Developing Comprehensive Cluster Strategies

In March 2018, the Global Education Cluster rolled out its new Guide to Developing Comprehensive Education Cluster Strategies. To support roll-out and strengthen capacities of coordination staff to implement the new guidance, the Global Education Cluster completely rehauled its existing Core Skills Training. Generous support from ECHO enabled the Cluster to develop its new Core Coordination Training, which equips coordination staff and partners with the requisite skills to develop comprehensive cluster strategies.

The new Core Coordination Training provides better tools and knowledge to strengthen HNOs/HRPs to effectively deliver an evidence based and harmonized education in emergencies response. As part of the broader training approach developed by the Global Education Cluster, the Core Coordination Training builds on skills and knowledge required for both "coordinator" and "information manager" roles and responsibilities.

The Core Coordination Training includes two-parts: Core 1, which is a pre-training, distance-learning exercise; and Core 2, which is a residential face-to-face component, largely based on the Global Education Cluster's Guide to Developing Education Cluster Strategies, and the accompanying Strategy Package, which was developed in collaboration with a range of partners.

Throughout 2017-2019, ECHO support enabled the Global Education Cluster to deliver 11 country-level Core Coordination Trainings in Somalia, South Sudan, North Eastern Syria, Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Iraq, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Mali, Yemen, and Bangladesh, as well as 3 at the Regional and 2 at the Global-levels, with 448 participants trained in developing comprehensive cluster strategies.

As of 2019, 13 countries have developed or are developing comprehensive cluster strategies: Central African Republic, Chad, Iraq, Myanmar, South Sudan, Somalia, Ukraine, Nigeria, Cameroon, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Mali.