Global Partnership for Education

Global Partnership for Education and the World Bank

Overview How Global Partnership for Education Works The World Bank and the Global Partnership for Education The Education for All – Fast Track Initiative is now the Global Partnership for Education The Education for All – Fast Track Initiative officially became the Global Partnership for Education with an announcement and unveiling at the United Nations General Assembly on September 21, 2011. This change builds on the initiative’s successes over the last 10 years and is part of a redoubled commitment to making sure all children in low-income countries have access to quality education and opportunities to learn. Read more about the new name change here. Overview In 2002, the World Bank together with development partners launched the Global Partnership for Education to help low-income countries meet the education Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the EFA goal that all children complete a full cycle of primary education by 2015. The Global Partnership for Education is a platform for collaboration at the global and country levels. Through the Global Partnership for Education compact, developing countries commit to design and implement sound education plans while donor partners commit to align and harmonize additional support around these plans. Funding is channeled through existing bilateral and multilateral channels and also through the Global Partnership for Education Catalytic Fund, which supports countries with insufficient resources to implement their sector plans. The Global Partnership for Education ranks among the largest global partnerships in which the Bank is a player. How Global Partnership for Education works The Global Partnership for Education is built on the principles of country ownership and local-level empowerment, as well as mutual accountability and donor harmonization rooted in the Monterrey Consensus and Paris Declaration principles. Its vision encompasses: country preparation of a sound education sector plan addressing policy, capacity, data, and funding gaps as well as a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP); endorsement of the plan by the country’s Local Donor Group, to signal to bilateral and multilateral financiers that the plan is investment-ready; alignment and harmonization of donor support around this country-owned, investment-ready plan. The World Bank and the Global Partnership for EducationThe World Bank has a significant role and stake in the partnership: it launched the partnership, in collaboration with other donors; it hosts the Global Partnership for Education Secretariat; and it serves as Trustee for Global Partnership for Education trust funds including the new Global Partnership for Education Fund. The World Bank is also Supervising Entity for most allocations provided to Global Partnership for Education countries. Collaborating with developing country and donor country partners at the country level as well as at the global level to realize the promise of Global Partnership for Education is a high priority for the Bank. The Global Partnership for Education: supports the Bank's overall objectives for education, which is a vital contributor to economic and human development and poverty reduction helps countries address the large gaps they face in meeting education MDG 2, in areas of policy, capacity, data, finance helps countries accelerate progress, which requires more effective aid, and more external funding assures improved efficiency and lower transaction costs for donor assistance because donors come together around a single country plan rather than engage in fragmented efforts; this is especially important in the context of substantial donor interest in primary education helps to extend the Bank's reach and leverage in support of education through the partnership recognizes that progress must be country-driven; more money at the global level alone is not enough The Bank's involvement is essential because the Bank: has historically been the largest external financier in education and has a strong presence in most low-income countries’ education sectors brings unique strengths to the table that can benefit recipient countries and strengthen the effectiveness of aid can use its convening power to help take forward the Paris Declaration agenda of donor harmonization and alignment around each country’s own education sector plan (ESP) For more information visit Global Partnership for Education website.