Privacy Policy & Terms of Use

Copyright © INEE 2024

INEE Global Consultations

EiE Global Consultation 2015 - Phase 2

As part of broad, global efforts to strengthen the response to education in emergencies and protracted crises, INEE led a global consultation to facilitate dialogue and collect inputs from all over the world. This consultation, which ran from 29 January - 12 February 2016, focused on how to operationalise solutions toward a new platform for global EiE work.

Outcome Documents

 

The Challenge

An estimated 65 million school-age children aged 3-15 are directly affected by emergencies and protracted crises around the world. (ODI)

It is estimated that 37 million children are out of school in crisis-affected countries. 22 million are primary aged and 15 million are of lower secondary age. (ODI)

Girls are 2.5 time more likely to be out of school than their males peers in conflict affected contexts. (GMR)

It is estimated that an additional $4.8 billion per year -- $74 per child on average -- would be enough to ensure educational continuity for crisis-affected learners worldwide. (ODI)
 

Improving education in emergency responses and closing the funding gap

The need to ensure the right to education in emergencies and protracted crises has too long been neglected, but there is now growing recognition of its central importance. While capacity in the sector has increased substantially over the past decade, more and new approaches are needed. And with unprecedented mainstream focus on education in emergencies -- thanks in part to champions like Gordon Brown, Julia Gillard, Tony Lake, and Malala Yousafzai -- now is the time to act boldly.

In January 2015 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the UN Special Envoy for Education the Right Honourable Gordon Brown, brought global attention to the plight of children affected by humanitarian crises. In doing so he shone a particular light on the dire consequences of conflicts, natural disasters, and epidemics for children’s education.

The UN Special Envoy went on to identify the significant gaps in the solutions that are currently available to solve the challenge of education in humanitarian crises, including principally the lack of available funding. Mr Brown consequently called for the establishment of a new fund for education in emergencies which has prompted a renewed conversation among developing and donor countries, UN agencies, and non-government organisations about how best to solve these challenges.
 

Towards a strengthened response: Phase I

At the Oslo Summit on Education for Development held in July 2015, senior representatives of international agencies, governments, and non-governmental organizations made a commitment to address the disruption of education and learning in countries experiencing emergencies and protracted crises.

That decision was informed by ‘Education in Emergencies and Protracted Crises: Toward a strengthened response’, a paper that was produced by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) in advance of the Summit. This paper was consulted on during what is now known as Phase I of this process and the outcomes of that consultation, including a final report, are available on the INEE website.

The Oslo Summit also saw the creation of a Technical Strategy Group, co-chaired by the UK and Canada, which is now overseeing the process and reporting to the political champions now convened by the UN Special Envoy, Julia Gillard the Chair of the Global Partnership for Education and UNICEF Executive Director, Tony Lake.

 

Towards a strengthened response: Phase II

Energized by this commitment, global partners have mobilized to diagnose and address finance, coordination, and capacity gaps that hinder the provision of education in crisis contexts. These partners are working together to develop solutions that will provide the basis for discussion and agreement ahead of the World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016.

Following an open call for proposals, ODI has been commissioned by UNICEF on behalf of the UN Special Envoy for Education, the Global Partnership for Education, key donors, affected governments, and other stakeholders to lead critical analysis of the next steps necessary to create a new "common platform" for education in emergencies and protracted crises.

The ODI team is tasked with setting out options that will address gaps and complement existing structures and processes. The outcome of this process will be a final document with clear and achievable solutions, upon which governments, NGOs, and donors will agree as the way towards a strengthened response to education in emergencies and protracted crises.

The overall purpose of the new platform is to generate political commitment and financial resources for meeting the educational needs of millions of children and young people affected by crisis. 

The work being done on the possible shape of the new platform will explore its potential to deliver:

  • a global level financing facility that will leverage additional and adequate finance to ensure delivery of education and learning services at scale in emergencies and protracted crises; and
  • a mechanism that connects government, humanitarian, and development actors to facilitate improved capacity and coordination for preparedness, immediate response, and education system development and recovery.

Global consultation process and timeline

As part of this process, INEE is leading a global consultation to facilitate dialogue and collect inputs on the options proposed for the new platform.

A broad, online consultation will take place in January 2016, focussing on how to operationalise several proposed solutions. To facilitate the dialogue, there will be an open feedback survey and online discussion forums in INEE's five working languages. There will also be in-person consultations as part of INEE's Meet-Up event, as well as country-specific consultations conducted by the ODI team in a number of crisis affected countries.

The timeline for the process is set out below:

  • Oct 2015 - Technical Strategy Group (TSG) established
  • Nov 2015 - ODI Consultancy 1: Draft an "inception paper" further defining an overall proposition, key questions, and approach; shared with and refined by the TSG.
  • Dec 2015 - ODI Consultancy 2: Develop an "options paper" presenting a new mechanism and highlighting key options from four key perspectives: architecture, capacity, financing, and institutional arrangements. Shared with and refined by the TSG.
  • Jan-Feb 2016 - Public discussion of the ODI "options paper" with a focus on how to operationalise the proposed solutions.
  • Feb 2016 - ODI Consultancy 3: Write a final paper, incorporating all dialogue and inputs from the global consultation. The paper will detail a framework for a new platform, analyse political economy considerations, and address country-level application.
  • Mar 2016 - TSG reviews final paper and shares recommendations with key stakeholders. 
  • Mar-May 2016 - Preparation for launch of the new platform and solutions.
  • May 2016 - Launch of the new platform and solutions at the World Humanitarian Summit.

Key Documents

Phase II

Phase I

Additional background reading

Links