Analysis of Capacity Development in Education Management Under the Education for All Programme in Guinea A Dissertation Submitted to the University of Tsukuba In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Social Sciences Mamadou Saliou DIALLO 2019 ABSTRACT This thesis deals with the analysis of capacity development in education management under the Education for All Program in Guinea. The main purposes of this study are as follows: The first is to provide a general review of Guinea’s education reform processes and their relative outcomes. The second is to trace the pattern of sustainability of the reform framework put in place during EFA program intervention in order to strengthen Guinea’s education system of decentralized management capacity. The third is to provide better understanding and perhaps lessons from Guinea for reform perspectives in comparable countries and regions. Although, capacity development concept/definition appears to be accommodant, its central meaning within the realm of education planning and management refers to the improvement of the performance of the existing system in the educational service delivery in an efficient, equitable and sustainable way. Therefore, the research proceeds with an in-depth case study using political economy as an analytical approach to explore and depict the gradual unfolding and change brought by the reform intervention. With particular scrutiny on the overall structures of the education system, the content, context and the actions of the actors involved in the education reform process. Methodologically, a mixed approach of inquiry is being applied in order to achieve the goals of this research. First, the secondary data collection encompasses program and policy documents from government and aid agencies. Second, the primary data—as a supplement—stems from individual interviews, focus groups and questionnaires administered to actors having experience in the reforms in different manners and at different levels. Third, observation of the reforms’ settings and participants is also being put into contribution to offer a balanced interpretation of the data collected through the other research instruments. There are several findings of this research. First, in contrast to the previous studies, which state that, failures of reform program are due to a lack of political will and commitment from the side of the recipient country’s government in not only driving actions of but also coordinating reform efforts. However, this study established that such will and commitment is being displayed in the case of Guinea but the program intervention lacked full adherence and concrete measures in enacting the reform program. Despite it being formally integrated into a general national development plan, it lacks however, legal provisions and means to support and orient the education policy plans and strategies in their formulation and implementation stages. Second, this study argues against the view that new approaches to development assistance are becoming more harmonized, aligned and effectively delivered. While, reform interventions in Guinea’s education system are apparently ambiguous in their nature, fragmented in their conception, lacking coherence and means to implement planned educational policy. Third, the ultimate goal of empowering recipient countries’ capacity through recent attempts at education development assistance is yet to be reached. Since problems of readability and sustainability of Guinea’s education sector’s achievements and actions still prevent the system from thriving. The implication of these findings calls for a complete and total recalibration of the system and its reform intervention approach and strategy in the country. This suggests a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the country’s actual and prevailing concerns in the sector to be initially brought to the forefront. Then, to better consider a concerted, systematic and strictly inclusive approach. In view of making it especially tailor-made, endowed with its own means of action and intended to address constant but specific sectoral governance matters and that in a perennial manner. ii DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY This thesis does not contain material, which has been accepted for any other degree in any university. To the best of my knowledge and belief, this thesis contains no material previously published or written by any other person, except where due reference is given in the text. Signature iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to thank my thesis and academic advisor, Professor Timur DADABAEV for his support, patience and valuable advice that helped direct my steps and improve this thesis. Special thanks also to my co-advisers, Professor Shioya AKIFUMI, Leslie TKACH-KAWASAKI, and Mari MINOWA whose time and guidance have been fruitful in helping restructure this thesis. I would like also to thank all members of the University of Tsukuba, in particular the Special Program for Central Asia seminar participants. I am personally grateful for the constructive comments and suggestions I received from you during the various stimulating seminar series we had together. I am also grateful for the support from the Honjo International Scholarship and the Otsuka Toshimi International Scholarship as well. For without their financial support it would not be easy to carry out this research project. I owe a special debt to my family (my dad in particular) and friends in general, who tirelessly despite being far away, have continuously prayed for and encouraged me in the pursuit of my studies abroad. I would like also to extend my gratefulness to my relatives and acquaintances here and there for their constant concern and cheerfulness. Finally, I have left until last, the occasion to dedicate this thesis to my late lovely mother Adama BARRY and to my late elder brother Ibrahima Kandia DIALLO, who both passed away while I was in the course of undergoing this arduous and fastidious journey. Your memories will remain engraved in my thoughts and my prayers keeping you company forever. Any errors and omissions in this thesis are my sole responsibility iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract ….......................................................................................................................................ii Declaration of originality…............................................................................................................iii Acknowledgements …....................................................................................................................iv List of tables…………...…..........................................................................................................viii List of figures…………..…............................................................................................................ix Acronyms and abbreviations ….....................................................................................................xi 1 INTRODUCTION…..............................................................................................1 1.1 Research Problem statement …...........................................................................4 1.2 Rationale of the study…......................................................................................5 1.2.1 Objectives and research questions…...................................................................5 1.2.2 Thesis arguments….............................................................................................6 1.3 Theoretical and conceptual framework…............................................................7 1.3.1 Key concepts and definitions…...........................................................................7 1.3.2 Political economy….............................................................................................8 1.4 Capacity development …...................................................................................12 1.4.1 Capacity at individual level…...........................................................................14 1.4.2 Capacity at organization level…........................................................................14 1.4.3 Capacity at the institutional level…...................................................................14 1.5 Structure of the thesis….....................................................................................15 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW—STRENGTHENING DECENTRALIZED MANAGEMENT CAPACITY OF GUINEA’S EDUCATION SYSTEM THROUGH CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT….......................................................................18 2.1 Policy change and policy reform in developing countries’ education reform…..........................................................................................19 2.2 Development approach through capacity development: endogenous process of change….....................................................................23 2.3 Political economy approach to institutional change: incremental change…......................................................................................41 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY…............................................48 3.1 Research Design …...........................................................................................48 3.1.2 Site selection and sampling strategy….............................................................49 3.2 Data collection methods…................................................................................53