Transcript Roma Education Fund

Roma Education Fund
Presentation by
Rumyan Russinov
Deputy Director
Background
• Budapest Conference, 2003 resolved to
– establish a Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005-2015, during which
countries would focus on reducing disparities in key economic and
human development outcomes for Roma; and
– establish an international Roma Education Fund.
• Donor conference, held in December, 2004 where pledges of
US$42m were received. Donors included private foundations,
Governments, international organisations and individuals.
• World Bank committed undertook technical work necessary to
establish the Roma Education Fund in consultation with international
organizations and donors, Roma and other stakeholders.
• Roma Education Fund was formally established as a Swiss
foundation in January 2005. Governing Board has been appointed
according to its statute and regulations.
• REF Offices established in Budapest, Vaci utca, 63 II/1
Our donors
Committed
• Open Society Institute
• World Bank
• Council of Europe
Development Bank
• CANADA
• GREECE
• IRELAND
• NETHERLANDS
• SLOVENIA
• SWEDEN
• SWITZERLAND
• UNITED KINGDOM
• European Foundation Center
Under Negociations
• FRANCE
• GERMANY
Purposes of the Roma Education
Fund
The purpose of the REF is to contribute to
closing the gap in educational outcomes
between Roma and non-Roma, including
through desegregation of educational systems in
Central and Eastern Europe and the countries
that have formally joined the Decade for Roma
Inclusion.
REF Approach
Three primary functions:
• To make grants to public and private education sectors
to help improve educational outcomes for Roma – the
Fund will not substitute for what governments
themselves finance, but will rather serve a critical
catalytic and partnership-brokering role.
• To serve as an information clearinghouse on Roma
education;
• To advocate for improved educational outcomes for
Roma – for example, through reports on the economic,
social and fiscal benefits deriving from Roma education.
Priorities and Criteria
• Support Roma leadership and participation
• Demonstrate sustainability and ‘scaling up’, including a contribution
to policy reform and desegregation
• Positive impact on the communities (Roma and non-Roma) in which
Roma education programs will be implemented
• Early priority given to countries participating in the Decade of Roma
Inclusion and to programs included in Decade Actions Plans.
• Grants can cover both supply side and demand side interventions,
ranging from preschool through to tertiary education.
• Projects will be co-financed by Government, EU, bilaterals and
multilaterals wherever possible, and the REF will seek to have a
catalyzing impact in order to take projects which have been
successfully piloted to full scale.
REF Operations
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Operations began with outreach visits by REF staff to Decade countries to
establish contacts with potential beneficiaries and to identify projects
OSI transferred projects rolled over for one year
Roma Memorial Scholarships continued
More than 120 project applications received, with processing on a
continuous basis (no deadlines)
24 grants approved in September, October and March
Approved projects cover pre-school expansion, de-segregation and
integration programs, Roma teacher training, community capacity building
and outreach to parents and local authorities, and additional tuition and
income support for Roma students.
Study commissioned on economic benefits of improved Roma education
outcomes, to support advocacy efforts and other studies and dissemination
in preparation
Further fundraising to replenish funds started.
Detailed procedures and funding mechanisms being developed
REF Activities
Grants
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Pilot actions on the ground to guide policy and large scale
program development
Scaling up of successful activities, jointly with government,
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Studies, evaluation, strategic thinking to improve policies
Policy Development and Technical Assistance
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Studies and evaluation of projects and policies
Exchange of views, information dissemination
Country strategies (for each of the decade countries)
Advocacy based on best practices in design and
implementation of policies.
REF Working approach
• Clear procedures described in an operational guideline,
transparent and available by every one
• Strong emphasis on financial and physical monitoring
with a solid Management Information System
• Strong focus on impact monitoring
• Provision of technical support and advice
• Importance given to dissemination of lessons learned.
Web-site, news letter, conferences, seminars
• Strong presence in the field with hiring of a facilitators in
each country, attention given to communication and
discussion.
• Working with every one: government and civil society