NPT Recommendations within the present policy framework

Recommendations regarding policy relevance:

10. Concerning the focus of the NPT programme

It is recommended to DCO, Nuffic and the RNEs to take the strengthening of the higher education institutes as the first point of entry in the NPT and not the bilateral sector objectives (although it can still be made supportive to attainment of these sector objectives). It would require that the institutional and policy context of the higher education sector is given more attention.

10 _{‘ Organizational learning’ is to be interpreted as learning at the level of an entire organization or organizational network (as}

opposed to learning at the level of isolated individuals). Learning organizations are, according to Peter Senge, author of

The Fifth Discipline (1990, New York: Currency Doubleday), “organizations where people continually expand their capacity

to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together.” Senge describes five characteristics of the learning organization, namely systems thinking; personal mastery; mental models; building shared vision; and team learning.

11. Concerning the role of DCO

It is recommended that DCO become more visible as the Directorate responsible for the NPT programme from the policy perspective. DCO could, for instance, organise a bi-annual NPT workshop for all Embassies, like the NFP workshop that is being organised every two years. Such a workshop could provide an opportunity to share experiences and discuss various NPT-related issues, for instance how to relate NPT to pooled funding and budget support. Moreover, DCO could facilitate that others within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs learn from the experiences of the NPT projects, for instance staff that works on policy development in the areas of business environment and decentralisation. Recommendations regarding efficiency:

12. Concerning the division of tasks and responsibilities between Nuffic and the

RNEs

It is recommended to DCO that uniform principles and rules be established for making decisions regarding the division of tasks and responsibilities between Nuffic and the RNEs, creating consistency in these matters across NPT countries. Such principles and rules should take into account that competency building and institutional capacity building are transsectoral interests. They deserve attention from the RNEs whether or not the (higher) education belongs to the sectoral interests of a particular RNE. At the same time, RNEs need to be provided the human and financial resources to be able to fulfill the role it has to play.

Concerning the programme management by Nuffic

It is recommended to DCO and Nuffic to look for possibilities to have

programme management to a larger extent taking place in the South. Although most of the southern NPT organisations are positive about the programme management by Nuffic, it is difficult for Nuffic to manage the programme on a day-to-day basis from the office in The Hague. For instance, more responsibilities could be given to the RNEs to critically monitor project implementation or to give guidance to local consultants to do such monitoring activities (see also recommendations 12 and 17).

13. Concerning the efficient use of expertise

It is recommended to Nuffic that the efficient use of expertise be more carefully scrutinised—including the analysis of efficiency of such use in the progress reports—giving due attention to alternatives, such as facilitating the building of capacity through the creative and effective use of ICT to replace or supplement expert missions. To the extent that expert missions can be argued to be necessary, planning should focus on reducing high transaction costs associated with too frequent too short missions by too many experts at the same time. In general, the models of training observed are outmoded and utterly traditional when held against the light of current developments in the fields of distance education/e- learning, which in some cases can also be applied in developing countries.

Recommendations regarding effectiveness:

14. Concerning the institutional capacity of the southern organisations

It is recommended to DCO and Nuffic that more resources be invested in a more in-depth institutional analysis of the southern organisations before the tender procedure starts. This would allow to better assess the absorption capacity of the southern organisation and provide a better basis for defining a realistic ambition level for the NPT project in terms of results that can be achieved. Alternatively, such an institutional analysis should be done at the start of the inception phase, under the assumption that the project outline is giving sufficient flexibility to work out a realistic ambition level for the project (see also recommendation 16).

15. Concerning capacity building for project design and management

It is recommended to Nuffic that project design, development and

implementation be taken advantage of as opportunities for capacity development (e.g. trainings could be provided in these areas during the inception period). If project management skills are strengthened among those involved in the south, higher quality initial outlines can be obtained in the future. In addition, such enhanced competence in the south will contribute to higher levels of ownership of the entire process.

16. Concerning the project outline

It is recommended to Nuffic that project outlines become less detailed, despite that - according to Nuffic - many southern institutes find this very risky. Outlines should give more freedom to the project partners to work out together during the inception period the specific needs and approach to be followed in order to be able to achieve the intended results. This would make the preperation process more efficient (less duplication when detailed planning in the outline is being done again during the inception period) and more effective (real needs become more clear during the inception period and on that basis a more realistic ambition level for clear results to be achieved can be set). In addition, the RNE could do a ‘quality check’ on the project outlines, i.e. do the outlines contain the strategic information necessary for potential bidders to submit an appropriate proposal.

17. Concerning project implementation

It is recommended to Nuffic and DCO that in the coming years more attention is given to critically monitor project implementation, especially since the NPT programme has now moved from the start-up phase to the implemenation phase. Nuffic could, for instance, have two monitoring missions per year instead of one, or the RNEs could be more involved in monitoring. In recent years a lot of time and attention has been given to the preparation of NPT projects (demand identification and articulation, tendering procedure etc.) and the available time should now be redirected towards monitoring the progress of projects.

18. Concerning networking and the facilitation of dialogue

It is recommended to Nuffic and the RNEs that more attention be given to networking between NPT institutes that work in one country and/or in one field. Expertise of NPT institutes that are a lead organisation in a particular field could also be used in other NPT institutes in that country and/or in other countries. Also more attention could be given to regional networking, for instance with

Moreover, processes such as annual consultations that bring projects together, along with networking via electronic means, are also important to stay focused on the policy objectives of NPT and explore opportunities for synergy. Such ongoing dialogue at programme level, i.e. over and above the project concerns, is also necessary to stay focused on long-term systemic change to which individual projects and interventions contribute.

19. Concerning learning from each other

It is recommended to Nuffic and the RNEs that individual NPT institutes learn more from each other, both within and between countries. In addition to the annual workshops for the NPT institutes in one country, Nuffic could organise workshops in the Netherlands to share experiences across countries. For these workshops Dutch institutes that work in a particular area or theme (e.g. business environment, decentralisation, but also competence based learning) could be invited.

20. Concerning the need for a long-term vision

It is recommended to Nuffic and DCO that the policy framework for capacity building - including the short-term results to be achieved - be clarified and amended to reflect the need to design, develop and implement projects and training interventions within the perspective of long-term development concerns, allowing existing activities, when appropriate, to be succeeded by subsequent action within the same long-term development perspective. However, this does not necessarily mean that the same partners continue after the project has been finished. The follow-up project can be tendered again, giving other providers also a chance to submit a proposal. The southern organisation can decide whether it wants to continue with the same partners or whether it prefers a change.