Commonwealth of Learning

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The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) is an intergovernmental agency of the Commonwealth of Nations headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1987 at a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and established in 1988, COL’s mandate is to promote and develop the use of open learning and distance education knowledge, resources and technologies throughout the Commonwealth’s 53 member states, particularly among the Commonwealth’s developing nations.

COL’s goal is to improve universal access to educational and training opportunities in accordance with the Commonwealth priorities of peace, democracy, equality, good governance and the needs of the Commonwealth’s small states. COL’s activities are also guided by the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Education for All (EFA) declarations.

Financial support for COL’s core operations is provided by Commonwealth governments on a voluntary basis, with primary funding renewed every three years. COL also receives extra-budgetary income from other development sources and provides fee-for-service distance education and open learning course delivery and training for international agencies, such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

COL’s major financial contributors currently include Canada, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa and the United Kingdom, all of which have representatives on COL’s Board of Governors. The current Chair is Lewis Perinbam, O.C., [1] a former Vice President of the Canadian International Development Agency. The current President and Chief Executive Officer is Sir John Daniel, [2] formerly Assistant Director-General for Education at UNESCO and Vice Chancellor of the UK Open University from 1990 to 2001. COL’s professional staff includes an internationally recruited group of education specialists.

COL works co-operatively with governments and organizations on specific in-country and regional projects, particularly those that strengthen the ability of publicly funded institutions to provide affordable education to larger numbers of people. An ongoing focus for COL is advocating for and assisting the development of innovative, cost-effective ways to use multimedia and communications technologies, including online and wireless applications, in delivering education and training.

COL’s partners include national and international development agencies and banks, such as non-governmental organizations; other Commonwealth agencies like the Commonwealth Secretariat; United Nations bodies such as UNESCO, UNICEF, UNIFEM, UNDP and the World Bank; national and regional distance education associations; and industry.

COL is the only official Commonwealth agency located outside Great Britain and is the world's only intergovernmental organization solely concerned with the promotion and development of distance education and open learning.^{[citation needed]}

COL's activities fall under six main areas of operation:

Advisory
Advocacy
Building capacity/systems development
Fostering networks and partnerships
Knowledge and information management
Models and materials.

COL’s overall approach and the focus, scope and type of specific programmes and projects is directed by a guidance document referred to as the Three-year Plan, revised with each funding cycle. Revisions are based on input and feedback from Commonwealth member governments and organizations, and are informed by the changing development needs of Commonwealth member nations.

COL is also co-ordinating the development of a Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth and supporting WikiEducator, a community resource for the development of free educational content.

COL’s Three-year Plan 2006—2009, Learning for Development, [3] outlines the scope of its work under three sectors: Education, Learning for Livelihoods, and Human Environment. The projected outcomes for this plan include the development of supportive education-related national policies, institutional systems, models and materials, and partnerships.