Educational Planning: approaches, challenges and international …

[Pages:52]Distance Education Programme on Education Sector Planning

Module 1

Educational Planning: approaches, challenges and international frameworks

International Institute for Educational Planning

Table of contents

List of abbreviations.......................................................................................................................................2

MODULE OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................... 3

UNIT 1. WHAT IS EDUCATIONAL PLANNING? ............................................................................................. 7 PART 1. Concepts of Educational Planning...................................................................................................9 1.1 Definition of planning............................................................................................................................9 1.2 A look at traditional planning................................................................................................................9 1.3 Strategic planning .............................................................................................................................. 10 1.4 The main stages of strategic planning today.................................................................................... 12

PART 2. Education Sector Plan Preparation: Actors and processes......................................................... 14 2.1 How many plans should be prepared?...............................................................................................14 2.2 Who prepares the ESP? ......................................................................................................................14 2.3 Who should lead the plan preparation process? ............................................................................. 15

UNIT 2. COMPARATIVE TRENDS AND CURRENT CHALLENGES FOR EDUCATION POLICY AND PLANNING .............................................................................................................. 19

PART 1. Educational Development patterns and issues............................................................................21 1.1 Education for All ................................................................................................................................. 21 1.2 Comparing participation in education worldwide............................................................................. 21 1.3 Trends by education sub-sector ....................................................................................................... 23

PART 2. Challenges for Educational Policy and Planning...........................................................................26 2.1 Developing specific sub-sectors of education .................................................................................. 26 2.2 The quality of education .................................................................................................................... 28 2.3 Educational equity and social cohesion ........................................................................................... 29 2.4 Linking learning and work: Qualification structures and career guidance ..................................... 30 2.5 Resources for education.................................................................................................................... 30 2.6 Governance and management.......................................................................................................... 32

UNIT 3. DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORKS, AID MODALITIES AND EDUCATIONAL PLANNING ....................35 PART 1. Development frameworks and Education.....................................................................................37 1.1 Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) .................................................................................................... 38 1.2 Millennium Development Goals ........................................................................................................ 40 1.3 Education for All ................................................................................................................................. 41 1.4 Fast Track Initiative ............................................................................................................................ 41

PART 2. Modalities of Development Assistance and Educational Planning ............................................43 2. 1 Towards new aid modalities .............................................................................................................. 43 2.2 The budget support approach ........................................................................................................... 44 2.3 Sector-wide approaches .................................................................................................................... 45 2.4 New aid modalities: Implications and challenges for policy making and planning........................ 47

GROUP ACTIVITY .......................................................................................................................................... 51

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List of abbreviations

DAC ECCE EFA ESP EMIS FTI GBS GDP GNP HIPC MDG MOE MOU MTEF PD PRS PRSP SAP SBS SWAp TVE

Development Assistance Committee (OECD) Early childhood care and education Education for All Education Sector Planning Education Management Information Systems Fast-Track Initiative General Budget Support Gross Domestic Product Gross National Product Heavily Indebted Poor Country Millennium Development Goals Ministry of Education Memorandum of understanding Medium-Term Expenditure Framework Paris Declaration Poverty-reduction strategies Poverty-reduction strategy paper Structural Adjustment Policy Sector Budget Support Sector Wide Approach Technical and Vocational Education

Abbreviations for organizations cited in the text:

IIEP UNESCO OECD UNDP ILO WTO

International Institute for Educational Planning United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development United Nations Development Programme International Labour Office World Trade Organization

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Module Overview

EDUCATIONAL PLANNING: APPROACHES, CHALLENGES, INTERNATIONAL FRAMEWORKS

Welcome to Module 1 of the ESP programme. This module has two major objectives: (i) To clarify what educational planning is about and (ii) to provide insight into the major challenges that educational planners face, particularly those in developing countries. Planning can be defined as a practice aimed at preparing the education system to address the future and to achieve the medium and long-term goals set by policy-makers. In order to fulfil this function effectively, educational planners need to have an understanding of the concepts which are defining and shaping their area of work. At the same time, they have to be aware of the context, challenges and constraints that arise when carrying out the operational activities of educational planning. The three units of this module therefore examine both the concepts and the context of educational planning.

General objective:

Module 1 provides an introduction to educational planning, its concepts, current context and framework for action.

Course content:

? Education sector planning: key concepts, contextual factors and main stages; ? Comparative and international perspectives: major trends in educational development in

different parts of the world, the related challenges for forward planning; ? New frameworks for planning: `new' international commitments (such as Education for All, the

Fast Track Initiative, poverty reduction strategies, Millennium Development Goals (MDG's), etc.) and their influence on the approaches, instruments, and processes for the development of educational planning.

Expected learning outcomes:

Upon completion of Module 1 you should be able to: ? Master key concepts, characteristics and main stages of education sector planning; ? Identify the main contextual factors affecting educational planning; ? Discuss the main challenges facing educational planning; ? Compare educational development patterns in different regions; ? Identify the international commitments and frameworks guiding educational planning; ? Discuss the main aid modalities in education.

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Timeframe:

? This module will be held from 1 to 26 February 2010. ? The study time required for this module is approximately 8 hours per week.

Need help?

The module instructors are Dramane Oulai and Abrar Hasan. They will contact you through the programme e-learning platform to provide you with information and guidance about the weekly activities you should prepare and the deadlines for submitting your group activities. They will also be in charge of evaluating your answers to the group report as well as your individual examination. In case you have specific questions or any difficulties in understanding the material or work instructions related to this module, you should first contact your country Group Coordinator who will assist you in addressing them. The IIEP module instructors, named above would be happy to answer any further questions via the Module-1 Discussion Forum within the e-learning platform.

Questions for individual reflection:

? While reading the materials relating to the present module, you will regularly come across 'Questions for individual reflection'. Reflecting on and responding to these questions will help you to clarify whether you have understood certain relevant parts or aspects of the module contents.

? We suggest that you answer each of these questions individually and take short notes of your answers. Then, compare and discuss your answers and possible doubts with your colleagues during the weekly sessions organized by your Group Coordinator.

? The questions for individual reflection will not be marked - you will not have to submit your responses to the IIEP module instructors. The objective of these questions is to improve your understanding of the material. Therefore, it is important that you prepare your answers to these questions and participate in the weekly sessions as sound preparation for future work.

Group Activity :

? At the end of Unit 3, you will find a Group Activity. For the preparation of the group response, we suggest that you start reading the material and responding to the activity individually. Then, compare and discuss your answers and points of view with your colleagues during the group sessions organized by your Group Coordinator. Finally, your group should prepare a consolidated group response for this group activity.

? Your Group Coordinator is expected to submit the group response to the IIEP instructors on or before the indicated deadline. The submission of the group response is compulsory and will be also considered as a preparation for the individual examination and the elaboration of your country plan/review document.

? Your group responses to the assignment will be marked by the IIEP instructors. Within one week after your submission, your group will receive an assessment report containing the instructors' comments and remarks on your work as well as a group mark.

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Assessment:

? Assessment of group activity: The response to the group assignment will be marked by the module instructors. ? Assessment of individual achievements: At the end of June 2010, you will sit an individual written exam in order to assess the learning achievements relating to this module (together with Modules 2 and 3). The exam will consist of a set of questions requesting short answers. Your individual attendance and participation in the module will be assessed by your Group Coordinator.

Reading:

For this module you are strongly encouraged to read the following documents which are available on the ESP programme e-learning platform:

? Maureen Woodhall. 2004. Cost-benefit analysis in educational planning. Fundamentals of educational planning No. 80, Paris: IIEP-UNESCO (Chapters 1, 6, 9, 11 and 12).

? Olivier Bertrand. 2004. Planning human resources: methods, experiences and practices. Fundamentals of educational planning No. 41, Paris: IIEP-UNESCO (Chapters 1, 2, 4 and 7).

? Paris declaration on aid effectiveness: ownership, harmonization, alignment, results and mutual accountability. 2005. High Level Forum on Aid effectiveness: Paris.

? UNESCO. 2008. Education for all by 2015: will we make it? EFA Global Monitoring Report, Paris: UNESCO (Executive Summary and Chapter 4).

For further reading you can also consult the following publications: ? Steven McIntosh. 2008. Education and employment in OECD countries. Fundamentals of educational planning No. 88, Paris: IIEP-UNESCO. ? Ta-Ngoc Ch?u. 2003. Demographic aspects of educational planning. Fundamentals of educational planning No. 72, Paris: IIEP-UNESCO. ? Christine Inglis. 2008. Planning for cultural diversity. Fundamentals of educational planning No. 87, Paris: IIEP-UNESCO.

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UNIT 1. WHAT IS EDUCATIONAL PLANNING?1

UNIT 1

There is wide convergence on the fundamental definition of educational planning and the main dimensions or stages that it includes. However, it is important to recognise that over time there have been changes in the prevailing concept of educational planning as well as in the tasks, actors and processes that are shaping its practice. Unit 1 of this training programme aims to provide you with an introduction to the key definitions, concepts, and approaches of educational planning. Special attention will be given to the currently prevailing `strategic planning' approach and its main stages or components. These different planning stages or components will be dealt with in some detail in subsequent modules of the ESP programme. Educational planning is more than a technical exercise. It is also an organised social process involving a variety of actors. The second part of Unit 1 therefore presents and discusses the main features that characterize the educational planning processes currently in practice as well as the process of plan preparation.

Unit objective:

Unit 1 will discuss some of the key concepts, characteristics and main stages of education sector planning.

Unit content:

? traditional vs. strategic planning; ? key stages of strategic planning; ? recent changes in the processes of educational planning.

Expected learning outcomes:

Upon completion of Unit 1 you should be able to: ? master key concepts related to educational planning; ? identify different planning approaches; ? describe the main stages of strategic planning; ? explain the main actors and processes underpinning strategic planning today.

1 This Unit is a slightly shortened and adapted version of two documents: IIEP. 2009. Guidelines for the preparation of an Education Sector Plan, IIEP-UNESCO, unpublished manuscript. IIEP. 2009. Strategic Planning: concept, process and rationale, File 1, IIEP-UNESCO, unpublished manuscript.

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