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78 Diagnosing Corruption in Ethiopia
Within the framework of the ESDP III, the Ministry of Education
(MOE) developed a draft General Education Quality Improvement
Program (GEQIP). A key recommendation of the education sector
Annual Review Meeting in 2007 was that the MOE and development
partners work together to implement the GEQIP through a pooled funding
mechanism. The proposed program will support the implementation
of the first four of the six GEQIP components:
• The Teacher Development Program, including the English Language
Quality Improvement Program
• Curriculum, textbooks, and assessment
• The Management and Administration Program, with an education
management information system subcomponent
• The School Improvement Program, with a school grants subcomponent.
The government has also prepared the preliminary cost estimates and
financing plan of the proposed program, suggesting a financing gap of
more than US$800 million over the next five years. The practice of planning
on the basis of need and then demonstrating a financing gap—
common in the Ethiopian context—contrasts with the more conventional
approach of formulating detailed plans within the constraints of available
resources and more clearly linking plans to budgets.
Within this context of ambitious but nevertheless constrained spending,
low teacher morale, and related concerns about quality and capacity
constraints, it is opportune to assess perceived and potential risks of corruption
in the sector.
Mapping Corruption in Education in Ethiopia
Corruption is by its very nature hidden, so it is inherently difficult to
study corruption with confidence. Even where, as in this study, attempts
are made to triangulate the results of perception surveys and other more
objective data, there remains a risk of misinterpretation, not least because
of the difficulty in distinguishing corruption from other aspects of poor
governance, including a simple lack of capacity.
Approach to Interpretation
In interpreting the results of this study, the approach adopted has therefore
been to focus on identifying and understanding corruption risks that