Group 3

1. Group 3 Financing EFA: Domestic resource mobilization and external support Facilitator: Robert Prouty, The World Bank

2. Focus of the Working Group • Financing EFA - within that is the World Bank Fast Track Initiative on UPE

3. Part I - Carryover questions Issues raised concerning The World Bank Fast Track Initiative • Identification of needs • Modalities for financing • Piloting the fast track approach • Building on existing programmes

4. Financial approach of the Fast Track The Fast Track recognizes – • Better communication and consultation • inclusiveness in the identification of needs • integration of appropriate on-going initiatives • broad ownership of programmes • the pilot phase will provide the lessons progressively for the implementation of the next phase.

5. Part II - Resource mobilization Main issues for group discussion • Domestic resource mobilization – attention to poorest countries • National priorities vis-à-vis financial muscles • External support to the global Dakar Agenda

6. Group reaction Noting that • the questions were not mutually exclusive and should be dealt with accordingly • EFA financing is high on the agenda of agencies • there are multiple financial mechanisms and approaches, e.g SWAP,CCA/UNDAF, PRSP,etc • external resource is small compared to national budgets but an important part of the financing of EFA • EFA covers various levels and aspects of education

7. Key recommendations Co-ordination at national level • real ownership and in-country co-ordination • need for donor meeting regarding specific financial framework • government leadership in planning, qualitative and quantitative monitoring and evaluation • genuine partnerships with civil society and donors • harmonization of donor agency procedures and mechanisms and a code of conduct plus multi-donor consortium • institutional capacity for effective co-ordination

8. Financing Fast Track - agreement on the fast track initiative for the pilot countries. Estimate of financing gap for UPE– US2.5 – 5 billion Channelling funds • working towards common approaches including pooled resources • absorptive capacity can be increased by channelling funds to school level Mobilizing funds in-country • improve efficiency in using national resources • increase involvement of private sector • encourage more equitable mobilization of revenue and expenditures

9. Capacity building What does this mean? • strengthening institutional framework for financing EFA • including civil society in training plans and programmes • providing training at national and regional and school levels • Finding ways and means to ensure that the capacity is sustained

10. Knowledge – shared commodity Data needs and usage – • available relevant data (disaggregated) to inform policy, planning and implementation Information sharing • Wide distribution of nationally developed tools to improve joint implementation of national education programmes (e.g. experience of Ethiopia) • New ideas generated by external support

11. Countries in crisis – need a tailor-made approach User fees Funding procedures among donors - common priorities, simplified procedures, code of conduct, common framework for measurement and evaluation Policies for equitable revenue and expenditures in- country Improved national accountability Issues for immediate action

12. The dialogue continues