Catalyzing country ownership and aid effectiveness: Role of the Education for All-Fast Track Initiative Catalytic Fund

Abstract

This article examines the contribution of the Education for All-Fast Track Initiative (EFA-FTI) global partnership in strengthening aid effectiveness in the education sector, and specifically how the implementation modalities of the EFA-FTI Catalytic Fund (CF) have contributed to this strengthening. The empirical findings are based on a review covering the period 2005–2007, when the CF grant was first established. The review includes an assessment of the quality of the education sector plans for 25 countries in the partnership, the implementation modalities of the CF grant in 18 countries, and feedback from countries’ participants. The qualitative assessment of the CF implementation modalities is based on three areas—alignment, harmonization, and managing for results—and uses a good practice checklist based on the Paris Declaration partnership commitments. Progress on the good practice checklist in the education sector is compared to progress at the country level as a whole; the latter is derived from the Aid Effectiveness Profiles prepared by the World Bank. The review of the sample countries finds that in the education sector, alignment was stronger than at the country level, progress toward harmonization was somewhat stronger, and managing for results was the same as at the country level. The article concludes that while the FTI has contributed to improving aid effectiveness, moving forward requires different actions at the two levels—global and country level—on which the partnership operates.