NLAP will be implemented within the framework of ANDS, NESP, NSDP, EFA and other relevant aspects of the national development agenda. It will build upon existing national good practices, extend and reinforce them.
NLAP will be implemented under the leadership of the Literacy Department with the overall guidance of MOE. Required technical support will come from DPs and NGOs in line with the existing policies and programmes in NESP and ANDS. The LD in collaboration with the MoE will develop, implement and monitor policy and national standards of training and provide overall support for the system at national, provincial and district levels. It will collect and disseminate data and monitor and evaluate achievement nationally. This will include the following activities:
Formation of government led NLAP Steering Committee: an MoE-led Literacy Steering
Committee will be formed consisting of members from different Ministries, UN agencies, DPs, professional institutes, NGOs and other key stakeholders. The NLAP Steering Committee will function to make key policy decisions. The role of the committee will be to engender joint partnership as well as ensure a shared agenda, where each stakeholder will meet those needs through their own roles. Selected members from existing LIFE Coordination Working Group will be invited to join the NLAP Steering Committee. The other roles of the committee will be to enhance partnership, provide strategic direction to NLAP and provide the LIFE Coordination Working Group members with orientation and advice on planning, implementation and monitoring (the Operational Team will be formed at LD level). It will also ensure that LIFE is placed within overall national development plans, particularly in linkages with EFA and MDG. Monitoring and evaluation of the NLAP will also be one of the important roles played by the NLAP Steering Committee.
Implementation of Literacy Programmes in a Phased Manner: in examining the provincial
data it is apparent that there is considerable variation in the nation’s illiteracy situation. Therefore NLAP will encourage national and provincial management to implement the target-specific literacy programmes in a phased manner. In the first phase those provinces where illiteracy rates are highest or where the largest total number of people are illiterate will be given priority. The result and impact of literacy programmes in these provinces may be more visible and help catalyze support for subsequent literacy interventions. Moreover, efforts to increase literacy in those areas will lead to considerable learning and help in improving the future literacy programmes in the country. It may also promote healthy competition among provinces in their efforts to achieve widespread literacy.
The need for a phased approach when introducing the national literacy program will be dictated by a number of factors including a shortage of literate female facilitators countrywide, seasonal access to some remote areas, the regional security situation, the existence of current literacy structures, national literacy demographics by area, integration of skills training into literacy curriculum, and the diversity of languages spoken in the province or region to highlight just a few. Adopting a phased approach further emphasizes the need for the MoE/LD to actively solicit and involve communities, NGOs, UN, Ministries, the private sector and related academic centres in the development and implementation of a national literacy initiative.
Development Partners, relevant Ministries, NGOs, academic institutions and the corporate sector will be mobilized to provide financial, human and material resource support to the LD, PLC, and DLC. Necessary adjustments in the ongoing support mechanism will be made to suit the overall structure of phased implementation of literacy programmes under NLAP. To implement the NLAP in coordination and cooperation with all the stakeholders, a number of preparatory activities will be undertaken. These may include:
1. Preparatory meetings: the main objective of the activity will be preparation for implementation of NLAP. Small group meetings will be organized to develop guidelines for each action area in NLAP. Active members of LIFE Coordination Working Group with substantial experience with literacy programming will take the lead. The guidelines will be completed within the first 6 months offirst year of the plan.
2. Working Group Meetings: Working group meetings will be organized for mobilization of stakeholders and formation of cohesive groups for various activities like training, material, policy formation, advocacy etc. This group will also monitor programmes at various levels. Monthly meetings of the working groups will be organized under the leadership of MoE and coordinated by LD with technical support from UNESCO. As an outcome of this, issue-specific relevant coordination working groups will be formed for various important issues related to NLAP. The main agencies involved will be UN agencies, Bilateral and Multilateral agencies, LD, (I)NGOs. These meetings will continue throughout the NLAP period as determined in the terms of reference of the working groups.
3. National and provincial level exchange of experiences: Exchange programmes will be organized to learn about the planning, strategies, and experiences of other agencies in implementing literacy programmes in different provinces/districts. These will be yearly or periodical meetings for sharing experiences and highlighting good practices. Its outcomes will be used for improving the NLAP implementation strategy. All implementing agencies will be invited to participate in these exchanges.
4. Inter-ministerial coordination: There will be a regular exchange of views and experiences between MOE, MOLSA to guide and facilitate coordinated activities between LD and NSDP at the central, provincial/regional and district levels. UNESCO as the technical support agency will facilitate the coordination process among various agencies. Meetings will be organized depending on urgency of need and, depending on specific issues and agendas; other agencies may also attend those meetings.