1. Context
With an overall objective to strengthen aid effectiveness in Tajikistan, the Development Coordination Council (DCC) was established to facilitate information exchange and collaboration within the development community, as well as foster dialogue on shared priorities with the Government of Tajikistan. The DCC functions as development partners’ coordination mechanism with the GoT.
Under the DCC’s Human Development Cluster, Education Working Group (WG) exists. DCC Education WG is guided by the National Strategy for Education Development (NSED) until 2020 adopted by the Government of Tajikistan and the Education Action Plan (EAP) 2015-2017, as well as global frameworks and goals.
2. Purpose and Scope DCC Education Working Group
The DCC Education Working Group (WG) has as its purpose to improve coordination and harmonization among development partners (DPs) active in the Education Sector in Tajikistan, as well as to promote an effective interaction of the DPs with the Government, in light of building Sector-Wide Approach.
The DCC Education WG’s mandate covers all spectrum and cycle of education: preschool education, primary and general secondary education, technical and vocational education, higher education and non-formal education in Tajikistan.
3. Core Functions of DCC Education WG
The DCC Education WG members agree to collaborate on fulfilling the following core functions:
3.1 Synergy, coordination and harmonization among partners
· Promote synergy and coordination of education interventions among all partners.
· Harmonize strategies and modalities of support to the Government.
3.2 Information sharing
· Share regular updates on interventions in order to avoid duplications and promote complementarities.
· Maintain an up-to-date information sharing tools, e.g. list of partner-supported studies, capacity development and other activities.
3.3 Discussion and development of policies and strategies
· Discuss priority policy agendas and reforms and contribute to the development of these policies and strategies.
3.4 Joint advocacy
· Agree on key policy advocacy messages and how to conduct joint advocacy to the Government.
3.5 Monitoring
· Monitor, jointly, the progress and challenges as they relate to the Action Plan 2015-2017 and other relevant joint plans against agreed targets, and in accordance with common indicators.
· Collaborate in organising an annual Education Joint Sector Review.
3.6 Capacity building
· Identify, collectively, the capacity gaps and promote capacity building of educational authorities at national and sub-national levels in a coordinated manner.
3.7 Inter-sectoral linkage
· Foster linkages with other sectoral Working Groups and related bodies to ensure aspects such as health and nutrition, child protection, hygiene, social protection, etc. are taken into consideration in cross-cutting issues such as early childhood development (ECD), inclusive education, gender equality in education, etc.
· Support the following sub-thematic Working Groups existent in the education sector, either within the Development Coordination Council (DCC) mechanism or Education Sector-Wide Approach, ensuring their linkages to broader objectives of the sector:
– Local Education Group (LEG)
– Inclusive Education Working Group
– Vocation and Technical Education Working Group (under DCC)
– Emergency Preparedness and Response & Disaster Risk Reduction (EPR-DRR) Working Group[1]
4. Composition
The membership is voluntary and open to Development Partners actively involved in education in Tajikistan.
Currently (as of November 2015), the Chair of DCC Education Working Group is assumed by UNICEF and the co-chair is assumed by European Union.
5. Modality
5.1 The DCC Education WG will meet once every two months. The meeting is convened by the Chair or Co-chair.
5.2 Minutes of meeting is taken by a volunteer organisations/ agencies on rotational basis.
5.3 The mailing list of the DCC Education WG exists for information sharing purpose and for convening meetings. It is maintained and updated as necessary by the Chair.
Key Policy Documents, Strategies and Tools
· National Strategy for Education Development (NESD), 2012-2020
· Mid-term Action Plan of NSED, 2015-2017
· Law on Education, 2013
· Global Partnership for Education-4 Programme Appraisal Document, 2013
· National Development Strategy (NDS), 2015-2030 (draft)
· Medium-term Strategy of NDS, 2016-2020 (draft)
Please click here to see the agendas of the working group meetings
[1]Currently, DCC VET sub-group is chaired by GiZ and it is a group of development partners; Inclusive Education Working Group is chaired by UNICEF and involves both development partners and Government representatives; and EPR-DRR Working Group, alternatively called as Education Cluster, is co-chaired by Save the Children and UNICEF, involving both development partners and Government representatives.