Final IC Presentation

Transcript

1. Mobiles for Education Alliance Analysis & Recommendations Maylee Kaiyuan SIS-640: International Communications Venturelli | Fall Semester 2018
2. Background The Alliance is committed to reducing barriers to access appropriate, scalable, and low-cost mobile technologies to help improve learning outcomes in formal and non-formal education across all levels, especially in low-resource and developing country contexts. In this regard, the Alliance is committed to an ethical and holistic approach to understanding the impacts, accessibility and inclusivity of mobile technologies in education.
3. Steering Committee Members
4. Purpose of the mEducation Symposium The purpose of the Symposium is for attendees to: 1. Share current initiatives and needs related to global technology for education initiatives, programs, and activities 2. Discuss opportunities for collaboration 3. Arrive at a future vision for the Mobiles for Education Alliance.
5. Research Methodology 1. Interviews • Director of mEducation Alliance • mEducation Alliance Strategic Communications Specialist • Various Presenters (Past/Present) 2. Landscape Analyses 3. On-Site Visit and Participation • 8th Annual mEducation Alliance Symposium
6. Strengths • Established and respected annual Symposia with 2,000+ attendees over 8 years • Steering Committee composed of leading, influential organizations and individuals in ICT4E • High visibility and prominence on social media regarding ICT4E and related topics • History of collaboration and co-funded landscape reviews • Ability to consistently attract new interest and funding for Symposium from Steering Committee members and prospects
7. Weaknesses • Lack of funding for activities outside of Symposia • Lack of Steering Committee member buy-in for a model that includes a consistent form of funding targeted to a Alliance "fund manager"/secretariat • Inability for some Steering Committee members to contribute funding (to a pool managed by USAID) • Website branding and prominence issues • Lack of planned, ongoing coordination and collaboration among members • Lack of time and resources for host and other members to contribute to activities outside of Symposia
8. Opportunities • Develop a new shared vision and purpose to drive alignment • Define brand positioning relative to comparators • Leverage Increasing interest among MoEs and funding for global ICT4E among donors and foundations • Provide a venue for input from country stakeholders of direct relevance of needed/gaps for ICT4E research/investments/pilots • Develop measurable goals and plan related activities • Identify a secretariat to manage funds and ongoing work • Rethink the Steering Committee makeup and model
9. Threats • Increasingly crowded space / emerging initiatives • Political challenges (e.g. with comingling of funds) • Decreasing bandwidth for some current Steering Committee members to contribute to Alliance activities • Available funds directed to MSIs with more tangible, measurable goals • Steering Committee members view the Alliance as primarily USAID-driven and therefore don’t feel as invested
10. Recommendations • Recommendation #1: A Professional Network • Recommendation #2: An Authoritative Body • Recommendation #3: An Outcome-Driven Partnership “Quality collaboration does not begin with relationships and trust; it starts with a focus on individual motivation.” -Carlos Valdes-Dapena, former Director of Organization and Group Effectiveness at Mars, Inc. in Harvard Business Review
11. Recommendation #1: A Professional Network • Example Activities Beyond Symposium ◦ Newsletter ◦ Webinars ◦ Topical Working Groups • Governance & Structure ◦ Small secretariat co-funded by 2 to 3 organizations ◦ Quarterly steering committee meetings ◦ Annual report on progress against goals Reduce duplication of efforts and increase knowledge of good practices among ICT4E donors.
12. Recommendation #2: An Authoritative Body • Example Activities Beyond Recommendation #1 ◦ Develop a set of standard policies or guidelines for broad adoption ◦ Help build the evidence base for ICT4E ◦ Serve as an advisory board for donors funding ICT4E • Governance & Structure ◦ Medium secretariat co-funded by 3 to 5 organizations ◦ Monthly steering committee meetings ◦ Bi-annual report on progress against goals Increase the usage of good practices and improve effectiveness of ICT4E initiatives globally.
13. Recommendation #3: An Outcome-Driven Partnership • Example Activities Beyond Vision #2 ◦ Co-constructed campaigns aimed at achieving measurable goal ◦ Developing and managing a grants mechanism ◦ Attracting significant additional funding for the sector • Governance & Structure ◦ Independent organization with full team co-funded by many organizations ◦ Monthly steering committee meetings ◦ Quarterly report on progress against goals Improve X (outcomes) by Y (# or %) via ICT4E by 2030.
14. Goal from Recommendations