Building Capacity for Leadership & Negotiations The Experience of India

1. Building Capacity for Leadership & NegotiationsThe Experience of India 2nd Africa Region Education Capacity Building Workshop « Country Leadership and Implementation for Results in the EFA-FTI partnership » Tunis, Tunisia Dec 3-6, 2007 R V Vaidyanatha Ayyar

2. One of the Ten Commandmentsof Development Partnership Leadership Commandment The Country Shall ExerciseLeadership in Developing & Implementing the Program & Coordinating Donor Support

3. ThisPresentation Attempts to Outlinethis process with regards to theIndian Experience of Primary Education Reform

4. What DoesIt Take for a Countryto Practice the Leadership Commandment?

5. Similarly,What DoesIt Take for the“Donors” to Abide by the Leadership Commandment?

6. What are the Skills & Competencies a Country Should Have to Exercise Leadership?

7. By Way of Introduction

8. IndiaContinental nationFederal Polity • 28 States • Population Ranges from • 500, 000 to 180 mn. • 18 Major Languages • 630 Odd Districts • District Basic Unit of Administration

9. States Major Actors • States Constitutional Entities • No Single Party Rules Central & All State Governments • Not Amenable to Command & Control • Manage/Regulate Almost All Schools • Incur 80% of Public Expenditureon Primary Education

10. A Federal System Has Major Implications for • Policy/Program • Development • Implementation • Country Ownership • Donor Coordination

11. DPEP $ 2.16 bn. Program1992-2001 • Adopts Program-Based Approach • World's First Prototype SWAp in Primary Education • Multiple Sources of Financing • Coverage • Over Half of 600 + Districts • 18 of 28 States

12. SSAPost 2001 • DPEP Mainstreamed & Expanded • Expanded Coverage • All Districts • Upper Primary Stage too • Classes V-VIII • DPEP Strategy, Structures, ProcessesKept in Tact

13. SSA Full Fledged SWAp • Praxis of “Donor” Coordination that DPEP Introduced has been Institutionalized • Agencies Take as aFact of LifeAgency Coordination by the EE Bureau • Total Outlay : $ 2.32 bn. [2004-07] • IDA/DFID/EU Contribution:$ 1.046 bn.

14. Part I: Country Side of the Partnership Equation

15. We WitnessA New Phase of Development Cooperation • A New Spirit of Partnership • PARIS DECLARATION • EFA-FTI • Holistic Program Based Approach

16. The New Spirit of PartnershipCalls forMoving Fast in the Right Direction

17. Shift in Relationships & Attitudes Parntership Hierarchal Country Owner Driver Partners Facilitators Half Way House Country in Driver’s Seat As Chauffeur Donor’s Club Country Outside Car

18. Adherence to Leadership Commandment Requires • Both Country & Agencies to Have: • Will • Ability

19. Will & Ability • Equally Important • If a Country Does not Will to Exercise Leadership • No Amount of Agency Prescription Would Help

20. Ability Equally Important • Spirit May be Willing but Flesh is Weak • Acquire the Requisite Ability if It’s Now Insufficient • Demonstrate Your Ability • Get Others Recognize Your Ability

21. Indian Experience • Signal Again & Again The Resolve to Lead • Most Conditionalities Are Negotiable • If Not Comfortable Don’t Hesitate to Negotiate

22. Signal Again & AgainThe Non-negotiables I. Education Policy • Curriculum • Language

23. Signal Again & AgainThe Non-negotiables II. Program • Assistance Only to the National EFA Program • DPEP/SSA • &Only Subject to the Program Parameters

24. Signal Again & AgainThe Non-negotiables (2) • No Engagement of Expatriate Consultants for Program Development & Implementation • Program Must be Developed by Country (not written by consultants) • Capacity Development is Mainly Learning by Doing

25. Intense Mobilization ofHuman Resources • From Within the Country for • Capacity Development • Program Development & Support • From • Within Government • Universities • Social Science research Institutions • Civil Society Organizations • Free Lancers • Orient Academics to the Specific Requirements of DPEP • Turn Philosophers Into Artisans

26. Type of Human Resources Needed Testing & Measurement Learner Achievement Studies Baseline Mid-term Terminal Institutional. Assessment Cap. Dev. Needs Program Management Appraisal Supervision Monitoring Educational Planning Pedagogy

27. Signal Again & AgainThe Non-negotiables III. Donor Interaction • Interaction Only With DPEP/SSE Bureau • No Direct Interaction with States & Field Functionaries • Field Visits Only in Joint Supervision Missions

28. Non-negotiables in Respect ofAgency Interaction • May Appear Harsh • But Based on Experience • Needed • If Capacity is to be Built Throughout the Country • The New Partnership Relation With Agencies is to be Internalized by • All Agencies & National Functionaries

29. Say NotoAny Agency WhichContests Non-negotiables

30. Intelligently Saying, No, ThanksConfers Enormous Power

31. You May AskCan a Countryin Dire Need of Resources Say , No Thanks?

32. A Very Legitimate QuestionLet Me Answerin Terms of Negotiation Theory

33. Effective Leadership • Be It Program Development • Or “Donor” Coordination • Essentially a Process of Negotiation

34. A Country’s Ability to Get Beneficial AgreementsDepends on Its Situational Power Knowledge Power

35. Situational Power How Well Can You Put Your Act Together? How Critical is the External Financing ? How Important is Your Country for the Agencies?

36. Countries • Take Note of Only • Their Dependence on Donors • But • Miss Out That Donors Need Them Too

37. India’s Large Scale Engagement with Donors Occurred • When India was in the Grip of a Macroeconomic Crisis • Gold Balances Flown Out to Prevent • Default of Payment Obligations

38. Yet We CouldSecure Favorable Terms for EFA FundingBecause • India, Home to the World's Largest Out-of-School Children • Could Not Be Left Out by Donors • If Jomtien Goals Were to be Achieved

39. Based on Indian Experience I Can Say • The Agencies Under Great Pressure to Do Something in Africa • They Need Youas Much as • You Need Them & Their Assistance

40. Most Things Which Seem Unreasonable Are Negotiable • School Grants • Construction of School Buildings by Communities • Single Source Procurement • For Technical Support Group

41. Of the Three Elements of Situational Power • Our Experience “Putting One’s Act Together” is As Difficult • As Managing “Donors”

42. Putting One’s Act TogetherImperative for Country Ownership & Leadership

43. Necessary to Build a Strong National Consensus on • EFA Goals, • Strategies, • the National Plan of Action, & • the Implementation Mechanisms, • The Rationale for Accessing Support from Agencies

44. IntenseInternal NegotiationsPolicy/Power StrugglesAt Three Levels • Government of India [GOI] • DOE, FinMin, Plg. Commn. • DOE & National Resource Organizations • Within Each State • Between GOI & States

45. Change is Traumatic • A Major Shift in the Strategy for UPE • A New National Program • New Culture of Outcome Orientation • Work Plans • Periodic Supervision • Rigorous MIS • A New Directional Role for GOI/DPEP Bureau

46. Contests & Compromises • Program Parameters • Teacher Recruitment • Contract Teachers • Role National Resource Organizations

47. Let Me Turn to Knowledge Power

48. Capacity Fountainhead of Knowledge Power • Country Keen on Exercising Leadership • Should Embark on a Program of Sustained Capacity Development • That is Far More Encompassing Than That • Associated With Conventional Projects

49. Important to Remember • FTI Not About Funding Only • Seeks to Meet Four Gaps • Funding • Policy • Capacity • Data

50. Knowledge Power Capacities Generally Covered By CD Ability Manage Agencies Policy Plg. Impln. Pedagogy Generally Not Covered