Implementing Education Decentralization

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Implementing Education Decentralization

• Donald Winkler
• RTI International
• EGAT/ED Global Sector Training Workshop
• August 8, 2005

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Why Focus on Decentralization?

• Decentralization is a dominant policy direction
  in many countries.
• Questions about design and implementation.
• Questions about impact Quality, equity,
  efficiency, and democratization.
• Our EQUIP2 focus Implementation,
  accountability, finance.

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EQUIP2 Activities

• Knowledge sharing, development of analytic
  framework, tools to facilitate implementation.
• Policy and Country Briefs Synthesis of good
  international practicesinformation, report
  cards, accountability, finance.
• Decentralization Workshop Develop toolkit to
  facilitate implementation.

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International Experience

• Decentralization is global.
• Long ago Federal Countries
• Yesterday Latin America
• Today Asia and Africa.

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What is Education Decentralization?

• Two basic types of education decentralization
• School Autonomy Delegate responsibilities to
  schools
• Devolution Devolve responsibilities to
  governments
• Hybrid Model Devolution with Autonomy

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Education Decentralization

• DevolutionArgentina, Brazil, Indonesia,
  Pakistan, Spain
• School AutonomyEl Salvador, Kenya, Nicaragua,
  Armenia, New Zealand
• HybridEgypt, Peru

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Devolution Argentina

• Rapid devolution to provincial governments.
• Continued centralized control at provincial
  level.
• Slow transformation of central MOE.
• No impact at school level despite major reform.

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Autonomy El Salvador

• Schools managed by community associations
  ACEsfull autonomy.
• Rapidly increase access in remote areas.
• Capacity not a constraint.
• MOE capitation grants.

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Hybrid South Africa

• Devolution to provincial governments.
• School Governing Boards manage budgets.
• Block grants to provinces and capitation grants
  to schools.
• Increased access and
• fiscal equity.
• Important role
• of analysis.

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Some Lessons Learned

• Devolutionlittle impact on quality.
• School autonomymore promising.
• MOE--essential implementation role.
• Critical role of information and standards in
  accountability.
• Active participation of parents and
  teachersnecessary condition for quality.

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Implementing Decentralization

• Big Bang
• Decentralization policy designed and implemented
  very quickly
• E.g. Indonesia (2 years), Argentina (6 months)
• Go Slow
• Decentralization policy designed and implemented
  over many years
• E.g. South Africa and Peru (4-5 years)
• Spain (20 years)

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Big Bang vs. Go Slow

• Big Bang approach may result in poor policy
  design that makes implementation difficult but
  quickly creates a fait accompli.
• Go Slow gives policy makers time to pay
  attention to details and gives reform opponents
  time to block significant change.
• Either approach has significant risks for
  successful implementation.

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Education Decentralization Toolkit

• Three day workshop for key stakeholders.
• Highly interactive exercises.
• Tools to
• Create a common vision
• Link decentralization to quality
• Identify obstacles to implementation
• Re-engineer processes
• Meet conditions for accountability
• Set priorities for moving ahead

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Toolkit Objectives

• Identify obstacles to implementation
• Foster communication and build consensus
• Develop agreement about priority objectives
• Put the focus on teaching and learning in the
  classroom
• Understand international lessons learned
• Create understanding of the complexity and size
  of the implementation task.
• Realize the need to restructure the MOE to
  support decentralized education

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Education Decentralization Matrix
Function National Regional Local School
Governance
Finance
Personnel
Students
Curriculum
Facilities
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Examples of Tools

• Reverse Process Engineering

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Egypt Experience

• Participants Ministries of Education, Higher
  Education, Finance, and Local Administration
  Governorates
• Content Emphasis on design, focus on quality,
  communication,
• international experience,
• identify Egyptian successes.

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Resources on Decentralization

• Additional Resources
• USAID web site EQUIP2
• www.equip123.net
• World Bank website
• www1.worldbank.org/publicsector
• RTI Education Finance Decentralization
  Conference Website
• https//register.rti.org/EducationFinance/index.cf
  m

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Implementing Education Decentralization

• Three countries
• Peru Fernando Bolaños
• Uganda David Bruns
• Zambia Cornelius Chipoma
• Three questions
• Country setting and status of decentralization?
• Key difficulties in implementation?
• USAID assistance strategies?