In December 2004 CIDA announced the approval of the Montenegro Educator Development Project (MEDP) as part of EDP. The announcement came after several missions to Montenegro and meetings with the Ministry of Education and Science (MOES), the Bureau for Educational Services (BES), donors, and a range of other stakeholders.
During its inception mission in
January 2005, a team of nine individuals
- including two from MOES, two from
BES and five from EDP - conducted
an organizational assessment of
both MOES and BES and an analysis
of professional development needs.
These assessments were designed
to meet the information requirements
of CIDA and a range of other donors
including the World Bank and the
Finnish Government. The findings
from this study were presented to
MOES, BES, and key donor agencies
in Podgorica in early February 2005,
and serve as the basis for developing
a programming strategy for MEDP.
Context
In 2000, the Government of Montenegro began an ambitious education reform process through a broad-based research and public consultation process that led to the publishing of the official reform agenda, The Book of Change, in 2001. Since that time, MOES has downsized itself and established a variety of new institutions and governance bodies such as BES and the Vocational Education Centre.
MOES has established a strong legal framework and has been able to address a number of specific capacity needs through the Capacity Development Program (CDP), a joint project of MOES/UNDP/FOSI. In addition to the donors already active in Montenegro (including UNDP, FOSI, and UNICEF), the World Bank, the Finnish Government, and CIDA have all expressed an interest in adding their support to the educational reform process. CIDA and EDP have worked closely with stakeholders and other donors to understand the various proposed areas of investment, and identify opportunities for project sequencing and coordination.
MEDP Programming
MEDP is working with two main target groups, each being addressed with a specific focus:
1. Senior Leaders at the MOES and the BES: This development group receives support for the development of enhanced organizational capacities in their work on educational reform in Montenegro. This includes strategic leadership, management, communication, and other relevant skills supporting improved organizational performance.
2. Senior staff at the MOES and the BES: This development group of professionals has the opportunity to enhance their capacities in project management to manage projects effectively and efficiently for results, including improved understanding of the project cycle, planning, monitoring, and financial management.
Similar to EDP's work in other jurisdictions, MEDP's approach includes intensive training retreats with individual and small group coaching, and focuses on applicability and immediate relevance of knowledge and skills.
