» Topic List
	9.1 The situation
	9.2 The rationale
	9.3 The vision
	9.4 Long-term objective
	9.5 Medium-term objectives
	9.6 Short-term objectives
	9.7 Program modalities
	9.8 Indicators

9.1 The situation » Up

As outlined in the six non-formal education programs described above, the learning needs in Cambodia are immense. The EFA 2000 assessment reported that literacy and non-formal education were not receiving enough attention, with existing programs described as highly limited in both content and reach. People in far-flung remote and mountainous areas, the poor and ethnic minorities are still largely excluded from nearly all forms of educational opportunities and experiences. Remote areas were further described as having low pupil learning achievement, especially among girls. Vocational and income-generation education was described as limited to urban areas, with available training not attracting youth, and skills being taught which did not meet market needs. Early childhood care activities for children 0 to 3 years were characterized as undefined and scanty.

The government's capacity to implement and administer non-formal education activities at provincial, district and commune levels is severely hampered by a lack of trained personnel, funds and management skills. Given the overall shortage of managerial and administrative manpower in the country and the government's low wages, they will probably be unable to easily hire additional experienced manpower for the foreseeable future. There is also a need for innovation, especially the development of cost-effective distance-education technology. Another need is for increased inter-ministerial and inter-departmental coordination, both horizontal and vertical, in the non-formal education sector.

Non-governmental activities, while generally very effective and representing over eighty percent of current interventions, are widely scattered and relatively few in number when compared to total needs. These agencies also suffer management manpower shortages and face funding limitations, but their management systems are generally flexible and they are capable of very effective fund-raising. They are, however, often reluctant to expand their programs for fear of losing quality or from a lack of confidence in donors backing them with long-term commitments.

At the field level, elected commune councils and their constituent communities, the focus of most decentralized education governance initiatives, including non-formal education, also lack management capacity.

9.2 The rationale » Up

Effective administration and management is essential if organizations are going to meet national non-formal education goals. Senior managers must become better able to conceptualize, lead, and monitor pro-poor policy strategies. Trainers, instructors and facilitators must become better able to apply learner-centered, active-learning methods. NFE program planners and community leaders must be better able to implement demand-driven programs. All stakeholders must be better able to establish poverty and gender-relevant non-formal education targets, track measurable objectives and indicators, revise programs based upon lessons-learned and analyze impact. They must also be able to target disadvantaged groups within communities, mobilize funding, and use limited human resources effectively. If organizations cannot build their management capacity to higher, more effective, levels then the goals will not be achieved. Strong political commitment and significant affirmative action will be required to reach people excluded in the past by poverty, sex, ethnicity and geography.

9.3 The vision » Up

To achieve the Millennium and Education for All goals by 2015, non-formal education programs must be expanded exponentially. In order to expand the programs, the administrative and management capacity of governmental, non-governmental and community organizations must also be increased exponentially. Given limited administrative and management manpower availability, which is likely to continue for many years, emphasis must be placed on increasing current management capacity and effectiveness through improvement of management systems and internal human resource development of managers through expanded knowledge, skills and attitudes.

9.4 Long-term objective » Up

To ensure that governmental, non-governmental and community organizations have sufficient management capacity in order to effectively and efficiently achieve the long-term non-formal education objectives for all programs by 2015.

9.5 Medium-term objectives » Up

To ensure that governmental, non-governmental and community organizations have sufficient management capacity in order to effectively and efficiently achieve the medium-term non-formal education objectives for all programs by 2010.

9.6 Short-term objectives » Up

1. To ensure establishment of functioning inter-agency teams for planning and community mapping, training and materials development by the end of 2003;
2. To ensure a functioning management information system for non-formal education by the end of 2004;
3. Effective inter-agency coordination mechanisms (representing relevant ministries, departments and NGOs) will have been established for non-formal education, at national and provincial levels, by the end of 2003.

In order to expand organizational management capacity, parallel action must be taken in four inter-related key areas:

• To develop flexible, decentralized management systems for planning and monitoring;
• To develop education technology for distance learning:
• To develop and organize effective agency and community human resources; and,
• To improve coordination and cooperation within and between organizations.

Inter-agency teams, at the provincial and/or district level, will be established to identify client needs; to "map" communities for targeting the most disadvantaged; identify opportunities for joint action; and collect relevant planning data. This will form a base for the teams to develop plans, generate support at all levels, and eventually monitor specific projects and activities at the commune level. As both a planning and a monitoring tool, and in collaboration with the communities themselves, this will involve use of analysis-based mapping, including:

• community mapping: who and where prospective learners are, what they want to learn, and the capacities they bring.
• collaborator mapping: who potential partners are, among community individuals and groups, NGOs and government agencies.
• program mapping: what the current and potential priorities are in terms of program content, design, delivery mechanisms and linkages.
• human resource mapping: who, where and how well prepared facilitators and managers are;
• funding mapping: where and what possible sources of support are, in cash and in kind.

Develop education technology for distance learning: Given the remote locations of many learners, available and cost-effective technologies must be gradually incorporated into the non-formal teaching and learning environment. This will initially focus on the telecommunication technologies of radio and, especially, television broadcasting as well as audio and video recording. In the longer-term, as national infrastructure becomes available, computer-based technologies can also be developed to use local area networks, wide-area networks, the Internet and the World Wide Web. Develop and organize effective human resources: Immediate steps are needed to raise the capacities of non-formal education managers, trainers, teachers and facilitators in use of strategies and methods consistent with adult learning and community development principles and best practice. Teacher-practitioners here, much more than in the formal system, need to interact with and respond to what the learners bring. They need to have confidence, flexibility and skills in using a variety of learner-centered arrangements, in working with local expertise, and guiding analysis and action on contentious or sensitive community concerns such as gender and HIV/AIDS.

Human resources also need to be efficiently organized in order to plan, implement and monitor effective non-formal education programs. Given the participatory, inter-agency and community-based approach of non-formal education, it is most effective to organize and develop human resources in teams, often inter-agency teams. Extensive training is critical at all levels. Individuals must develop their knowledge, skills and attitudes, but they also need to work effectively in inter-agency teams and as facilitators of groups, rather than as traditional teachers.

• Training managers: An inter-agency team, drawn from several relevant ministries and NGOs, should train provincial authorities how to plan and monitor NFE activities, within the broad framework of this national action plan, including identifying and mapping communities according to established priorities (poverty, gender, age, ethnicity, social group, etc.).
• Training of trainers and facilitators: Another inter-agency team should train a cadre of provincial managers, including NGO staff, as an integrated team of human resource managers, trainers and community facilitators. They will undertake subsequent selection, training and supervision of facilitators and instructors at district and/or commune levels.
• Training of local facilitators and instructors: The provincial inter-agency team will undertake selection, training and supervision of commune and village instructors.
• Materials development and revision: Inter-agency teams, including NGOs, should be established to develop and revise materials at both national and provincial levels, to support all the priority programs. Significant additional external human resources assistance, including illustrators, may be necessary for the next several years. Possible sources include NGOs and professional volunteer organizations from the various donor countries and agencies (UK, Japan, Canada, United Nations, etc.)

There is also a definite capacity within the NGO community, especially through international and domestic NGO partnerships, to undertake greatly expanded non-formal education activities within their broader sustainable development programs. This is a key factor because governmental agencies do not currently have much leeway to expand their internal program implementation capacity.

• Increased numbers of trained staff, by location and gender;
• Increased number of inter-agency teams deployed;
• Increased amount of donor funding to the non-formal education sector.