Tool 5.1: Recommendations
Preparing for an Annual Review Process
There are two main recommendations to support you in preparing for engagement in the annual review process and reporting on ECE progress.
Recommendation 1
As you begin to prepare for the annual review, gather the data and background information that will inform the discussions and dialogue during the annual review meetings.
Recommendation 2
Ensure the ECE subsector stakeholders know about annual review processes and characteristics of such processes. This knowledge is needed to effectively engage in shaping the structure and focus of the annual review, including how the ECE subsector will be featured.
- This is important to ensure that the review process and sessions include ECE as an area of focus – either through separate sessions or within thematic sessions.
- The decision on the organization of review sessions is generally made by the Department of Planning in Ministries of Education, with inputs from partners (such as the local education group members, NGOS, etc.).
- The ECE TWG will have to advocate with both the Ministry of Education and Development Partners directly supporting government planning efforts, to ensure that the ECE subsector is highlighted and given due attention in the sessions.
- Depending on how the annual review meetings are organized, it may not be possible for all ECE TWG members to participate in these meetings. In such cases, it will be important for the ECE TWG to agree on and appoint representatives for the meetings.
- If ECE is well-reflected in the ESP Results Framework already, this will also play a part in determining the structure for the review sessions. In short, including ECE as an area of focus throughout the annual review results from a combination of many factors, such as advocacy, leadership, political will and strategic positioning in the ESP results framework.
- ECE stakeholders must also understand the annual review planning processes in order to ensure that the objectives and information to be reviewed for the ECE subsector are clearly identified and documented prior to the meeting/session. Please see Table 3 in the Annex. This table provides an overview of the characteristics of a JSR process and guiding questions to support the ECE TWG in preparing for it.
Annex
Table 2 provides additional questions to help countries prepare for analyzing the ECE subsector for the purposes of the JSR. Questions are adapted from GPE’s Practical Guide for Effective Joint Sector Reviews in the Education Sector. Also see Section 2.
Table 3 outlines characteristics of the JSR that are important for the ECE TWG to (a) understand; (b) reflect on in terms of how ECE should be included in the JSR in the country context; and (c) support planning efforts and conversations with broader education sector stakeholders leading JSR preparation and facilitation.
Table 2
ECE Questions to Guide Reporting of ECE Progress for the Annual Review such as JSR
Areas | JSR Guidance | Questions to Guide Analysis of Key Data Sources: ECE-Specific Questions |
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Household surveys and population census | Quantitative and qualitative data and information can be drawn from national databases, surveys, and population census. |
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FMIS and budget documentation | Many countries maintain, or are in the process of creating, government-wide integrated financial management and information systems (FMIS). These systems maintain data on approved budget appropriations, sources of financing, budget transfers, and actual expenditures, etc. Ministries of finance usually issue in-year reports, a mid-year review, and a year-end report based on FMIS data. |
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EMIS | The education management information system (EMIS) is an important source of data for education monitoring and performance reports. Time series on specific indicators particularly contribute to consistency and to providing a picture of sector strengths and weaknesses. |
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Ministry of education department report | Such smaller scale reports typically include the status of all expected outputs and expenses indicated in the plan by responsible department units. They also include analysis on causes of delay, changes, inaction, and/or discrepancies with planned expenses. |
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Reports of other ministries | Information on education programs and budget lines may be concealed in a wide range of ministries, especially gender, nonformal education, sports, health and social affairs, civil affairs, and planning. In countries housing large numbers of refugees, there may be a separate ministry charged with refugee affairs which should also be consulted. |
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Regional or local reporting | Regional reporting against regional targets in ESP operational plans offers important evidence of progress on government commitments at decentralized levels by official authorities or CSOs. |
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Partner reporting and monitoring | This includes specific partner data sets, thematic performance reports, and mid-term and final evaluations. In conflict or disaster-affected situations, data may also be collected from Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs—United Nations (OCHA), UNHCR or the Education Cluster. OCHA data may be useful for analyzing displacement issues. International Organization for Migration (IOM) data may be useful for analyzing migration issues. |
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Education in Emergencies Education Cluster |
In crisis-affected and fragile situations, or settings where a crisis has just ended, the JSR can draw on information from partners within the Emergencies Education Cluster on what has worked in education in relation to strategies and interventions to promote educational access, quality of learning, and well-being among children. |
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Global commitments, subsector or thematic reports |
This can include ‘deep dive’ reports during the year under review (or just previously) commissioned or undertaken by different ministries, development partners and research institutes, and CSOs, including CEDAW (United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women) and SDG reports. This can help to identify root causes related to persistent challenges in student learning, dropouts, out-of-school youth, teacher absence, organizational performance, financial effectiveness, and other operational issues. |
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Stakeholder interviews |
Enable stakeholders, especially stakeholders outside the lead education sector ministry, to gather firsthand evidence from representatives of district/regional education offices, teachers, school principals, school management committees, parents and other caregivers, and youth networks. |
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Source: Joint Sector Reviews in the Education Sector (2018). A practical guide for organizing effective JSRs.
Table 3
Characteristics of the JSR and Country Examples of how the ECE Subsector May Be Reflected
Annual joint sector review characteristics | ECE sub-sector specific considerations | |
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Purpose | To assess annual progress of sector plan implementation to influence operational planning of following year(s). |
The annual focus based on the purpose of hosting JSR varies from country to country. In Tanzania , ECE was a focus area in 2019 and the annual focus of the JSR was “Unlocking education progress through strong partnerships." In 2016, Burkina Faso used the theme: “At the crossroads of education planning and monitoring education efforts.” As the focus of the JSR was on planning and monitoring education efforts across the system, ECE was integrated and considered as one part of the system in sessions. |
Timing | Annually or Biannually |
It is important to understand the timing of the JSR to inform preparation and planning. In Cambodia, the JSR is held annually and includes both backward- and forward-looking elements (see below definitions). The Rwanda JSR is conducted biannually, whereby one review is backward looking and the other is forward looking. |
Monitoring Focus | The year under review (backward looking) and forward looking (future year) |
Ensure that your key guiding question for the review are both backward looking and forward looking. In 2017, the Liberia JSR was both backward and forward looking. The backward looking review, which assessed progress for the year under reviewed, looked at:
Forward looking, it reviewed:
In Rwanda in 2019, the JSR was only forward looking and the monitoring focus was:
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Scope | Implementation of annual or multiyear operational plan; discussion on enabling factors and bottlenecks; financial flows (domestic and external) and management; potential remedial actions and follow-up on previous JSR recommendations. Review of the quality of the evidence base, capacity strengthening needs, and possibilities for innovative monitoring. |
Ensure that the scope of the review covers:
Rwanda in 2015/16: The scope of the backward JSR included ECE and the report was evidence based. See below:
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Indicators | Process and output indicators measuring the implementation of specific interventions, combined with outcome indicators whenever possible Indicators related to efforts to resolve bottlenecks, alignment around shared policy framework, participative monitoring |
Ensure that the analysis includes indicators for the ECE sub-sector as noted in the ESP’s results framework. In 2015, the Cambodia JSR focused on six thematic areas (Early Childhood Care and Education, Primary Education, Secondary Education, Technical and Employability Education, Non-Formal Education and Higher Education). The indicators (input, output and outcome) specific to ECE were:
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Inputs | Annual implementation reports Quantitative and qualitative data and information from a broad spectrum of development and humanitarian partners—complementary to the annual implementation report | Ensure that partners reports are consulted in preparing the JSR report for the ECE subsector. These reports can be used as complementary report to the implementation report and sometimes copies are available at the JESR for participants. |
Outputs | Aide-memoire | Ensure that the aide memoire from the JSR includes ECE. See below Cambodia’s example of their aide memoire inclusive of ECE |
Expected Outcome |
Annual or multiyear operational plan adjusted based on agreed recommendations | Ensure that the results from the JESR including recommendations are used to adjust the Multi-year operational plan |
Source: Adapted from Joint Annual Health Sector Reviews: Why and how to organize them, WHO, 2014.