Education Sector Strategy Support Programme

Detailed description of project Back

Cameroon has a developed but seriously deteriorated education system. The Ministry of National Education (MINEDUC) has therefore developed a sector strategy document, adopted in June 2001, which clearly shows the four Government priorities in Education by 2011: universal primary education, improving access and equity in other education levels; improving quality and relevance of teaching; improving management and governance.

The implementation and realization of these strategic lines are based on six principles, highlighted in the sector strategy document:

• Reducing many disparities through the National Education system;
• Promoting a quality private education;
• Empowering communities;
• Developing an effective and multiform partnership so that the available resources can be invested in education sector without hindrance;
• Decentralize education system management;
• Control costs.

This sector strategy was completed in October 2012 by the National Action Plan of Education for All (NAP-EFA) in response to the World Education Forum held in Dakar in April 2000.

Facing both structural (inadequate management and governance) and current economic difficulties (fall of educational demand at the heart of the crisis 1985-1995, staff demotivation due to lowered salaries in 1993), it turns out that MINEDUC efforts do not suffice to implement the strategy.

France and Cameroon are planning to use a part of the resources generated through the refinancing as grant of cancellation of Cameroon’s bilateral debt, to finance a “Specific support program to the organizational and management lines of the Education sector strategy”, program that would form part of the Education component of the first Debt reduction and Development Contract (C2D covering the budget years from 2004 to 2006).

Type of services provided

A team of 3 experts (an education economist / team leader, a public budget procedures specialist and a public administrative organization specialist (local) will be responsible, through a highly participative approach, for the organization, coordination and finalization of the joint instruction process of the Support program to the organizational and management lines of the Education sector strategy to be funded on the C2D Education component.

This will be done in four phases:

• Phase I: Critical analysis and understanding of organization and management issues;
• Phase II: Definition/validation of priorities, content of the reforms and action plan components to be borne by the C2D;
• Phase III: Operationalization of programme components;
• Phase IV: Final validation of priorities, action plan and operationalization measures (MINEDUC, MAE/DGCID and AFD).

PROMAN manages the contract, provides the services of the Team Leader and controls quality of services and reports.