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2016
- 16 March
- By Pietro Lombardini
- LAO/024
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Laos - KHALODEP Scholarship promotion enters the second round
The second year of the Khammouane Local Development Project (KHALODEP) scholarship outreach activity has been completed.

The scholarship aims to strengthen human resource development and career alternatives through secondary school enrolment support as well as technical/vocational training, targeting marginalized people and mainstreaming gender to promote equality. The scholarship focuses on increasing and ensuring access, enrolment and retention of boys and especially girls in secondary schools throughout KHALODEP’s 34 target villages located in the three districts of Mahaxay, Nakai and Boualapha.

Scholarships are granted to young individuals between 14 and 25 years old, living in one of the target villages. Each student can receive a maximum of one scholarship per year. For vocational training or secondary school scholarships lasting more than one year, students may apply for a second scholarship if their studies remain at a satisfactory level. Eligible applicants will have completed primary school and fulfil poverty criteria stipulated by Laotian standards.

The planning and implementation of the activity is the result of an intensive and constructive collaboration between the project’s technical advisors and the provincial/district officers. For three consecutive weeks, from 15 February until 4 March, a team composed of provincial/district officers from the Department of Education and Sports and a teacher from the Vocational Training School of Thakhek informed the villagers and students in the 34 target villages about the application requirements and the subjects covered by KHALODEP’s scholarship. Using music and other media, the promotion team gave colourful presentations, distributed application forms and answered students’ and villagers’ questions, while particularly encouraging women’s participation and specifically targeting the poorest households.

Once all applications are collected, the scholarship selection team will short-list candidates. Individual house visits by the selection team to meet the pre-selected candidates will take place before the final decision is made. Later on, during an official ceremony recognizing their achievement, the Vice-Governors of each district will give half of the scholarship amount to the selected students. The remaining amount will be given to the student only after the selection team has received proof of the student’s satisfactory mid-term reports.

Pietro LOMBARDINI | Junior Technical Advisor | KHALODEP - LAO/024
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- 11 February
- By Liliana Aragón
- NIC/024
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Nicaragua - Inauguraciones de ITP
Videos publicados por INTUR sobre recientes inauguraciones de Infraestructuras turísticas públicas (ITP) en el marco del proyecto Ruta del Cafe - Fase II.

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- 10 February
- By Quentin Bourdeaux
- Senegal Office
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Sénégal - Le Ministère de la Formation professionnelle et technique, de l’Apprentissage et de l’Artisanat (MFPAA) se dote d’un Plan de Renforcement des Capacités (2016-2018)
Afin d’améliorer la performance des acteurs de la Formation professionnelle et technique (FPT) et de l’Artisanat pour qu’ils soient à même de réaliser les objectifs qui leur sont assignés, un plan unique de renforcement des capacités (PRDC) du dispositif ministériel vient d’être achevé le 4 février 2016. Il couvre, en plus du renforcement des compétences, les aspects matériels, la disponibilité de ressources et divers volets et outils nécessaires au management et à une meilleure gestion du secteur.

La Formation professionnelle et technique et l’Artisanat (FPTA) du Sénégal évolue dans un contexte marqué par une faible croissance économique, une économie dominée par le secteur informel et une pression très forte sur le marché du travail. Ces éléments, ajoutés à la faiblesse de la productivité et à l’insuffisance de l’investissement du secteur privé, font que les secteurs de la FPT et de l’Artisanat doivent opérer les changements nécessaires pour devenir les véritables leviers d’un développement économique et social réel et inclusif. En effet, l’amélioration de la performance de la FPT et de celui de l’artisanat impacte fortement sur l’évolution économique du pays en contribuant significativement à la lutte contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion.

C’est dans ce cadre que le Sénégal a élaboré, en septembre 2015, une nouvelle stratégie de développement des secteurs de la FPT et de l’artisanat. Le plan de développement stratégique (2016-2020) constitue le nouvel outil de gestion inscrit dans la logique du Plan Sénégal émergent (PSE). Il appelle à une réactualisation des priorités dans le secteur de la FPT, de l’apprentissage et de l’artisanat en lien avec les orientations déclinées dans ce plan.

Synergie des partenaires autour du renforcement de capacités

Deux particularités ont caractérisé le processus d’élaboration du PRDC :
- l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) et la Coopération luxembourgeoise ont conjointement financé son élaboration ;
- la méthodologie d’élaboration choisie est basée sur le principe de « faire-avec » de manière à renforcer durablement les compétences du MFPAA. Un comité technique constitué de douze points focaux (services centraux, services rattachés et services décentralisés) et de deux experts du Bureau Organisation et Méthode (BOM)¹ a accompagné le facilitateur dans l’élaboration de la méthodologie et des outils, dans la conduite des diagnostics ainsi que dans l’élaboration du PRDC.
Un processus participatif et consensuel

Chacune de ces phases a constitué une étape distincte avec ses produits et livrables selon une démarche participative.

Pour ce qui concerne son élaboration proprement dite, le plan de renforcement de capacités a été construit comme une réponse à des faiblesses constatées au niveau des différentes fonctions remplies par le dispositif de la FPTA.

Au niveau de chaque fonction, un diagnostic a été effectué auprès des différentes structures du Ministère : l’ensemble des services centraux et des services rattachés, deux inspections d’académie, trois établissements de formation de formateurs, 11 Établissements de Formation professionnelle et technique (EFPT) et une Maison de l’Outil (MO).

Chaque fonction a été analysée pour en déterminer les faiblesses et proposer des actions de RC aux plans institutionnel, organisationnel et individuel.

Afin de rendre la mise en œuvre du PRDC plus aisée et d’en faciliter le suivi, certains aspects ont fait l’objet d’approfondissements. On peut citer :
- le détail des coûts par action proposée ;
- la priorisation et la planification des actions dans le temps ;
- la répartition et la prise en charge des actions entre l’État et les PTF ;
- le chronogramme de mise en œuvre de 2016-2018 ;
- la définition des outils de suivi-évaluation du Plan.
Soucieux de son opérationnalisation et de son articulation avec le Plan de Développement stratégique de la FPTA et le Document de Planification pluriannuelle des Dépenses (DPPD), le Ministère (appuyé par le programme SEN/028) va organiser au cours du mois de février un atelier pour l’élaboration du Plan de Travail annuel (PTA) 2016 consolidé et du PTA 2017 initial en s’inscrivant ainsi dans le contexte de la réforme des finances publiques en cours dans l’espace UEMOA. Cet atelier donnera le départ de la mise en œuvre du PRDC via une première formation des acteurs impliqués dans la planification et le suivi-évaluation des différents programmes au sein du ministère. Et ce, pour une meilleure connaissance et maîtrise des outils relatifs à la préparation des services à l’entrée en vigueur des directives de l’UEMOA liées aux finances publiques.

_________________________

¹ Le BOM est une structure d’étude, d’appui et de conseil, placée sous l’autorité du Ministre Secrétaire général de la Présidence de la République.
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- 22 January
- By Fellanza Abdullahu
- KSV/015
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Kosovo - Training needs analysis
The project is conducting a training needs analysis (TNA) that will be finalised in February 2016 with the aim of promoting VET in line with labour market needs, gathering data for evidence-based decision-making. This effort, one of several such donor-funded initiatives in the sector of Education, should lead to crucial orientations supporting the CoCs in the perspective of sustainability. For instance, the diversification of the CoCs’ educational offer through short courses and post-secondary programmes will gain further impulse. These should not only allow the CoCs matching their purpose as multifunctional Centres offering flexible training to different target groups, but also generating income.

In February 2016 the Riinvest Institute and Kosovo Chamber of Commerce, after a sophisticated process of data collection and analysis, in collaboration with LuxDev, private sector representatives and local stakeholders, will deliver the final report of the TNA. At the end of the study, clear overviews should be available of: effective (solvent) VET demand in selected sectors and potential corresponding financing sources; VET needs and potential financing sources; and market segmentation for each CoC describing the nexus Client/Service/Technology. The TNA will be an important point of reference and input for all initiatives oriented towards VET and Labour market and implementing agencies.

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- 22 January
- By Fellanza Abdullahu
- KSV/015
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Kosovo - Start of the academic year 2015/16
With the beginning of September 2015, the new academic year got started. For the first time in CoC Ferizaj, students are enrolled across all three grades of initial VET programmes, and as it happens, 494 youngsters follow their educational paths in eight different Health Care profiles. 120 of them are making their first steps in five of the offered programmes. In CoC Prizren, 299 students, including the new second generation adding up to 195 registrations, are preparing themselves for Economy, Trade, and Travel and Tourism. These three sectors cover in total seven different profiles.

According to the objective of making young people ready for the labour market, hands-on training in the CoCs and in labour providing institutions will hallmark the students' learning process. For practical training, both CoCs are well-equipped. For professional practice, the Centres rely on partnership agreements. While CoC Ferizaj concluded to date a multitude of collaborations with private and public institutions, CoC Prizren successfully formalised its nine agreements this year. Finally, it should be noted that both CoCs will benefit from some degree of continuity, since the contracts of teaching staff members have been extended.

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- 19 January
- By Sandrine Thinnes
- Asia Office LAO/026
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Laos - “Happy family” video series combines entertainment with learning about nutrition

The IFAD funded Soum Son Seun Jai (SSSJ) Programme, which is co-funded by the Luxembourg Government through LAO/026 project, aims at contributing to the reduction of extreme poverty and hunger in two provinces in Laos targeting 17.000 poor rural households living in 225 target villages.

The programme has recently launched an innovative video series linking agriculture and nutrition. These series allow the programme to scale up the support to its nutrition sensitive interventions by reaching out to a large number of poor households in a consistent and efficient manner using broadcasting technology.

Currently, every second child in the rural areas in Laos is severely malnourished or stunted. Malnutrition rates are particularly high among the SSSJ target group living in remote rural areas and ethnic minority communities. Nutrition education is crucial in fighting the current epidemic malnutrition. However, in the past the effectiveness of nutrition education in Laos was limited because of a lack of appealing educational materials that are available in local languages. The SSSJ-LAO/026 project has responded to this need by developing an innovative video tool kit that emphasizes on key messages customized to remote and rural areas. The video tool kit is made available in local languages like Lao, Hmong and Khamu. LAO/026 project has co-financed the production, particularly in making the videos available in local languages. Moreover, LAO/026 advisers have been instrumental in providing technical advice and in facilitating the shooting and production of the video series.

The series contain 12 short videos that all address specific themes regarding nutrition, from food production to consumption. Various agricultural production topics such as chicken raising, fish raising, vegetable production are covered. A particular note is also made regarding the availability of healthy and nutritious food from the wild. Production oriented messages are merged with messages that encourage consumption of healthy food instead of instant food readily available on the market. The videos also provide dietary recommendations and nutritious recipes for homemade dishes. As only showing/viewing the videos will not be sufficient to create behavioral change among the targeted groups, additional materials like discussion guidelines and posters are developed to facilitate focused discussions and dialogue with villagers to better understand the problem and raise their awareness to hopefully change to a more healthy diet. The complete package is broadly distributed and enthusiastically received by other organizations and already used by UNICEF, the World Food Programme, the Food and Agricultural Organization and non-governmental organization like Care and Plan International.

In order for the messages to appeal to rural villagers and not be another “boring extension message”, the videos are packaged into a rural soap opera that plays in one of the project target villages.

There are Phone and Xay who secretly fall in love; a grumpy grandmother who wants everything the way it was, because she is fond of the saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”; a clever husband who learns from his daughter to pick nutritious wild foods and build up his physical strength by eating healthy food. There is Noy, a health volunteer and wonderful cook, who is advising pregnant and breast feeding friends. Absolute star of the series is the little Sonephet who, after a delicious homemade bean snack, scored a goal against the Lao national soccer team.

All actors are villagers from SSSJ target villages, increasing the real life appearance and making it easier for rural people to identify with the messages the series want to share.

The videos (Lao version with English sub-titles) are uploaded on YouTube and can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeO0-UIO6Q-76Z58Pv9XGTKct-fC-oOS8

We encourage you to have a look.
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- 11 January
- By Sandrine Thinnes
- Asia Office
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Vietnam - Uganda’s Ministry of Health gains insight from Vietnam’s immunization programme
Representatives from the Uganda Ministry of Health (MOH) visited Hanoi for the first time at the beginning of January to conduct a study tour to learn from our Vietnam’s successful Expanded Programme on Immunizations (EPI). The group of five delegates attended a presentation at the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE). The former Chief Technical Adviser of the support project to the NIHE (VIE/025) was also present to exchange on the lessons learnt. The groups visited a national vaccine storage facility used to receive and distribute vaccinations as the first link in the nationwide vaccine cold chain extending to 5,000 communes, 700 districts and 63 provincial level cold chain facilities which were equipped primarily under the long standing Luxembourg support lasting over a decade. The EPI programme received support from the Luxembourg Government between 1995 and 2012, as well as other organizations like WHO, UNICEF, JICA and GAVI.

“We feel that Vietnam has come a long way in trying to understand the team performance of the cold chain systems, which we are not doing back home,” said Dr. Luzze Henry, acting manager of Uganda’s National EPI. “We will be able to learn from this and take this practice back home.”

NIHE, PATH and LuxDev representatives discussed the implementation and maintenance of the EPI programme, which has improved drastically in the last decade. Over the years, Vietnam has grown and enhanced its vaccine cold chain, the process by which vaccinations are stored and transported in refrigerated equipment to ensure that they are safely delivered to patients.

Joanie Robertson, Technical Adviser of vaccine and pharmaceutical technologies at PATH, Geneva, Switzerland helped to coordinate the meeting in order for the Ugandan MOH EPI team to learn about the successes and challenges Vietnam faced while expanding its cold chain model.

“We had a meeting, and they shared a picture from both sides, and one of the main thing is getting the Government to commit sufficient resources – that’s a common challenge that they both have”, Robertson said of the Ugandan and Vietnamese agencies. “They both introduced new vaccines in the last 10 years, and that’s also a challenge.”

Vietnam introduced two new vaccines in 2014 to protect citizens from Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and measles-rubella (MR). Prior to that, Vietnam made strides in its vaccination programme by eradicating polio in 2000, followed by maternal and neonatal tetanus in 2005. The nation has also greatly reduced the rate of measles, Hepatitis B and other diseases that are targeted by the EPI programme.

Vietnam’s current cold chain model is unrecognizable from the system it had in 2009. At that time, only 57% of the 179 refrigerators in one northern province of Vietnam were functional. The distance of transporting vaccinations was an issue, as well as outdated equipment powered by gas. The system lacked systematic monitoring and documentation of equipment, clear responsibilities and communication, and resources to make repairs to equipment.

The project VIE/025 tackled these issues by training provincial and national equipment managers to manage and maintain the cold chain equipment. It also provided a set of tools and basic spare parts to all 63 provinces, and the maintenance of the equipment was outsourced during the span of the project. Equipment was added and upgraded, and all areas of the country now have reliable electricity-powered facilities.

Perhaps most importantly, the project focused on the importance of strengthening personnel, which is the true key to the EPI programme’s success, according to Raja Chowdhry, former Chief Technical Adviser to VIE/025:

“Our objective was to change the mindset of the staff. That was the first step,” Chowdhry said. “EPI in Vietnam has a successful programme – the programme side is very good, and I saw that they meet often, but they didn’t talk about all the EPI numbers and vaccinations. They never talked about how it is done, what are the logistics. So our first success was after years of trying, when EPI started to report the functional levels of the refrigerators in the facilities, which was the first success. Now they have received the message that it’s also important to report on how the cold chain is functioning at each level.”
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