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National Chapter Activities
OSSREA Rwanda Chapter’s Research on Poverty Reduction PRT: A Pioneering Initiative
The Rwanda Chapter has become the first OSSREA chapter to secure funds from external sources and conduct policy-related research using its own members. The Chapter conducted its research on Poverty Reduction Policies Relevance Test (PRT) from March through September 2001. Twenty senior researchers supported by 10 assistants and 10 enumerators, all members of OSSREA, carried out the exercise. Dr. Emmanuel Bugingo, the Liaison Officer of the OSSREA Rwanda Chapter, acted as Coordinator of the research.
The main objective of studying the question of policy relevance was to provide inputs to national policy-making, particularly to the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) preparatory process. PRT is one of the four studies (others are Poverty Participation Assessment (PPA), Core Welfare Indicators Questionnaire (CWIQ), and Enquête Intégrale sur les Conditions de Vie des Ménages (EICV), or households conditions survey), all sponsored by the National Poverty Reduction Programme (NPRP), working under the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning. They were conducted to assess government policies at the grassroots level throughout Rwanda, in as many new administrative districts as possible, with PRT in 38 of them.
The whole report of the study has been compiled in six volumes. Volume 1 of the study is about the background framework. It clarifies the concepts of policy and its relevance in relation to community priorities and needs. The methodological approach of the entire study is detailed in Volume 2. It explains the systematic steps that were undertaken to carry out and implement the PRT in four different but complementary stages.
Volume 3 is on the policy review and the pilot study conducted in two pre-test districts. Test by test evaluation of poverty reduction policy revealed the following:
· Activities should strive to reduce inequity by gender and income levels;
· Relevance can be constrained mainly by lack of resources;
· Cultural and religious frictions may make some policies inefficient;
· All poverty reduction policies were found to be politically relevant;
· Policies were in some cases suspected not to reach the remotest sectors and regions;
· Social capital component was seen to be overlooked in some policies.
To be relevant, policy must have impact on the community and attempt to influence people’s lives. Major priorities that emerged from PRT include food security, human resources development (HRD), health, restoration of local infrastructure and income generating activities.
Volume 4 contains the results of the national survey carried out in 36 new districts of Rwanda. It contains both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Focus group discussions and questionnaires involved 845 Rwandans, the majority of whom were between 30 and 45 years old and 20% of which were the youth while about 45% were women. Only 76 of the respondents had no education while 329 had completed secondary education. Occupations were evenly distributed, with 227 in district leadership posts, 254 civil servants and 248 peasants. Responses indicated that many had heard of PRSP, but only 294 just sometimes and 488 on the radio. Two most frequently cited approaches to poverty reduction were agriculture and human resource development.
When rural women, urban women, the youth and vulnerable groups were each isolated, no significant change was noticed in terms of preferred approach to poverty reduction, except on food security, health and shelter. Agriculture and human resource development remain number 1 and 2, respectively. However, urban women slightly changed the preferred approach putting HRD and education as number 1 and birth control slightly surging in frequency.
In the qualitative analysis it was noted that problems and possible solutions differ by areas as anticipated: urban versus rural, remote and very poor districts, and also by four geographical zones:
· Centre-south: demographic pressure and unemployment;
· Centre-north: some districts such as Rwamiko quite well-off but requiring removal of some bottlenecks;
· North-west: a lot of potential activities in tourism, share some problems of agricultural productivity with the rest of the country;
· East: long dry seasons, famine and water resource management problems.
Validation of the relevance of the general view is that abundance of problems does not compromise the relevance of Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) – it strengthens it. To be more relevant improving effectivenes, especially women and the third ethnic group ‘abatwa’, and deepening participation are recommended.
Volume 5 of the study report summarises 22 papers which were individual contributions of the researchers on sectoral policies that feed PRSP. Volume 6 is the condensed analysis of the previous five parts of the study. The related volume is self-contained as far as the entire study is concerned and can be read alone as a ‘Condensed Study’.
The study’s conclusions include the following:
· PRSP is being regulated as a national policy and plan. An overarching National Poverty Reduction Policy could be drawn preferrably under a National Poverty Commission ;
· Intensive radio and TV programmes, brochures, and billboards should broaden Rwandan’s knowledge and awareness of the poverty reduction process.
Specific propositions made are as follows:
· PRSP should distinguish national, local and household priorities;
· Sectors that were more frequent in PRT and that should be given more emphasis and mainstreamed in final PRSP are: education and HRD, agriculture, food security, health, roads and transport, land, settlement and environment;
· A new strategy to address district and zonal problems should be devised;
· A poverty reduction education should be a vital component in the implementation of PRSP;
· Presently, any poverty reduction process should first address food security and settle the issue once and for all and focus on income generation;
· Education, HRD, health, roads (through HIMO or haute intensité de main-d’œuvre, high intensity of manpower public works), transport, markets, regional specialisation and livestock are policies that are to be implemented now, in the medium and long run.
The OSSREA Rwanda Chapter’s suggestions of priorities indicate food security as number 1, followed by income generation, HRD (education and training), infrastructure, population control, health, microcredit for the poor, implementation of sound decentralisation mechanisms and unity and reconciliation.
Areas requiring further research were identifies as: HRD (excluding formal education); private sector and poverty reduction; social capital and its potential; informal sector and its place in the socio-economic set up and its impact on poverty reduction; rethinking education as a long-term instrument and its actual efficiency as a system integrated in poverty reduction policy, follow-up of the PRT and its impact on the implementation of the PRSP.
Executive Secretary Visits Botswana Chapter
The Executive Secretary of OSSREA visited the Botswana Chapter from 11-14 March 2002. During the visit, both the Liaison Officer and his committee discussed with the Executive Secretary issues related to the activities of the Chapter. They also organised a meeting of the Chapter members and discussed future plans and relations between the Chapter and the Secretariat in Addis Ababa.
The Executive Secretary took the occasion of the visit to meet with the deans of both the faculties of Education and Social Sciences and briefed them about OSSREA’s research programmes and projects, including research grants and publication activities. He also visited the University library to check whether it was receiving OSSREA publications. OSSREA’s journal, the EASSRR was put on display in the library. On the occasion, the Executive Secretary donated some other recent publications and OSSREA’s CD to the library.
OSSREA Swaziland Chapter’s Book Day
The OSSREA Swaziland Chapter held it first Book Day from 21 – 23 November 2001 at the Kwaluseni Multipurpose Hall of the University of Swaziland. The event was linked to the University of Swaziland Book Fair, an event that attracted researchers, publishers, libraries, bookstores and even NGOs such as the Save the Children Fund.
The Chapter’s Book Day was successful. Over 300 people were able to see OSSREA publications. The Minister of Education and other government officials visited the Chapter’s stand. The Chapter was able to let people know about its essay competitions for students, OSSREA’s research grant competitions, books and CDs. Many people were interested in ordering the OSSREA books. The Swaziland OSSREA Chapter is looking forward to making the Book Day an annual event, and hopes to use it to promote the Chapter and attract more members. The event is also expected to enhance the marketing of OSSREA publications.
Ethiopia Chapter’s Third National Workshop
The Ethiopia Chapter of OSSREA held its third national workshop from 26-27 April 2002. Sixty academics, researchers, and graduate students attended the workshop. The theme of the workshop was “The Ethiopian educational and training policy and its implications: Challenges and opportunities”. Prof. Abdel Ghaffar M. Ahmed, Executive Secretary of OSSREA, made the opening speech at the workshop. Dr. Dejene Aredo, the Ethiopia Chapter’s Liaison Officer, made a welcome statement. In the business session of the workshop, 31 members of the Chapter met and, based on the annual report of the Liaison Officer, discussed various issues and gave constructive suggestions for the future undertakings of the Chapter.
The following papers were presented at the national workshop:
i. “Some qualities of alternative basic educational approach: Experiences of Jimma Zone ACCESS program,” by Samual Asnake, Jimma Teachers College;
ii. “The need for greater private sector involvement in education in Ethiopia: Key constraints and reform options for intervention,” by Berhanu Seboka, Addis Ababa University;
iii. “The role of schools in promoting environmental protection: The missing element in the implementation of the new education and training policy of Ethiopia,” by Elias Nasir, Addis Ababa University;
iv. “Educational decentralisation as a policy strategy for school improvements in Ethiopia: A case in Oromia National Regional State,” by Jeilu Oumer, Addis Ababa University;
v. “Policy and practice of alternative education strategies in Ethiopia: The case of evening secondary education in Oromiya Regional State,” by Derbisa Abate, Ethiopian Civil Service College;
vi. “The education and training policy of Ethiopia: A focus on the language policy and its implementation in SNNPR,” by Getu Shikur, Addis Ababa University;
vii. “Trends of development and prospects of vocational training in Ethiopia,” by Aregash Samuel, Ministry of Education;
viii. “The provision of learning and information resources as instrument for the advancement of education: An analysis of the new Ethiopian education policy,” by Alexander Attilio and Yonas Abebaw, Addis Ababa University;
ix. “A critical look into the EETP and its implementation on technology utilization in education: A focus on DE in Ethiopia,” by Yared Getachew, Ethiopian Civil Service College;
x. “Some points on lexical gaps and the filling strategies in vernacular language education: The case of some Ethiopian languages,” by Zelealem Layew, Addis Ababa University;
xi. “Libraries as practical stumbling blocks for the Ethiopian policy,” by Michael Daniel;
xii. “The tertiary education policy and the fate of agricultural economics first degree programme in Ethiopia,” by Demese Chanyalew, Unity College;
xiii. “A study on the assessment of the culture of cooperation between public and private academic institutions,” by Mekonnen Amare, Mekelle University;
xiv. “Implementation problems of the languages policy at primary school,” by Bekale Seyoum, Kotebe College of Teacher Education;
xv. “The international migration and the brain drain from Africa,” by Dejene Aredo, Addis Ababa University;
xvi. “The effectiveness of mother tongues as media of instruction in Grades 1-4,” by Getachew Lemma and Asmare Demilew, ICDR;
xvii. “Professional support first cycle primary school teachers received [sic] in implementing the recently changed curriculum: Teachers’ views,” by Ambissa Kenea, Addis Ababa University.
OSSREA Liaison Officers’ Meeting
The OSSREA Liaison Officers’ meeting was held from 29-30 April 2002 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was attended by 11 of the 13 active Liaison Officers of OSSREA. Country reports, including plans and budgets for future activities, were discussed at the meeting. The meeting also discussed the 7th OSSREA Congress to be held in Khartoum, Sudan, in December 2002. The discussion gave special emphasis to how to strengthen membership and the various OSSREA Chapters.