Using technical assistance to influence and expand domestic financing for reading systems in Nigeria

AUBECEGRTechnicalWorkingGroup(TWG)andUSAIDL2RPresentation

CIES2024,Miami,Florida by

*OSSOMOssomMmah,Chairman,UBECTechnicalWorkingGrouponEarlyGradeReading

TounAkinsolu-FederalAdvisorUSAID-LEARNtoRead,Nigeria

EducationChallengesinNigeriaand ObjectivesofNationalReadingFramework

MajorchallengesfacingNigerianeducationsector

•Highnumberofoutofschoolchildren–10.1million

•Forchildreninschool,learningremainsinadequate

–Mostlearnersarebelowproficiencylevelsinreadingandnumeracy

–Inputsfocussedinadequate,andinefficientspending

–Systemgovernanceandcoordinationissuesresultinginteachingandlearning gaps

NRF–launchedbythegovernmentinMay2023,aimstoaddresslearning challengesandreadingskills

•Providesspecificationsandguidelinesforreadinginstructionandlearning

•Prescribesessentialcriticalreadingskills,contentareasforlearnersat primarylevel

•ProvideslinkageswithGlobalProficiencyFrameworkforReadingtoinform globallycomparableassessments

NRFCommitments

TheNRFoutlines10salientcommitmentsforfederalandstateagencies essentialtoimprovetheteachingandlearningofReadingamong learnersfromP1toP6.

OverviewofNRFcommitmentsoutlinedtoimprovereadingskillsforlearnersP1-P6

1Reviseearlygradecurricula

2Allocatereadingtimeintheweeklytimetableinschools

3Increasetimeforpupilstoreadindependently

4Increaseaccesstoadequate,highqualityreadingmaterials

5Trainteachersthensupportandmonitorthemtoimplementtheirtrainings

6

Establishgradespecificperformancestandardsforreadingsharedwithteachers,parents, andstudents

7Monitorandreportonpupils’progress

8Introduceoutreachprogramsforparentstosupportreading

9Supportheadteachersandeducationofficerstosupportlearning

10Introduceinitiativestoreportandreducepupilabsenteeism

LeveragingEducationAssistanceResourcesinNigeria-EducationforAllistheResponsibilityofAll

Overview–existingbottlenecksand opportunities

USAIDsupportedNRFrequirescollaborationbetweenfederaland stateagenciesforeffectiveimplementation

Howcanfederal-statecollaborationbestrengthenedandmade moreefficient?

Improvecollectivebuy-inandoperationalcoordinationbyleveraging

domesticresourcestoincentivisestatestoimplementreadingreform

Howcanfiscaltransferreformhavenecessaryownershipand ensureeffectiveness?

Harnessunderlyingincentivesandtechnicalexpertise:

–FederalwilltoimplementNRFanddesiretoinfluencestatestoparticipate

–Frustrationatlackofefficienteducationspendingthroughfederaltransfers

–PriorexperienceofRBFprogrammeslikeBESDAundertheWorldBank

EducationFinancinginNigeria

BulkofeducationspendinginNigeriareliesonfederaltransferstothe statesundertheConsolidatedRevenueFund(CRF)

Eventhoughthetransfersaremadeunderseveralheadsrelevantto readingreform:TPD,materials,etc.spendingremainsinefficient.

Thesystemofeducationfundflowsisnotconfiguredtofinance demonstrableprogressonprioritizedresultsbythestates.Thisis primarilycausedbylackofclearlycommunicatedsharedpriorities andincentivesforstatestoworktowardsaddressingthesepriorities

OurApproach–StrengtheningEfficiency ofFederalTransfersforReadingReform

USAIDsupportedLearntoRead(L2R)projectsupportingsustainable earlygradereadingoutcomes.Itisbeingimplementedwiththe federalgovernmentthroughFMEanditsagenciesandselectedstates.

UBECTWGwithsupportfromL2Rhasattemptedtoalignfederal priorityofefficientandaccountablespendingwithstates’incentives

tosecuregreaterfiscalspacecommensuratewithdemonstrableresults

DesignedapilotusingRBFasameansofincentivisingfocuson priorityreadingreformsundertheNRF–usingdomesticresources

DrawnonglobalevidenceandlearningsfromNigeria’sown experiencewithdonorfundedRBFprogrammeslikeBESDA

GlobalCaseStudiesandBestPractices

WereviewedandanalysedevidenceonRBFfromaround theworldespeciallycaseswhereRBFisappliedonpublic funds

Peru

•UsedRBFtoimprovelocal governmenteducation administration

•Linkedachievementofspecific educationtargetstoadditional budgetfundingthatthelocal authoritiescoulduseon educationprioritiesoftheir choice

•Improvementsinkeyareas,from hiringteacherstodistributionof schoolmaterialsontime,to boostingstudentattendance

•Studentperformanceinreading andmathalsoimproved

Ceara,Brazil

•Adoptedaresults-based financingmodeltoincentivize improvementsineducation performanceinits municipalities

•Therearereportsof outstandingimprovementsin thequalityofeducation,with nineofitsmunicipalities rankingamongBrazil’stop20 in2017

•Improvementsmadeinissues suchasdropoutratesto improvedlearningoutcomes

•TheBrazilRBF:competitive betweenmunicipalities

USA

•VariousUSStateshaveused results-basedfinancingto supportimprovementsinsocial andeducationalsystems.

•Tennessee–usedanRBF modeltoreducethetimein childrenincarespentin temporaryhomes.UnderRBF, theaveragereducedfrom22 monthsto14monthsover4 years.

•Indiana–RBFusedtoincrease tertiaryeducationattainment. Results?

LessonsfromGlobalEvidenceand Nigeria’sBESDAExperience

Clearlydefinedscope,priorities,andincentives

•Align:Objectivesshouldalignto,complementandpromotesectoralprioritiesand goals

•Prioritise:Focusonafewkeyprioritieswhereimprovementisneeded,don’ttry andachieveeverythingthroughRBF.

•Incentivize:RobustincentivestructuresarenecessaryforeffectivenessofRBF

Settingtherightindicatorsandtargets

•Theindicatorsshouldbedevelopedtobalanceeasierobjectivestosupport disbursementand‘stretch’objectivestoachieveresults

•Differenttypesofindicatorsarenecessarytoincentivisedifferentaspectsona pathwaytoimprovingperformance,notjusttheendresults

•Incentivizeimprovementnotabsoluteperformanceonly

LessonsfromGlobalEvidenceand Nigeria’sBESDAexperience

Alignmentwithdatasystems

•Ensureavailabilityofreliableandtimelydatatomeasureprogress–don’thave targetsforthingsyoucan’tmeasure

•Ensureaccurateandtimelymeasurementofresultswithfeedbackloopsforcourse correction

•DevelopplanstoverifyDLIachievementatthestartoftheprogramme

Ensurecollaborationatalllevels

•Ensureplanningoftheprogrammedesignincludesallrelevantgovernment departmentsandtiers

•Strongcommunicationoftheprogrammedesigntoensureownershipandclarity atnational,StateandLGAlevels

•Ensuretechnicalassistanceisavailableandwell-targetedatalllevels

OperationalizingtheRBFPilot–Defined ScopeandPrioritizedResults

TheNRFlaysout10commitmentsforreadingreformacrossthecountry.We haveidentifiedthreefortheRBFpilotthatformthebasisforEGRreform:

•Incorporationofreadingtimeinschooltimetables

•Improvingaccesstohighqualityreadingmaterialsinschools

•Professionaldevelopmentofearlygradeteacherstoteachreading

Threeprioritizedcommitmentsarebrokenintodisbursementlinkedresults designedtoincentiviseprioractionsforinitialfundrelease(foundational), processorientedprogress(scalable),andoutcomelevelachievement

Tomaintainbalancebetweeninitialdisbursementtoincentivisesubsequent work,systemimprovements,andoutcomelevelresultsfoundationalDLIsare allocated30%ofthebudget;scalableDLIsareallocated40%;outcome DLIsareallocated30%

OperationalizingtheRBFPilot–

EarmarkedBudget

CRFtransferstostatesarearrangedunderseveralheadsincluding materialsandteachertrainings

However,UBECTWGhasoptedtoleveragetheheadof‘good performancegrant’fortheRBFpilot.‘Goodperformance’headis moreflexibletointegratethisinnovationandshallbeseenbystates asadditionalfundingforachievingresultsratherthanreallocation fromexistingbudgets.

ExecutiveSecretaryUBEChasapproved400millionNaira(USD 275,000),fortheRBFpilotunderthegoodperformancegrant transferredfromUBECtostatesagainstachievementofdifferentDLIs

OperationalizingtheRBFPilot–

VerificationProtocols

BasedonlearningfromBESDAinNigeriaandothercasestudies, verificationforachievementofDLIsislinkedtoexistingdatasystems

UBECTWGhasdesignedverificationprotocolstoensure:

•Verificationprocessisreliableandalignedwithpre-existingdatasystems

•Isswiftandtimelytoavoidunduedelaysinverificationsandsubsequent fundflow

Toensureclarityandcompleteunderstanding,verificationprotocols outlineexactdatasources,divisionofrolesbetweenSUBEBsand UBEC,andfrequencyofverificationsforeachDLI

OperationalizingtheRBFPilot–CoordinationwithSUBEBs

TheRBFpilotdesignhasbeenapprovedtotargetonestateineach geopoliticalzoneinthecountry.Thismeans6outof36states.

Toensureclearandcompletecommunicationwithstatesonscopeanddesign ofthepilot,UBECTWGhasledextensiveconsultativesessionswithall SUBEBs

AllSUBEBshavebeenorientatedonsalientelementsofthepilotthrough completeDLIframeworkdocumentandcorrespondingbudgetarydetail, verificationprotocols,implementationplansandtimelines

Theselectioncriteriatoidentifypilotstates–sharedwithallSUBEBs-has beendesignedtoprioritizenecessaryprioractionsfromSUBEBsAND metricsofeducationneedsinrespectivestates

EmergingBenefitsoftheRBFPilottoDate

TheRBFpilotisafirstinNigeriaintermsoftransferofpublicfundsfrom federaltostatesbeingguidedbyaccountabilityandresultsparameters

USAID’sprovisionoftechnicalassistancethroughL2Rhasmadethis opportunitytotransformhowgovernmentdisbursespublicfundsmore efficientlypossible

Theapproachhaspotentialtobescaledintoablueprintofhowgovernment institutionsatfederal,stateandlocaltiersworkcollaborativelyinfuture USAIDfundedtechnicalassistanceisleadingtoenhancedcapacitiesin federalandstateinstitutionstoplan,deliverandaccountforpublic financing(governmentofficialsarebuildingontrainingreceivedbydirectly managingthedesignoftheRBFandcommunicationsbetweenfederaland states).Performancewillbemonitoredusingevidencecuratedthroughthe RBFverificationprotocolsandtheNRFM&Eframework.

NextSteps

SelectionofsixstatesforRBFpilotrollout

Consultationswithidentifiedstatestoupdateimplementationplansand verificationtimelines

Continuedtechnicalassistancetoprovidenecessarysupportatfederal andstateslevelsforsustainedoversightofpilotimplementation

Continueddocumentationandreportingoflessonsandchallengesfor improvementsinthedesignandplanningforsubsequentscale-up