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:
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.
For more information, please contact
David Parkes parkes@wanadoo.fr
