Windhoek, 21 Nov. 02Education Sector Analysis1 IIEP/WGESA/2002/INF. 4 Education Sector Analysis ADEA Working Group on Education Sector Analysis (ESA) Presented by: Richard SACK

Windhoek, 21 Nov. 02Education Sector Analysis2 IIEP/WGESA/2002/INF. 4 Objectives A brief, one-day overview of the purposes, uses and utility of ESA Participants are expected to gain a general understanding of why ESA is useful and how it is done

Windhoek, 21 Nov. 02Education Sector Analysis3 IIEP/WGESA/2002/INF. 4 Context & background Sector analysis = policy analysis, which has been around for years Underlying assumptions: –Effective policy needs empirical grounding & rational analyses –ESA can produce framework for assigning objectives, targets, criteria, priorities –This will promote stakeholder confidence, including that of external financing agencies –Ideally, ESA is a process that develops both knowledge & capacity, together (I.e., the process is part of the product) returnreturn

Windhoek, 21 Nov. 02Education Sector Analysis4 IIEP/WGESA/2002/INF. 4 Ambitions & objectives Promote dialogue on goals, objectives, needs, methods, resources & constraints Provide thorough knowledge of status of the sector & the impact of government policies Identify strengths & weaknesses, resources & constraints, demands & needs Establish database & methodology for planning

Windhoek, 21 Nov. 02Education Sector Analysis5 IIEP/WGESA/2002/INF. 4 Ambitions & objectives Specify (i) areas for investments & (ii) reallocations of existing resources for improved cost-effectiveness & performance Monitor system performance Provide basis for long-term improvements in planning, implementation & monitoring of the system Identify methods & means for improved management & implementation

Windhoek, 21 Nov. 02Education Sector Analysis6 IIEP/WGESA/2002/INF. 4 Who promotes ESA In Africa, mostly the development agencies Models for ESA have, largely, come from the World Bank

Windhoek, 21 Nov. 02Education Sector Analysis7 IIEP/WGESA/2002/INF. 4 Issues Are assumptions realistic?assumptions How & by whom is the ESA agenda determined? Who benefits? Capacity building: for doing ESA & for policy formulation

Windhoek, 21 Nov. 02Education Sector Analysis8 IIEP/WGESA/2002/INF. 4 Tools and skills: data First of all, identify, find & exploit the raw informationthe DATA on –Numbers of: students (attendance, age) by grade; teachers; schools, classrooms –Costs: teacher salary & career structure; books & other materials; buildings; other –Financing: who pays what & how much; who = parents, students, communities, local & national governments –Outcomes: learning results

Windhoek, 21 Nov. 02Education Sector Analysis9 IIEP/WGESA/2002/INF. 4 Tools and skills: data Where to find the data? Is there an EMIS? Is there an assessment system (e.g., SACMEQ)? What do you know about the quality of the data? Level of disaggregation?

Windhoek, 21 Nov. 02Education Sector Analysis10 IIEP/WGESA/2002/INF. 4 Flows & quantities Student flow analyses projections, forecasting –This is the traditional tool of education planners (cohort analyses, etc.) Financial (computer) simulation models projections, forecasting –Same starting logic as flow analyses, but capable of simulating costs, depending of assumptions & data quality Its all quite mechanicalconceptually straightforward & mathematically complex

Windhoek, 21 Nov. 02Education Sector Analysis11 IIEP/WGESA/2002/INF. 4 Demand for education Assessing demand using household surveys Identifying factors that influence demand –This will be very helpful for developing policies aimed at increasing demand – Policies for EFA, girls could benefit from this

Windhoek, 21 Nov. 02Education Sector Analysis12 IIEP/WGESA/2002/INF. 4 Learning outcomes & improving quality Learning assessment studies, such as SACMEQ Quantitative approaches that assess achievement levels & contributing factors

Windhoek, 21 Nov. 02Education Sector Analysis13 IIEP/WGESA/2002/INF. 4 Processes: Management & implementation If policy is as implementation does And implementation depends on ability (capacity, willingness) to get the work done Then, attainment of policy goals will greatly depend on the existing institutional capacities

Windhoek, 21 Nov. 02Education Sector Analysis14 IIEP/WGESA/2002/INF. 4 and, Therefore Institutional capacities are crucial for successful implementation of the complex tasks (processes) of the education system Successful implementation requires capable institutions Which requires understanding how they work, or dont (their dysfunctionalities)

Windhoek, 21 Nov. 02Education Sector Analysis15 IIEP/WGESA/2002/INF. 4 Operational Conclusion Careful analysis of institutional capacities is key to getting the policy right

Windhoek, 21 Nov. 02Education Sector Analysis16 IIEP/WGESA/2002/INF. 4 Issues Data reliability, quality Accessibility of the tools Building capacities, learning-by-doing Who does the work Replicability Usability by policymakers

Windhoek, 21 Nov. 02Education Sector Analysis17 IIEP/WGESA/2002/INF. 4 Finding the information The usual places –Within the education system: Statistics on enrollments, teachers, examination results –Elsewhere: Ministry of Finance for salary information; Civil service commission for teacher career info. Unusual places: Faculties of education & libraries for research

Windhoek, 21 Nov. 02Education Sector Analysis18 IIEP/WGESA/2002/INF. 4 Issues What is valued knowledge, what information & knowledge have currency? –Locally developed research? Research done by external bodies & people, by powerful institutions? –Does some knowledge/information have greater legitimacy than other? What/whose knowledge speaks to power? What/whose knowledge does power listen to? Is there knowledge that is overlooked and undervalued?

Windhoek, 21 Nov. 02Education Sector Analysis19 IIEP/WGESA/2002/INF. 4 Capacity building Two major issues: –Capacity to do/perform ESA (the supply side). –Capacity to use it in policy formulation (the demand side). Capacity is required on each side

Windhoek, 21 Nov. 02Education Sector Analysis20 IIEP/WGESA/2002/INF. 4 Skills for ESA: on the supply side Quantitative skills –Statistics: understanding data collection, quality & analysis –Research design Qualitative skills –Functional analysis of institutions

Windhoek, 21 Nov. 02Education Sector Analysis21 IIEP/WGESA/2002/INF. 4 Skills for ESA: on the demand side Willingness to base policy on empirical analysis Ability to absorb the logic and rationale of ESA analyses Ability to reconcile technical analyses and political imperatives and pressures

Windhoek, 21 Nov. 02Education Sector Analysis22 Skills for ESA: between the supply & demand sides Communication capabilities that include –Presentational skills (writing, graphics, avoiding presentations that nobody understands…) –Willingness & ability to make the analytical results known to, and understood by, all stakeholders

Windhoek, 21 Nov. 02Education Sector Analysis23 Strategic options for Capacity building From the beginning, ESA conceived as a capacity building exercise External experts focus on capacity building & skills development Extensive use of local expertise linked to education sector (I.e., avoid the commando approach) Learning-by-doing Tools & methods that are not overly sophisticated