The role of the GAC Before looking at how we organise ourselves we need to know what we aim to do!

This mission of UNGEI can be divided into at least three separate objectives: 1.Galvanizing more funds to girls’ education and gender equality in education 2. Promoting the development of policies and other steering documents that are gender sensitive and non- discriminatory (or even actively promoting empowerment of girls and women) 3. Supporting capacity development at country level to ensure effective implementation of gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory policies

The test: If we see no correlation between the activities of the GAC and the situation of a 10 year old out of school girl in Eastern Ethiopia, then we are probably not doing the right thing!

Assuming we are not interested in turning GAC into an implementing organisation or a funding agency, we have at least 4 alternatives: 1.Concentrate on global advocacy 2.Focus on global advocacy and knowledge management 3.Focus on global advocacy and knowledge management –and work through targeted advocacy initiatives to increase the visibility of UNGEI in some countries 4.Alongside GAC’s continuous and high-level work on global as well as targeted advocacy and knowledge management, assume an active role in promoting gender equality in education at the national level by contributing to the establishment and strengthening of national UNGEI partnerships

Assuming we are not interested in turning GAC into an implementing organisation or a funding agency, we have at least 4 alternatives: 1.Concentrate on global advocacy 2.Focus on global advocacy and knowledge management 3.Focus on global advocacy and knowledge management –and work through targeted advocacy initiatives to increase the visibility of UNGEI in some countries 4.Alongside GAC’s continuous and high-level work on global as well as targeted advocacy and knowledge management, assume an active role in promoting gender equality in education at the national level by contributing to the establishment and strengthening of national UNGEI partnerships

OptionPro’s and opportunitiesCon’s and challenges 1.Concentrate on global advocacy GAC focuses its strength on its core activity Strong possibilities to build on already well functioning work Does not add new demands on GAC members Does not require changes in ToR or membership structure Does not attempt to deal with weaknesses in UNGEI partnership at national level Does not attempt to influence directly national policies/programmes/capacities The relevance and respect of UNGEI at global level may be threatened if national presence and understanding of local and regional challenges is not nurtured and developed

OptionPro’s and opportunitiesCon’s and challenges 2. Focus on global advocacy and knowledge management Builds on well functioning global advocacy work Responds to demands (?) for enhanced knowledge management (e.g. best practices, tool kits, research evidence) Well-functioning knowledge management can support both global advocacy and national level processes Apart from providing better information to base decisions on, this option does not attempt to strengthen UNGEI’s work at country level GAC cannot ensure that the information gathered is used This option requires that GAC members put in more work

OptionPro’sCon’s and challenges 3. Focus on global advocacy and knowledge management – and, at the same time, work to significantly increase the visibility of UNGEI at national level through targeted advocacy initiatives Offers an opportunity to build on experiences and strength at global level to support activities at the national level Offers and opportunity to strengthen global advocacy and make it increasingly relevant in different contexts, better utilizing lessons learned from national level Does not introduce completely new tasks as compared with options 1 & 2 as focus remains on advocacy Requires individual GAC members to assume new roles and responsibilities and put in more work Requires new ToR for GAC? Requires new members? What should be the role of GAC in practice – limits of GACs involvement in relation to local education groups and national UNGEI partnerships? Initial activities necessary for GAC to carry out if this option is chosen: Select a number of pilot countries to initiate national UNGEI advocacy work supported by GAC in.

OptionPro’sCon’s and challenges 4. Alongside GAC’s continuous and high-level work on global as well as targeted advocacy and knowledge management, assume an active role in promoting gender equality in education at the national level by contributing to the establishment and strengthening of national UNGEI partnerships Can strengthen UNGEI’s weakest link – work at national level Can help strengthen sustainability of already initiated initiatives at national level By broadening GACs role – this option offers an opportunity to significantly strengthen the capacity of UNGEI and accelerate progress towards key objectives Requires new ToR and change of members (?) Members of GAC must have decision making capacity Requires new mandate and system for GAC to make decisions Important to clarify and communicate the limits of GACs role and involvement (The handling of funds? Interim leadership role at national level during establishment of national UNGEI partnership? Or will GAC “appoint” someone else to take the lead? – Can GAC assume that authority?) Important to clarify what this option means for GAC-Secretariat relationship Initial activities necessary for GAC to carry out if this option is chosen: Develop standardized ToRs for the effective functioning of national Ungei partnerships Select a number of pilot countries for testing standardized ToRs for national UNGEI partnerships