National Advocacy in Promotion Adult Learning Policy in Ukraine

In 2018 started up advocacy activities by Partnership on Adult Learning (NGOs under the auspices Ukrainian side of the EU-Ukraine Civil Society Platform (lead by LPW)) for achieve change in adult learning policy in Ukraine. Major milestones leading to the Action Research included the Policy Report "What Should Be the Adult Learning Policy in Ukraine?” Kyiv: “Sinergy Project”, 2018 and Policy Recommendations developed by public experts and validations by stakeholders. Achieve change in legislation including ongoing advising assist from public experts for the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine on drafting Law of Ukraine on Adult Education and Learning in Ukraine. The case focuses in thematic sub-areas of the SDG#4 (on adult learning as part of lifelong learning) and SDGs#5, #17.

Initiate of Partnership on Adult Learning from the NGOs under the auspices Ukrainian side of the EU-Ukraine Civil Society Platform (lead by LPW).
Modernization of the social, economic and cultural sectors in Ukraine is possible on condition of developing and introducing lifelong learning policy, with adult education and adult learning as its integral part. Expanding the scope of education through engagement of adults in formal, non-formal and informal learning should help resolve the issues. At present, one of key challenges for Ukraine’s development is lack of human resources with the level of competence that meets modern requirements of the labour market. Under national consultations on localization SDGs in 2016, LPW`s experts proposed a national SDG#4 with a specific task on “lifelong learning” and an emphasis on target 4.5, “Increase the prevalence of knowledge and skills required for decent jobs and entrepreneurships among the population”. It also added a new formulation for indicator 4.5.1, “Enrolment rate of adults in formal and non-formal, informal adult learning and professional training in Ukraine”. This indicator 4.5.1 included in Ukraine’s 2017 Baseline National Report on the SDGs. In 2018 started up advocacy activities for achieve change in adult learning policy in Ukraine.

Partnership on Adult Learning from the NGOs under auspices Ukrainian side of the EU-Ukraine Civil Society Platform (hereinafter - Partnership) is informal structure set up in April 2018 in Kyiv. It initiated by leaders of the two NGOs – League of Professional Women (LPW) and Institute of Professional Qualifications (IPQ) under auspices Ukrainian side of the EU-Ukraine Civil Society Platform. Some actions supported by the EU & the International Renaissance Foundation within the framework of the Civic Synergy Project and British Council Ukraine. Partnership is leading by Ukrainian NGO “League of Professional Women” (LPW). LPW is a Ukrainian non-governmental, non-profit organization set up in 1997 head by LPW President Dr.Olena Lazorenko.

Initiate of partnership between local civil society organizations on base of expertize and relevant background. Engage relevant state actors (Deputy Ministry, State experts from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine), donors (supported some actions by EU & International Renaissance Foundation within the framework of the Civic Synergy Project and British Council Ukraine).
Action Research: Policy Research Report (included desk research and experts` online survey), Peer Learning Workshop, Develop Recommendations.
Beginning Achieve change in legislation:
Joint to the expert working group under Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine on drafting Law on Adult Education and Learning. Meetings with government ministry: presenting Policy Recommendations and Policy Report. Advising support by request of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine: Policy paper on drafting Law of Ukraine on Adult Education and Learning; Oral and writing consultationsnegotiation with state actors and stakeholders (incl. drafting Law of Ukraine on Adult Education and Learning).

Major milestones leading to the Action Research included
a) Policy Report "What Should Be the Adult Learning Policy in Ukraine?” Kyiv: “Sinergy Project”, 2018 by Dr.Olena Lazorenko and Dr.Rodion Kolishko (in Ukrainian) http://lpw.org.ua/ua/adult_education/researches_on_AE/Adult_Learnng_2018/
b) Peer Learning Workshop “Adult Learning Policy as Pathway to Implement European Integration of Ukraine & SDG #4”, organized by NGO "League of Professional Women" (LPW) with partners and donors in-kind support in Kyiv , Ukraine 24 September 2018 and social media in 25 Sep. This was a progress meeting to present Policy Report and discuss the preliminary results: public experts and validations by stakeholders developed the Policy Recommendations. http://lpw.org.ua/en/news/?pid=684 , http://www.act4sdgs.org/partner/lpw2018
Beginning Achieve change in legislation: drafting Law of Ukraine on Adult Education and Learning (AEL).
Action 1. Joint to the expert working group under the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (MESU) on drafting Law on AEL (prescript by MESU from № 796 from 20.07.2018)
Action 2. Present to policy makers Policy Report "What Should Be the Adult Learning Policy in Ukraine?” (in Ukrainian) in November 2018. Result: Letter from MESU 6.12.2018 about advising assist on drafting Law on AEL in Ukraine
Action 3: Oral and writing consultations\negotiation of the public experts with state actors on drafting Law of Ukraine on AEL (incl. Policy paper "Advising assist on drafting Law on Adult Education in Ukraine" (in Ukrainian) in December 14, 2018. Review drafting Law on AEL in Ukraine" by members of the MESU`s working group (in 2018, in January 2019, next - will be in March 14, 2019).

Partnership on Adult Learning engage relevant state actors (Deputy Ministry, state experts from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine), donors (EU & the International Renaissance Foundation within the framework of the Civic Synergy Project and British Council Ukraine) and stakeholders for Action Research and Begining Achieve Change in Legislation. This activity has relevant background of all public experts involved in partnership and its NGOs. For example, you can see by following link of publication on this subject:
Olena Lazorenko (2018), League of Professional Women and Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine: Democratising the policy dialogue on SDG localisation: the experience of the League of Professional Women in Ukraine https://www.civicus.org/index.php/re-imagining-democracy/stories-from-the-frontlines/3375-democratising-the-policy-dialogue-on-sdg-localisation-the-experience-of-the-league-of-professional-women-in-Ukraine

Ukraine as Eastern European country is a general landscape for our work as the adult learning policy should be developed and adopted at the national level. It should target all people older 25 years who completed correspondent level of formal education and need to improve their skills and knowledge in all forms of education and learning, especially in non-formal and informal learning.

First, effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is essential to engage with CSOs, academia, local governments, private sector actors and citizens. Partnership has CSOs, academia, state actors, private sector actors and donors. We thinks, this is one of the first Ukrainian case in legislation development that CSOs leaders has so important role. Second, that authorities need to conduct national consultations based on the principles of deliberative democracy. In other words, it is important to hold expert roundtables and workshops that are open to dispute and where actual interaction can take place.