The Power of Persistence: Education System ... - EQUIP123.net

sector limited the agenda-setting mandate of the MOE. The more recent development
of MOE capacity and SWAp structures have increased the power and
mandate of the MOE within the GRZ system (e.g. MOE’s ability to argue for
budget lines and priorities with the Cabinet and the Ministry of Finance) and
the confidence of donor partners to program resources through MOE system
and align activities with MOE investment plans.
In Egypt, domestic political issues and concerns about radical Islamists
effectively stalled progress in implementing decentralization and community
participation throughout the 1990s. The opening for new initiatives came
with the signing of a truce and the decision to open elections to other political
parties, which motivated the National Democratic Party and the government
to engage local communities in education and other sectors. Increasing
domestic unhappiness with education quality and outcomes intensified
the pressure for reform to provide Egyptian families and youth with better
educational opportunities.
6. Effective use of information, through evaluation, assessment, and EMIS
systems, can be a powerful enabler of change.
Development of greatly improved management information systems has
been a hallmark of this period. In all countries studied, EMIS data is available
and utilized for decision-making. The information environment in Zambia,
Namibia, Nicaragua, and El Salvador is relatively robust, and Egypt has placed
considerable emphasis on addressing this issue in recent years. Information
for decision making is available not only through the administrative data, but
also from complementary sources such as the school self-assessment system
in Egypt and Namibia, the National Education Accounts in El Salvador, and
various national and international student assessment systems.
As well as facilitating a broader enabling political environment, information
and evaluation can influence immediate policy decisions. Some examples
useful in understanding the wide-ranging impact of information are found in
El Salvador’s experience: World Bank evaluations and approval of EDUCO
had an important impact on the credibility and perception of the MOE,
and reinforced national political support for the reforms. More recently,
information from El Salvador’s National Education Accounts highlighted
the harmful effect of disproportionate parental financial contribution at the
secondary level, resulting in a major policy change that eliminated school fees
at that level. In fact, information and empirical assessment has been central to
the MINED process of consultations, participatory assessment, transparency
about progress, and goal setting.
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SECTION 3: SUMMARY fINdINGS ANd CONClUSIONS