/SELM2_wk2_Conclusions_NextSteps

Conclusions and Next Steps The Promises and Potentials of National Qualification Frameworks (NQFs) Quality of Education Agenda: NQFs can be a tool to support reforms of TVET systems in the region as they call for more transparency and portability of qualifications for both learners and employers. On the other hand, NQFs can contribute to shift the focus of education and training systems towards learning outcomes and, more specifically, to the quality recognition of such learning outcomes.

Therefore, NQFs have the potential to bridge the gap between learning and certification, i.e., between skills development and the value of the acquired skills in the market. Moreover, the focus on learning outcomes entails that NQFs can become a key driver of competency-based curriculum reform. All in all, NQFs can introduce more transparency and, therefore, more complete and nuanced information available to learners, teachers and employers.

Labor Mobility Agenda: The shift to outcome-based curricula has the potential to ease the transition and the articulation between VET and Higher Education. 路 路 路

Transparency: Improving quantity and quality of learning opportunities. Readable qualifications will contribute to reduce informality. NQFs can also work as an added quality-assurance device that will prevent corruption and mal practice.

Flexibility: Opening paths, dismantling bottlenecks, turning education and training systems more inclusive and less excluding, thus more personalized and responsive to student diversity.

Portability: Across countries and across sectors.

The Promises and Potentials of a Regional Qualification Framework (RQF) Progress made on NQFs has led the World Bank and several other partners to explore the potential of a regional dimension of qualification frameworks, also from that double standpoint of enhancing labor mobility and improving education quality at a regional level. The example of the European Qualification Framework (EQF), developed by the European Commission to facilitate workers and learners mobility between countries and create life-long learning opportunities, is worth close analysis and policy debate for the countries of the MENA region. A regional qualification framework (RQF) has the added potential to bring into the regional agenda the improvement of quality and relevance of post basic education and to set a mechanism whereby qualifications acquired in different countries can be assessed in the context of the skills specific labor demand of other countries.

The opportunities for the MENA region exist in the proximity to the EU and more generally in the advantages of globalization. The latter involves globalization of labor markets and job mobility mainly through outsourcing and off shoring of jobs. In addition, developed countries are increasingly aware of the need to attract talented and high skilled people, and migration policies usually take this into account. The EU is faced with a stagnating population and soon decreasing labor force (unless retirement age is drastically increased) that invites both for outsourcing of production as well as in-shoring of labor. To allow for the demographic and economic arbitrage requires appropriate education as well as skill levels that are recognized by the (on- or off-shored) employer, as well as the capacity, capability and incentives for labor mobility by sending country and receiving country, and by the mobile worker, including to return to his home country before or after retirement. Such decisions are importantly influenced by the portability of social benefits, in particular of pension and health care.

The Constraints While it is clear that a regional framework would add value in terms of enhanced employability of graduates (especially in some key sectors), increased mobility and portability of qualifications, and improved formal/legal visibility and transparency of credentials, there are important political constraints to these initiatives that need to be acknowledged in the analysis and tackled in our policy dialogue: Lack of political leadership reinforced by the existence of conflicting agendas within the Region, lack of involvement of key stakeholders in the relevant sectors (no champions), and lack of technical leadership and expertise at the institutional level. These three constraints are probably the key to explain why internal consensus within governments in the region appears to be the number one unresolved issue, which in turn hinders further dialogue at the regional level.

Lessons Learned Lessons learned on the experience with National Qualifications Frameworks (NQFs) and with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and how they apply to MENA and to the feasibility of a Regional Qualifications Framework (RQF) in MENA are the following:

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those qualifications frameworks that have demonstrated some success have either developed incrementally over a significant period of time (Scotland) or focused on a sector-specific approach - however, the current tendency seems to be to adopt a centrally-driven top-down approach which encompasses all sectors

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many countries (both developed and developing) look to other countries' NQFs and attempt to replicate them, without considering the context and strengths/weaknesses of each system

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there are some conditions which make the effective implementation of a NQF more likely - specifically strong education institutions, which many developing countries do not have

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NQFs tend by their nature to relate to the formal sector, so countries with large informal sectors may not find them appropriate

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the capacity of industry to engage effectively in the education process is often limited, which undermines attempts to involve them in the formulation and teaching of qualifications

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recognition of prior learning (RPL) is an important feature of qualifications frameworks, and there is some (albeit limited) evidence that RPL can help increase the number of qualifications held by members of the workforce, although this is small-scale in most countries in the study

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the research into NQFs is much more limited than the prevalence of NQFs being established – although many agencies and bilateral donors are supporting their establishment. The European Union has established a European Qualifications Framework, and some countries aspire to match this framework - even though there is no conclusive evidence that this alone has led to greater mutual qualification recognition

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the credibility of the assessment of skills is critical, and this requires considerable capacity at the country level to implement

Despite the difficulties and constraints, NQFs are a journey worth travelling and also that a more integrated regional approach to qualifications may speed up and add value to national processes while also deepening the transparency of qualifications systems and the employability of graduates and workers in MENA. Alternative ways forward to “create a regional dynamics” on Qualifications Frameworks in MENA. While there are several options to move forward in this regard, it is clear that the crucial constraint faced by MENA is the lack of regional leaders and champions that can spearhead this work. ALECSO and the Arab Labor Organization do not seem to have the capacity or the political clout to play the same role that other regional institutions have played in this regard.

However, as more MENA countries engage in setting their NQFs, the idea of a network of Qualification Authorities as the foundation stone for an ambitious regional approach to qualifications could be the best hope.