Reason #6: The Global Partnership is Taking Innovative Steps to Enhance Performance
Over eight weeks, RESULTS affiliates in the U.K., Australia, Canada, and the U.S. are delving deeper into 8 key reasons to invest in the Global Partnership for Education now more than ever, outlined in our joint report Greater Impact Through Partnership. This blog about Reason #6 is by Allison Grossman, Senior Legislative Associate at RESULTS US. You can read the previous blogs written by staff from Australia, Canada, the U.K., and U.S., here.
“Good value for money”
In its Multilateral Aid Review, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) called the Global Partnership for Education “good value for money for UK aid.” In a 2013 update of the review, DFID noted the progress that the Global Partnership had made against all of its reform priorities, such as increasing efficiency, transparency, and predictability in financial management. This rating put the Global Partnership on par with other major multilaterals like the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the GAVI Alliance.
A year before, the 2012 Australian Multilateral Assessment rated the Global Partnership “strong” in the seven areas it analyzed, including delivering results and transparency and accountability.
Even more impressive, the Global Partnership for Education was the sole multilateral organization called out for its strengths in A New Global Partnership: Eradicate Poverty and Transform Economies through Sustainable Development – The Report of the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, which said, “The Global Partnership is getting quality education to marginalised children, coordinating education's many players, offering aid without wasteful replication and following local leaders…Similar models might prove useful in other areas.”
Driving progress: a stronger funding model for the next four years
Even with these positive assessments, the Global Partnership for Education is continuing to improve its model and increase efficient use of resources and outcomes for children around the world. During the 2015-2018 replenishment period, the Global Partnership will implement a new funding model that guides the process for countries to apply for grant funding. This new model will drive results while continuing to strengthen the capacity of the current country-led processes that make the Global Partnership's model so compelling.
The new model starts by implementing a more nuanced view regarding countries' eligibility for grant funding. It will take into account poverty, education vulnerability, and fragility to ensure that the Global Partnership is truly reaching the poorest countries with the greatest education needs.
For eligible countries, there are now three requirements to access funding:
- Countries must have an education sector plan endorsed by the Local Education Group, as in the past.
- Developing country partners will also need a data strategy for planning, budgeting, managing and monitoring (or a plan that will allow them to begin gathering this data if they are not currently doing so). This piece is critical given the lack of strong data in the education sector, particularly around learning.
- Finally, there is a requirement for financial commitments from developing country partners to increase their own financing for education as well as financing from donors that is aligned with the priorities identified in the national education plan – ensuring mutual accountability.
The revised funding model also aims to incentivize GPE's developing country partners to address the biggest challenges in education related to equity, efficiency, and learning. This model will make additional funds available to countries that commit or meet benchmarks to overcoming the biggest bottlenecks in their education system, allowing rapid progress toward quality education for all.
What do these innovations mean for June?
With the exciting innovations that the Global Partnership for Education is currently undertaking, donor support at the June pleding conference, particularly from Australia, Canada, the U.K., and the U.S., is needed more than ever to allow developing country partners to benefit from these developments and to give them the support needed to build strong, sustainable national education systems for their children.
Check back next week for Reason #7!