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TRANSCRIPT
MAYBROOK HOUSE, GODSTONE ROAD, CATERHAM, SURREY CR3 6RE
Tel: 01883 331177 Web: www.bfss.org.uk Email: [email protected] Follow: @BFSSCharity
Registered Charity: No 314286
BFSS GRANTS WORKSHOP HELD ON 25th NOVEMBER 2015
REPORT
After
Before
Pupils in Nepal exploring their school’s new science equipment funded by a grant from BFSS to Childreach International. Unfortunately the school was severely damaged by the
earthquake.
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Contents
Section Heading Page
1. Overview
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2. Welcome by the BFSS Vice-President: Professor John Furlong
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3. Presentation by Adrian Carr, CEO, EducAid Sierra Leone, on ‘Responding to Ebola – Re-establishing and Renewing Education in Sierra Leone’
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4. Presentation by Sarah Rowse, Director of Programmes, Children in Crisis, on ‘Renewing and Re-establishing Education following conflict or natural disasters’
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5. The BFSS Perspective: Dr Ben Ramm, Chair of BFSS Grants Committee followed by Qs and As
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6. Discussion Group on Renewing and Re-establishing Education following Conflict or Natural Disasters
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7. Discussion Group on Using Supplementary Education to Raise Aspiration for Disadvantaged Children/Young People
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8. Discussion Group on Teacher Training and Development in Poorly Resourced Education Systems
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9. Discussion Group on Monitoring and Evaluation with Reference to Pupil and Teacher Outcomes
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10.
Discussion Group on Developing Collaborative Proposals and Projects
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11. Discussion Group on Establishing and Supporting School Libraries in Developing Countries
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12. Summing up by Mr Peter Miller, BFSS Trustee
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13. Closing remarks by Professor John Furlong
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14. Feedback
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Appendix List of participants with contact details
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1. Overview
On 25th November 2015 BFSS held its third Grants Workshop designed to provide BFSS grant recipients with opportunity to network and share good practice and experience, to explore together the theme of ‘re-establishing and renewing education in disaster and conflict affected areas’ and to hear about BFSS grant developments.
Attendance was by invitation and 44 charities supported by BFSS were represented at the event. The Workshop was attended by six BFSS Trustees. (A list of attendees is attached.) The programme took account of feedback on the previous Workshop held in November 2014 and included an ‘icebreaker’ exercise which got the event off to a lively start. Tea/coffee and lunch breaks provided good opportunity for networking and for viewing leaflets and posters provided by BFSS and by some of the participants.
The day started with a welcome from Professor John Furlong, BFSS Vice-President, and an introduction from Vic Craggs, BFSS Grants Consultant. After the ‘icebreaker’ exercise, the Workshop heard presentations by two keynote speakers: Adrian Carr (EducAid Sierra Leone); and Sarah Rowse (Children in Crisis). Participants then convened in regional networking cluster groups to discuss issues common to the regions in which they worked. Following a buffet lunch they re-convened for a plenary session at which the Chair of the BFSS Grants Committee, Dr Ben Ramm, gave an overview of BFSS’s grant giving, its approach to assessing applications, its reporting requirements and recent developments.
Discussion Group in progress
The Workshop then broke into pre-arranged discussion groups to address a number of themes. These were organised in two sessions, giving participants the opportunity to attend two discussion groups each: Renewing and Re-establishing education following Conflict or Natural Disasters; Using Supplementary Education to Raise Aspiration for Disadvantaged Children/Young People; Teacher Training and Development in Poorly Resourced Education Systems; Monitoring and Evaluation with Reference to Pupil and Teacher Outcomes; Developing Collaborative Proposals and Projects; Establishing and Supporting School Libraries in Developing Countries.
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After a short break for tea/coffee, participants re-convened in plenary session for a report back from the facilitators on the discussion groups and for a summing up of the day by Mr Peter Miller, BFSS Trustee and a member of the Grants Committee. Professor Furlong then closed the event.
Participants were asked to give feedback via SurveyMonkey. Of the 23 respondents, 39% rated the event as extremely effective, 52% very effective and 9% effective. Among the key points which attendees took away were new approaches to identifying and capturing outcomes and some exciting food for thought for teacher training/mentoring development. Comments on the day included: ‘A very inspiring and informative day’. ‘A great opportunity to network with other organisations.’ ‘In my experience there are very few Trusts which provide this opportunity for us to meet and share: it is hugely helpful’.
2. Welcome by the BFSS Vice-President: Professor John Furlong
Professor Furlong welcomed participants to the BFSS’s third Grants Workshop and explained that the objectives of the Grants Workshop were:
To network and share good practice and experience To explore together the theme of ‘re-establishing and renewing education in
disaster and conflict affected areas’
To update participants on BFSS grant developments
He then introduced the two key speakers on the theme of ‘Re-establishing and renewing education in disaster and conflict affected areas’.
3. Presentation by Adrian Carr, CEO, EducAid Sierra Leone, on ‘Responding to Ebola – Re-establishing and Renewing Education in Sierra Leone’
Adrian Carr started by explaining that EducAid Sierra Leone promotes and provides high quality, holistic education among the underprivileged and vulnerable young people of Sierra Leone. It currently runs and maintains nine free schools and supports over 2,500 young people. Its teacher training programmes serve 80 schools, 480 teachers and 16,000 students. In response to Ebola, EducAid designed a Remote Learning Programme to ensure that students kept current with their studies. Over 230 lessons were recorded in core subjects maths, science, English and were distributed on over 2,000 units through mp3, CDs, mobile phone. They were broadcast on local radio and distributed at internet cafes, faith groups, by visiting teachers and pastors. The project was funded largely through a grant of £10,740 from BFSS. Outcomes during Ebola:
Reached 3,000+ students not able to attend school and reduced the number of
vulnerable children dropping out and losing contact with their education.
Created a range of programmes to suit the needs of all the charity’s students. Accessed a high number of female students providing them with the opportunity to
access education from home if unable to attend school.
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Outcomes post Ebola:
An archive of readily accessible teaching materials which will be updated and re-used for students unable to access the charity’s schools in future.
High quality, accurate materials for access by teachers in remote regions. Materials for use in the charity’s teacher training programme.
Lessons Learnt and Best Practice:
Be Crisis Ready – and embed this into strategies [Note: this was a lesson taken on board by a number of respondents in giving feedback on this presentation]
Clear objectives, decision making & communication – including process for emergency AGMs for trustees and advisors, weekly SITREPs
Role in our communities – teachers are more trusted than politicians Use of social media – the unique role of NGOs in reporting on the ground facts First and second order effects of the crisis – GDP forecast to fall 21.5%, schools will
lose a lot of high quality teachers to international NGOs
4. Presentation by Sarah Rowse, Director of Programmes, Children in Crisis, on
‘Renewing and Re-establishing Education following conflict or natural disasters’
Sarah Rowse began by explaining that Children in Crisis are committed to improving children’s access to quality education in some of the hardest to reach, challenging and difficult locations. In the DRC they work in the Mid and High Plateau region of South Kivu, a geographically, extremely isolated area which has suffered from decades of conflict and bad governance as well as ethnic, political and social marginalisation. By 2005, with protracted crisis across the Plateau, education was in deep decline. The context in which Children in Crisis are working is one in which school buildings are dilapidated and destroyed and there is an almost total absence of teaching materials, a mass shortage of qualified teaching staff, an almost total absence of state support/intervention and low enrolment and
Adrian Carr (on right) answering questions on his presentation
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retention rates (girls especially). Communities are desperate for change and investment in their children’s education. Children in Crisis’s response since 2007 has been as follows:
In-service teacher training School Management Training & establishment of Teacher Support Networks Community sensitisation (education, girls) School construction and rehabilitation (including through a grant of £30,000 from
BFSS for the rehabilitation of a primary school on the Plateau) Pilot Village Savings and Loan programme [Note: there was a lot of interest in this
in the Qs and As afterwards] Key achievements are:
Improved teaching practice Improved quality of education: 15% increase in pupils passing end of year tests Improved access to education: 44% increase in enrolment
Sarah Rowse, Children in Crisis, on the response to educational neglect in the DRC
Critical learning thus far:
No quick fixes: systematic and long-term commitment is essential to success Delivery in stages: build programmes gradually and over time Intricately know the local context Inclusive programming: bring in all the influencers on education Resource provision: rebuilding infrastructure Community engagement key to success – ‘The School that Walked the Mountain’ The ‘tractor approach’ (at times) is needed Flexibility to reach to changes/shifts ie in local, regional and national contexts Local partners: investing in meaningful partnerships based on trust and respect
Finally, never forget the huge value placed on education by children & their communities.
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5. The BFSS Perspective: Dr Ben Ramm, Chair of BFSS Grants Committee followed by Qs and As
Dr Ramm started by giving some headline figures showing the increase in the number of grant applications between 2013 and 2015 and the increase in the value of grants awarded. He said that 2014 had seen grant giving rise to a record level.
2013 2014
2015
No of applications 153 (part year from spring)
270 245 to late Nov [297 end Dec]
Total value of grants awarded
£471,251 £630,082 £731,554
He went on to show how the grants were split by country/region of destination. Over the last three years there had been a considerable shift in the balance, with the proportion of funding for projects in East Africa falling from nearly 50% in 2012 to 35% in 2015. By contrast there had been increases in the proportion of funding for projects in Southern Asia (to 24%), for projects in the UK (to 13%) and for projects in other parts of the world including Latin America. BFSS grants by country of destination 2015
He said that the main themes of BFSS grant giving in 2015 were as follows:
School construction Teacher Training Learning Resources and Equipment Community and Supplementary Education including raising aspirations Education for Street Children and Vulnerable Children ICT
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Support for re-establishing and renewing education in natural disaster and conflict affected countries – which accounted for 32% of BFSS grants in 2015
Dr Ben Ramm, Chair of the BFSS Grants Committee, gives details of the Committee’s approach
He showed slides from a variety of BFSS funded projects reflecting these themes and described a number of exciting projects which BFSS had funded in 2015 through grant delivery organisations represented at the Workshop.
He stressed that the overarching aim of all the projects was to meet BFSS’s strategic aims of widening access and raising achievement for children and young people in disadvantaged areas or from disadvantaged backgrounds. He said that BFSS would particularly welcome collaborative projects and would like to encourage a more “holistic” approach to maximise the impact of funding, but with a lead applicant in each case.
Before describing how projects were evaluated, he reported that BFSS had just introduced an eligibility filter which would enable would-be applicants to test whether or not they met the main grants criteria. The aim was to avoid nugatory work for applicants and to reduce the time spent by BFSS on considering and feeding back on applications which did not meet the criteria.
He went on to describe how projects were evaluated, initially by officers and then, depending on the initial evaluation, by the Grants Committee, which met four times a year. He explained that the Committee’s practice was to meet a number of applicants in the morning to discuss the particular projects in detail. A lead Trustee for each application then led the discussion at the afternoon meeting. Applications were subject to rigorous scrutiny with particular reference to expected outcomes and evaluation plans. Reports on multi-year grants - which were subject to annual review - were considered very carefully with a focus on outcomes to date. The Committee took decisions on applications for grants up to £20,000 and reported its decisions to the Council; grants of £20,000 or more had to be approved by the Council. Grant recipients were required to submit six monthly reports and a fuller end of project/annual report which focused particularly on outcomes.
He then reported on a number of recent decisions taken to improve effective grant giving:
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Introduction of an eligibility filter at the pre-application stage. Reduction in the word count on the application form to sharpen the focus. Introduction of a streamlined Report Form with more focus on reporting against
planned outcomes and on lessons learned.
Encouragement of qualitative as well as quantitative evidence of impact.
Finally he summarised the various topics considered by the Grants Committee in 2015:
Increase in awareness in developing countries of the importance of education especially for girls and for children and young people with disabilities.
Development of models of low cost private schooling. Technological advances – opening up new cost-effective ways of delivering and
supporting education, especially in remote areas.
Response to natural disasters and areas affected by conflict – which had led to the decision to invite bids for renewing and re-establishing education in such areas.
In a brief Q & A session the following points were covered:
i. BFSS’s attitude to repeat applications: Dr Ramm explained that BFSS expected projects to become self-sustaining, hence Trustees would not be disposed to fund projects on a long-term basis. BFSS valued its relationship with grant recipients and, where a project had been delivered effectively, then it welcomed a further application from the same charity for a different project.
ii. Whether there was an upper limit to the amount that could be sought for collaborative projects: Dr Ramm replied that there was no maximum amount but he reiterated that there had to be a lead applicant.
iii. The challenges facing charities in funding core costs. In response Dr Ramm said that BFSS recognised the difficulty. The key issue for BFSS in considering applications which included core costs was proportionality and the nature of the costs concerned. BFSS would not fund ongoing staff costs.
6. Discussion Group on Renewing and Re-establishing Education following
Conflict or Natural Disasters Main points made were as follows:
The important role of schools as a place of safety, stability and community cohesion - not just a place of education – in conflict and disaster affected areas.
The importance of working ‘within’ local systems. The importance of working with, and listening to, the community. The role of teachers as more than teachers – extending their skills to meet new
needs. The significance of incentives such as feeding programmes to encourage children to
go to school when families are under extreme pressure (eg having to rebuild homes, suffering from lack of food due to destroyed crops).
The importance of managing ethnic tensions that can be exacerbated following conflict or natural disaster.
7. Discussion Group on Using Supplementary Education to Raise Aspiration for
Disadvantaged Children/Young People
Main points made were as follows:
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There were differing definitions and views of supplementary education. In the UK there was often a focus on cultural enrichment and mother tongue languages to supplement and top up formal education provision. Internationally there might be little or inadequate state education and supplementary education was filling the gap in provision and/or attempting to raise the quality of the education on offer. In this context there was also a role for supplementary education to lobby governments about increasing provision and quality.
Key characteristics have traditionally been informality and flexibility. In the UK, however, supplementary education was becoming more linked to formal provision and maintaining these characteristics was becoming more difficult.
A further characteristic was that supplementary education had a strong connection to family; there were usually close associations with homes and parents and this could be an important bridge to the formal education system.
Many children who had difficulty in accessing education had high aspirations; one of the roles of supplementary education was to encourage aspiration and support young people to take up further educational opportunities.
Self esteem and self understanding were especially important for migrant children; this underlined the importance of cultural enrichment both in the UK and internationally.
8. Discussion Group on Teacher Training and Development in Poorly Resourced
Education Systems
Afternoon discussion group on Teacher Training and Development in Poorly Resourced Education Systems
Main points made were as follows:
Mentoring was vitally important in teacher training; there was consensus that this was more likely to be effective than one-off training.
Initiating mentoring needed to be carefully staged and planned in manageable steps; skilled mentoring was key.
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The STIR model of working with teachers in Uganda was a good example of supporting and motivating teacher development.
Good teacher training developed motivated teachers which resulted in both teachers and children enjoying learning more.
It was important to win over the support of Head Teachers and Governments to establish effective and robust teacher training systems.
Establishing careful baselines was critical in order to monitor and track outcomes – for example pupil and teacher attendance, retention and pupil attainment.
9. Discussion Group on Monitoring and Evaluation with Reference to Pupil and Teacher Outcomes
Main points made were as follows:
Context was critical for defining the outcomes being sought and for identifying the appropriate monitoring and evaluation tools to use.
In monitoring there was a difference between process and data. Holistic measures were significant; rounded whole child issues were as important as
academic measures. Involving beneficiaries – both children and teachers – in monitoring and evaluation
helped to mitigate fear and gain trust in the process.
Monitoring and evaluation needed to be gradual and proportional; they should match the size and stage of the development journey being undertaken by organisations.
10. Discussion Group on Developing Collaborative Proposals and Projects
The discussion group explored the pros and cons of collaboration and partnership working. They identified three key concepts to bring to thinking about working collaboratively. These were BCE – Bring, Co-ordinating and Sustainability.
Bring: What baggage or luggage do organisations bring to the ‘collaboration’ table? Co-ordinating: It was important to make co-ordinating arrangements from the
outset so that organisations could manage expectations and build trust; both executive/management and grass roots needed to be in the loop from an early stage.
Sustainability: Trust, honesty and transparency were critical to making collaborative working successful and time had to be invested in building and maintaining the partnership relationship. It was important for both parties and funders to recognise the frictional costs that collaborative projects involved.
11. Discussion Group on Establishing and Supporting School Libraries in Developing Countries
The discussion group considered what was required to set up, support and sustain successful school libraries in developing countries. Their theme was S for SUCCESS. Staffing and Support
Involving the whole community in the establishment and management of the library Developing simple systems for organising and lending books Where possible, there should be a dedicated librarian, and the role shouldn’t be
tacked on to an already overstretched teacher’s role.
Students could play a key role as volunteer librarians/library prefects.
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Many countries have some form of national library service which could be tapped into for training support.
Teacher-Librarians should see themselves as reading and knowledge facilitators, not gatekeepers and promote reading for pleasure, not just for learning.
Stock
The library collection should be as appropriate for the level of the school/community as possible.
Local magazines proved highly successful as reading resources in Tanzanian Secondary schools, language level and content were very suitable for teen readers.
Sustainability
Community involvement/school management involvement in library development and use was essential and was shown to contribute to continued management of small school libraries.
Clustering schools into local networks to reduce the “professional isolation” of teacher librarians could also help.
Libraries/schools could try and generate income from the library, by offering membership for a small fee to community members not directly associated with the school, or offering the space for rental to community groups.
The following issues were identified:
Teachers reluctant to take on the role as they could be held liable for loss of books, students also fear punishment for loss of books.
Where a “library period” is timetabled, and there is a school library, teachers often don’t use it for reading.
Teachers reluctant to use alternative books for teaching – strong preferences for curriculum text books. Use of supplementary books requires specific training and support.
12. Summing up by Peter Miller, BFSS Trustee
Peter Miller sums up the discussions
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Mr Miller started by observing that this was the third BFSS Grants Workshop and, in his view, the most successful so far. He attributed this to the way in which:
BFSS had learnt from participants about what they wanted; and BFSS aspired to be part of a community of learning organisations.
He encouraged those present to reflect on the 2-3 points they would particularly like to take away and to follow up.
He observed that project outcomes had been a strong feature of some of the discussions, which was very much in keeping with BFSS’s focus on improving life opportunities for children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Establishing baseline and outcome data was critical. Monitoring and evaluation needed to be proportionate but nonetheless BFSS was looking for measurable outcomes. He quoted the recent OECD Education at a Glance report which stated ‘without data you’re just another person with an opinion’.
He concluded by saying that he and Grants Committee members were in awe of the project applications they received and were proud to be associated with the charities which BFSS supported.
13. Concluding Remarks by Professor John Furlong
In closing the Grants Workshop Professor Furlong said that the day had been most stimulating. He thanked the facilitators and staff for all the work that had clearly gone into making the day a success. He highlighted the stimulating presentations by Adrian Carr and Sarah Rowse whose thought provoking presentations had got the event off to a really good start. He thanked all the participants for their active engagement in the Workshop. It had been a great induction for him as BFSS’s new Vice-President and he had learnt a lot.
Finally, he said that he believed that what he had observed exemplified ‘learning from each other’. He was certain that BFSS in turn would be thinking hard about how to share this learning effectively.
Professor John Furlong, BFSS Vice-President, concluding the Workshop
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14. Feedback
Feedback through SurveyMonkey was very positive. Of the 23 respondents, 39% rated the event as extremely effective, 52% very effective and 9% effective (compared with 33%, 48% and 19% respectively the previous year). The opportunity to network with other charities and also to meet BFSS Trustees and staff was greatly welcomed. The flipped learning approach taken this year, whereby participants were sent pre-reading in advance of the discussion groups, was described as ‘inspired’. As one participant commented: ‘This really ensured that everyone came to the table having thought beforehand about the issues”. Several respondents commented that they did not know of any grant giving body which brought their recipients together in this way.
The most important/useful points that participants told us that they took away from the Workshop included the following:
Other organisations’ strategy and response to re-establishing and renewing education following conflict or natural disaster in particular through remote learning programmes.
The need to have some strategies in place for responses to both natural disasters and conflict.
Opportunities to strengthen one another’s work through partnership/collaboration.
Insight into effective models and approaches by others that might be applicable to one’s own work.
New approaches to identifying and capturing outcomes.
Some exciting food for thought for teacher training/mentoring development.
A reminder that formative assessment is a learning process in itself. M&E isn’t just about the results.
Among the topics suggested for future Workshops were the following:
Project design. Working with communities, participatory approaches, and also with parents. Ways to engage effectively with government, local and national. Specific monitoring and evaluation workshops; measuring educational
achievements/outcomes.
Ideas for enterprise. Issues of the quality of teachers appointed by arms of government and who typically
do not want to work in rural areas and tend to be of poorer quality.
Encouraging girls to continue to secondary education. Use of technology to share good practice. Inclusive education for learners with special needs in low income settings. How educational institutions can most effectively respond in post conflict situations. Empowering school management bodies. Different ways of collecting, processing and using data; making the less quantifiable
areas measurable.
Some country specific topics as well as thematic ones. A collaboration case study showing how 2 organisations have achieved more through
partnering than they could have done by themselves.
Best practice in planning and erecting school buildings in a developing country.
BFSS December 2015
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APPENDIX
BFSS GRANTS WORKSHOP 25th NOVEMBER 2015
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS WITH CONTACT DETAILS
Name
Organisation Email address
Adamson, Laela
READ International [email protected]
Aley, Rob Advantage Africa
Al-Samerai, Anood TalentEd [email protected]
Anwar, Fatima
Care Pakistan [email protected]
Ashworth, Hannah
IntoUniversity [email protected]
Beckwith, Emma Afghan Association Paiwand [email protected]
Bond, Dominic The Sabre Charitable Trust [email protected]
Carr, Adrian
EducAid Sierra Leone [email protected]
Chaplin, David
Rwanda Aid [email protected]
Clarke, Janet (Dr) Life Uplifted by Change in Africa (LUCIA)
Cox, Caroline Cairn Trust [email protected]
Daffeh, Lamin Fresh Start Foundation [email protected]
Eccles, Chris
Chhahari Schools UK [email protected]
Estrella, Anna-mai Chance for Childhood Anna-
Fanning-Tichborne, Sophie
Teens and Toddlers [email protected]
Fanthorpe, Victoria The Karen Hilltribes Trust [email protected].
uk
Forrest, Edward
Educate for Life [email protected]
Hagen, Mike Classrooms in the Clouds [email protected]
Henderson, Judith
Book Aid International
Hogarth, Alisdair Kajokeji Educational Trust [email protected]
Howarth, Tim
United World Schools [email protected]
Kendall, Liza
EdUKaid [email protected]
Lally, Margaret PHASE Worldwide [email protected]
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Law, Ric
Disability Africa [email protected]
Laycock, Keith Resolve International [email protected]
Lunch, Anthony Mondo Challenge Foundation [email protected]
Mall, Farid Afghan Association Paiwand [email protected]
Miller, Janice
Kidasha [email protected]
Moulder, Rosie
PEAS [email protected]
Naftalin, Alison
Lively Minds [email protected]
Napier, Patricia
Baynards Zambia Trust [email protected]
Pare, Tim
Tea Leaf Trust [email protected]
Richards, Caroline
Afghan Appeal Fund [email protected]
Rickard, Anna-Joy
Teach A Man To Fish [email protected]
Rowse, Sarah
Children in Crisis [email protected]
Sanderson, Alison The International Children’s Trust [email protected]
Seager, James Teso Development Trust [email protected]
Sexton, Andy
Oasis International [email protected]
Stevens, Frankie
War Child [email protected]
Stockdale, Matt
Link Ethiopia [email protected]
Thorn, Sue
Home-Start UK [email protected]
van Straubenzee,
Alex
The Henry van Straubenzee Memorial
Fund
Waller, Lesley Africa Educational Trust [email protected]
Watkins, Jackie Friends of Conakry Refugee School [email protected]
Yarrow, Paula Childreach International [email protected]
BFSS Participants (can be contacted c/o [email protected])
Furlong, John (Prof)
(BFSS Vice-President)
Wilde, Imogen (BFSS Director)
Hodkinson, Steve (Prof)
(BFSS Chair of Council)
Craggs, Vic (BFSS Grants Consultant)
Kingsley, Graham
(BFSS Trustee, Member of Grants Committee)
Lawrance, Belinda (BFSS Grants Administrator)
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Miller, Peter
(BFSS Trustee, Member of Grants Committee)
Ramm, Ben (Dr)
(BFSS Trustee, Chair of Grants Committee)
Ross, Stephen
(BFSS Trustee, Member of Investments Committee)
Weale, Juliet (BFSS Trustee, Member of Grants Committee)
Hughes, Karen
(BFSS Member)