“The word ‘milestone’ is thrown around a lot”, Chief Executive Officer Alice Albright, told the GPE Board of Directors, “but this really is a major milestone for GPE”.
She was referring to the Board’s adoption of a Results Framework, which, she explained, “drives our whole strategy”.
Strong ambitions for GPE’s new results framework
In Oslo, the Board approved targets for 11 core indicators of the framework. The targets for some indicators that GPE will measure are deliberately challenging - particularly when they are directly impacted by GPE's strengthened operational model. For example, the aim is that by 2020, 100% of endorsed education sector plans or transitional education plans will meet quality standards, from a baseline of 57%.
The results framework was just one outcome of the GPE Board of Directors meeting held over two days in Oslo last week. The meeting saw the adoption of new policies and tools to deliver on the Partnership’s Strategic Plan - GPE 2020. The Board pushed further ahead with its expansive reform agenda, setting ambitious targets for the partnership and confirming high aspirations for additional financing for global education.
Tone Skogen, Norway's State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, welcomed the Board members to Norway noting that
“with the Strategic Plan, the results framework and operational model [reforms], we now have in place a robust platform for improving efficiency".
Four new grants support children’s education
Four new developing country partners joined the partnership and received GPE’s first ever regional grant approved to the Caribbean island states of Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Performance-based grants to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi were also approved. DRC’s targets to unlock the full value of their US$100 million grant are based on reduced school drop-out, better reading skills and improved equity through the elimination of fees for all primary schools across the country.
Malawi has set specific goals across the three required areas - equity, efficiency and learning outcomes – to be measured in the country’s eight most disadvantaged districts. Welcoming the approval of a total of US$147 million in new grants, Board Chair Julia Gillard said,
“children, particularly the most marginalized, will benefit from stronger education systems, enhanced learning environments, improved teaching skills and expanded access to schooling."
George Werner, Minister of Education of Liberia, noted the added value of GPE’s focus on strengthening education systems. Reflecting on the recent Ebola virus outbreak in his country, Minister Werner said,
“we need strong systems that can sustain through emergency times and be there as the foundation for speedy recovery”.
Renewed action for gender equality
In addition to the results framework, the Board agreed a new approach to ensuring gender equality, an operational risk framework – described by a leading donor as “a big leap forward” – and a new monitoring and evaluation strategy.
Lytou Bouapao, Deputy Minister for Education of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, joined other Board members in enthusiastically embracing the new GPE Gender Strategy and Action Plan. “Tackling gender inequality is very important for socio-economic growth,” he said. “That’s why in Lao PDR we have a national policy – there must be equality between men and women - and the key is education”.
The Board also strongly supported the new Education Cannot Wait fund, which seeks to bring new resources to education in emergencies and protracted crises. Board members confirmed interest in potentially hosting the fund, building on GPE’s successful track record in supporting education in crisis and fragile and conflict-affected countries.
The Board meeting followed a 3-day meeting of focal points from more than 60 developing country partners (DCPs). The DCP meetings are designed to empower the participation of developing country representatives at the Board and provide a forum for knowledge exchange.
---------
For more information: