Technical Assistance to Support the operation of the Common Education Sector Fund (FCSE) in Niger

Detailed description of project Back

The Common Sectoral Fund for Education (FCSE) is the preferred funding mechanism by the Government of Niger for the implementation of the Transitional and Sectoral Plan for Education and Training (PTSEF) adopted in November 2019. The principles that guided the design of the FCSE were alignment with national procedures and structures, strengthening the management, piloting and implementation capacity of the FCSE of all actors in the system, strengthening the program approach (UEMOA reform), the capacity to accommodate new contributors, the traceability of appropriations in the Finance Act and the safekeeping of FCSE resources in escrow accounts.

It serves the objectives and implementation of the PTSEF and it is designed to leverage (i) the transformation of the education system, (ii) sectoral dialogue between Partners and Government, (iii) sector planning and reporting, (iv) results-based management, (iv) institutional reforms such as devolution and decentralization that will improve the performance of the education system, (v) funding within this framework of a broad spectrum of public structures where educational outcomes are achieved.

The Technical Assistance is expected to contribute to the following leverage effects:

• Ensure compliance with the management rules of the FCSE;
• Ensure control of the accounting and financial management of the FCSE;
• Strengthen the management capacity of the FCSE:
• Support the implementation of ongoing institutional reforms of decentralization and decentralization of education;
• Build stronger procurement capabilities.

Type of services provided

• Reorganization of the management of the sectoral common education fund by the regularization of public procurement, the analysis and regularization of all expenditure and the collection and consolidation of all budgetary, accounting and financial data;
• Diagnosis of long-term pillars and capabilities for FCSE use by (i) analysing the effective application of the operating and management procedures set out in the FCSE Manual, (ii) analysing the reasons why procedures are not applied in part or in full, (iii) the challenges involved in implementing the PTSEF, (iv) the conditions for disbursement of fixed and variable tranches of financial partners (including SMEs);
• Construction of the FCSE management pillars for the implementation of the PTSEF;
• Strengthen the management capacity to improve education system performance.

Main staff provided:

• Team leader (200 w/d);
• Planning, M&E (433 w/d);
• Financial management & accounting (693 w/d);
• Accountant (3) (693 w/d);
• Procurement expert (4) (553 w/d);
• Decentralisation expert (553 w/d);
• Infrastructure expert (693 w/d).