CFIT Phase III project in higher technical education: Project formulation phase completed in 6 participating countries

Six validation workshops were held respectively with Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda, to validate the country-specific formulation report of the China Funds-in-Trust Project Phase III: Higher Technical Education in Africa for a Technical and Innovative Workforce (CFIT III), form 1 July to 15 July 2021, marking the completion of the project formulation phase in all six participating countries.

Following the project formulation meeting (30 March) , six national scoping teams were established to kickstart the project formulation phase from March to July 2021. The overall objective is to gather evidence for the development of interventions relevant to the national contexts.

With desk researches and scoping consultations, the formulation phase aimed specifically at identifying national development priorities, mapping needs in high-level and emerging skills, understanding the higher technical education landscape, particularly regarding curriculum, programmes, assessment, and university-industry linkages.

In three months’ time, the scoping study teams, comprised of international and national experts, project focal points, university project coordinators, and UNESCO programme speclists from headquarters and field offices, held approximately 50 consultations in total with key stakeholders from the government agencies, academia, student and alumni community, the private sector, and development partners, invovlding altogether over 400 participants.

One formulation report was elaborated respectively in each country, detailing key issues and challenges in enhancing higher technical education, and issued recommendations for the purpose of enhancing graduate employability. The formulation reports were validated and finalized by end of July, which provides reference to the higher education institutions (HEI) in drafting their institutonal work plans.

Following the six validation workshops, UNESCO also organized information sessions to plan the project incpetion phase with the national focal points and HEI project coordinators. From July to October 2021, the twelve partner HEIs will elaborate their institutional work plans with reference to the findings and recommendations of the formulation report, under the overall guidance of the national focal points, and in close collaboration with UNESCO. The work plans are expected to be finalized by October 2021 for the launch of project implementation at the instititonal level.