Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS Response in Botswana Vocational Training

1. Mainstreaming the HIV/AIDS Response in the Vocational Training Sector in Botswana-Promising Practices, Lessons Learnt and the Way Forward presented at the UNESCO-UNEVOC Sub-Regional Seminar for Policy-Makers and UNEVOC Professional Cadre Dakar, Senegal, 28 November to 1 December 2005 Stefan Erber, GTZ Adviser, BOTA, Botswana Christopher Batsalelwang, BOTA HIV/AIDS Coordinator Mareile Kroening, GTZ/BOTA Project Support Assistant

2. Content of Presentation • Background (HIV/AIDS in Botswana) • The Botswana National Vocational Training System • The Botswana Training Authority (BOTA) • What is BOTA? • Chronology of Events concerning HIV/AIDS at BOTA • BOTA’s Approach for Maintreaming the HIV/AIDS Response in the VT Sector • The Role of the BOTA HIV/AIDS Division • Mainstreaming the HIV/AIDS Response in the Vocational Training Sector • Progress Update • Promising Practices • Lessons Learnt • Challenges and Future Planning

3. Background: HIV/AIDS in Botswana (I)

4. Background: HIV/AIDS in Botswana (II) • Total Population of Botswana: 1.7 Million • Botswana is one of countries in world most affected by HIV/AIDS • 37.4 % of pregnant women aged 15 to 49 estimated HIV positive (2003 Sentinel Surveillance Report, National AIDS Coordination Agency (NACA)) • 17.1 % of total population estimated HIV positive (Botswana Central Statistics Office (CSO) AIDS Impact Survey 2004) • By Sept 2005: 52 000 patients enrolled in ART programmes (of which 44 800 are on free ART programmes and 7 200 paid for by private sector) • Coordination Agency: “National AIDS Coordination Agency (NACA)” • Policy Documents • “National Policy on HIV/AIDS” • “National Strategic Framework for HIV/AIDS” • “National Policy on Routine HIV Testing” • “Vision 2016” – one of Goals: “No new Infections” by 2009 • Donor Support

5. The Botswana National Vocational Training System Oil: Coordinator, Monitor “Upskilling Batswana through Structured Work-Based Learning (SWBL)” Learning Process Many Pathways (fleet of vehicles) • On/ off job • Short/ long courses • Company/ school/ college • Apprenticeship • Job attachments • Brigades • Informal Sector • E-learning/ distance learning/ self learning • Centres of Specialisation/ Centres of Excellence • … Exit Entry Quality Assurance Quality Assurance Registration and accreditation of Training Institutions and Assessment Centres Moderation (audit of assessment) Awarding/ Issuing of Certificates Registration and accreditation of Trainers and Assessors Assessment (ongoing), RPL/RCC Research (tracer studies,…) Advice for companies and other training institutions concerning the learning process: Development of Training Plans, Curricula and Learning Material,… Registration of Training Standards and Qualifications and management of BNVQF Coordination of the Learning Process Audit, review and re-registration Maps, Manuals: Regulations, VT Act, other Acts, Policies, NDP, Vision 2016, … HIV/AIDS Access and Equity Gender Issues Fuel: Funding through Government, Companies, Learners, (VTF) Driver, Engine: Industry (with Government support) VT System Vocational and Career Guidance and Awareness Target Group: (Passengers) Learners, school-leavers, adults, unemployed and employed people, (prosp.) trainees, apprentices, people with and without work- experience, … Destination: Do the job and apply the skills in the World of Work Life-long Learning 250405

6. What is BOTA? • The Botswana Training Authority (BOTA) was established in 2000 based on the Vocational Training (VT) Act of 1998 • BOTA is governed by a Board of Directors and managed by its CEO • Coordinates an integrated VT system to meet learners’ and industry’s needs through • Development of Standards, • Quality Assurance, • Policy Advice and • Monitoring and Evaluation. • Responsible for establishment of the Botswana National Vocational Qualifications Framework (BNVQF) • Main Activities: • Registers, accredits and monitors training institutions for standards and quality adherence • Develops and reviews national training standards and qualifications • Registers VT trainers and assessors • Guides development of curricula and learning materials in VT • Promotes access to training opportunities

7. Chronology of Events concerning HIV/AIDS at BOTA • October 2000: • Botswana Government and GTZ decide to introduce an HIV/AIDS component into the existing bilateral project “Reform of the Vocational Training Sector” at BOTA. A baseline study is conducted. • November 2001: • Cooperation Agreement (MoU) between BOTA, the German Development Service (DED) and the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) is signed. • DED agrees to second & finance a development worker as Coordinator for the HIV/AIDS Component. • GTZ agrees to finance a local HIV/AIDS Field Officer & all other project requirements. • September 2002: • Establishment of the BOTA HIV/AIDS Division • April 2004: • BOTA takes over major part of financing the HIV/AIDS Division and the salary of the HIV/AIDS Field Officer and thereby treats this Division like any other within BOTA. • October 2004: • Evaluation Study of first two years conducted. • April 2005: • Knowledge, Attitude and Behaviour (KAB) Study conducted. • September 2005: • The contract of the DED HIV/AIDS Coordinator comes to an end. BOTA provides for a local HIV/AIDS-Coordinator to take over, paid by BOTA.

8. BOTA’s Approach for Mainstreaming the HIV/AIDS Response in the VT Sector 1. Institutionalisation of HIV/AIDS within BOTA • HIV/AIDS as Key Result Area • Workplace Policy developed • Establishment of HIV/AIDS Division 2. Inclusion of HIV/AIDS into formal learning process 4. Support to public and private training institutions Alignment with National HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework • Level 1, 2 and 3 unit standards • Guidelines for preparing curricula • Curriculum and learning materials development • Compulsory Level 1 BNVQF credit requirement • HIV/AIDS policy and activities registration requirement • Institutional committees and focal persons • Model HIV/AIDS policy • Advice on action plans 3. Coordination and linkages with key stakeholders • Use of edutainment • VT specific IEC materials • Learner driven publications • Representation at National AIDS Council • Working relationship with DVET • Convene VT National HIV/AIDS Committee • Convene HIV/AIDS Committee for Private Training Institutions • Networking and collaboration with other organisations incl. DMSACs • Awareness raising • Peer educators / counseling training • Impact Measurement

9. The Role of the BOTA HIV/AIDS Division • Housed under the Department of Planning and Research (DPR) • Headed by the HIV/AIDS Coordinator tasked with responsibility to • drive coordination of HIV/AIDS interventions amongst public and private training institutions and key stakeholders; • provide technical support to training institutions in initiating and implementing HIV/AIDS interventions and is supported by the HIV/AIDS Field Officer. • Closely collaborates with other BOTA Departments to • mainstream HIV/AIDS into the formal curriculum (Department of Structured Work-Based Learning-SWBL) • mainstream HIV/AIDS within BOTA (Human Resource Division (HRD) in Department of the CEO) • develop HIV/AIDS unit standards and qualifications (Department of Quality Assurance-DQA)

10. Mainstreaming the HIV/AIDS Response in the Vocational Training Sector (I) Oil: Coordinator, Monitor Learning Process Many Pathways (fleet of vehicles) • On/ off job • Short/ long courses • Company/ school/ college • Apprenticeship • Job attachments • Brigades • Informal Sector • E-learning/ distance learning/ self learning • Centres of Specialisation/ Centres of Excellence • … Exit Entry Vocational and Career Guidance and Awareness Quality Assurance Quality Assurance Registration and accreditation of Training Institutions and Assessment Centres Target Group: (Passengers) Learners, school-leavers, adults, unemployed and employed people, (prosp.) trainees, apprentices, people with and without work- experience, … Destination: Do the job and apply the skills in the World of Work Moderation (audit of assessment) Awarding/ Issuing of Certificates Registration and accreditation of Trainers and Assessors Assessment (ongoing), RPL/RCC Research (tracer studies,…) Advice for companies and other training institutions concerning the learning process: Development of Training Plans, Curricula and Learning Material,… Registration of Training Standards and Qualifications and management of BNVQF Coordination of the Learning Process Audit, review and re-registration Maps, Manuals: Regulations, VT Act, other Acts, Policies, NDP, Vision 2016, … HIV/AIDS Access and Equity Gender Issues Fuel: Funding through Government, Companies, Learners, (VTF) Driver, Engine: Industry (with Government support) VT System Life-long Learning 231104

11. Mainstreaming the HIV/AIDS Response in the Vocational Training Sector (II) Baseline-Study and Report 2001/2 Evaluation-Study and Report 2004/5

12. Progress Update - Promising Practices (I) • Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS is one of the seven “Key Result Areas” in BOTA’s Strategic Plan 2004-2008 • HIV/AIDS included in the “Botswana National Qualifications Framework (BNVQF)”: HIV/AIDS Unit Standards on Level 1 are a compulsory elements of all qualifications, and a selective subjects on Levels 2 und 3 • Model Curriculum on HIV/AIDS • Model HIV/AIDS Policy for VT Institutions • Existence of HIV/AIDS Policy and Implementation of HIV/AIDS Activities are required for registration of training institutions with BOTA • VT National HIV/AIDS Committee & HIV/AIDS Committee for Private Training Institutions established to support training institutions on “Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS” • Involvement of learners at all levels (especially committees, peer education and counselling training) • Edutainment for behaviour change Coaching of drama groups and drama competitions Newsletter (“Emang”) IEC (Information, Education and Training) HIV/AIDS Material • Networking and Collaboration with other HIV/AIDS institutions (incl. NACA and DMSACs)

13. Promising Practices (II)Example 1: HIV/AIDS Drama Competition • Annually approx. 350 learners from Technical Colleges, Brigades and private training institutions compete using drama to raise awareness amongst learners around different topics on HIV/AIDS • Topic 2004: „Drama Overcoming HIV/AIDS Stigma & Discrimination“ Topic 2005: „Passion Killings and HIV/AIDS“ • Support from local press, GTZ and other private sector institutions.

14. Promising Practices (III)Example 2: “Emang Newsletter” • Objective: Improvement of communication and cooperation on HIV/AIDS issues amongst institutions • Learners participate in Editorial Board • Coordinated by BOTA HIV/AIDS Division • Contributions come from learners • Published quarterly • 8-10 Pages, multi-coloured, attractive layout • Contents: Articles, poems, letters • Distributed to learners through training institutions countrywide • 4 issues published so far

15. Promising Practices (IV)Example 3: Commemoration Days (BOTA AIDS Day and World AIDS Day)

16. Lessons Learnt (I) • Importance of collaboration between individual Departments within BOTA on mainstreaming and development of unit standards • Building on existing capacities and activities • Building on existing networks in order to develop standards • Importance of role clarification (within BOTA and the VT Sector) • Importance of integration of HIV/AIDS with other cross-sectoral topics (Gender, equal access to vocational training, …) • Importance of using methods of extra-curricular activitiesfor delivery of formal curriculum

17. Lessons Learnt (II) • Importance of development of specific interventions targeting specific populations, e.g. workplace programmes and programmes for learners • Importance of designing different strategies for different categories of training institutions • Technical Colleges and Brigades • Private training institutions • Companies (workplace training) • Impact Monitoring: • Impact is difficult to measure (difficulty to attribute changes to certain interventions, difficulty to measure behaviour changes, time factor, etc) • HIV/AIDS as part of BOTA Monitoring System • Lack of feedback from NACA Monitoring System

18. Challenges (I) • 27 % of learners reported that they do not use condoms consistently. • 49 % of learners have never tested for HIV. • Access to existing health & counselling services as well as condom distribution points by youth is still a problem (in terms of geographical location, youth-friendliness, confidentiality and competency of staff). • Lack of alternative recreational facilities/activities results in increased engagement of youth in sexual activities. Despite progress made in increasing VT Institution’s participation in HIV/AIDS activities, and increased awareness and knowledge around HIV/AIDS issues amongst learners, the recent KAB study revealed:

19. Challenges (II) • A need to introduce HIV interventions at primary schools arises as young people start sexual activity at an early age. • At least 10% of learners reported to have had sex with people they had known only for days or weeks, which could suggest frequent partner change. • There are reported cases of female learners engaging in commercial / transactional sex, often with older partners, suggesting their vulnerability to HIV infection as there is a likelihood for them not to be able to negotiate safe sex. • Unequal gender relations (e.g. up to 25% of males in private vocational institutions will still have sex with their girlfriends even when they insisted on not having sex).

20. Future Planning (I) • Implementation of new HIV / AIDS curriculum is at pilot stage presenting an opportunity to make it relevant to identified learners’ needs. • Introduce a policy that encourages condom distribution at VT Institutions. • Facilitate process whereby VT Institutions develop and align their HIV/AIDS programmes to national programmes. • Intensify information dissemination on testing and counseling to encourage learners to test for HIV.

21. Future Planning (II) • Collaborate with national and district programmes such as VCT centers, public health facilities, IEC, ART to increase their outreach to VT Institutions and to build capacity. • Intensify implementation of HIV/AIDS activities in workplace training in companies. • Prepare an HIV/AIDS Promising Practices Brochure.

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