Decentralization
	UNESCO action is based on the principle of decentralization as a management tool. UNESCO’s field offices can play a vital role in promoting education in emergency and post-conflict situations. Field staff may not be well equipped to interact with other agencies during emergencies and to provide the needed leadership in the systemic areas in which UNESCO alone has the mandate for action.

 

They will be given support and orientation, so that they can contribute to emergency and reconstruction programmes. They will be sensitized to the various dimensions of education in emergencies and crisis, and of the resources they can call on, within and outside UNESCO, to assist in response and recovery. Strategically located UNESCO cluster offices can be assisted to develop a special expertise in this field. Actions to strengthen UNESCO’s own field response capacity will include: - Preparation of a user-friendly handbook for field offices on UNESCO’s field role in emergency response and reconstruction. This will include issues such as promoting the right of access to education of refugees and young asylum-seekers and technical support for emergency programmes on such matters as certification of studies, as well as key issues in education for reconstruction. - One-week regional workshops to introduce the first edition of the handbook and to identify priority issues in the region concerned and good practice models of response. - Strengthening expertise in education for crisis and reconstruction in selected cluster offices, if requested.