Challenges for PPPs in Education Dr. Miguel Székely, Director, Instituto de Innovación Educativa, ITESM, prepared for World Bank Conference on “Leveraging the Private Sector for Results in Education”, Washington DC, 31 March, 2010

Questions 1. What can the World Bank Group learn about the ways private donors operate in education globally? 2. How can the World Bank Group support client countries make better use of strategic partnerships? 3. How can the World Bank Group facilitate the entry of private donors in client countries for their work in education?

Conclusions: Role for WB in 1. Coordination to make supply and demand (for support) meet. 2. From individual actions to a framework that allows using funds efficiently and strategically 3. Influence design and “packaging” of private initiatives (WB endorsement) 4. Generate information on what works (evaluation design and financing)

How partners see each other?...

Problem # 1: different views depending from which side you are on… NON GOVERNMENT GOVERNMENT Incapacity to provide evidence on the impact of aid (transparency) Lack of institutional capacity to operate programs; rigidities, bureaucracy, Short term view due to political cycles, when education is a long term venture Government doesn’t know what it wants, so it shouldn’t tell us what to do Lack of innovation capacity in the Government Fear of “crowding out” public investment

NON GOVERNMENT GOVERNMENT Supply driven support (every body wants to “sell their product”, move their own agenda on); leads to duplication, under investment, etc. Unilateral initiatives create problems in schools (e.g. computers to children with teachers with no skills) Small, disperse, and fragmented contributions for a huge problem Donors not willing to share credit with others (fragmentation of resources) Individual actions do not necessarily add up to a good strategy Problem # 1: different views depending from which side you are on Private sector wants to take over (privatization) RISK (information transparency, accountability)

Problem # 2: different objectives, different views, different priorities NON GOVERNMENT GOVERNMENT Corporate Foundations:. Market expansion Political returns Specific short term priorities NGOs - Philanthropic:. Specific populations. Specific issues Other Private (Religious, etc):. Specific issues. Specific priorities

A way for organizing the analysis

Delivery of education services 1. Physical space INPUTS 2. Infrastructure 3. Equipment 4. Contents (curriculum) 5. Materials, text books 6. ITC 7. Services (operation) 8. Support demand by students (scholarships) 9. Teacher training 10. Training of Principals 11. School management 12. Extra curricular (sports, arts, etc.) 13. Family, student support 14. School context 15. Public policy (standards, norms, etc.) FUNDING Public Non Public Cash In Kind Unconditional Incentives ConditionalProvision Operation Know-how Universal / Targeted to specific groups or needs INFORMATION Evaluation Transparency Accountability

Middle Education in Mexico 1. Physical space INPUTS 2. Infrastructure 3. Equipment 4. Contents (curriculum) 5. Materials, text books 6. ITC 7. Services (operation) 8. Support demand by students (scholarships) 9. Teacher training 10. Training of Principals 11. School management 12. Extra curricular (sports, arts, etc.) 13. Family, student support 14. School context 15. Public policy (standards, norms, etc.) FUNDING Public Non Public Cash In Kind Unconditional Incentives ConditionalProvision Operation Know-how Universal / Targeted to specific groups or needs INFORMATION Evaluation Transparency Accountability Various local Microsoft CISCO TELMEX Microsoft CISCO INTEL TELMEX Becalos NGOs Mexicanos Primero

Challenge: identify strategy in a context where… Political gains vs real needs Corporate interests vs real needs Interest in specific Groups vs real needs Good will vs policy priorities

Conclusions: Role for WB in 1. Coordination to make supply and demand (for support) meet. 2. From individual actions to a framework that allows using funds efficiently and strategically 3. Influence design and “packaging” of private initiatives (WB endorsement) 4. Generate information on what works (evaluation design and financing)