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The Power of Persistence: Education System Reform and Aid Effectiveness

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The Power of Persistence: Education System Reform and Aid Effectiveness SPINE The Power of Persistence | Education System Reform and Aid Effectiveness Reform System Education The Power of Persistence Education System Reform and Aid Effectiveness 1875 Connecticut Ave., NW Case Studies in Long-Term Education Reform Washington, DC 20009 [email protected] www.equip123.net EQUIP 2 Publication_Cover F2.indd 1 1/4/11 10:48 AM The Power of Persistence Education System Reform and Aid Effectiveness Case Studies in Long-Term Education Reform November 2010 John Gillies EQUIP2 Project Director Case sTudy Teams: El SAlvADoR I Jessica Jester Quijada, John Gillies, Antonieta Harwood EGyPt I Mark Ginsburg, Nagwa Megahed, Mohammed Elmeski, Nobuyuki tanaka NAMIbIA I Donna Kay leCzel, Muhamed liman, Sifiso Nyathi, Michael tjivikua, Godfrey tubaundule NICARAGUA I John Gillies, Kirsten Galisson, Anita Sanyal, bridget Drury ZAMbIA I David balwanz, Arnold Chengo table of Contents Acknowledgments v Foreword viii Executive Summary 1 Section 1: Introduction 11 Challenges in Education System Reform 14 Evaluating Aid Effectiveness in Education Reform: Exploring Concepts 17 A Systems Approach to Education Reform: What constitutes meaningful change in education systems? 27 Section 2: Lessons from Country Case Studies 43 Summary of Country Case Studies 45 Egypt 49 El Salvador 67 Namibia 85 Nicaragua 99 Zambia 111 Section 3: Summary Findings and Conclusions 131 Findings 133 Conclusions 148 Implications for USAID Policy and Programming. 156 Bibliography 158 Acknowledgments This study is the result of a two-year inquiry into the dynamics of improving the performance of education systems on a sustainable basis, and the role that donor assistance can play in achieving such improvement. The study was focused on the forces that influence how complex policy and institutional changes are introduced, adopted, and sustained in a society over a 20 year period, rather than on the impact of specific policy prescriptions or programs. This challenging subject required reflection from many experienced professionals and the willingness to think broadly and deeply about the process as well as substance of education reform. We were fortunate in having an abundance of such thoughtful contributors on our team, in each country, and in USAID and other donor organizations. The study builds on the foundational work of the USAID Education Reform Support series developed by Luis Crouch, Joe DeStefano, and Hank Healey in the 1990’s, which was updated under EQUIP2 in 2005 by Luis Crouch and Joe DeStefano. The overall conceptual approach and case study design was informed by the EQUIP2 technical leadership and implemented by an extraordinary team of colleagues who led the country case studies, worked through ways to apply the conceptual framework, and worked together to draw out lessons across countries. My particular thanks and recognition goes to the case study leaders: Mark Ginsburg (Egypt), Jessica Jester Quijada (El Salvador), Donna Kay LeCzel (Namibia), Kirsten Galisson (Nicaragua), and David Balwanz (Zambia). Their contributions went well beyond completing the case studies themselves to enhancing and improving the methods, instruments, and understanding of the process as the study moved forward. The country case studies were an exercise in understanding the national, political, and bureaucratic dynamics of social and institutional reform in each country. Each case study reflects multiple perspectives from different administrations, donors, and stakeholders, but with a predominant perspective from the individuals responsible for managing the national education system—ministers and their deputies, donor officials, and other stakeholders. These people v generously granted us their time and reference materials and sought to make honest assessments of their own successes and shortcomings. Among the many people who contributed their insights, particular mention and appreciation needs to be given to the following individuals: • In Egypt, former Ministers of Education and senior officials including Dr. Hussein Kamal Bahaa el Din, Dr. Hassan El Bilawi, Dr. Nadia Gamal El Din, and Dr. Mustafa El Samie. • In El Salvador, former Ministers and Deputy Ministers of Education including Abigail Castro, Evelyn Jacir, Darlyn Meza, and Jose Luis Guzman. • In Namibia, Charles Kabajani, Stanley Simaata, Tuli Ngyoonghinanye, and Alfred Ilukena. • In Nicaragua, former Ministers of Education and senior officials including Humberto Belli, Silvio de Franco, Miguel de Castillo, Tulio Tablada, Violeta Malespin, Aurora Lacayo, and Miriam Bandes. • In Zambia, former Principal Secretaries and senior officials Barbara Chilangwa, Dr. Sichalwe Kasanda, and Dr. Lawrence Musonda. Current and former USAID officials, other donors, and contractor technical advisors were also essential in providing perspectives on the interactions and activities of donor programs in each of the countries. Among the many key informants were Hala El Serafy, Dr. Mona Zikri, Sally Patton, Jerry Wood, Elizabeth Warfield, Cornelius Chipoma, Arnold Chengo, Frederick Henning, Joe Kanyika, Tom Lent, Carmen Maria Henriquez, Mel Chapman, William Harwood, Antonieta de Harwood, Alicia Slate, Loretta Garden, Marcy Bernbaum, Oscar Mogollon, Alec Gershberg, Wes Snyder, Catherine Miles, Anita Sanyal, and Richard Shortledge. Many other individuals, inside and outside of the EQUIP2 consortium, generously gave their perspectives and time to review, comment, critique, and improve the work. I am very grateful for the contributions and comments of Luis Crouch, Joe DeStefano, Ash Hartwell, David Chapman, Audrey-marie Schuh Moore, Arushi Terway, Felix Alvarado, David Balwanz, James Jacob, Wes Snyder, and David Plank. The EQUIP2 team of Audrey-marie Schuh Moore, Erik Lundgren, and Arushi Terway made this, and all EQUIP2 work, manageable and of high quality. I would also like to thank Lisa Kaufman for distilling 20 years of education reform into the five case study timelines, Elizabeth Mische for patiently and skillfully editing this publication, and Anne Quito and the AED Design Team for their beautiful layout. vi Colleagues in USAID and the donor community were enormously generous with their time, suggestions, guidance, and comments. In particular, I want to recognize and thank the EQUIP2 AOTR, Patrick Collins, for his unwavering support and intellectual guidance throughout the process. Others include: Catherine Miles, Sandra Bertoli, Jim Hoxeng, John Hatch, Greg Loos, Malcolm McPherson, Yolande Miller-Grandvaux, Barbara Knox-Seith, Carlos Perez-Brito, There are many other people who have contributed to our thinking, understanding, and refinement of this study. I would like to thank all of them for their support. The insights came from our many collaborators, but the errors and omissions are mine alone. John Gilllies Acting Senior Vice President and EQUIP2 Project Director Academy for Educational Development vii Foreword The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Educational Quality Improvement Program 2 (EQUIP2) is a Leader with Associates Award that conducts research and disseminates information on education development with a focus on policy, management, and system reform strategies to create more effective education programs. The project has addressed such complex topics as abolition of school fees, decentralization, cost- effectiveness of complementary education systems for hard-to-reach populations, school effectiveness with an emphasis on efficient use of instructional time, indicators and information systems, secondary school teacher shortages, and donor effectiveness. EQUIP2 research combines two perspectives: 1) The implications for national education policy supporting EFA goals and 2) the implications for more effective support from donor agencies. The Power of Persistence grew out of an on-going series of discussions and the above-mentioned EQUIP2 research about the nature of education reform and the role of donor assistance. The intent of this study was not to replicate the standard evaluations of donor projects, but rather to understand the technical, institutional, and political dynamics of introducing complex changes in education systems over the long term. Most education studies focus on either the relative effectiveness of technical or policy strategies (e.g., decentralization, school fees, or teacher training) or on evaluating whether specific projects or programs have achieved their goals. Some seek to identify common findings of multiple projects, like EQUIP2’s Analysis of USAID Assistance to Basic Education in the Developing World, 1990–2005, a meta-evaluation of USAID projects over a 15 year period. These studies contain important lessons about policy and project design, but often fail to provide useful insights into sustainability, institutionalization, and scaling up. However, these studies often fail to capture the contextual dynamics of culture, history, and political and institutional forces that shape reform adaptation and sustainability. Evaluating results through the narrow window of activities in a five-year project inevitably gives a distorted view of reality and leaves one with an impression that most projects are successful, but that education systems neither improve nor sustain reforms. viii The Power of Persistence seeks to address these weaknesses by applying the lens of long-term systems change. This research brings three unique perspectives to the study of education development: 1) A review of education reforms in select countries over a 20-year period; 2) an emphasis
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