FTI AS A CATALYST FOR REFORM: Madagascar

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FTI AS A CATALYST FOR REFORM Madagascars
ExperienceOctober 13, 20058th Annual NETF
Seminar
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Qualifying for FTI - Timeline

• October 2003 Madagascar presented first
  Education for All plan to donors as part of
  larger development strategy. Donors encouraged
  Madagascar to apply for Fast Track Initiative
  (FTI) and advocated on its behalf.
• Conditions Met
• Completed PRSP
• Sectoral program including Education for All plan
• Commitment of sufficient national resources
• Consultation with all stake holders, including
  civil society, during formulation of reform
  strategy
• Financial partners brought together to oversee
  spending

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FTIs Catalytic Fund

• December 2004 Madagascar determined eligible for
  FTIs catalytic fund, having an approved EFA plan
  and identified funding gap
• February 2005 Ministry of Education launched
  joint development and appraisal of EFA plan with
  12 local donors to meet FTI requirements
• March 2005 Ministry of Education hosted
  workshop to develop EFA implementation plan and
  met with FTI Secretariat in Washington

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FTIs Catalytic Fund (2)

• April 2005 EFA implementation plan approved by
  24 donor partners committed to increasing their
  local support to EFA plan by over US10 million
• May 2005 Final request for funding submitted to
  FTI Secretariat in Washington
• July 2005 FTI committee approves US10 million
  for Madagascar for 2005 under the catalytic fund
  and US25 million for 2006
• July-August 2005 preparations for disbursement
  of funds
• October 2005 US6 million of funding received

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FTI as Catalyst for Reform

• Possibility of increased donor support encouraged
  government of Madagascar to embark on bold
  reforms
• FTI planning process put Ministry of Education in
  
• leadership role
• FTI mechanism requires donor coordination on the
  ground
• FTI provides flexible funding

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FTI Encouraged Bold Reforms

• 2003 GOM cancelled school fees -- 1 million
  additional children enrolled
• 2003 GOM provided school kits to all primary
  school students (3.5 million) 2004, 1.2 million
  school kits to new entrants 2005, 1 million
  school kits to new entrants
• 2005 recruitment of 7,600 new local level
  teachers (non-State employees)

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Ministry of Education as Leader

• Joint development and appraisal process led by
  Ministry of Education
• Shift from donor-driven projects to support of
  national EFA plan
• Participative process required
• Focus on capacity building at Ministerial level

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Promotes Donor Coordination

• Process required local donor commitment -- UNICEF
  and World Bank as prime coordinators
• Established permanent system for consultation on
  EFA plan implementation and review
• Donor financing combined at local level

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Flexible Funding

• Shift to budget support makes building new
  classrooms and paying teacher salaries possible
• Donors supporting areas of intervention not
  specific activities
• Donor financing of EFA plan, rather than donor
  projects, makes Ministry of Education responsible
  for use of funds

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EFA Priorities

• Improve overall quality of education system
• Step up efforts to reduce repetition (30 2004)
  and reduce drop-out rates
• Recruit and train new teachers
• Build new classrooms and provide new materials
• Introduce competency-based pedagogy and update
  curriculum
• Reduce disparity between rural and urban area
• Implement school-based strategy to fight HIV/AIDS
  
• Develop national school nutrition policy
• Strengthen capacity of the Ministry of Education

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How will Catalytic Fund financing be used in 2005?

• Support teachers who are not state employees
  (hired by Parent Teacher Organizations)
• Reduce inequities and aid the most at-risk
  schools
• Develop new teaching materials
• Improve the management of the reform effort

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Conclusion

• FTI planning process as catalyst for reform
• EFA implementation as catalyst for further reform