1. Building Consensus while assessing the needs and preparing the National Development Strategy for 2006-2015 in order to ensure universal primary education (MDG 2) in Tajikistan Ibaidullo Safarov Technical Expert on Education and Science E-mail: ibaidullo.safarov@undp.org

2. Description of the problem 1. Drop in attendance rate by children 2. Poor technical capacity (standards) 3. Shortage of equipment and infrastructure 4. Poor quality of human resources 5. Weak monitoring and evaluation capacities

3. Objectives of the Good Practice 1. Designed mechanism of cooperation with Government for the Needs Assessment; 2. Pre-Analysis of current situation for Needs Assessment; 3. Realized financial Needs Assessment, including sound policy and institutional reforms, long and medium term strategies, national and local indicators for monitoring, resource-based; 4. Broadened consultations processes; 5. Facilitated access to financial resources

4. Strategy of the Good Practice 1. Ensure the Government leadership on the process, 2. Involvement of CSO, CBO and donors in the Working Groups 3. International and local consultants for providing the required technical and financial support 4. Intra-sectoral and cross sectoral streamlining and resource based prioritization

5. Innovative aspects of the Good Practice 1. Establishment of Government Working Groups headed by senior officials 2. Broadening the consultations 3. Extending this practice to other national planning exercises like NDS and PRS -2 4. Using this consultative planning process to leverage global financial opportunities 5. Harmonization of Donors’ activities;

6. Activities of the Good Practice 1. Establishment of formal national consultation framework (1 month); 2. Analysis of current situation by WG (2 months); 3. Wider consultation based on MDGs NA (1 month); 4. Finalizing the MDGs NA and financial model based on consultations (2 months); 5. Harmonization of donors’ and government activities and publication of final MDG NA (3months); 6. Elaboration and approval of the NDS on Education for 2006-2015 (6 months); 7. Partnership between Ministry of Education and Secretariat of the Catalytic Fund (7 months).

7. Partnerships established 1. Government working sector group on education (including civil servants of Ministries of finance, economy, health, labor and social protection, the Academy of Sciences, the State Committees of statistics, women affairs and ecology, etc.); 2. International agencies and donors (UNDP, IMF, WB, ADB, UNICEF, GTZ, etc.); 3. NGO active in education system; 4. Civil Society.

8. Results of the Good Practice 1. NDS on Education (NDS E) based on MDG NA; 2. Financial costing of NDS E based on MDG NA for the sector; 3. Wide consensus (Government and Donors, CSOs and CBOs); 4. Inclusion of goals of NDS E in the MDG-based medium term Poverty Reduction Strategy II (2007-2009). 5. Catalytic Fund of Fast Track Initiative, “Education for All” Grant of US$ 18,4 mln for implementation of NDS E;

9. Problems encountered 1. Poor national statistics and gaps or discrepancies in statistical data; 2. Lacking alternative NA in secondary education sector; 3. Weak capacity of the Ministry of Education in planning, projections and defining actual sector needs 4. Poor coordination between Central and Local levels

10. Sustainability of the Good Practice 1. Government WG are established by decree 2. This method is now fully integrated in policy formulation mechanisms for all sectors 3. The system was requested by the President and piloted by the Prime Minister

11. Replicability of the Good Practice in other country context 1. Government Commitment to achieve the MDGs, to reforms and to broad public involvement; 2. Preparedness of the stakeholders to cooperate and reach an optimal consensus; 3. Availability of local consultants able to support the process and implement recommendations. 4. Possibility of accessing financial resources is a strong incentive