Cambodia Submission (2018-2021) For the Education Sector Programme Implementation Grant 2018 - 2021 from the Global Partnership for Education Submitted by UNICEF on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, Cambodia 13 February 2018 Acronyms CBI core breakthrough indicator CDPF Capacity Development Partnership Fund CDMP Capacity Development Master Plan CPD continuous professional development CSES Cambodia Socio-Economic Survey D&D decentralization and de-concentration DGAF Directorate General of Administration and Finance DGE Directorate General of Education DGPP Directorate General of Policy and Planning DTMT district training and monitoring team ECE early childhood education EFA Education For All EGMA Early Grades Mathematics Assessment EGRA Early Grades Reading Assessment EMIS Education Management Information System EQAD Education Quality Assurance Department ESP education strategic plan ESPIG Education Strategic Plan Implementation Grant ESWG Education Sector Working Group EU European Union GA grant agent GDP gross domestic product GPE Global Partnership for Education GSC GPE3 Steering Committee HACT Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers IIEP International Institute for Educational Planning INSET in-service training JSR joint sector review JTWG – Ed. Joint Technical Working Group-Education LDC Less Developed Country LEG local education group (in Cambodia known as JTWG) M&E monitoring and evaluation MEF Ministry of Economy and Finance MoEYS Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport MTR midterm review NER net enrolment rate NGO non-governmental organization NSDP National Strategic Development Plan PAR public administration reform PCR primary completion rate PED Primary Education Department PFMR public financial management reform PTTC provincial teacher training college (also referred to as ‘centres’) RCG Royal Cambodian Government RESA Rapid Education Sector Analysis RSP3 Rectangular Strategy Phase 3 RTTC regional teacher training centre SDG Sustainable Development Goal SIDA Swedish International Development Agency SIF school improvement fund SIG school improvement grant SNDD Sub-National Democratic Development SOB school operating budget STEPCam Support for Teacher Education Programmes (in) Cambodia SY school year TPAP Teacher Policy Action Plan UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund USAID United States Agency for International Development Table of Contents 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 2 1.1 Grant eligibility ............................................................................................................. 2 1.2 Grant allocation priorities ............................................................................................. 2 1.3 Twin grant agents ........................................................................................................ 4 1.4 Country context ........................................................................................................... 5 1.4.1 The economy ........................................................................................................ 5 1.4.2 Population demographics ...................................................................................... 6 1.4.3 National development agenda ............................................................................... 7 1.5 Education sector context ............................................................................................. 8 1.5.1 Policy and finance reform ...................................................................................... 8 1.5.2 Education sub-sector context .............................................................................. 11 1.5.3 Quality of education, teaching and learning ......................................................... 14 1.5.4 Strengthening institutional capacities .................................................................. 19 2. Previous GPE programmes in Cambodia .................................................................... 19 2.1 Overview ................................................................................................................... 19 2.2 Achievements and lessons learned from previous GPE programmes ........................ 20 3. Proposed GPE3 programme ........................................................................................ 21 3.1 Development objective .............................................................................................. 21 3.2 Development of the GPE3 application ....................................................................... 22 3.2.1 Problem identification and prioritisation ............................................................... 22 3.2.2 Theory of Change ............................................................................................... 25 3.2.3 Expected results.................................................................................................. 27 3.2.4 Risk factors and mitigation .................................................................................. 27 3.3 Geographic targeting ................................................................................................. 30 3.4 Governance ............................................................................................................... 31 3.5 Sector harmonisation and coordination ...................................................................... 34 3.5.1 Local Education Group ........................................................................................ 34 3.5.2 Education Sector Working Group ........................................................................ 34 3.5.3 Monitoring of performance at sector level ............................................................ 34 3.5.4 National Education Congress .............................................................................. 35 3.5.5 Harmonisation of National Education Congress and Joint Sector Review ........... 35 3.5.6 Monitoring of the Education Strategic Plan .......................................................... 35 4. GPE3 programme - variable part .................................................................................. 36 4.1 Description of variable part ........................................................................................ 36 4.2 Component 1. Equity ................................................................................................. 37 4.2.1 Theory of change ................................................................................................ 37 4.2.2 ‘Stretch’ and transformational effect .................................................................... 40 4.2.3 Milestones ........................................................................................................... 41 4.2.4 Background ......................................................................................................... 41 4.2.5 Rationale ............................................................................................................. 44 4.2.6 Impact and sustainability ..................................................................................... 47 4.2.7 Alignment and contribution .................................................................................. 47 4.2.8 Coordination and complementarity ...................................................................... 47 4.3 Component 2. Efficiency ............................................................................................ 51 4.3.1 Theory of change ................................................................................................ 51 4.3.2 ‘Stretch’ and transformational effect .................................................................... 54 4.3.3 Milestones ........................................................................................................... 55 4.3.4 Background ......................................................................................................... 55 4.3.5 Rationale ............................................................................................................. 57 4.3.6 Impact and sustainability ..................................................................................... 57 4.3.7 Alignment and contribution .................................................................................. 57 4.3.8 Coordination and complementarity ...................................................................... 58 4.4 Component 3. Learning ............................................................................................. 65 4.4.1 Theory of Change ............................................................................................... 65 i 4.4.2 ‘Stretch’ and transformational effect .................................................................... 67 4.4.3 Milestones ........................................................................................................... 68 4.4.4 Background ......................................................................................................... 68 4.4.5 Rationale ............................................................................................................. 69 4.4.6 Impact and sustainability ....................................................................................