Toolbox 6.2: Plan for the Endorsement, Launching, Policy Review and Update
Endorsement
When the final draft of the masterplan is ready, the next step is to find out the approval process and requirements. In some countries, securing an approval needs a series of clearances or endorsements from education officials before reaching the highest authority. In others, a presentation may be required before a council, where the minister and other officials sit. It is also possible, both may be needed.
Ask the most senior official in the Planning Team to take the lead. That person will communicate better and faster with other officials. Prepare an executive summary and presentation deck highlighting the following: link of the masterplan with existing policies and plans of the government; link of the masterplan to international agreements such as Incheon Declaration and Qingdao Declaration; consultation process taken; and priorities of the masterplan.
- The approval process of ICT in Education Masterplan in Singapore
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Approval of Masterplan in Singapore
The draft ICT Master Plan is completed and submitted to the senior management of the MOE for approval. They are briefed on the Master Plan and the committees will work on the feedback and comments from senior management. If everything is fine, then the plan is submitted to the Ministry of Education for review. The ministry will then announce this plan in one of the ICT conferences organized by ETD where all principals and heads of ICT departments are present.
Source: Transforming Education: The Power of ICT Policies, Chapter 3: Case Study: Singapore, p.57
Launching
The launch of the masterplan signals the end of planning stage and the beginning of implementation stage. Organizing a launching event not only raises the profile but also highlights the importance of the masterplan to the organization. To confirm, coordinate with the Minister’s office to determine date and venue. Then prepare logistics such as reserving the venue, preparing the speech of the minister, making the guests list and issuing invitation letters. Make sure to invite key partners, stakeholders and media outlets. You can also prepare a press kit for the media representatives. On the day of the launching, hand out printed copies of the masterplan so prepare a distribution list to determine number of copies needed. For the rest, Page 4 of 5 give the digital version of the masterplan. Make it available for download in the organization's website and share in other digital platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
- The launching of ICT in Education Masterplan in Singapore
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Launching of Masterplans in Singapore
The launch of the inaugural ICT Master Plan for Education was preceded by a speech from the former Prime Minister, Goh Chok Tong, during the 7th International Conference on Thinking in 1997. MP2 was launched by Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who later became the Minister of Education, in his keynote speech for a local conference called iTopia. MP3 was similarly launched by the Minister of Education, Mr. Ng Eng Hen, in 2008 in a local conferece called iCTLT. The Minister reviewed the learning experiences in the two Master Plans and again stressed that MP3 is a continuum of the vision of the first two Master Plans.
Source: Transforming Education: The Power of ICT Policies, Chapter 3: Case Study: Singapore, pp.53-54
Policy Review and Update
The trigger for the policy review and update is the evaluation of the masterplan. This ensure that both policy document and masterplan continue to be relevant for the remainder of the implementation period.
The Planning Team needs to specify the details how the planning review and update should take place. It should be clear when the evaluation will be conducted. Will it take place during mid-term of implementation or at the end of the implementation period, or both? Who will conduct the evaluation? Will this be done by internal evaluators or external evaluators? And lastly, what should happen after the evaluation report is completed? The report should be given to policymaker or Steering Committee so they can act on the recommendations. And then they will determine if there is enough reason to re-activate the Planning Team review and revise the policy document and masterplan.
Activities
- Invite implementation partners and stakeholders to participate in the planning meeting.
- Use the template to discuss the approval of the masterplan and its launching.