MINISTRY OF EDUCATION , SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, …



MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, SOUTH SUDANEDUCATION SECTOR CO-ORDINATION MANUAL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSJune 2015INTRODUCTIONThe development of the education sector delivery system in South Sudan involves a diverse range of stakeholders including government, faith-based institutions, private sector, local non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations, international non-governmental organisations, and international development agencies. In the past this had led to a fragmented approach to development of the sector, even though there have been many effective programmes. However the lack of real government ownership, leadership and co-ordination means that many good initiatives are not sustainable in the longer term.A number of important steps have taken place that have strengthened the potential for better collaboration and co-ordination between development partners and Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MOEST):The launching of the South Sudan Development Plan setting out the long terms goals and aspirations of the Government of the Republic of South Sudan and its people.The development of the South Sudan Aid Strategy which lays down core principles of aid effectiveness and donor harmonisation.The development of the General Education Sector Plan (GESP) 2012-2017 which sets clear goals, objectives and priorities for education delivery.The passing into law of the South Sudan Education Act 2012.The successful Global Partnership for Education application which has brought together MOEST and development partners both in its preparation and its implementation.Guidance from the Ministry of Finance, Commerce, Investment and Economic Planning (MoFCIEP) on the development of sector working groups.Setting up of the National Education Forum (NEF ) – the education sector working group.Strengthening of the Education Donor Group ( EDoG ).Incorporation of the Education Cluster and Partners for Education Group into the EDoG.Setting up of one Joint Steering Committee for 4 programmes under the umbrella of GPE .On-going mapping of all partner activity in the sector at national and state level.The Minister of Education, Science and Technology’s Agenda for Transformation from May 2014.This manual has been developed by the Department for Partner Co-ordination of MOEST to provide guidance to all partners on future support to the education sector. The key guiding document is the GESP. All partners’ support and activities should be related to the key policies, priorities and strategies of that sector plan and the annual plans and budgets derived from the plan.The manual not only defines the roles and functions of the various co-ordination bodies, including state, national and county level, but also proposes the introduction of two major annual events involving both national and state Ministries : a Planning and Budgeting Preview which will examine plans, budget allocations and priorities for each coming fiscal year ; and a formal Annual Review of the previous financial year, led by MOEST and MoFCIEP. This will review the sector performance, budget execution and key policy issues once a year, and set out key priorities for the next financial year. DIAGRAM OF EDUCATION SECTOR CO-ORDINATION IN SOUTH SUDAN14986027940MOEST DEPARTMENT FOR PARTNER CO-ORDINATION00MOEST DEPARTMENT FOR PARTNER CO-ORDINATION2349530480002262505304800022625053048000136398078105NATIONALEDUCATION FORUM00NATIONALEDUCATION FORUM455121896289STATE/COUNTYCO-ORDINATION STRUCTURES00STATE/COUNTYCO-ORDINATION STRUCTURES-41783097790EDUCATIONDONOR GROUP (EDoG)00EDUCATIONDONOR GROUP (EDoG)37407272286000727075476250057848516446500-28719316059700374072716417600243840014795500455121844335JOINT STEERING COMMITTEE (Under GPE )00JOINT STEERING COMMITTEE (Under GPE )7620043815PARTNERS FOR EDUCATIONGROUP00PARTNERS FOR EDUCATIONGROUP-101155543815EDUCATIONCLUSTERGROUP00EDUCATIONCLUSTERGROUP3387436693004332605137795TECHNICALWORKING GROUPS00TECHNICALWORKING GROUPS1360170133985SECTORPLANNING, BUDGETING AND POLICY DEVELOPMENT00SECTORPLANNING, BUDGETING AND POLICY DEVELOPMENT-970915134620DIRECTORATE OF PLANNING AND BUDGETING00DIRECTORATE OF PLANNING AND BUDGETING3733800623450076263561595002403475127000052641590805 JOINT ANNUAL PLAN AND BUDGET PREVIEW 00 JOINT ANNUAL PLAN AND BUDGET PREVIEW 232756487919004572006177 JOINT ANNUAL SECTOR REVIEW 00 JOINT ANNUAL SECTOR REVIEW 2327275876300068580099060MINISTRY OF FINANCE, COMMERCE, INVESTMENT AND ECONOMIC PLANNING / OTHER LINE MINISTRIES00MINISTRY OF FINANCE, COMMERCE, INVESTMENT AND ECONOMIC PLANNING / OTHER LINE MINISTRIESMOEST DEPARTMENT FOR PARTNER CO-ORDINATION (DPC) – ROLES AND FUNCTIONSThis department works under the Directorate of Planning and Budgeting to ensure good communication, harmonisation and co-ordination between all partners and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. The office covers all the sub-sectors including primary, secondary and tertiary and is responsible for managing and overseeing the planning and organisation of National Education Forum, Technical Working Groups, Annual Budget Previews and Joint Annual Sector Reviews.Scope and MandatePromote mobilization, alignment and efficient use of additional resources to meet key financial gaps in the education sector to achieve Education for All goals and improved Learning Achievement.Establish MOEST leadership role for co-ordination of donors, NGOs, UN agencies, and harmonisation of activities and resources within the annual MOEST plan and budget.Contribute to efficient planning and management of educational service delivery.Establish a climate of mutual trust, and confidence between partners and MOEST, where both parties are familiar with their roles, mandates, practices and partnership principles in the sector.Ensure mutual accountability and transparency between development partners and MOEST.Map all development assistance to the sector, and maintain an annual calendar of key MOEST and partner events.ROLES AND FUNCTIONS OF EDUCATION CLUSTER IN SOUTH SUDANGlobally the Education Cluster is co-led by UNICEF and Save the Children and is based upon a broad partnership of agencies working in education in emergencies including the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE), UN agencies, international non-governmental organisations (INGOs), donors, academic institutions and not-for-profit organisations. The Global Education Cluster vision is to ensure all children and young people affected by humanitarian crises have equitable access to relevant, quality education in a safe, protective environment. The goal of the South Sudan Education Cluster is: To ensure that children and young people affected by man- made and natural humanitarian crises in South Sudan are able to access a quality education in a protective environment. This will be achieved through the following objectives: 1. Provide a national coordination forum in which all relevant organisations work together to support the Government of South Sudan to address education related issues in current and potential future emergencies; 2. Ensure the development of a comprehensive program of activities related to education in emergencies - preparedness, capacity building, emergency response through to rehabilitation and recovery; supported by information management, monitoring and evaluation, policy and advocacy; 3. Strengthen the education sector’s contribution to integrated humanitarian responses, giving due attention to priority cross-cutting issues such as psycho-social support, gender, diversity/inclusiveness, HIV/AIDS and human rights. KEY FUNCTIONSa) Ensure appropriate coordination with all humanitarian partners through maintenance of appropriate cluster coordination mechanisms, including Education Clusters at national and state level. b) Ensure inclusion of key humanitarian partners for the education sector, while ensuring the complementarity of different humanitarian actors’ actions. c) Secure commitments from humanitarian partners in responding to needs and filling gaps, ensuring appropriate distribution of responsibilities within the education sector d) Promote emergency response actions while at the same time considering the need for early recovery planning as well as prevention and risk reduction concerns. e) Ensure active community participation and inclusion of vulnerable groups in emergency education response. f) Represent the interests of the Education Cluster discussions with the Humanitarian Coordinator, the National Education Forum, associated Technical Working Groups, the Sector Planning process, Education Donor Group and other stakeholders.The Education Cluster is also represented where necessary at State Level in terms of the co-ordination roles mentioned above.The Education Cluster will send a representative to the Education Donor Group to ensure a co-ordinated set of issues are presented to the NEF.PARTNERS for EDUCATION GROUP (PEG)TERMS OF REFERENCEPEG is a joint forum for national and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), civil society organizations (CSOs), and community service providers delivering educational services in South Sudan. PEG’s central aim is to voice and to address pressing educational priorities/challenges within the context of South Sudan and to recommend pertinent mitigation measures that feed into the Education Donor Coordination Group (EDoG), the National Education Forum (NEF), the Joint Annual Review of the National Education Sector, and/or National Education Budget Meetings. Scope and MandateStrengthen the collaboration and coordination between PEG members and the National MoEST as well as MoEST State Ministries in South Sudan.Raise the profile of pertinent development issues within the education sector of South Sudan.Advocate and promote ways in which national and international NGOs, CSOs, and community service providers may work together with additional education stakeholders in South Sudan.Mobilize resources to facilitate the transition and linkages between education in emergency relief, recovery and development interventions within South Sudan.Participate in the national processes for harmonization of equitable and inclusive quality education delivery. MembersMembership is open to national and international NGOs, CSOs, and community service providers who are delivering educational services in South Sudan. Technical expertise from the National MoEST, MoEST State Ministries, and United Nations agencies will be sourced. Chair and Co-ChairPEG meetings will be chaired by a National MoEST representative and co-chaired by an elected PEG coordinator (on a rotational basis). The PEG coordinator will serve in her or his role for a one-year period. In coordination with the National MoEST representative, the PEG Coordinator will be responsible for the calling of PEG meetings and ensuring minutes are taken/circulated. Representation to the EDoGPEG members will elect two members (on a rotational basis) to participate in EDoG meetings for a one-year period. An additional PEG member will be elected as a reserve to cover for leave, sickness, etc.MeetingsPEG meetings will take place once a month at the National MoEST. Additional meetings may be called where need be. JOINT STEERING COMMITTEE FOR GPE, IMED, GESS, ROOM TO LEARN : TERMS OF REFERENCEBackground In 2012, major donors in South Sudan were preparing to launch four new projects, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) programme, UK Aid’s Girls Education South Sudan (GESS), USAID’s Room to Learn, and the European Union’s (EU’s) Improved Management of Education Delivery (IMED) project. The implementation plans for these projects highlight interaction and planned collaboration. Due to the necessary close coordination between the four major donor-funded education projects, a joint steering committee has been formed to avoid 4 separate steering committees. Scope and MandateProvide guidance and advice on high-level strategic issues that might impact GPE, GESS, Room to Learn and IMEDProvide general oversight of the GPE, GESS, Room to Learn, and IMED programmesReview and approve major changes to GPE, GESS, Room to Learn and IMED work plans, timelines and budgetsMembersMembership includes the Undersecretary, DGs, one State Minister, GPE Managing Entity, GPE Co-ordinating Entity, representative from UNESCO, representative from USAID , representative from DFID , representative from EU , representative from UNICEF. The Steering Committee may invite other persons to participate in a non-voting or observer capacity, including representatives from GPE, IMED, GESS and Room to Learn and MOEST Directors.ChairThe Joint Steering Committee will be chaired by the Undersecretary. Each project (GPE, GESS, Room to Learn, and IMED) will have a working level Project Technical Committee (PTC) committed to oversight of the day to day implementation of activities as defined by the various components in the programmes. The main objective of the Joint Steering Committee is to ensure coordination and reduce transaction costs on the government . It will report to the NEF on a quarterly basisMeetingsThe Steering Committee will meet quarterly, with additional meetings called by the Chair when required. The Co-Coordinating Agencies will send out invitations and agendas and the Co-Coordinating Agencies will take and send meeting minutes to the Steering Committee no later than two weeks after the Steering Committee Meeting.EDUCATION DONOR CO-ORDINATION GROUP (EDoG) : TERMS OF REFERENCEThe Education Donor Group (EDoG) is a forum for organisation and co-ordination of development partner support to the education sector, with the aim of advancing the aid effectiveness agenda. The Education Donor Group will support the development, implementation and monitoring of the Education Sector Plan, and take an active role in Annual Reviews. It will also provide a platform to prepare and present jointly agreed agenda items for consideration by the Undersecretary and Department for Partner Co-ordination for the subsequent National Education Forum meeting.Scope and MandateThe EDoG will engage in the following :Exchange, collection and dissemination of information on sector issues, consultancies, major funding initiatives, donor projects and budgets lessons learnt and global developments.Strengthen harmonisation of development partner activities through such interventions such as joint financing, joint appraisal and monitoring, joint evaluations, joint sector reviews, delegated partnerships, joint research, and joint funding of technical assistance.Discuss and agree on key agenda items for inclusion in the next NEF meeting to be forwarded to the Undersecretary, MOEST and DPC.Engage and co-ordinate with government on key policy/strategy issues and agree on key agenda items for inclusion in the National Education Forum( Sector Working Group ) Provide advice and technical support to the Global Partnership for Education process and implementation.Provide donor representation in forums outside the education sector ( e.g. Ministry of Finance, Commerce, Investment and Economic Planning meetings)MembersMembership is open to all donors and agencies providing significant support to the education sector in South Sudan, including at least one representative nominated from local/international NGOs, and in addition from the Education Cluster. MOEST representatives can also be invited.ChairsEDoG members will nominate a Chair and Co-Chair for two years ( subject to EDoG decisions). Either Chair or Co-chair will be responsible for calling EDoG meetings, agreeing venues, and ensuring minutes are taken and circulated. Either Chair or Co-chair will also be the co-chair of the NEF to ensure good liaison. One or both will meet with Undersecretary, Development Partner Co-ordination Office and NEF Secretariat to represent partners and agree on joint agenda for NEF. MeetingsMeetings will take place once a month, and contribute to the quarterly National Education Forum. In addition the Chair/Deputy Chair can call additional meetings when necessary. Minutes of each meeting will be circulated by email to all members within one week after the meeting. At least three regular members will represent a quorum.NATIONAL EDUCATION FORUM (NEF) :TERMS OF REFERENCEThe National Education Forum is the education sector working group as recommended by Ministry of Finance, Commerce, Investment and Economic Planning. Its role covers policy, planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation and is a joint forum for Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and development partners in the education sector. One of its key responsibilities will be to plan for and organise the Annual Plan and Budget Preview and Joint Annual Sector Review. In view of the decentralised delivery system, the ten States will participate in the above two events.Scope and MandateDiscussion of key sector policies and strategies aligned to the GESP.Reporting on and monitoring of major education projects and programmes including the Global Partnership for Education programme. Identification of capacity needs and gaps in delivery of education services and strategies for addressing key challengesSupport to strengthening and use of government systems for implementation, financial management, monitoring and evaluation.Strengthening harmonisation of all development partner activities around the General Education Sector Plan, including procedures for reporting, planning, budgeting, financial management, procurement, technical assistance, monitoring and evaluation.Support to development of clear Annual Sector Plans and Budgets including detailed information from all development partners on activities and budgetsSetting up a team to prepare for Annual Sector Performance Reviews, including improved monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.MembersRepresentatives from all main Directorates of MOEST preferably at DG level, representatives from states when appropriate, all main development partners, two representatives from NGOs, education cluster representative, two representatives from civil society including faith-based groups, representative from Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning. DPC will develop formal criteria for membership.Chair and Co-ChairThe chair will be the Undersecretary, MOEST. The Undersecretary will be responsible for co-ordinating MOEST participation in the NEF and, in collaboration with DPC, Co-chair and Secretariat, will draw up and circulate the agenda, chair the meeting, sum up, and ensure minutes are taken and circulated soon after the meeting. The co-chair will be either EDoG Chair or Co-chair and will represent the main development partners and liaise with Undersecretary, Development Partner Co-ordination Office, and NEF Secretariat to agree on the agenda for the NEF. The co-chair will be rotated every 2 years, unless otherwise agreed by NEF.MeetingsThe NEF will take place quarterly. It will include the Joint Annual Sector Review as one of the 4 meetings. Additional meetings may be called where necessary. The Annual Plan and Budget Preview will normally take place around April, while the Joint Annual Sector Review will take place usually in October.ANNUAL PLAN AND BUDGET PREVIEWTERMS OF REFERENCEAs part of the Annual Planning and Budgeting process the Ministry of Finance, Commerce, Investment and Economic Planning requests sector working groups to discuss, analyse, and make recommendations on the proposed budgets for the following fiscal period. In South Sudan this runs from July to June each year. Instead of the regular National Education Forum meeting, this preview meeting will take place where possibly in April each year. Ideally the MOEST Directorate of Planning and Budgeting in collaboration with State Planning and Budgeting departments should develop a draft Annual Plan with indicative targets and budget allocations to sub-sectors. This should be circulated two weeks before the Preview meeting. The Preview meeting will include all MOEST and development partner members of the NEF, State MOEST Representatives, and MoFCIEP representatives.Scope and MandateReview the overall allocation to MOEST, and the levels to each sub-sector for example, primary, secondary, tertiary, technical/vocational.Discuss the priorities for the next fiscal year in relation to budgetary allocations, and agree on any recommendations for adjustmentIdentify key financing gaps, and recommend ways these could be covered by present and future partner interventions.Ensure that all development partners’ activities and budgets are integrated/captured within the Annual Plan and BudgetLobby for increased allocations to the sector based on the South Sudan Education Act, and the priorities and demands of the sector.Recommend ways to improve planning and budgeting capacity across the sector, especially at decentralised levels following the Local Service Support Budget Guidelines Examine the effectiveness of the accountability mechanisms at all levels of the budgetary execution and reporting process.Produce, print and distribute an analysis of the education budget once it is finalised and approved by Parliament.To facilitate the above process, an analysis could be produced jointly by partners and MOEST of the key issues in the plan/budget prior to the meeting in order to facilitate a structured and informed discussion.JOINT ANNUAL SECTOR REVIEW OF THE EDUCATION SECTOR: TERMS OF REFERENCEInstead of the regular National Education Forum meeting, a Joint Annual Sector Review will take place in October each year to review the previous year’s sector performance, and suggest sector priorities for the following year. The review is led by MOEST and MoFCIEP and sector budget execution performance by both government and development partners will be reviewed, along with progress against key education sector indicators. Both government and its development partners will be jointly responsible for sector performance under the terms of this Review. Joint field visits by MOEST and development partners can be carried out prior to the review based on key themes and a report provided at the Review. The Education Management Information System will provide key data for the annual reviews.Scope and MandateReview overall sector performance in terms of overall budget execution and activities by MOEST and development partners against sector budget plan, including implementation of the Global Partnership for Education ProgrammeReview overall sector performance in terms of key performance indicators from the GESP relating to enrolment, drop-out, retention, completion etc.Report on the outcome of any joint field visits carried out by MOEST, SMoEs and development partnersReport briefly on each State’s budget execution and education indicator performance, capturing successes, challenges and opportunitiesBegin to identify key priorities for next year’s sector budget plan.Present and discuss any key policy issues emerging from the review for further actionPrepare a summary report for submission to MoFCIEP, MOEST and all partners, with clear actions to be monitored by NEF and next annual reviewMembersRepresentatives from MOEST including all Directorates, State Ministers, County Directors , Planning/Budgeting Officers, Statistics Officers. Representatives from MoFCIEP, especially Aid Co-ordination Unit, other relevant line Ministries, representatives of development partners including international agencies, NGOs, civil society, teachers unions, private and faith-based education providers.ChairThe Annual Sector Review will be chaired overall by the Minister of Education, Science and Technology supported by the Deputy Minister, the Undersecretary, and the co-chair or lead agency. Normally the sector budget performance will be presented by the Directorate of Planning and Budgeting, and the same goes for the report on sector performance indicators. Different sessions can be jointly chaired by MOEST and Donor Representatives to emphasize the joint nature of the exercise.MeetingsThe Annual Review will be held once a year as one of the 4 NEF meetings, preferably in October/November, so that there is time for data on the previous year’s performance to be collated and reported on. It can vary from 1-3 days in duration usually. A facilitator and a secretariat are needed to manage the overall event, and compile the review report, and these can be funded through GPE.STATE/COUNTY EDUCATION SECTOR CO-ORDINATIONEvery state and county should develop its own co-ordination structures based on this manual. The regularity of meetings may vary according to both numbers of partners working in the sector and the logistics of meeting in terms of transport and costs. Ideally each state and county should aim at bi-monthly meetings, at least, chaired by DG at State Level, and Director at County Level, and the minutes of meetings sent not only to all partners, but also to MOEST Department for Partner Co-ordination. State/County participation in the National Education Forum will take place at least twice a year during budget previews and annual reviewsTECHNICAL WORKING GROUPSAs need arises, the National Education Forum can appoint joint MOEST/Donor technical working groups (TWGs) to focus on a particular sub-sector or specialised education area. Each working group will need to determine clear terms of reference with a definite final goal/objective, and a finite time-frame to achieve those goals and objectives. The technical working groups should report to the NEF at least once every quarter on progress. The Reports of the TWGs will feed into planning, budgeting and policy development. The current TWGs include :Gender and Girls EducationAlternative Education System and LiteracyTeacher EducationLife SkillsInfrastructureTVETLocal Services SupportCurriculumExaminations and Learning AssessmentNational LanguagesSecondary EducationEarly Childhood DevelopmentROLE OF CO-CHAIR/LEAD AGENCYThe concept of lead agency fits in with the broader principles of donor harmonisation as articulated in the Paris OECD-DAC declarations. The purpose is to use representation to reduce transaction costs of government meeting with different partners, facilitate a more equitable dialogue, and to develop common positions and views. In addition the lead agency will co-chair the National Education Forum, liaising with the Undersecretary, MOEST on the agenda and management of the meetings.Role of Co-Chair / Lead Agency1. Be either the chair or co-chair of the Education Donor Group to ensure continuity of liaison.2. Co-chair the National Education Forum, collaborating with Undersecretary, Development Partner Co-ordination Office and NEF Secretariat on the agenda, management and minutes of each meeting.3. Represent all education development partners on broad policy and strategic issues with MOEST when required, and feed in development partners’ suggestions for meeting agendas.4. Convey views and main messages of development partners as raised in donor meetings and other forums5. Collaborate with the education donor group in preparations for the Annual Plan and Budget Previews and Annual Joint Reviews of the Education Sector6. Be kept up-dated by development partners’ on their support to the education sector in terms of finance, technical assistance, consultancies and workshops.7. Delegate any of the above tasks to other partners where appropriate Criteria for selection of co-chair / lead agencySignificant development partner in terms of financial/technical support to the sectorStrong commitment to and good practice in donor harmonisation, alignment and co-ordination.Strong technical expertise and interpersonal skillsAcceptance by government and donor partnersDEVELOPING COUNTRY PARTNER (DCP ) FOCAL POINT FOR GPETERMS OF REFERENCEThe identification of effective Developing Country Partner (DCP) Focal Points for GPE is essential to ensure that there are strong linkages between the Secretariat and GPE’s developing country partners, and is critical to the success of GPE’s constituency-model structure. The DCP Focal Point for GPE will play a key role in the management of the constituency and participation in Board deliberations, and will ensure that there is a better understanding of GPE processes at the country level.The DCP Focal Point for GPE should be a senior official in Ministry of Education, appointed and duly authorized by the Minister to serve as the Ministry’s primary interlocutor. The DCP Focal Point for GPE should have full knowledge of the programs and activities of the Global Partnership for Education at the global and country levels, and should facilitate communication and coordination within its own ministry as well as with other members of the constituency. The roles and responsibilities of the DCP Focal Point for GPE will include, :Serving as the liaison between the Ministry of Education and the GPE Secretariat on GPE constituency-related matters; Serving as the liaison between the Ministry of Education and other members of the constituency on GPE related matters, including consolidating comments on the documents and decisions that are circulated by the Secretariat; Monitoring and participating in communications between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance on GPE-related matters; Ensuring that Board documents and requests for comments circulated by the GPE Secretariat reach the Minister of Education and that the perspective and position of the Minister on Board documents/proposed decisions is communicated to the constituency’s Board representatives;Attending the pre-Board DCP constituency meetings and representing his/her country’s views, interests and position on Board documents and decisions; Briefing the Minister of Education on the outcomes of the pre-Board DCP constituency meetings; Coordinating and organizing the election/selection process for the new Board and Alternate Board members for the period of 2015 – 2016; Strengthening communications and coordination within the constituency by developing intra-constituency communication networks as well as by implementing activities agreed by the constituency, as discussed during pre-Board constituency meetings; andStrengthening communications and coordination among the 6 DCP constituencies of the Global Partnership by sharing best practices and promoting South-South collaboration and exchange through providing country, and where possible, regional level experiences. ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download