ADEA Inter-Country Quality Nodes (ICQN)

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Background and History

A priority area of focus for ADEA - and its specific contribution to Education For All (EFA) - is how to improve the quality of education. Since 2002 and under the aegis of the ADEA Ad Hoc Working Group on the Quality of Education, two Biennial Meetings have reflected on this issue. ADEA is now deepening efforts on the ground through work carried out by its inter-country quality nodes (ICQN).

The ADEA ICQN constitute a learning environment for the systematic identification, documentation, analysis, dissemination and sharing of the lessons that African countries have learned with regards to the process of improving the quality of their education systems.

The ICQN were first conceived as a follow-up mechanism to the 2003 ADEA Biennale, which focused on "More and Better Education: What Makes Effective Learning in Schools and in Literacy and Early Childhood Development Programs?". They continue to be grounded in the understanding of quality improvement that has been developed within the ADEA network since then - an understanding that contains the following elements:
- Quality improvement has the objective of building education systems that are relevant & effective, inclusive as well as well-organized & well-governed.
- Quality improvement is a dynamic, continuous and incremental process. It is neither an event, nor an intervention that can be centrally mandated. It needs to be embedded in a system-wide culture of quality, which in turn requires sustained effort and continuous and shared learning on the part of all stakeholders.
- Quality improvement is ultimately a national affair, because policy is ultimately formulated and - especially - implemented within the context of a particular country.

The ICQN operate in the spirit of the ADEA praxis approach, which is characterized by:
- Development and improvement of action through learning from practice of action under a wide range of African conditions.
- Open, frank and professional exchanges and sharing of experience and knowledge between all ADEA partners.
- Placing the African experience in a comparative context with other regions and with the international research literature.

Currently, eight ICQN exist, with the following countries as interested parties:

Building relevant and effective education systems
1. Curricula	Djibouti, Republic of Congo [+ other countries mobilized through ADEA partner organizations]
2. Bilingual education & languages of instruction	Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Mauritius, Mozambique, Niger, Senegal, South Africa
3. Pedagogical renewal & professional development for teachers	Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, DRC, Republic of Congo, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Togo, Zanzibar
Building inclusive education systems
4. Female participation	Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Gambia, DRC, Togo
5. Special education	Republic of Congo, Mali, Swaziland, Zanzibar
6. Rural environments	Guinea, Madagascar, Niger, Senegal, South Africa
Building well-organized and well-governed education systems
7. Decentralization & diversification	Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Lesotho, Madagascar, Niger, Senegal
8. Leadership at school level	Benin, Gambia, Kenya, Mauritius, Namibia, Seychelles, Zambia

Guiding principles

The first principle places ownership at the heart of concerns. Quality improvement is only possible when the main actors in education in Africa are committed to the process. And this commitment can only be felt when the people, organizations and institutions involved have a sense of ownership of the learning that is central to every change process. Expressed in technical or institutional terms, such ownership will need to be reflected in a strengthening of capacities at the country level. Quality improvement is ultimately a national affair.

The second principle states that capacity building must be ensured mainly by learning in and from action, practice and experience. It unfolds through a process of learning together, with and through one's peers. But continuous individual and group learning through reflection in and from action, practice and experience requires evidence. In the absence of rigorously collected evidence of actual practice, learning easily becomes based on anecdotes, opinions and preconceptions. This explains why research/action/experimentation and the sharing of experiences are chosen as priority modes in the learning process. In this way, existing capacity is continuously being utilized as new capacity is being developed.

Capacity reinforcement is crucial, but the availability of capacity can certainly not guarantee the existence and implementation of quality improvement policies. That is why the third principle states that it is necessary to articulate professional work and policy dialogue to promote leadership and the development of frameworks for policy reform that can guarantee the support and sustainability of actions and initiatives in favor of quality.

Selected activities

The ICQN operate, also, in the spirit of ADEA as a catalyst organization and a network through which synergies are fostered and developed. They actively bring together strategic development partners - representatives from Ministries of Education (sometimes others), agencies, civil society organizations, research networks - in order to foster the evidence-based learning dialogue considered crucial for quality improvement.

For example, the ICQN on "Bilingual education & languages of instruction" has combined the efforts and ideas of 7 African countries, UIL, GTZ and ACALAN. Building on the results of its past conferences and analytical work, the ICQN plans bring together Ministers of Education and academics for regional dialogue on the theme in the coming year.

The ICQN on "Education in rural environments" plans an experts' meeting with researchers and representatives from ministries of education and agriculture in the second half of 2007, to reflect on the advances made since the policy options were discussed, investigated and documented in 2005 and 2006.

For more information on the ICQN, please contact:

Ms. Maud SEGHERS,
ADEA Program Specialist,
Tel: + 33/ (0) 145.03.77.57
Fax: + 33/ (0) 145.03.77.79
Email: m.seghers@iiep.unesco.org