Handbooks to promote the importance of emergency preparedness in the education sector.

Save the Children and UNICEF, Sierra Leone

South Africa: Since I attended a protection workshop and community services, I have used the INEE Minimum Standards to re-introduce a parents committee. This will serve as an education tool in teaching refugee parents about their children’s rights in South African schools, what they are entitled to and how they can apply for school fee exemption. All of these are attempts to establish a community based-approach service delivery and it can promote self-reliance in the long run.

Soletu Mnqanqeni, Cape Town Refugee Centre

Sudan: We used the INEE Minimum Standards in a programme in West Darfur from 2005-2007, that addressed access to quality primary education for children who had been affected by conflict. Programme activities included school infrastructure development, provision of learning and teaching materials and supplies to schools, assisting the Ministry of Education in volunteer teacher training, SMC/PTA training and community mobilization for participation in education activities. The INEE Minimum Standards were used in emergency education implementation, monitoring and evaluation to involve key stakeholders.

Daniel Ooma McVitalis, Save the Children USA

Sudan: I used the INEE Minimum Standards in the Eastern Equatoria region to ensure that the community, local authorities and community based organizations were involved and consulted throughout project activities from assessment to monitoring phases. This has improved accountability.

Gamal Batwel Nyaragi, CARITAS

Sudan: As the focal point for education and child protection programming for Save the Children Alliance in Sudan, I have begun the process of facilitating the integration of the INEE Minimum Standards into our design, monitoring, and evaluation process.

Sara Lim Bertrand, Save the Children US

Sudan: We use the INEE Minimum Standards in our Accelerated Learning Programme (ALP) in the Lakes and Northern Bahr-el Ghazal States in South Sudan. These standards were used to conduct an assessment in collaboration with local MoE and local community on ALP needs and in selecting learners and teachers to train for the programme. Overall objectives of this programme areto improve rights and access to quality basic education and life skills training for IDP and returnee children and youth, particularly focusing on out of school children and youth in South Sudan.

Mary Ombaka, NRC

Sudan: We used the INEE Minimum Standards in Nyala, South Darfur with the Sudanese Council of Churches to establish adult education classes and increase awareness with leader communities to ensure that girls, women and boys receive education and know their rights.

Pajwan Deng, United Nations Mission in Sudan

Sudan: I have used the INEE Minimum Standards toprovide recreational activities, accelerated learning vocational training for children and youth to give them positive alternatives in the face of negative influences such as crime, armed groups etc. I have also used them in capacity-building of community members to have technical capacity to manage and own education activities without adequate and appropriate training and monitoring, in promoting access and security, mobilizing the community to devote time and resources to helping vulnerable children enrol in school and attend regularly through initiatives by providing clothing for children from the poorest families, food to child-headed families, security from harassment etc.

Umelhassan Yousef Gifoo, Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI)

Tanzania: I gave a briefing on the minimum standards to the heads of department and sub-sections.We have used the standards in preparing Guidelines to Education Monitoring and Evaluation and in reviewing the Tanzania Education and Training Policy.

Hezron Kajange,Ministry of Education and Vocational Training

Uganda: We used the INEE Minimum Standardsto make use of local resources in 2006, in Pader district. Local community members were elected to support assessment of education needs in the internally displaced people’s camp, mobilize community support for education interventions and sensitize the community to the importance of education.

Cik Moses, Save the Children

Uganda: Ico-facilitated a session on the INEE Minimum Standards for Save the Children Uganda staff during a training on child protection in emergencies. I also incorporated elements of the minimum standards in a training of teachers on Psychosocial Structured Activity Approach (PSSA) where I used the standards to provide technical guidance to key actors (Trainers, Teachers, District Education Office, Parents and communities) on the implementation of a Child Resilience project and emergency education. I conducted solutions-based Focus Group Discussions with parents of children in target schools while integrating psychosocial/protection issues of children affected by armed conflict and distributed the PSSA kits to strengthen capacities of target schools to implement the Child Resilience project. I also participated in the development of Terms of References for Baseline studies for emergency education programme/Child Resilience projects as well as a monitoring and evaluation system for all the programme components including performance and impact indicators which addresses the INEE Minimum Standards.