terms of reference urgent call for consultancy service · popular (community, liberal) ale from...
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Terms of Reference
Urgent call for consultancy service
Study on the Public Financing of Popular Adult Learning and Education (ALE)
in Uganda: Contribution to Global AED Study
1. Introduction and Background
DVV International is the Institute for International Cooperation of the Deutscher
Volkshochschul-Verband e.V. (DVV), the German Adult Education Association. DVV
represents the interests of the approximately 900 adult education centres
(Volkshochschulen) and their state associations, the largest further education providers in
Germany. DVV International provides worldwide support for the establishment and
development of sustainable structures for Youth and Adult Education. As the leading
professional organization in the field of adult learning and education (ALE) and development
cooperation, DVV International has committed itself to supporting lifelong learning for more
than 50 years. Its vision is to fight poverty through education, lifelong learning and support to
development.
In Uganda, DVV International works in partnership with the Ministry of Gender, Labour and
Social Development (MGLSD) and their counterparts at district and sub-county level to
implement the ICOLEW (Integrated Community Learning for Wealth Creation) programme.
The programme started as a pilot in 4 districts during 2016 and has been announced as the
official successor of FAL in 2020. This implies national roll-out and up-scaling of ICOLEW to
all districts. The integrated nature of ICOLEW also requires co-operation with other
government sector offices such as Agriculture, etc. The ICOLEW is described by the MGLSD
as both an approach and a programme and contains the following elements held together by
an integrated approach and the Reflect learning process
Functional Adult Literacy
Community Development
Livelihoods Skills Training
Business Skills Training
Savings and Loan Schemes
Life Skills across topics such as environment, health, etc.
Currently the DVV International HQ is launching a study on the public financing of popular
adult learning and education (ALE). The study is funded in the frame of the current Global
Adult Education and Development (AED) project supported by BMZ. The study is specifically
addressing DVV International’s work in the fields of:
Providing technial expertise; and
Improving the framework conditions for adult education worldwide.
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The study/planned project aims to collect a number of articles from different countries around
the world describing best practices in financing popular (community, liberal) education from
public sources. A call was made for countries to present an example for the study. Uganda’s
proposed example as per the required format (See Annexes 1 and 2) has been accepted
jointly with the South African example. In this context the DVV International Uganda country
office requires the services of an experienced consultant to compile a case study of the
Ugandan ICOLEW programme as per the objectives, structures and guidelines provided for
authors. The global study is led and coordinated by a group of consultants consisting of Prof.
Heribert Hinzen, Chris Duke and Ruth Sarrazin. See Annex 3 for the concept note and more
detailed background.
2. Rationale for the consultancy
According to the 2015 updated Recommendations on Adult Learning and Education (RALE)
of UNESCO the types of adult learning and education activities vary widely. It includes many
learning opportunities for equipping adults with literacy and basic skills, for continuing training
and professional development and for active citizenship through what is variously known as
community, popular or liberal education. While the funding for the first two types of ALE from
public sources is widely accepted in many countries of the world, financing of popular
(community, liberal) education and active citizenship is often a controversial issue. In this
respect this global study should be seen as an important complementary effort to other
studies on financing ALE currently undertaken by UIL as well as ICAE in the framework of
the Global Education Monitoring (GEM).
The planned project/study will collect a number of articles from different countries in the
world, including Uganda, describing best practices in financing popular/community education
from public resources. It should demonstrate the financing mechanisms and the logic behind
it. The outputs of the study will be used as advocacy tools and for decision makers showing
the importance of ALE. Accordingly, the target group of the envisaged study and analysis is a
wide circle of decision and opinion makers at central, regional and local levels as well as
experts/representatives from partner organisations.
3. Methodological approach, tasks and deliverables
The deliverables of the study are:
Package 1: Collection of edited articles on various international examples of financing
popular (community, liberal) ALE from public sources
Package 2: Analysis, summary and categorisation, description of global trends, etc.
Presentations for advocacy efforts will be developed as well.
The write-up of the Ugandan case study feeds into the above-mentioned objectives,
specifically objective 1 (package 1).
The consultant is therefore required to produce a case study for Uganda of maximum
4000 words following the Guidelines for Authors (Annex 4) and Notes on Structure
(Annex 5) in detail. He/she should also refer to the proposed example for Uganda (Annex 2)
for context and consult with the Uganda DVV International country office for more
background and documentation, planned interviews, etc. before starting the write-up of the
case study.
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This requires and understanding and familiarisation of (See Annex 1 and 2):
The national understanding of popular ALE in Uganda – and specifically within the
context of ICOLEW with reference to the community development component and
how it facilitates participatory dialogue and joint community action and awareness.
(See Annex 2)
The institutions, contents and methods of ICOLEW (in the context of ALE)
The financing mechanisms of ICOLEW in Uganda, different forms of budget
allocation at different level, etc. Public infrastructure and resources in addition to
financial support.
Monitoring of ALE, what kind of indicators – especially in terms of the components
described above.
Trends and changes over recent years.
The 4000 words case study on Uganda should follow the guidelines for authors and the
notes on structure (Annexes 4 and 5) in detail. It is anticipated that the consultant can use
the substantial material available on ICOLEW from the DVV International Uganda country
office as well as the MGLSD, e.g. ICOLEW evaluation, etc. In addition, it is anticipated that
selected interviews need to done with MGLSD and district government officials to collect
specific data.
4. Timeframe for the consultancy
Note that this is an urgent call for consultancy and the timelines are as follows:
The time period for the assignment is the month of October with final submission at latest 2
November 2020. The consultancy is for 15 working days. An estimated 5 days are for
literature review and scoping the task, 5 days for interviews and collecting additional data
and 5 days for writing up the case study with the necessary referencing, etc. The consultancy
should commence on 13 October 2020. Consultants will be informed of selection by 10
October 2020.
5. Responsible persons at DVV International and logistics
DVV International will be contracting authority for this assessment. The contact persons are:
The Regional Director for East/Horn of Africa, Sonja Belete:
The Uganda Country Director: Caesar Kyebakola: [email protected]
The consultant will work in close collaboration with the DVV International Uganda country
office and country director.
6. Qualifications of the applicant(s) and Quality Standards
The applicant(s) should have the following qualifications and experience:
Demonstrate sound knowledge and experience in the field of adult learning and
education.
Fluency in English and excellent writing skills
Familiarity with DVV Internationals’ work profile and ICOLEW in Uganda region is an
advantage;
Can demonstrate research skills and examples of similar studies conducted in the
past.
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7. Application
Interested candidates must submit the following documents:
a) CV of person to be involved in the assignment (To be sent with cover letter to indicate
interest in the assignment and showcasing to what extent person requirements in this
ToR are met)
b) Technical Proposal of maximum 3 pages covering the following aspects
a. Understanding of the task and ToR
b. Detailed approach how to conduct assignment
c) Financial proposal indicating daily consultancy rate for 15 days. Note that any
additional costs for transport and per diem to conduct interviews will be carried by
DVV International as per the country approved rates.
d) The above documents should be sent until 9 October 2020 to the following e-mail
addresses:
The Regional Director for East/Horn of Africa, Sonja Belete:
The Uganda Country Director: Caesar Kyebakola: [email protected]
Note that consultants should be fully available for the service period as per the indicated
schedule and meet the necessary deadlines. Failure to comply with this requirement may
lead to immediate cancellation of the contract.
8. Evaluation Criteria for Proposals
The proposals will be assessed according to the following criteria:
Qualification and Experience of consultant(s) - counts one third based on criteria
mentioned above;
Technical proposal - counts one third based on criteria mentioned above;
Financial proposal - counts one third (best price-service relation).
9. Annexes
The following Annexes form part and parcel of this TOR and should be consulted to frame
and complete the task outlined in the ToR.
Annex 1: Format for proposing an example for the Study on the Public Financing of
Popular ALE
Annex 2: Proposing an example for the Study on the Public Financing of Popular ALE
from Uganda
Annex 3: Concept Note: Study in the Public Financing of Popular Adult Learning and
Education (ALE)
Annex 4: Guidelines for authors
Annex 5: Notes on structures and guidance for case studies
Annex 1: Proposing an example for the
Study on the Public Financing of Popular Adult Learning and Education (ALE)
DVV International and the Team of Experts are inviting colleagues and partners to submit
proposals which can be considered for the collection of edited articles on various
international good practice examples of financing popular (community, liberal) education from
public sources.
To understand popular ALE better we quote from the UNESCO Recommendation on Adult
Learning and Education (RALE):
“Adult learning and education also includes education and learning opportunities for active
citizenship, variously known as community, popular or liberal education. It empowers people
to actively engage with social issues such as poverty, gender, intergenerational solidarity,
social mobility, justice, equity, exclusion, violence, unemployment, environmental protection
and climate change. It also helps people to lead a decent life, in terms of health and well-
being, culture, spirituality and in all other ways that contribute to personal development and
dignity.”
Please provide us information by sending one or two pages (key points are sufficient) which
we could take into the discussion and selection of good practice examples for the study:
Name of potential authors/s
Name of the country / region
The national understanding of popular ALE
Institutions, content and methods of popular ALE
The role of the public authorities in financing popular ALE
Governments budgets and allocations from different sorts of public institutions in
respect to ALE on national, regional or local level
Financing mechanisms that are available and being used
Public infrastructure and resources in addition to financial support
Trends and changes in recent years and / or decades
Appraisal of popular ALE – what kind of monitoring, indicators and measures do
public authorities use? How do you judge these and their effects (including
sustainability and social impact)?
What makes the case a good practice example in your opinion?
Any other important point you would like us to consider?
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Proposing an example for the Study on the Public Financing of Popular Adult Learning and Education
(ALE): East Africa: Uganda
Name of the region/country: East/Horn of Africa – Uganda
Background: Understanding of popular ALE and the Institutions, Contents and Methods of Popular
ALE
The national understanding may vary depending on different perspectives especially different opinions
may exist between government and civil society perspectives. For the purposes of proposing an example
for this study, the perspective of government is described. The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social
Development (MGLSD) has the mandate and responsibility for both Adult Education and Community
Development in Uganda. As such they have launched two policies for each of the sectors since 2014.
However, their national FAL programme came under criticism from Parliament in 2014 for not reducing
illiteracy rates and not addressing economic empowerment and financial literacy.
At this time (2014) DVV International engaged the MGLSD to observe the impact of the EU/BMZ funded
Karamoja project based on the Reflect approach but with additional components. The MGLSD was
impressed since the outputs and outcomes of the approach and the evidence of the impact of the
project could address both their literacy and community development mandates. This introduced a new
cooperation partnership between DVV International and the MGLSD since 2015.
A new methodology based on the Reflect learning process with the following components have been
jointly designed under the technical advice of DVV International and a joint pilot started in 3 districts.
The ICOLEW (Integrated Community Learning for Wealth Creation) in line with Uganda’s Vision 2014 was
born. The ICOLEW is described by the MGLSD as both an approach and a programme and contains the
following elements held together by an integrated approach and the Reflect learning process
Functional Adult Literacy
Community Development
Livelihoods Skills Training
Business Skills Training
Savings and Loan Schemes
Life Skills across topics such as environment, health, etc.
Thee implementation of the programme rests on framework and principles of the Adult Education
System Building approach and incorporates CLCs as places where all these services can be delivered. A
fourth pilot district has been added and the implementation modality cuts across macro, meso and
micro levels where each governance structure plays out their roles and mandates. The mentioned
components and services delivered requires the involvement of other sector offices such as Agriculture,
Cooperatives, etc. Coordination structures involving all these sector offices are therefore formed across:
Micro level – sub-counties and parishes
Meso level – Districts
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Macro level – ministries.
Referring to the objectives and focus of this study mention has to be made specifically of the community
development component of the approach and programme. As per Reflect, the community groups
analyse their own environment and the identified issues form the curriculum for the year. Guidelines for
facilitators are developed around these topics by sector experts. These topics are also aligned with local
government development plans. The implication is that as community groups handle each topic through
the year, analyse causes and effects, come up with their own action plans – these community driven
action plans are presented to local government officials for support. Since most of the topics are also
already captured in local governments’ annual development plans – funding can often be allocated for
implementation of roads, hand wells, etc. The community groups act therefore as catalysts and often
bring the discussed topics from their class to the wider community. These community meetings are then
held with different government sector offices and sometimes also NGOs to support joint
implementation of the action points by government and community.
Many group members started to have positions in community structures and the CLCs gave more voice
to the groups. We are busy implementing community scorecards where both community members and
government experts can score services and dialogue for improvement. Preliminary studies by JICA for
their own purpose have shown that these pilot districts generally have better relations between
government and communities.
The role of public authorities in financing popular ALE
The pilot has become so successful that the MGLSD has done their own internal lobbying and currently
the Ugandan parliament has approved the ICOLEW as the official successor for FAL which implies
national funding and redirecting the former FAL budget for ICOLEW. Additional lobbying by the Ministry
is also leading to funds to construct more CLCs. This implies that the programme as described with the
community development component will be funded. Naturally government funding is not sufficient and
different modalities are studied.
Currently government is already funding:
100% of the salaries of all government experts working on the programme. It is imbedded from
the start into government structures and job descriptions.
Buying land and renovating CLCs and paying for CLC coordinators
Monitoring and supervision of community facilitators, etc.
Attracting funds across sectors to contribute to the programme
The national fund allocation by Parliament and the inclusion of the programme in the National
Development Plan will require new modalities. Government funding is across all levels at the moment.
DVV International is currently launching a study on financing the programme. This will also assist to plan
for national roll-out. The study can also inform the mentioned HQ study.
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Government’s contribution of land and buildings and salaries across sectors amount to a huge sum and
the mentioned study for Uganda will look at new opportunities as well.
Appraisal of Popular ALE
Currently the planning and execution of action points by communities and local government is
monitored. The Community Scorecards will provide even more evidence of popular education and
involvement.
Best Practice
Uganda is proposed as a best practice example because:
A small pilot attracted national level attention and through evidence-based policy influencing
attracted national level funding for national roll-out
During the pilot phase government already contributed substantial funding for staff salaries,
land, buildings and other in-kind contributions.
Government is committed to the approach and this has given voice to communities and the
opportunity to interact with local government
It aligns communities’ issues with local development plans and funding.
It provides learning for different means of advocacy to bring government on board.
Popular Education can happen within the system.
Study on the Public Financing of Popular Adult Learning and Education (ALE)
New Project
DVV International (DVVI) as the Institute for International Cooperation of the Deutscher
Volkshochschul-Verband e.V. (DVV, German Adult Education Association) provides support for the
establishment and development of sustainable structures for Youth and Adult Learning and
Education. Three years ago DVV International defined strategic fields of action (https://www.dvv-
international.de/en/about-us/profile) that are: a) promoting development through adult education
projects, b) providing of technical expertise, and c) improving the framework conditions for adult
education worldwide. The study at stake is chiefly meant to support the work in the strategic fields
of action b) and c). It is funded in the frame of the current project “Global Adult Education and
Development” (GlobalAED, 2018-2020), supported financially by Germany’s Federal Ministry for
Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Background
According to the in 2015 updated Recommendations on Adult Education and Learning (RALE) of
UNESCO, “adult learning and education is a core component of lifelong learning. (…) The types of
adult learning and education activities vary widely. Adult learning and education includes many
learning opportunities for equipping adults with literacy and basic skills; for continuing training and
professional development, and for active citizenship, through what is variously known as
community, popular or liberal education.”
While the funding of first two types of ALE (literacy & basic skills and continuing training &
professional development) from public sources is widely accepted and more or less granted in
many countries of the world, financing of popular (community, liberal) education and active
citizenship is still a controversial issue, which is positively settled only in a number of countries
(mostly in developed countries). Advocacy and lobby work for ensuring public funding for it is a
challenge, partly because policy and decision makers from partner countries have very limited
resources and low knowledge about existing financing models and frameworks.
The theme is of high importance also in the context of the Goal 4 (target 4.7) of the SDGs / Agenda
2030 and the upcoming (in 2022) 7th World Conference on Adult Learning and Education
(CONFINTEA VII). Besides it has to be mentioned that the 5th Global Report on Adult Learning and
Education (GRALE), which will be published by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL)
before CONFINTEA VII will be dedicated to active citizenship.
In this respect this study should be seen as an important complementary effort to other studies on
financing ALE currently undertaken by UIL as well as ICAE or in the framework of the Global
Education Monitoring (GEM).
Objective
The planned project aims to collect a number of articles from different countries of the world,
describing best practice in financing of popular (community, liberal) education from public sources.
Examples from Germany, Scandinavia or South Korea, but especially also relevant experiences
and good policies practices from middle-income and developing countries should demonstrate
financing mechanisms and the logic behind, based on which public funding is granted for the third
ALE domain of popular (community, liberal) education and active citizenship.
The outputs of the project will be used as a tools for advocacy work (especially, in the context of
the Agenda 2030 / SDGs and upcoming CONFINTEA VII) and for decision makers in the field of
education, showing the importance of ALE. Besides, the results of the project are important for
DVV International as professional organisation in the field of ALE and its project work at regional
and country offices worldwide, especially in capacity building measures for partner organisations
and advocacy activists in partner countries.
Accordingly, the target group of the envisaged study and analysis is a wide circle of decision and
opinion makers at central, regional and local level as well as experts and representatives of
professional community / partner organisations in the countries, where DVV International carries
out development projects. Colleagues at DVV International headquarters and representative
offices in partner countries as well as experts at the global and regional professional networks in
the field of ALE belong to the target group of the project too.
Deliverables
As a result of the study and in the frame of assignment the following deliverables will be
developed:
Package 1: Collection of edited articles on various international examples of financing
popular (community, liberal) education from public sources.
Package 2: An analysis with a summarisation, categorisation, description of global trends in
the field of financing popular (community, liberal) education from public sources, as far as
possible also based on quantitative data.
Besides the articles and analysis a presentation as PPP will be developed which can be
used in advocacy efforts.
Support
Following a call for proposals, DVV International has assigned a Team of Experts, consisting of
Chris Duke, Heribert Hinzen and Ruth Sarrazin, to coordinate and elaborate the study and get
involved in the analytical and editorial tasks. The Team of Experts would be highly interested to
be informed on best practice cases (countries and programmes) related to the theme of the
study which should be looked at in the context of this envisaged project. Naming of the respective
countries (not only belonging to the portfolio of DVV International, but also others) and potential
authors from the region being able to describe best practice cases would be highly appreciated.
Early intelligence has shown us several examples and experiences but we are sure there are more
known to the wider ALE community.
Please address your suggestions directly to Prof. (H) Dr. Heribert Hinzen ([email protected];
[email protected]) and put Levan Kvatchadze, Senior Desk-Officer for Europe in Cc
Thank you in advance for your support!
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Guidelines for authors –
Study on the Public Financing of Popular
Adult Learning and Education (ALE)
Please read these guidelines carefully before submitting your article. If you have any
questions concerning these guidelines, please contact the team of experts: Chris Duke
([email protected]), Heribert Hinzen ([email protected]) and Ruth Sarrazin
1. General information
DVV International has commissioned a team of experts to conduct and coordinate a study on
the public financing of popular adult learning and education (ALE). The study aims, among
other things, at collecting a number of articles from different countries of the world, describing
best practices in financing of popular (community, liberal) education from public sources.
Through the provision of knowledge on successful financing mechanisms, DVV International
aims at providing an important tool for advocacy and support for adult education practitioners
and decision-makers worldwide.
The target group of the envisaged study is a wide circle of adult education experts and
practitioners, decision- and opinion-makers at central, regional and local level, as well as
representatives of the professional communities and partner organisations in the countries
where DVV International carries out development projects.
2. What and how to submit
Content, structure, length and deadline of the submission should be agreed on with the team
of experts in accordance with DVV International. The maximum length is 7.000 words
(excluding references and possible appendices). Please avoid overwriting.
The Publisher, DVV International, reserves the right to edit all submissions for style,
structure, length, consistency and clarity. This task will be carried out by the team of experts.
The edited version of the article will be sent back to you before publishing for your approval.
A draft of the article should be shared with the team of experts at least two weeks before the
final deadline. The team is available for any further questions/discussions on content and
structure at all times during the process.
We expect you to check all names, titles, dates and facts for accuracy before submitting your
article. Unless otherwise indicated, we assume that your article has not been published
elsewhere before.
Please submit your article as a Word-file via email; please send it to the team of experts:
Chris Duke ([email protected]), Heribert Hinzen ([email protected]) and Ruth
Sarrazin ([email protected]).
Each author receives a contract from DVV International, regulating all legal matters.
In addition to these guidelines, all authors will receive a separate document (“Notes on
structure and guidance”) with further guidance on how to structure and write their articles to
support the overall purpose of the study.
2.1 Elements required for all articles
Abstract: Please summarise the principle topics contained in your article and its main
arguments in 80 - 100 words (maximum length).
Key-elements version: Please summarise the main outcomes, lessons learnt and
recommendations deriving from your case study in a bullet point format. The key-elements
version can be up to 700 words (maximum length). Please refer to the document “Notes on
structure and guidance” for further details on what this version should contain.
Contact info: Please note your professional postal address (including website if existing) &
your email.
Biographical sketch: Please summarise your professional vita in ~50 words, focus on
describing your engagement in the field of Adult Education.
Portrait photo: Please attach a recent portrait photo of yourself in a resolution of 300 dpi in
TIFF, EPS, or JPEG format. Do not embed images within the body of a text document.
Graphic material: We welcome accompanying graphic material, but it is not a must. Please
make sure that all graphic material you use is mentioned and explained in your article.
Please indicate a clear title and the source. All graphics, tables, info-data have to be
delivered separately and in an editable Word or Excel file. Make sure that all raw data is
accessible. Also make sure the data and graphic material are not copyright protected and do
not infringe any third-party rights.
3. Editing advice
The following advice on language, style and references should help you to write your article.
Please do not hesitate to contact the team of experts for any questions.
3.1 Language, style
Simple and clear writing: Our aim is to make an accessible, easy-to-read product to be used
in particular for advocacy purposes. Avoid education and research jargon. Explain key
technical terms. The study targets readers that are already active in the field of adult learning
and education, but no previous knowledge should be taken for granted. Write in a way that
the interested non-professional reader can follow your arguments.
First person and active voice: Use the first person (“I” or “we”) if you describe what you, or
you and your co-authors, did. Write in the active voice (“They did it”) instead of the passive
voice (“It was done”) so that the reader knows who is responsible for the action.
Abbreviations: Use abbreviations sparingly. Give the full name of organisations, research
instruments and so forth, the first time you mention them, place the abbreviation in
parentheses immediately after. You can then use the abbreviation. Example: International
Council of Adult Education (ICAE)
Gender Sensitivities: Avoid language that might be interpreted as discriminatory. Do not use
“he” or “she” exclusively. Try to find neutral terms like “postal carrier” instead of “mailman”; or
use the plural term like “trainers ... they” instead of “the trainer . . . he”.
3.2 Citation and References
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Citations: Citations of other research works have to be included in the text in parentheses.
Please mention the author (or periodical or corporate author), the year of publication and
page numbers if necessary.
Examples: (Miller 2003: 173), (The New York Times 1997)
If a work has two authors, give both names. If a work has three or more authors give all
names in the first citation and then use “et al.” for following citations.
Example: (Arnold, Miller, Tuckett, White 2005), following citations: (Arnold et al. 2005).
For seven or more authors, use “et al.” also for the first citation.
For electronic resources use a regular citation if you can identify an author (human,
periodical, or corporate). If not, give the web address in parentheses.
References: Please list all resources you have cited at the end of your work in alphabetical
order (last name of a single author, a first author, an editor; or name of the periodical or a
corporate author if there is no human author). Order resources by the same author
chronologically (beginning with the earliest) and by small letters (2001a, 2001b) if more than
one work has been published in the same year.
Please follow this general form: Last names, initials (Year): Title. Place of publishing: Name
of publisher.
Here are some examples for different types of resources:
Books:
Brookfield, S. D. (1986): Understanding and Facilitating Adult Learning. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Verner, C. & Booth, A. (1964): Adult education. New York: The Center for Applied Research
in Education, Inc.
American Council on Education (2001): Focus on adults: A self-study guide for
postsecondary Education institutions. Washington, DC: The Center for Adult Learning and
Educational Credentials.
Article or chapter within an edited book:
Kreitlow, B. W. (1975): Theories of adult learning. In: C. Klevins (ed.): Materials & Methods in
Adult Education, 91-101. New York: Klevins Publications Inc.
Articles from magazines or journals:
St. Clair, R. (2004): Success stories: Aspirational myth in the education of adults. In:
International Journal of Lifelong Education, 23(1), 81-94.
Articles from websites:
Aslanian, C. (2006): Trends in adult learning: A 2006 snapshot. Retrieved March 12, 2008,
from http://www.aslaniangroup.com/pdfs/trends-in-learning.pdf
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Notes on structure and guidance for case studies –
Study on the Public Financing of Popular
Adult Learning and Education (ALE)
The following instructions and notes on guidance should help you to structure and write your
article in order to best contribute to the overall purpose of the study. The suggested structure
does not have to be followed strictly, but offers a framework and orientation.
Aspects your case study should reflect on:
The national understanding of popular ALE
Short historical sketch of the evolution of popular ALE
How well is popular ALE understood, valued, and supported: a) within educational
policy and administration, b) in terms of broad popular culture, c) compared with other
forma of ALE such as VET
The role and contribution of popular ALE to the development of society and the
individual (what are the main tasks/impacts/benefits of ALE in the specific context?)
The role and contribution of popular ALE in the rise of popular movements and
democracy (please explain as far as this is possible in your particular political system)
What is common and what (if anything) differs within your country in terms of context
and understanding, and in the funding profile
Institutions, content and methods of popular ALE
The role of the public authorities in financing popular ALE
Public infrastructure and resources in addition to financial support
Financing mechanisms: What methods and channels of financial support are used
with what success? Who gets the main financial benefits?
Initial funding of popular ALE and development of funding efforts and systems (e.g.
top-down or bottom-up evolution)
Establishment and consolidation of any rules and practices for funding
Trends and changes in recent years and / or decades
Appraisal of popular ALE – what kind of monitoring, indicators and measures do
public authorities use? How do you judge these and their effects (including
sustainability and social impact)?
Strengths and shortcomings of the present situation
Predictions, expectations, hopes and fears for future support for popular ALE
Key successes and failure as examples, lesson or warnings to others
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Key-elements version
We are asking all authors to provide a key-elements version of their case study summarising
the main outcomes and lessons learnt and offering recommendations for policy and practice.
This key version should have a maximum length of 700 words and should cover the following
aspects in the form of bullet points:
Understanding and benefits of popular ALE in specific setting
Public funding of popular ALE in numbers: How much public money and (if existing)
what other resources are being allocated?
Main characteristics as well as advantages and (possible) challenges of the financing
mechanisms used
Recommendations and lessons learnt from the example
General instructions to keep in mind:
Focus on public financing of popular ALE
Provide concrete numbers and figures whenever possible (especially when it comes
to Government budgets and allocations from different sorts of public institutions in
respect to popular ALE on national, regional or local level)
Focus on why the case study is considered best practice, what makes it successful in
your opinion?
Keep in mind the target group of the study: not the academia, but mainly practitioners
and decision-makers
For further information on formal aspects of the articles (e.g. length, citation rules, required
elements) please refer to the document “Guidelines for authors”. For further information on
the study, please refer to the document “General information”.