ISLAMABAD - Ilm Ideas, an education project funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), conducted a two-day workshop in the federal capital to enhance the capacity of its partner organisations in generating quality evidence and advocating effectively for policy reforms and improved service delivery in the education sector.
Eighteen partners across Pakistan attended the event. They focused on fostering public demand for increased accountability and transparency in the education sector. The workshop covered a range of topics including customisation and development of research techniques and tools led by renowned economist and Professor Dr Faisal Bari, who emphasised the need for producing specialised and high impact research.
Dr Salman Humayun, executive director Institute of Social and Policy Sciences (I-SAPS), presented a power analysis of advocacy counterparts in the education sector and emphasised, "There is a need to recognise the strong link between evidence and advocacy to influence relevant stakeholders for required policy changes."
Baela Raza Jamil, Director Programmes at Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aaghai (ITA) and Deputy Country Director for Democracy Reporting International, Niaz Ahmed conducted comprehensive sessions on developing and implementing effective advocacy plans to influence relevant stakeholders for improved education policies and reform.
They covered a range of best practices that partners should engage at the constituency, district and provincial levels to affect change.
Samar Minallah Khan, renowned documentary maker and social activist shared a range of techniques that may be employed to document evidence in a video format and targeted at specific audiences to generate reform and behavioral change.
Zehra Zaidi, team leader, Ilm Ideas stated on behalf of the team, that this program is committed to engaging the best expertise to support the work of their partners operating in the districts to enhance education outcomes and opportunities.