Copy of R. Sack

8/8/2019 Copy of R. Sack

1/23

Windhoek, 21 Nov. 02 Education Sector Analysis 1

IIEP/WGESA/2002/INF. 4

Education Sector AnalysisADEA Working Group on

Education Sector Analysis (ESA)

Presented by:

Richard SACK


2/23



Objectives A brief, one-day overview of the purposes,

uses and utility of ESA

Participants are expected to gain a generalunderstanding of why ESA is useful and

how it is done


3/23



Context & background

Sector analysis = policy analysis, which has beenaround for years

Underlying assumptions:

Effective policy needs empirical grounding & rationalanalyses

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 ispart of the product) return


4/23



Ambitions & objectives

Promote dialogue on goals, objectives, needs,

methods, resources & constraints

Provide thorough knowledge of status of thesector & the impact of government policies

Identify strengths & weaknesses, resources &

constraints, demands & needs

Establish database & methodology for planning


5/23



Ambitions & objectives

Specify (i) areas for investments & (ii)reallocations of existing resources for improvedcost-effectiveness & performance

Monitor system performance

Provide basis for long-term improvements inplanning, implementation & monitoring of thesystem

Identify methods & means for improvedmanagement & implementation


6/23



Who promotes ESA

In Africa, mostly the development agencies

Models for ESA have, largely, come from

the World Bank


7/23



Issues

Are assumptions realistic?

How & by whom is the ESA agenda

determined?

Who benefits?

Capacity building: for doing ESA & for

policy formulation


8/23



Tools and skills: data

First of all, identify, find & exploit the rawinformationthe 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 & nationalgovernments

Outcomes: learning results


9/23



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?


10/23



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 ofsimulating costs, depending of assumptions & data

quality Its all quite mechanicalconceptually

straightforward & mathematically complex


11/23



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 forEFA, girls could benefit fromthis


12/23



Learning outcomes & improving quality

Learning assessment studies, such as

SACMEQ

Quantitative approaches that assessachievement levels & contributing factors


13/23



Processes: Management &

implementation Ifpolicy is as implementation does

Andimplementation depends on ability

(capacity, willingness) to get the work

done

Then, attainment of policy goals willgreatly depend on the existing institutionalcapacities


14/23



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)


15/23



OperationalConclusion

Careful analysis of

institutional capacitiesis key to

getting the policy right


16/23



Issues

Data reliability, quality

Accessibility of the tools

Building capacities, learning-by-doing

Who does the work

Replicability

Usability by policymakers


17/23



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


18/23



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?


19/23



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


20/23



Skills for ESA:

on the supply side Quantitative skills

Statistics: understanding data collection,

quality & analysis

Research design

Qualitative skills

Functional analysis of institutions


21/23



Skills for ESA:

on the demand side Willingness to base policy on empirical

analysis

Ability to absorb the logic and rationale ofESA analyses

Ability to reconcile technical analyses and

political imperatives and pressures


22/23


Skills for ESA:

between the supply & demand sidesCommunication capabilities that include

Presentational skills (writing, graphics,

avoiding presentations that nobodyunderstands)

Willingness & ability to make the analytical

results known to, and understood by, all

stakeholders


23/23


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 toeducation sector (I.e., avoid the commandoapproach)

Learning-by-doing

Tools & methods that are not overly sophisticated

Copy of R. Sack

Documents

Transcript of Copy of R. Sack