Additional Financing to GEQIP-E for Refugees Integration

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In addition to DLIs, the AF will scale up the existing IPF component with an additional US$20 million equivalent to support capacity building activities specifically for refugee education. This section provides an overview of the primary activities under the IPF component within the AF; for additional details, see Annex 6, Detailed Program Description.IPF Component 1: National and Regional Refugee Integration Units (US$1.5 million equivalent)In order to develop capacity within MoE for refugee education, the IPF Component will support the establishment of a National Refugee Integration Unit within the existing GEQIP-E Program Coordination Office (PCO) at MoE, with staff to administer and oversee MoE’s responsibilities under the MoU and under the AF. The Unit will (i) identify and produce costed implementation plans for capacity building activities to be supported under the IPF, for review and approval by the National Refugee Education Steering Committee ; (ii) oversee development of policy and institutional frameworks and costed implementation plans for harmonization and integration activities as supported by foundational targets of DLRs; (iii) oversee overall implementation of program activities; and (iv) ensure integration of refugee issues in MoE planning, including in annual budgets. Under the IPF component, Regional Refugee Integration Units will be established within the regional GEQIP-E PCOs at REBs in the five main refugee-hosting regions: Afar, Benishangul-Gumuz, Somali, Gambella and Tigray. These regional offices will carry out day-to-day management of the Program at the regional level, coordinate oversight of woreda-level activities, and provide necessary technical and advisory support to REBs and Woredas in taking up new activities and responsibilities to manage refugee education. In addition, they will conduct communication and community support activities around integration of refugees; prepare region-specific proposals for capacity building under the IPF; and directly liaise with communities, ARRA and other stakeholders to create a conducive environment for the required reforms to take root. IPF Component 2: Enhanced capacity for harmonization and integration (US$18.5 million equivalent)The IPF component will provide capacity building at national and regional levels to support (i) improved coordination and planning of refugee education activities and deepening of relevant expertise in government ministries and agencies; (ii) improved service delivery at the regional and woreda level to refugee schools; (iii) improved support by ARRA at zonal level to MoE and REBs for delivery of services to refugee schools and protection of refugees; and (iv) integration of secondary refugee schools to REB administration. In addition, the IPF component will provide support to the reopening of refugee schools following the COVID-19 pandemic through provision of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and health materials, extending to refugee schools key aspects of the support provided to REB schools through the GPE COVID-19 Education Response Project.Sub-component 1. Capacity building (US$5.7 million)At national level, likely activities to be supported by the sub-component include: (i) customization of EMIS, the National Learning Assessment (NLA), and other relevant education information systems for refugee schools; (ii) customization of policy guidelines for refugee schools, including on SIP; unaccompanied minors; and girls’ clubs for refugee schools, including for activities around girls’ empowerment and prevention of GBV/SEA, early marriage, and HTP; (iii) support to policy and logistical arrangements for access by refugees to Inclusive Education Resource Centers in host communities; (iv) improved capacity for refugee languages and alphabets within the MoE and/or ARRA; (v) investments in technical capacity within ARRA to support its transition to a role focused on refugee protection, including analytical and research activities and training; and (vi) preparation of a costed and timebound plan for the transfer of the remaining primary and secondary refugee schools to MoE/REB administration following program completion.At regional/woreda level, likely activities to be supported by the sub-component include: (i) support and specialist language expertise for regional minority language issues; (ii) stakeholder consultations and consensus building exercises around refugee education, particularly in regions with poor relations between refugees and host communities; (iii) training of education officials and school leadership on updates to guidelines and policies for refugee schools; (iv) training of officials to prepare for transfer of secondary refugee schools to REB administration; (v) development of capacity at regional Colleges of Teacher Education to support upgrading of refugee incentive teachers; and (vi) investment in technical capacity within ARRA zonal offices to support REBs in providing refugee education and provide protection to refugees in REB schools.The level of capacity building support allocated to any region will be proportional to the region’s share of Ethiopia’s refugee population. Sub-component 2. Support to reopening of schools and accelerated learning (US$12.8 million)This subcomponent will extend to refugee schools activities to enable safe reopening of schools, and recovery of learning loss associated with the closure of schools as a result of COVID-19, which are conducted in host community schools under CERP and the associated COVID-19 Education Response Project.Provision of WASH, safety and health materials. This sub-component wi ll provide low-cost WASH equipment at all refugee primary and secondary schools, including water tankers, portable handwashing stations, disinfectants and sanitizing materials; and health and personal protective equipment such as face masks, thermometers, first aid kits, and menstrual health management materials. Supported to accelerated and catch-up learning. COVID-19 Education Response project supports the preparation and dissemination to schools of materials and procedures for accelerated and remedial learning to provide targeted support to the students experiencing the most severe learning loss. The AF will support the adaptation of these materials for refugee students and their dissemination to refugee schools. In order to establish a measure of the extent of learning loss and correctly calibrate accelerated and remedial learning activities for refugee contexts, the AF will also support a rapid learning assessment activity in refugee schools and MoE/REB schools with large refugee populations.