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FromRegionofNationstoNationofRegions:AreportontheUNECEESDindicatorprocessandlinkstoSouthWestEnglandPaulVare,LearningSouthWestIndicatorsforeducationforsustainabledevelopment:engagingthedebate,Friday17March,BathRoyalLiterary&ScientificInstitute,BathBackground1.
UNECE:UnitedNationsEconomicCommissionforEurope:55countriesacrossEuropeCentralAsiaplusUSAandCanada.
Atthe2003EnvironmentforEuropeMinisterialConferenceinKiev,MemberStatesendorsedaMinisterialStatementonESD.
2.
TheUNECECommitteeonEnvironmentalPolicyestablishedanESDTaskForcethatnominatedaDraftingGrouptopreparetheESDStrategy.
ThisincludedNGOrepresentation(throughEuropeanECOForum)andamemberofDfES.
3.
TheESDStrategywasadoptedatVilniusin2005byallUNECEMemberStates(excepttheUSA)andtheVilniusFrameworkforImplementationwasagreed.
Thiscalledforan'ExpertGroup'onESDIndicatorstodevelopwaysofmonitoring:(a)MemberStates'progressinimplementingthestrategyand(b)theeffectsofimplementingtheStrategy.
(Alldocumentsavailableat:http://www.
unece.
org/env/esd/welcome.
htm)TheExpertGrouponESDIndicators4.
ManyoftheStrategyDraftingGroupmembersarealsoservingontheExpertGroup(EG);however,thegroup'smembershiphasshiftedfromhavingamajorityfromenvironmentalministriestoabalanceinfavourofeducationofficials.
OneNGOrepresentative(EuropeanECOForum)ispermitted.
5.
TheEG'scollectiveexpertisecoverseducation,environmentalsciences,ESDandstatistics.
Thereareno'experts'inESDindicatorsperse.
6.
TheEGwereinstructedtofollowcloselytheprovisionsoftheESDStrategyandtheVilniusFramework.
Thisledtoa'managerial'approach,withquestionsaskingfor,"theextenttowhichxprovisioninthestrategyisbeingimplemented.
"7.
Membersofthegroupalsoarguedinfavourofdevelopingindicatorsthatwouldpromotelearninginthemselves.
ThisincludedECOForum'ssuggestedindicator(thatillustrateswhatJohnHuckletermstheactionresearchapproach),i.
e.
:"Evidencethatgroups(classes/communitygroups/work-basedteams,etc)havediscussedanddevelopedtheirownsetofindicatorsonsustainabledevelopment.
"8.
Statisticiansinthegroupfeltthatnoneofthesuggestionsweretruly'indicators',rathertheywereall'checklist'questions.
However,theyfeltthatthiswasalegitimateapproachasreducingtheavailableevidencetonumberswouldbemeaningless.
Othergroupmembersrecognisedthatitwouldbeimportantpoliticallytoretaintheterm'indicator'.
9.
Thisismorethananissueofre-definingatermlike'indicator';thisishintingatamorestructuralunderlyingproblem:i.
e.
wearedealingwithconcepts(SD/ESD)thatarebydefinitiona'graspatcomplexandloosely-boundedideas'.
Indicators,ontheotherhand,aremanagementtools.
10.
Managementiscriticalforachievingtargetsbutthelearningthattakesplaceishowtoachievethetarget.
TheEGwantedtopromotehigherlevellearningandthisisreflectedinanumberofways:-SuggestionsthatinstitutionsandlearnersshouldsettheirownSDindicators-Spacestocompletetablesratherthanexhaustivelists-Opportunitiesforrespondentstostatewhattheythinktheirachievementswillbeoverthenextreportingperiodandwhattheythinkoftheseindicatorsandwhetherweshouldmodifythem11.
AnotherwayinwhichtheUNECEStrategycouldpromotelearningwouldbetoshiftfromasking,haveyouincludedESDinyournationaleducationpolicy,toasking,towhatextentdoesESDcontributetoyournationaleducationalobjectives12.
Thisiscritical,ifwe(theESDcommunity)arenotcontributingtothecollectiveeducationalobjectivesofthenation,thenwhoarewetochangeandmodifythoseobjectivesovertime13.
Thisisthequestionthatwefindourselvesaskingatthelocal/regionallevelintheUK.
TheSouthWestESDCoalitionisdevelopinganactionplanthatrecognisesthatanyoneinvolvedinlearninghasaroletoplay,indeedisplayingarole.
WehaveaframeworkofinvolvementbasedonreasonstocareaboutESD.
Question:Canwebuildanapproachto'indicators'thatpromotesreflectiononpracticeratherthansimplyhittingtargetssothattheshapeofourESDemerges,throughpractice,throughouttheeducationsystem