The BACKUP Education initiative of the German Development Corporation supports GPE’s work in developing countries
Imagine you are part of a committed group of civil society partners and education donors working with the Ministry of Education in an African country to achieve quality education for all children. This “local education group” is preparing a new education plan to strengthen the country’s education system. The plan will be the central piece for a funding application to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). The preparation process follows the steps suggested by GPE and funding is secured. But half way through you realize that additional expertise is needed to help develop a system for monitoring the new education plan. Money for this kind of quickly needed support is not easily available, though… What now? The finalization of the plan might be delayed, GPE funding is unlikely to flow any time soon and as a result classrooms might not be built, teachers not be trained and – most importantly – kids will not learn. This scenario can look very different if you know about the German BACKUP Initiative – Education in Africa (BACKUP Education).
Building Alliances, Creating Knowledge, Updating Partners
BACKUP Education is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) as part of the German contribution to the Global Partnership. BACKUP Education is grounded on the insight that unpredictable needs for additional technical expertise, analysis, training, consultation meetings, etc. arise during planning or implementation processes. BACKUP Education, therefore, provides technical and financial assistance in a quick and flexible way to avoid bottlenecks during the preparation and implementation of education plans and GPE funded programs. This assistance is available to governments and civil society partners in African countries. BACKUP Education puts a special focus on conflict sensitivity, gender equality and participation of civil society organizations. Support up to €100,000 is embedded in the joint efforts of local partners. Its mission is to ensure quality education for all children.
How BACKUP Education helps at the country-level
- South Sudan: BACKUP Education financed an international consultant to assist the Ministry of General Education and Instruction and its development partners to prepare the first GPE grant application based on the country’s first General Education Strategic Plan (2012-2017). In September 2012 the country joined GPE and two months later received a grant of $36million. Currently, BACKUP Education is funding technical expertise to help further define the GPE program and establish a monitoring and evaluation system for the implementation of the country’s education plan.
- Cote d’Ivoire: BACKUP Education supports the inter-ministerial education task force to work with a local architect to develop building plans for the construction of 48 rural middle schools funded of jointly by $41 million GPE grant and the French Development Agency. The start of the architect’s work was in jeopardy because funds were not ready to flow and a delay would have meant postponing the school constructions. BACKUP Education’s quick support helps to prevent the delay and ensures that the partners, Ministry of Education, donors and civil society, can endorse building plans financed by an independent source.
- Support to civil society: At the regional level BACKUP Education has supported activities of the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) and the Africa Network Campaign on Education for All (ANCEFA). At the national level, BACKUP Education has supported civil society education coalitions in Uganda, Kenya, Liberia, The Gambia and Malawi to strengthen their advocacy, research, monitoring and policy participation efforts.
- Capacity Development: BACKUP Education supported nine ministry of education staff members from Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire and Chad to participate in a training on sector analysis and education plan development at the Centre international d’études pédagogiques. Five staff members from the ministries of education in Malawi, Senegal and Mozambique have been supported to achieve the “Professional Certificate in Education Finance, Economics and Planning” offered by the Wits School of Education in South Africa. BACKUP Education also supports training provided by UNESCO-IIEP and Pôle de Dakar.
- Support for GPE Africa Constituencies: BACKUP Education works with the GPE Secretariat to support the three GPE Africa Constituencies to strengthen their engagement in the GPE. BACKUP Education’s support ranges from firefighting to avoid setbacks in country-level processes, contributions to national capacity development, to targeted support for the GPE Africa Constituencies and South-South knowledge exchange.
If you are a partner in a local education group in an African country and you face similar challenges, look through our application guidelines to see whether BACKUP Education could assist you.
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