ADEA WGEMPS facilitated its first ever training on the development of policy briefs
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In April of 2015, the ADEA Working Group on Education Management and Policy Support (WGEMPS) facilitated its first ever training on the development of policy briefs. This session was hosted at the Harare secretariat from the 20th to the 24th of April. The participants of this training included officials from the ICQN on Peace Education and the ICQN on Mathematics and Sciences Education, both housed in Ministries of Education and Training in Kenya. The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Zimbabwe also fielded two participants. Also participating were an African Union representative, an officer from the ILO and two representatives of youth organisations based in Zimbabwe. A total of 20 participants took part in the workshop including the facilitators.
The methodology of the training involved delivery of content from facilitators, questions and answers, discussions, group work and homework. Some of the key focus areas taught were; using social media, rules of the English Language grammar and persuasive writing. The use of ICT’s was widespread and in groups formed around a particular learning area, one of the key deliverables of the training workshop was to be a high standard policy brief. Some of these will eventually be published and distributed to decision makers.
The overall findings of the evaluation seem to indicate that the participants appreciated the training. One went as far as to note “It was an eye opener to aspects that I have always took for granted when writing policy documents. Immense learning has taken place.” Writing policy documents is an everyday occurrence in some offices but a skill which is nevertheless taken for granted. It becomes increasingly important that as decision makers are bombarded with vast amounts of information, this information is given to them by their advisors in a responsible, objective and effective manner.
Several participants expressed the hope that there would be follow up sessions of a similar nature and commended ADEA WGEMPS for the initiative. The funding for this project was provided by USAID.
>> DOWNLOAD THE WORKSHOP REPORT
For more information, contact Angela Arnott, Working Group on Education Management and Policy Support Coordinator, a.arnott@afdb.org
