FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Following a one-day retreat, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Board of Directors met in Berlin, Germany on 7-8 June, 2012 to discuss  the strategic plan for the Global Partnership and the effectiveness of its operating model; the Secretariat’s administrative arrangement with the World Bank; and a new policy on fraud and corruption.

The Board heard about the results GPE partners are delivering for children across the world. The Secretariat presented a report which showed a significant positive difference in learning outcomes for GPE partner countries vs. non partner countries.  The Secretariat also briefed the Board on the steady and significant progress in GPE developing country partners related to the percentage of children attending and completing primary school, the ratio of girls to boys attending primary school, as well as very encouraging progress in reading outcomes in Cambodia after innovative interventions by GPE partners.    

For a detailed look at the Board meeting agenda, final decisions, documents and presentations, click here. 

The following is a brief summary of the decisions made.

• GPE’s Strategic Plan.  The Board adopted a vision and mission for the Partnership.

Vision: A good quality education for all children, everywhere, so they fulfill their potential and contribute to their societies.

Mission: To galvanize and coordinate a global effort to deliver a good quality education to all girls and boys, prioritizing the poorest and most vulnerable.

The Board also articulated strategic goals to guide the Partnership’s work for the years ahead, including:

Access for All: All children have access to a safe, adequately equipped space to receive an education, with a skilled teacher.

Learning for All: All children master basic literacy and numeracy skills by the early grades.

Reaching Every Child: Resources are focused on the most marginalized children and those in fragile and conflict-affected states.

Building for the Future: National systems have the capacity and integrity to deliver, support and assess quality education for all.

The following objectives were approved for the next three years (2012-2015):

Fragile and conflict-affected states able to develop and implement their education plans.

All girls in GPE-endorsed countries successfully complete primary school and go to secondary school in a safe, supportive learning environment.

A dramatic increase in the number of children learning and demonstrating mastery of basic literacy and numeracy skills by Grade 3.

Improved teacher effectiveness through training, recruiting and retaining teachers and supporting them to provide a good quality education.

Expanded volume, effectiveness, efficiency and equitable allocation of external and domestic funding and support to education in GPE-endorsed countries.

Work will continue on the strategic plan and a final version will be considered in late July 2012.   Following this, an implementation plan, budget, risk management plan, and communications strategy to support the strategic plan’s objectives will be developed.

• Several items presented by the Financial Advisory Committee were considered, including: standards for the annual review of the list of available grant amounts; a policy for working with federal states (subnational governments); and a process for consideration of grants above the US$100 million.
•  The new Ethics Committee membership was established.
• A policy on fraud and corruption, including a communications protocol was approved.  Work will begin on identifying triggers for temporary or permanent ineligibility for receiving grants due to proven cases of fraud or corruption.
• A report reviewing the operational and administrative effectiveness of the Global Partnership, in particular the Secretariat’s administrative arrangement with the World Bank. Dr. Alison Evans, Director of the Overseas Development Institute, gave a presentation which recommends a staged process for possible reforms. Dr. Evans will continue to work with the Board to produce a detailed plan.
• Extension of the Chair’s Term. The Board approved a one-year extension of the term of the Chair of the Global Partnership for Education to 31 December 2013. 

This was a very productive meeting of the Board, with a vigorous discussion among the partners about our current and future work.  We invite you to click here to learn more about the results of this Board meeting, and previous ones.