Terms of Reference Individual for IMEP-Studies/Surveys/Evaluations. Public Expenditure Review (PER ) in the Education Sector in Namibia

Transcription

1 Terms of Reference Individual for IMEP-Studies/Surveys/Evaluations Public Expenditure Review (PER ) in the Education Sector in Namibia Assignment Provide Assistance to Lead Consultant in the analysis of the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability in the Education Sector Towards an effective, efficient and equity based Education Expenditure Framework for Primary and Secondary Education in Namibia. Estimated budget Location Namibia Duration 5 months Estimate number of working days 50 (10 working days a month over a 5 month time frame) Start date 08 August 2016 End date 30 January 2017 Reporting to Chief of Education, UNICEF. Budget Source SC (Education Thematic) Closing date for proposals 29 July

2 1. Background Since gaining independence in 1990, Namibia has made great strides in achieving education for all and has set national development priorities that impact the education sector through the National Development Plan (NDP4) and Vision Over the past two decades, the country has embarked upon various reforms in the education sector to redress inequalities resulting from discriminatory policies of the past and to fulfil its constitutional obligation of ensuring the right to education for all citizens. The ministries of education (Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture & Ministry of Higher Education and Training) continue to receive the largest portion of the National Budget and were allocated N$ billion for the 2016/2017 financial year and N$ billion over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) from 2016/17 to 2018/19. As a result of the reforms and high level commitment to education, Namibia has nearly achieved universal primary education, with 85% of children starting grade one continuing to lower secondary (grade 8) and has eliminated gender disparity in access to education at all levels. The Constitution of the Republic of Namibia states that: All persons shall have the right to education. Primary education shall be compulsory and the state shall provide reasonable facilities to render effective this right for every resident within Namibia, by establishing and maintaining State schools at which primary education will be provided free of charge 1. In fact, Section 38 (1) of Act 16 of 2001 (Education Act, 2001) states that under the Universal Primary Education (UPE) all tuition provided for primary and special education in state schools, including all school books, materials and other related requisites must be provided free of charge to learners until the seventh grade, or until the age of 16 years, whichever occurs first. The introduction of free primary education means - inter alia - that any contribution to a school by parents and caregivers must be voluntary. Free secondary education was introduced earlier this year (2016) under the Universal Secondary Education (USE), so the abolition of parental contributions that are not voluntary is essential, as is the abolition of provisions for exemption from contributions. Moreover, the Education Act 2001, (Section 26 32) makes provision for the establishment of an Education Development Fund, administered at national level, that aims to reimburse schools for revenue lost when exempting orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC) 2 from contributing to School Development Funds. In 2005, the Namibian Government inaugurated the Education and Training Sector Improvement Programme (ETSIP), a fifteen-year strategic plan ( ) developed by the education sector in response to the demands of Vision 2030, which foresees Namibia achieving higher levels of industrialisation and earnings, together with greater social equity. The key purpose of ETSIP is to substantially enhance the sector s contribution to the attainment of strategic national development goals, and to facilitate the transition to a knowledge based economy. For ease and feasibility of implementation, ETSIP has been 1 The Constitution of the Republic of Namibia, Article 20 (1), (2) 2 According to the 2001 census there were approximately 97,000 children under 15 years of age who had lost one or both parents. The rights of these children to education may be under threat in the light of increasing poverty, over-stretched extended families and insufficient mechanisms to ensure quality education for all. 2

3 phased into three five-year cycles, with the first cycle spanning 2006/07 to 2010/11, to coincide with the Third National Development Plan (NDP 3), and the second cycle 2012/2013 to 2017/2018 which coincides with the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP 4). ETSIP was designed as a comprehensive sector-wide programme that covers: (i) early childhood development and pre-primary education, (ii) general education, (iii) vocational education and training, (iv) tertiary education and training, (v) knowledge and innovation, and (vi) information, adult and lifelong learning. Despite all the above mentioned provisions, studies 3 show that the costs of school fees, accommodation in school hostels, hostel school transport and school uniforms inhibit access for poor families. Risks to educational enrolment and retention are found to include: poverty, illness in the household, children being sent to another household, extended family taking more children into the household; and, maternal death. In light of the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture (MoEAC) commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in education, Education for All (EFA), Vision 2030, the country s Fourth and the upcoming Fifth National Development Plan and specific education sector policies, careful planning and well thought-out costing scheme for the Education Sector is an incontestable priority. 2. Justification Whilst there is a framework mandating responsibilities for service delivery at various levels of the Education Sector, this is undermined by uncoordinated responses to resource constraints and limitations in resource constrained planning at headquarter and regional levels. Enhanced and evidence-based understanding at any level of the linkages between inputs, outputs and outcomes within the education sector would better inform the choices regarding prioritisation and trade-offs for education planning, which are particularly necessary in a resource constrained environment which the Namibian education sector is facing. An input-outcome analysis is therefore necessary to strengthen resource-constrained budget planning systems and capacities. 3. Purpose and objectives The purpose of the Public Expenditure Review (PER) will be to assess the efficiency of public spending and resource allocation in the education sector. Under the guidance and supervision of the Chief of Education at UNICEF, the local consultant will assist the lead consultant appointed by MoEAC and UNICEF with data gathering, data analysis and report writing with the overall aim to evaluate the current effectiveness in the use of money for service delivery in education at all levels. Trends and issues analysed will follow the major standard PER themes of; education financing, education costs, allocative efficiency, productive efficiency, internal efficiency, external efficiency, equity, quality and effectiveness. 3 Stemming the Tide: Can Namibia pre-empt the potential reversal in Primary Education achievements? 3

4 This proposed education PER will help to compare the sector strategy to past trends and current realities in public education sector expenditures analysing any significant changes since the last PER was undertaken in A PER should give an overview of allocations and trends in public expenditure from all sources (donors and domestic), analysing the effectiveness of expenditure allocation, disbursement and execution. It should then provide a framework for a more rational consideration of all sources of financing in the education sector ensuring an integrated analysis of both the recurrent and the development budgets. Finally, the desired outcome of the PER is to inform and advise policy decisions regarding how to make available more financial resources in the national budget for investment in Education for All without jeopardizing the fiscal sustainability. Objectives of PER Conduct public expenditure review This education PER will provide an independent assessment of the adequacy, appropriateness and effectiveness of education sector spending in order to (i) see if it is consistent with the UPE/USE, and (ii) identify if there are any adjustments required in spending to ensure that the UPE and USE can be implemented effectively in future years. This will then benefit any future revisions of the UPE and USE, the preparation of the final phase of education sector s strategic plan ETSIP as well as the regular accounting and auditing functions within MoEAC. The analysis and recommendations are intended to demonstrate how the Government of Namibia and donor resources are currently used, and to recommend how to improve their usage. Importantly, the exercise is not an audit, but a tool to enable MoEAC to improve prioritisation, efficiency and effectiveness of all public resources in the education sector and to develop an equity based funding model for UPE and USE in Namibia. The main timeframe to be considered is , though earlier dates will be provided where appropriate for contextual information. Specifically, data trends should be matched as far as possible with previous published work deemed relevant for the exercise. 4. Scope of work Though the focus of the PER is primary and secondary school education, this cannot be seen in isolation because of the intricate relationship and financial trade-offs between school education, training and tertiary education. The PER will cover intra-sectoral public expenditure allocation issues for the education sector on an annual basis for the period and, where possible, also going back to 2006, the start of ETSIP. For this period, the education sector encompassed all spending by the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, administration expenditure at regional and local levels on education related interventions and donor projects under the education sector (including NAMCOL). Where data is available, the PER will include analysis of spending by households or private institutions relating to education. The following broad areas should be explored in the PER: 4

5 Analysis of Past Trends ( ) Trends in priority given to the education sector within overall Government of Namibia budget and comments on intra-sectoral allocations within education. Clear outline given of definitions of sector and sub-sectors used; Approved budgets vs. actual disbursements and expenditures outlining reasons for differences; Comparison of stated policy objectives and expenditure allocations/disbursements. Identify parts of the budget that have been slow to change to reflect policy implications both in terms of budgeting and budget execution; Impact of expenditure in achieving policy objectives. Is the money being spent effectively? Identification of bottlenecks in the systems and slow progress toward targets and identification of reasons why; Suitability and efficiency of the sector institutional framework including whether this has improved with the moving of certain expenditure authority from other ministries to MoEAC; Input mix (including recurrent vs. capital, salary vs. non-salary); Consistency of recurrent and development budgets (recurrent implications of capital expenditures; overlap/conflict between different donor projects and between donor projects and recurrent spending); Benefit incidence analysis where possible; Evaluation of marginal social benefits vs. marginal social costs on education interventions where possible; Performance of Namibia in relation to regional and international benchmarks and where feasible cross country comparisons; Commentary and analysis on de-centralisation of funds; Indication of lessons from international best practice on all areas. Forward-Looking Analysis Recommendations on adapting policy and/or financial allocations in order to ensure consistency between budgets and policies; Provide comment of projections costs to other countries is the projected system more or less expensive in real terms compared to other countries? Also compare level of ambition/ targets set compared to other developing/sadc countries; Identify possible areas for cost savings and improvement in efficiency with reference to best practice surveyed in other developing countries; Analyse trends in the policy and financing of the sector; Implications of fiscal decentralisation and identification of critical issues and bottlenecks; Implications for public expenditure and capacity building needs; Identify key recommendations in improving public financial management; Recommendations for an allocation formula for Basic Education Facility Renovations, and funding for teacher housing construction in regions; Recommendations for a funding formula for textbooks and school stationery including teaching aids, especially for those schools not receiving or requiring voluntary contributions to the school development fund. The following areas should be given specific attention and in-depth analysis: 5

6 Universal Primary Education (UPE) in schools What proportion of school resources are from government funds? How is capitation grant being spent? Conduct survey. Provide recommendations on improvements that could be made to the allocation formula and the accountability mechanisms. Universal Secondary Education (USE) in schools Same as for UPE Private Schools funding Examine the formula for allocating subsidies to private schools in Namibia especially with regards to implications of the formula for equity and equality. School Development Fund: School level resources and expenditure How are spending decisions made within schools? Do schools keep functioning financial records? Arts and Culture Expenditure on arts and culture review as of 2015/2016 Whilst the above scope will be led by the main consultancy, the junior economist is expected to play a supportive role in this regard. 5. Main duties and responsibilities In close cooperation with Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, UNICEF and Education Partners Group members, the consultant will undertake the following specific tasks: Act as the local liaison between Lead Consultant who will not be based in Windhoek, MoEAC, and UNICEF. Provide technical assistance in terms of gathering data once methodology and data gathering tools have been determined. Provide direct assistance of the following tasks to the lead consultancy on the project and support with knowledge of local dynamics and practices: - Conduct a desk review of documents, studies, and related materials (policy documents, household surveys, and education statistics, education budget and allocation to general education and current spending) - Results of this desk review are to be reflected in the final report. - Review and develop tools to collect data at the national and regional levels and in selected government pre-primary, basic education and secondary schools to determine the cost of existing education services and budget allocations. 6

7 - Hold a briefing workshop with government officials to explain the objectives and methodology of the review. - Conduct meetings and interviews with key government ministries as required. - Based on the information obtained above, develop a methodology for calculating the unit costs of pre-primary, basic education and secondary schools with some consideration to variation in school conditions and type (urban, rural, and nomadic) and across geographic locations. The analysis should as far as possible include the type of spending as related to unit costs (i.e. recurrent costs, wages and salaries, development expenditure, etc.) and, where financial reporting does not allow this, make recommendations on how to improve such reporting. Additionally and in order to obtain international comparability, the average public per student spending as a percentage of GDP per capita should be calculated. - Based on the main objectives of pre-primary, basic and secondary education create scenarios that will demonstrate how education services can be delivered in the most efficient and cost-effective way. These scenarios should include an estimation of their cost and the identification of sources for their continued funding and be reviewed against national development targets for education. Scenarios should consider mechanisms to ensure inclusion of the most vulnerable, including the poorest; children with disabilities, nomadic children and children experiencing multiple levels of deprivation. - Prepare, present and receive feedback on a draft report on the costs of preprimary, basic education and secondary school in Namibia with recommendations on the next steps provided to government counterparts and other stakeholders. Findings should be ideally presented against the budgetary implications of the provisions in the new Education Act. - Finalize the report based on feedback received and present findings to key stakeholders with emphasis on equity and inclusion of vulnerable children and communities. 6. Research methodology The methodology will be subject to a proposal by the consultants, but should provide for adequate consultation with different Government Ministries (MoEAC, MoHET, MoF, MoHSS, MoGECW) and regional and local level administration, development partners and end-users where this is desirable and feasible. It should also include a significant element of quantitative analysis, evidence based findings and an emphasis on making clear recommendations (especially for expenditure reallocations in line with the Education Sector Policies and ETSIP) based on thorough, objective analysis. A clear definition of the education sector is to be used in the analysis. It must include ALL relevant budget lines outside MoEAC, including regional and local budgets, other relevant Ministry budgets, school development fund etc. 7

8 The PER should be undertaken with strong collaboration between the Government of Namibia, in particular the Ministries of Education and Finance and the team of consultants, and efforts should be made to ensure ownership of the conclusions and recommendations by the Government. 7. Reporting and deliverables The consultancy is estimated to require 50 working days over a period of 5 months (10 working days per month), starting on 1 July 2016 and ending not later than 30 November The consultant is required to work jointly with the Lead Consultant with UNICEF participation. Deliverable/Activities 1 Assist with document gathering and Inception report writing: Estimated # days Due date 10 days 1 st month a) assessment tools & data collection methods; b) work plan and timelines for deliverables; and c) report structure 2 Assist with desk review report: 10 days 2 nd month Preliminary analysis and findings of secondary data and information. 3 Assist with draft PER report and presentation to the PER Steering Committee: 10 days 3 rd and 4 th month Preliminary analysis, findings and recommendations for discussion and comments. 4 Assist with Final report writing: 10 days 5 th month Reflecting key findings and agreed recommendations. Dissemination workshop. Total 50 The proposed payment schedule is as follows: 30% payment upon receipt of Inception Report. 30% payment final payment upon completion of Desk Review Report. 40% payment upon submission of Final PER. 8

9 8. Data Sources Previous documents include a public expenditure review and public expenditure and tracking surveys. A country status report, published in 2003 with data covering the period up to 2000 provides extensive analysis of the sector at that time. More recently, a technical appraisal as part of FTI endorsement provides more up to date data on the sector. It is essential that the latest PER is linked to work already carried out in these documents and provides a continuation of data trends, with standard definitions and classifications for ease of comparability. A list of the reference documents that the consultants are required to refer to is listed below. Education Public Expenditure Reviews/Tracking Surveys for Namibia (if available) ETSIP Reviews MoEAC Budget Speech for 2015 Budget Briefing Paper (IPPR) NSFAF Policy (MoEAC and NSFAF) Public Expenditure and Tracking Survey (PETS & 2004) Education Act 2001 Towards the New Education Act: Issues Paper and the Proposed Text of the New Bill Qualifications required for completion of the assignment (competencies required): It is proposed that a local consultant undertake this work with a lead expert/consultancy in Education financing over a period of 5 months. The PER should be undertaken in a participatory way such that capacity building takes place with the MoEAC staff. The procurement of the local consultant will be done by UNICEF Namibia as the funding agency. Consultant Competencies Local Consultant Advanced degree in economics or a related discipline Some experience in public expenditure management issues in Africa Previous experience with public expenditure reviews Understanding of Namibian finance and economic dynamics and practices Superior technical skills, including proficiency in using MS Excel and advanced statistical software Excellent teamwork, interpersonal and communication skills Ability to work in English The local consultant will support the Lead Consultant in working closely with the relevant individuals in MoEAC, MoHET and MoF to obtain the necessary data and 9

10 information. A thorough understanding of the education sector is vital for the success of the exercise. The following responsibilities on outputs are expected. Responsibility Outputs Expected/Deliverables Local consultant Clear work plan and division of tasks set out for full team of consultants including local consultants. Submission of final report and training manual adhering to the terms of reference. Local consultant Contribute to data collection, processing and analysis Contribute to draft PER report Contribute to final report Raw data and excel spreadsheets submitted in user friendly form as required; Contribute to presentation of final report to senior management team, MoEAC. Contribute to presentation at MPCC high ministerial management meeting of MoEAC. 9. Applications Consultants interested in applying should submit a comprehensive CV and cover letter together with a completed P11 form, indicating relevant past experience and qualifications with preferred daily rate. 10. Conditions - The contractor will work on its own computer(s) and use its own office resources and materials in the execution of this assignment. The contractor s fee shall be inclusive of all office administrative and travel costs. - Please see UNICEF s Standard Terms and Conditions attached. Enquiries: Please direct any enquiries to: Proposals with all supporting documents should be addressed to: namibiahr@unicef.org Postal: PO Box 1706, Windhoek, Namibia Hand deliveries: Stein Street, Klein Windhoek. 10