Note for the Record
Summary Report
Central Asia and South Caucasus
Knowledge Management Workshop
on
Disaster Risk Reduction in Education
Istanbul, 25 February – 01 March 2013
BACKGROUND
In March 2011, UNICEF organized a regional workshop on knowledge management to facilitate exchange of information, experiences and resources between the countries in Central Asia and South Caucasus. The workshop was assessed by all participants as very successful and was considered to have contributed to enhancing the overall impact and quality of the DIPECHO-funded DRR programme. Taking this positive experience into account and in line with the requests from country offices and government counterparts as well as EC’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO) office, CEE/CIS Regional Office organized another Knowledge Management workshop event under the current UNICEF DIPECHO contribution.
In addition, there have been calls by the donor and some agencies working in disaster risk reduction in the region for UNICEF to play a stronger role in DRR in Education, in terms of helping to establish standards for school safety, supporting the integration of DRR into the education sector and to create opportunities for transfer of information and knowledge in the region.
Before the workshop, preliminary discussions were held with UNICEF country offices as well as with key regional partners to explore ideas regarding the overall scope, objectives and format of the workshop. Following these consultations, a concept note was prepared based on the inputs received from country offices and relevant DRR partners in the Central Asia and South Caucasus region.
PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE WORKSHOP
The purpose of the Knowledge Management workshop was twofold:
- Provide a platform for DRR stakeholders working in the area of disaster risk reduction in education to share their experiences and approaches to DRR in Education, and
- Provide an opportunity to UNICEF and its implementing government counterparts to exchange information and experiences in implementing DRR interventions under the UNICEF DIPECHO- funded programme.
In terms of specific objectives, the following was the focus:
· To provide an opportunity to section heads and/or technical staff from the relevant government entities of Central Asian and South Caucasus to discuss strategies and approaches for implementing disaster risk reduction in the education sector;
· To present and share selected resource materials, including training manuals, teaching methodologies, teaching materials, on disaster risk reduction in education from the Central Asia and South Caucasus region;
· To facilitate exchange of knowledge and experiences among regional practitioners and experts in the field of disaster risk reduction, with a particular focus on the education sector;
· To further contribute to the strengthening of regional cooperation and collaboration, thereby creating a viable environment for implementation of regional and national efforts in disaster risk reduction in education;
The agenda (Annex I) was organised in such a way that each country delegation presented experiences and lessons learnt concerning one of the key elements of the regional DIPECHO programme.
PARTICIPATION
The workshop was attended by representatives of the following government ministries and organizations working in the field of DRR in Education:
· Ministries of Education and Emergency Situations, and other institutions from the education and emergency sectors (heads of agencies, deputy ministers, section heads and technical-level experts)
· UNICEF Country Offices (DIPECHO programme-funded staff, education officers)
· UNICEF Regional Office for CEE/CIS
· UNICEF HQ (Office of Emergency Programmes-Geneva, PARMO-Brussels)
· National/local NGO representatives and/or local DRR experts[1];
· Regional DRR organizations (mainly those working in more than one country in the CA and SC region);
· ECHO.
Annex II provides full details of the participants.
SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS
The workshop provided an excellent opportunity for the different country teams and regional DRR partners (eg. UN ISDR, UNDP, Save the Children and SEEDS) to share information on the specific strategies and approaches pursued generally under DRR in Education, as well as specifically under the DIPECHO-funded programme. It also provided an invaluable and a unique opportunity to country representatives to connect (and re-connect) with their colleagues and peers within the two-sub-regions and other partners organizations. This networking was particularly valued and appreciated by the government counterparts, many of whom are dealing with similar issues and challenges in their respective countries. Moreover, the meeting helped in further strengthening UNICEF’s relationship with government representatives as well as in bridging the cooperation and understanding between the ministries i.e. emergency and education. In this respect, the current DIPECHO programme provided a strong reason and opportunity to the government representatives to maintain contacts and cooperation.
The Government of Turkey showcased its advanced level of disaster risk reduction interventions being carried out countrywide. This specific example helped to inspire government representatives from the two regions with additional ideas to bring back to their respective countries. Some of the country delegations have already started to incorporate some of the ideas presented by Turkish Ministry of National Education immediately following the return back to their respective countries.
The timing of the workshop was also important as it was organized two months prior to the 2013 Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction, where a number of sessions will focus on the issue of integrating disaster risk reduction in education. The workshop allowed the UNICEF and the Government counterparts to identify experiences and good practices, which could potentially be presented at the Global Platform in May. Considering increased governments’ commitment to DRR at the national level, a special session at the KM workshop was devoted to establishing National Platforms, with a specific focus on education within the platforms. In this regard, Croatia and Armenia presented practical examples on how the National Platforms were established in these two countries and how they are functioning.
What was particularly encouraging was the high-level participation of the government representatives throughout the workshop. For instance, all country presentations (except Uzbekistan) were delivered by government representatives. They were also intensively engaged in the plenary discussions. This demonstrated not only a high degree of engagement by government counterparts, but also a strong interest in the subject of disaster risk reduction. Another positive aspect was that representatives from both emergency management and education ministries were present at the meeting, many of whom committed to continue to work together in this important area after their return home. The workshop provided a good opportunity to learn from other partners on the approaches and good practices related to DRR in Education.
The workshop also provided an excellent opportunity to promote sharing of information and experiences on specific disaster risk reduction strategies and approaches, which were practical and related directly to the on-going UNICEF DIPECHO-funded programme, thereby allowing the different countries to apply them within their contexts. This will directly contribute to the achievement of the programme outcomes. All key activities covered under the programme were addressed during the course of the workshop. The session entitled “marketplace” was greatly appreciated by participants as it allowed each country team and partners to showcase their DRR tools and products such as posters, leaflets, manuals and IEC materials. Turkmenistan, as a new country to the DIPECHO programme, particularly benefitted from the session and from the workshop in general.
CEE/CIS Regional Office also presented the recently developed Regional Education in Emergencies Capacity Development Strategy at the workshop. The meeting provided a good opportunity to introduce UNCEF’s longer term vision on this issue, and highlight the organization’s commitment to support governments in the future.
Overall, the workshop not only helped strengthen the technical knowledge and skills in disaster risk reduction, but provided a platform for the key stakeholders from the two regions to share their experiences and approaches to DRR in Education. In addition, the open exchange of ideas and discussions during the workshop helped to increase the level of commitment and motivation of the country teams to develop new ideas related to DRR in Education to be implemented in their respective countries.
WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS
Each presentation was followed by extensive discussions, leading to a number of recommendations, which were drafted and agreed by workshop participants, particularly the government representatives. Considering the difference of country contexts, it was acceded that the recommendations will have a generic character, while each country will develop specific actions applicable to opportunities available. Below is the list of recommendations for actions and regional coordination mechanisms:
Recommendations for Actions in DRR in Education
1. Consolidation, enhancement and institutionalization of teaching, learning and training materials/resources with a particular attention to different age groups and with focus on different target groups (e.g. children with disabilities);
2. Assistance to inter-ministerial monitoring and evaluation of DRR interventions in the Education sector (mechanisms, means of monitoring);
3. Harmonization of normative framework and legislation in line with international standards and country commitments;
4. Development and enhancement of standards/guidance on implementation of DRR in educational institutions;
5. Adaptation and/or enhancement of vulnerability assessment of educational institutions to disaster risks and implementation of programs to ensure physical (structural) safety;
6. Development of regional strategy on DRR in education;
7. Mobilization of resources for DRR in education, including effective management of financial resources;
8. Development of capacities of teachers and professionals responsible for disaster risk reduction in schools (qualification, certification, training, etc.);
9. Integration of DRR into national education standards, indicators and/or curriculum (formal and informal).
Recommendations for regional coordination mechanisms:
1. On-line partnership/coordination platforms (Facebook, websites, quarterly conferences newsletters, webinars).
2. Regional Knowledge Management workshops;
3. Regional platform for DRR in Education;
4. Study tours;
5. Roster of DRR experts: joint financing, monitoring, strengthening of coordination;
6. Regional children/youth networking (summer camps, games, competitions);
7. Proposals, monitoring reports – country to country, joint recommendations;
8. Mentoring, reporting, accountability standards.
ANNEX I – Agenda (Part I[2])
Day 1, Monday, 25 February 2013
08:30-09:00 Registration of participants
Moderator: Prof. Polat Gülkan, President of the International Association for Earthquake Engineering (IAEE)
09:00-09:10 Welcome and Introduction to the workshop objectives, agenda and expectations, Ms. Andrea James, Regional Chief of Emergency, UNICEF CEECIS Regional Office
09:10-09:20 Opening Remarks, Dr. Muammer Yildiz, Director, Istanbul Province Education Directorate
09:20-09:30 Opening Remarks, Mr. Jun Kukita, UNICEF Representative in Kazakhstan
Session 1 - Disaster Risk Reduction: Setting the global and regional context
09:30-10:15 Global update on Hyogo Framework for Action and DRR in Education – Mr. Antony Spalton, Disaster Risk Reduction Specialist, UNICEF Geneva
10:15-11:00 Disaster Risk Context of Central Asia and South Caucasus – Mr. Taherul Khan, Disaster Reduction Advisor, UNDP Central Asia
11:00-11:30 Coffee-break
11:30-12:15 Progress of HFA implementation in Central Asia and South Caucasus – Mr. Demetrio Innocenti, Programme Officer, UN ISDR Regional Office for Europe
12:15-13:00 ECHO’s approach to DRR in the region: achievements and lessons learned – Ms. Ketevan Lomsadze, DG ECHO
13:00-14:00 Lunch
Session 2 – Effective Coordination in DRR
14:00-14:45 Establishment and Management of Croatia National Platform on DRR – Ms. Natasa Holсinger, Croatia National Platform
14:45-15:30 Establishment and achievements of DRR in Education Thematic Group under the Armenia National Platform on DRR – Mr. Movses Poghosyan, Director, DRR National Platform of Armenia
15:30-15:45 Coffee break
Session 3 – DRR in Education: Examples of good practices
15:45-16:45 Integration of DRR into Education Curricula – Dr. Muammer Yildiz, Ministry of Education, Turkey
16:45-17:30 Inclusive DDR in preschools and special schools & integration of DRR into curriculum – Mr. Pierre Vischioni, Regional Project Manager – DIPECHO South Caucasus, Save the Children
Day 2, Tuesday, 26 February 2013
09:00-09:15 Wrap up of Day I & Agenda for Day 2
Session 3 (cont’d) – DRR in Education: Examples of good practices
Moderator: Ms. Marie France Bourgeois, Senior Programme Advisor, UNICEF Brussels
09:15-10:15 Market place of DRR in Education products - Presentation by partners
10:15-11:15 Safe communities through safer schools and child participation –
Ms. Shivangi Chavda, Chief Operating Officer, SEEDS India
11:15-11:30 Coffee break
11:30-12:15 School safety assessment methodology – Ms. Victoria Baltieva, Ministry of Education and Science, Kyrgyzstan
12:15-13:00 Integration of DRR into Education Sector: Policy Review in Kazakhstan – Ms. Almagul Mukhamedkhanova, Independent Consultant, Kazakhstan
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00-15:00 UNICEF CEE/CIS Regional Education in Emergencies Capacity Development Strategy – Mr. Chris Talbot, UNICEF Consultant
Session 4 - Enhancing cooperation of DRR in Education in the Region
Moderator: Mr. Antony Spalton, Disaster Risk Reduction Specialist, UNICEF Geneva
15:00-16:00 Group work on identification of gaps, opportunities and way forward for regional cooperation in disaster risk reduction
16:00-16:15 Coffee break
16:15-17:15 Group feedback, followed by discussion in plenary
17:15-17:30 Wrap-up and Closing
Part II
Day 3, Wednesday, 27 February 2013
09:00-09:10 Introduction to Part II of the workshop, agenda and expectations, Ms. Andrea James, Regional Chief of Emergency, UNICEF CEECIS Regional Office
DIPECHO Project: Presentation of experiences and good practices from the on-going DIPECHO initiatives/activities
09:10-10:30[3] National coordination mechanism for disaster risk reduction in education – Mr. Minbolot Bekjanov, Head of the Kyrgyzstan National Platform Secretariat
10:30-10:45 Coffee-break
10:45-12:00 Nationwide roll-out of the new DRR curricula: lessons learned and challenges – Ms. Natia Jokhadze, Ministry of Education and Science, Georgia
12:00-12:30 Integration of DRR into Quality Education in Uzbekistan, – Ms. Vazira Nazarova, UNICEF Uzbekistan
12:30-13:30 Lunch
13:30-14:50 Continuous improvement of DRR training and learning materials –
Mr. Serzhan Nurgazin, Ministry of Emergency Situations, Kazakhstan
14:50-16:10 Engaging children on Disaster Risk Reduction through schools – Mr. Hamlet Matevosyan, Rector of the State Academy of Crisis Management and Mr. Artur Baghdasaryan, Head of Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Education and Science, Armenia
16:10-16:30 Coffee break
16:30-17:50 Adopting DRR training packages for teachers at the national level –