Objectives:
The main objective of the contract was to undertake a review of Lao PDR’s current Education Sector Development Plan (ESDP 2011-15). In particular, it (i) took stock of progress towards current targets, including for MDG and EFA goals; (ii) revised targets of the current ESDP to be realistic and in compliance with the identified financing package available for the remaining period; (iii) provided an initial draft of the next ESDP for 2016-20; and (iv) identified funding gaps and provide recommendations to fill the funding gaps (e.g., the GPE funds). Each of these four sub-objectives needed to be costed.
Services:
The review covered the whole education sector and addressed issues at all levels. The ESDP Policy Planning Matrix provided the beginning point and the framework for the review. A number of activities were undertaken during the review, including:
- Reviewing the legislative and regulatory work required for full implementation of the ESDP;
- Reviewing the progress towards targets of each strategy and assessment of policy progress across all education subsectors at both central and provincial levels together with cross-cutting issues;
- Providing recommendations on alignment of the Sports Committee’s 5-year plan with the next ESDP (2016-20) and an updated ESDP Policy Planning Matrix;
- Ensuring the recommendations from the 9th Party Congress, the evaluation of Phase I of the National Education System Reform Strategy, the updated Human Resource Development Plan through to 2020, the GOL’s deconcentrating policy, and recommendations from the National Education System Reform Strategy Committee are incorporated into the revised ESDP and the updated ESDP Policy Planning Matrix;
- Updating the financing plan of the ESDP, including analysis of the current financing gap by subsector. This required an assessment of previous assumed funding levels and bringing forward past shortfalls in financing. This analysis utilized the updated MoES investment database which better disaggregated ODA. It also included recent policy decisions of the National Education System Reform Strategy Committee, such as scholarships for TVET;
- Examining the updated financing plan to identify compliance of central and provincial units to the endorsed ESDP. This will include identification of activities not included in the ESDP and/or activities with funding levels significantly different from those agreed by ESWG;
- Drawing on the analysis of provincial level financial gaps (which was supported by a separate TA) to assist in revising the ESDP targets;
- Identified recommendations for filling financing gaps (i.e., GPE funding);
- Reviewing existing monitoring instruments and provide recommendations on an appropriate sector performance framework through to 2020;
- Analysing capacity constraints for implementation and monitoring of ESDP; and Conduct consultation meetings at the central, provincial, and district levels.
Timeframe: March, 2013 - July, 2013
Realated Countries: Laos
Client(s): World Bank
Categories: Education and Skills Development, Research and Study
