In Cambodia, marginalised communities face significant barriers to their participation in education policy dialogue due to limited capacity and opportunities. Therefore, the NGO Education Partnership (NEP) advocates for improved education service delivery, to empower civil society, women, ethnic minorities, youth, and people with disabilities. The evidence-based advocacy will be led by grassroots to influence education outcomes in their communities.  

By consolidating evidence from civil society, youths, women, people with disabilities, and ethnic minorities, the project will facilitate better engagement with the government at the district, provincial, and national levels. This will be accomplished by putting to use an online policy bank, social media campaigns, and data on mapping civil society impact together with reports monitoring Sustainable Development Goal 4 to consolidate recommendations and messages for advocacy at national and provincial level. 

The project will further work to strengthen civil society capacities, so that civil society actors are better equipped to advocate for a more inclusive education system to make it resilient for future crises, as well as ensuring that it will reach learners traditionally left behind. 

In order to ensure that policy implementation processes address the needs and priorities of the communities, NEP will create opportunities for marginalised groups to influence decision-making at all levels and support them in engaging with relevant stakeholders. 

The project is building on the project phase implemented between April 2022 – December 2023, and will capitalise on the lessons learned throughout this previous phase. Further, NEP will conduct coaching and mentorship activities for civil society groups on the use of monitoring tools. 

Finally, NEP will focus on strengthening its institutional capacities, analytical skills, and advocacy strategies by participating in regional and international learning opportunities and forums to reinforce sharing mechanisms and provide a platform for dialogue and collaboration, and opportunities for marginalised groups. NEP's further involvement in regional advocacy events will enable the delivery of impactful contributions to regional policy dialogues. The culmination of these efforts will lead to improved education policies, budgets, and programs that are more inclusive and responsive to the needs of marginalised groups in Cambodia. 

The proposed interventions are expected to bring about sustainable results by strengthening the capacity of civil society for coordination and building communication channels between civil society, government, and other stakeholders for impactful advocacy. By empowering marginalised groups to participate in political dialogues with government officials to discuss their educational needs and gaps, education sector working groups will increase participation in awareness raising and advocacy for more inclusive policies that address the needs of the most marginalised. All in all, these interventions aim to create sustainable change in Cambodia's education system by promoting accountability, preparedness, and inclusivity. 

A previous phase of the project was implemented between April 2022 – December 2023. The current project is part of the EOL extension phase of 2024-2026. Read more about the previous phase of the project here.