Project Description
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) promotes economic integration and political cooperation among its eight Member States. Promoting the mobility of labour and learners in this context is not only part of the effort to foster economic integration, but also a tool to manage, support and integrate (provide access to education) close to 20 million refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the region. As a result, harmonised approaches and quality assurance mechanisms in processes for the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is of particular importance. The IGADQF recognizes knowledge and skills acquired outside the formal education system (non-formal and informal) as being an important part of a qualification.
Regional Qualification Frameworks (RQFs) not only offer an opportunity to comprehensively structure national education systems, curricula, qualifications and quality assurance (through NQFs) but also facilitate the mobility of labour and learners (through RQFs) and are, as such, a vital bridging instruments” or “translation devices” for economic integration.
IGAD’s member states have progressed unevenly in the development of their NQFs. Kenya is the only Member State with an operational Qualifications Framework (KNQF) and can be considered as the most advanced, the KNQF even served as a guiding reference in the development of the IGADQF. Ethiopia is at a relatively advanced stage, while Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Uganda are at early stages of NQF development, let alone operationalization.
IGADQF has set out to provide the following support to Member States that may, at least in part, be the subject of our support (selection, not complete):
- Instruments, criteria, processes, guidance and technical support in the referencing of (the most advanced) NQFs to the IGADQF
- Common guidelines on and approaches to the recognition of prior learning (RPL)
- Capacity development through trainings, an e-learning platform, peer-learning activities, and thematic communities of practice
- Networking and cooperation especially with entities responsible for curriculum development, teacher training, quality assurance, certifications, assessments, recognition bodies, education and training providers
- Analysis, monitoring, and evaluation on IGADQF implementation
IGADQF and especially its gender addendum point to the urgent need to improve access to education, education outcomes as well as access to employment for women. By improving progression pathways, especially those progressing from informal or non-formal into formal education, and by providing for the recognition of prior learning (RPL), again, especially learning that occurred outside the formal education sector IGADQF makes important contributions to these aims.
Provided Services
m4edu’s team is identifying national stakeholders, cooperatively assessing status-quo, progress, challenges and needs for technical support, providing capacity development and co-developing tailored plans, methodologies and (resource mobilization) strategies for NQF development, operationalization and referencing in each Member State.
Our second task is to compile a comprehensive analysis of IGADQF with a focus on enhancing its operational effectiveness and governance structure and by making corresponding recommendations for initiating or refining operational processes for IGADQF operationalization.
Based on the validated assessments and recommendations we will develop (1) guidelines on the governance structure as well as a roadmap to IGAQF implementation, including clear definitions of the roles of IGAD Member States and of the IGAD Secretariat. The guidelines will include a comprehensive resource mobilization strategy for the IGADQF. We will additionally (2) develop a training handbook and conduct corresponding regional capacity development workshops.
Our team can, in the frame of this assignment, make a contribution to gender equity, by ensuring that the collection and analysis of gender-disaggregated data (e.g. access, retainment, success, skills-levels, full and part-time employment) is duly considered, planned, budgeted thus provided for.
