WORK PLAN AGREEMENT
between
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL)
-
COL's President, Sir John Daniel (right) and UNESCO’s Dr. Qian Tang (Acting Director-General, Education) sign the work plan agreement at UNESCO's offices in December 2009. In the centre is Ms. Stamenka Uvalić-Trumbić, Chief, Section for Reform, Innovation and Quality Assurance (Higher Education), UNESCO.
Under Articles I and V of the Agreement between UNESCO and COL signed on 7 June 1994, which provide for further processes of cooperation, and taking into account the Work Plan agreement signed in April 1999, and in July 2007, it is agreed that for the period 2009-11 the parties shall cooperate in the seven (7) areas listed below in order to advance their respective programmes:
- Teacher Education
- Higher Education
- Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth
- Skills Development/TVET
- Healthy Communities/Education for sustainable development, especially the role of media
- eLearning and Open Educational Resources (OER)/Integrating eLearning
- The Sixth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF6), Kochi (Cochin, Kerala), Inida
(Details are included in the copy of the full agreement, available at the link on the right.)
Specific activities under these headings will be identified in line with each organization’s own programme and budget (for UNESCO 35 C/5; for COL the triennial plan 2009-2012). Each organization will designate a Focal Point with overall responsibility for managing this Work Plan Agreement and individuals in UNESCO and COL respectively will be named as coordinators for each area of work. These individuals will liaise with each other and make periodic reports to the Focal Points.
Although the above Work Plan covers MLAs within the Major programme I: Education of UNESCO, they will be implemented in close cooperation with Major Programme V: Communication and information (MLA 3: Fostering universal access to information and knowledge and the development of infostructures).
These joint actions will be financed by resources from each organization depending on the available financing capacity. Both parties will endeavour to obtain funds from extra-budgetary sources.
UNESCO and COL will convene annual or bi-annual joint consultations in order to review on-going activities and agree on identification and possible inclusion of new joint actions in line with this Work Plan Agreement.
Independent evaluations will be carried out, whenever deemed necessary, in line with UNESCO’s and COL’s policies on Monitoring and Evaluation.
On behalf of UNESCO
Dr. Qian Tang (Acting Director-General, Education), for:
Director-General
UNESCO
On behalf of COL
Sir John Daniel
President and CEO
Commonwealth of Learning
Signed, December 2009