Strategy and Policy for Reform of Vocational Education and Training in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1998-2000)

Type of project/activity:

Sector analysis and mid-term strategy development

Objectives:

The main objective was to reform VET in both of the Bosnian Entities and have it functioning again, within the framework of the Dayton agreement. The first component of the programme which concerned Strategic Development and Policy aimed to develop strategic plans for, and communication between, the entities (Republica Serpska and the Federation) and the three contributing groups: Bosnian Serbs, Bosnian Muslims and Croats, in a reconstruction context. Secondly, the project aimed to assist with the post-war development of vocational education and training by:

developing curricula for initial skill training in nominated occupational sectors;
developing continuing education and training for special needs (NB the post war situation);
supporting the above two components in pilot schools and training centres.

Background:

The programme, established in 1998, derived from a needs analysis undertaken in Summer 1996, jointly by the World Bank and the EU by a team of experts, including David Parkes, following the Dayton Agreement and the need for rapid and durable reconstruction.

Partners:

TThe programme was directed from Sarajevo by a Danish / Irish consortium. David Parkes (Deputy Director of the EIESP until October 2000) directed the policy and strategy component.

Main activities:

The project implemented a professional development programme for 40 selected key actors (representative of the 2 Entities and the three groups), making up the 'policy and strategy' component. The actors consisted of ministers, vice- ministers and civil servants from the ministries of education, labour and finance; social partners; education officers and school directors. They were working at all levels of responsibility and decision-making and were identified by their own bodies and organisations as key players in the developments to come. There were 25 representatives from the Federation and 15 from the Serpska Republic working on eight key themes including: legislation, education administration, the labour market, curriculum development and evaluation, finance. The group worked in thematic working groups of mixed representation. They made two study visits to the EU: one to Wales, UK (December 1998) and one to France (May 1999). Several workshops before and after the visits allowed the groups to consolidate, as a team, their proposals and their capacity development. Given the situation in Bosnia, the study visits were designed to provide a neutral context in which the 40 key actors could discuss their own (both professional and contextual) issues. In May 1999 an integrated, inter Entity delegation made successful common policy proposals to the Directorate General for External Relations of the European Commission and in April 2000, three BiH wide conferences endorsed the recommendations of the 'green paper'. Consequently, the EU Delegation in the country agreed to a bridging programme to help move towards a 'white paper' and legislation as well as assisting with the embedding of curriculum reform. The 'green' and 'white' papers are seen as agenda setting for the EU's 2001-2006 funding programme.

Name of programme, funder or client:

The PHARE Programme of the European Union

Expected outcomes, reports/documents:

Green Paper/White Paper: Strategy and Policy for Reform of Vocational Education and training in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Spring 2000)

2001-2006 EU funding through CARDS Programme (successor to PHARE in the Balkans). The first 2 years of the VET programme is built on the recommendations of the White Paper.