Recontextualisation of Indicators in Asia-Pacific

The previously mentioned review meeting of the DESD Indicators has now taken place on 11th - 12th August as stated. It was hosted by UNESCO Bangkok and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Hiroshima Office for Asia and the Pacific (HOAP). Various members of the project, including 'local' national commissions, 'Experts Team' members and 'Guidelines Review Team' members seemed to have basically re-oriented the perhaps abstract first draft of guidelines to be more 'in tune' with the specific needs of the Asia-Pacific region. This can only be a good thing. Thus outcomes were:

1. "Further understanding of national DESD programme priorities, and their diversity, in the Asia-Pacific
2. Increased understanding of the challenges surrounding ESD indicator development in the Asia-Pacific
3. Practical suggestions for the development of ESD indicators, including the setting of clear priorities, basic development processes, and use of targets
4. Suggestions for improving the practicality of the Guidelines at the national level and increasing their alignment with ESD in the Asia-Pacific context
5. Increased awareness of the links between ESD monitoring and reporting and those of other education initiatives such as EFA and the MDGs
6. Increased awareness of data collection methodologies
7. Enhanced understanding of the challenges associated with institutionalizing national ESD monitoring and reporting
8. Identification of preliminary practical needs required for capacity building and training to use the Guidelines
9. Identification of potential partners, funding and the next steps to carry the project forward"

The next step is to redraft the Guidelines taking these important outcomes into account then circulate them for further comments amongst the 'Experts Team' and the 'Guidelines Review Team'. They will then be published and, crucially piloted (I am guessing) in 2007.

Please do comment if you see fit. I obviously won't be publishing the Guidelines drafts here but I will try my best to make sure your concerns are taken into consideration. Cheers.